VC track and field sophomore Ashley Crist (Foothill Tech) competed in her first-ever heptathlon Thursday and Friday after recently recovering from an illness just over a week ago. She scored 2,569 points, moving her to 12th on Ventura College's all-time list. In the process, she met the Southern California Heptathlon Minimum Standard, securing her qualification for the SoCal Championships.
This was Ashley's first time competing in four of the seven events—the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 800m. The meet provided a great environment for a first-time multi-event athlete, and she showed immense potential across the board. She has a strong foundation in all her events and will look to build on this experience as she prepares to compete at the Southern California Championships on April 1-2 at Cerritos College, where she'll aim to qualify for the state meet.
"I'm incredibly proud of Ashley's performance in her first heptathlon," said VC head coach Tom Czerwinski.
"She demonstrated toughness, resilience, and a willingness to embrace the challenges of such a demanding event. Navigating multiple technical events for the first time is no small feat, yet she handled it with composure and a great attitude. This experience will serve as a strong stepping stone for her development, and I'm excited to see just how much she can improve by the time we reach SoCals in April."
The rest of Ventura's men's and women's track and field team will open the 2025 season on Saturday Feb. 15 at the Pirate Invitational at the VC Sportsplex. The competition is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am.