2017 Ventura College Track & Field Team News
Tristan Griffith saved his best for last. In his final race in Pirate orange and black, the sophomore sprinter from Camarillo High School ran a lifetime best 47.48, to capture third place in the 400 meters at the CCCAA State Track and Field Championships at American River College in Sacramento Saturday. Griffith improved on his previous PR of 47.82 to move into fourth place overall in Ventura College history, earning his first All-American award.
Tristan Griffith was a busy man on Saturday in Cerritos. The sophomore from Camarillo High School improved on his fourth place finish from a year ago, winning the 400m at the Southern California Track & Field Championships Saturday in Cerritos. He also finished in fifth place in the 200m race, earning a trip to the CCCAA State Championships in Sacramento next weekend.
The Pirates' men's and women's track and field teams sent 22 tracksters to Cerritos Saturday to compete in the SoCal Regional Prelims, with 11 qualifying for the regional Finals on Saturday May 13. Tristan Griffith led the way qualifying in two individual events. Other individual qualifiers included Terrance Nunnery, Daniel Alejandre for the Pirate men and Alyssa Carrillo for the women. Additionally, both the men's and women's 4x400 relay teams will run at the regionals.
The Pirates' men's and women's track and field teams did not achieve their team goals but produced an impressive number of Southern California Regional qualifiers, led by WSC champion Tristan Griffith and Alyssa Carrillo. Griffith successfully defended his crown in the 400m and qualified for regionals in the 200m and in two relays while Carrillo moved on SoCal's in three individual throwing events.
The VC men's and women's track and field teams traveled to Bakersfield to compete in the Western State Conference Prelims, with 10 events completing their championship finals. The Ventura women stand tied for fifth place following the competition with 17 points, chasing Canyons with 61 and Santa Barbara with 30. On the men's side, VC earned eight points, tying them for 10th place overall in the limited scoring. Alyssa Carillo had the Pirates' best finish of the day with third place in the women's discus.
In their final track meet before the Western State Conference Championships, the Pirates' men's and women's track teams competed in the Easter Open hosted by Santa Barbara City College. The meet served as the last chance for members of the track team to obtain qualifying standards or improve their overall conference rankings. A skeleton crew competed allowing tracksters with good conference standing an opportunity to rest up for the finals.
The VC men's and women's track and field teams stayed close to home Friday, taking on Cuesta and Moorpark at the 1st Annual Moorpark Open. The non-scoring affair also included numerous open/unattached athletes looking to qualify for USATF. Eleven Pirates took home first place honors highlighted by Miranda Rodriguez's 100 and 200 meter wins.
The Pirates' men's and women's track and field teams traveled to San Luis Obispo Friday for the annual Western State Conference Coastal competition, featuring teams from Ventura, West LA, Moorpark, Allan Hancock, Santa Barbara, and host, Cuesta. Tristan Griffith led the men's team with wins in the 100 and 200 meter races, and as part of two runner-up relays. Meanwhile, Miranda Rodriguez scored in the 100 and 200 meter races and as part of two relays for the women. Marissa Gonzales, Fabiola Gomez and Kenna Perez also scored in multiple races for VC.
The Ventura College men's and women's track and field teams traveled to Lancaster Friday to run in the Antelope Valley Spring Classic and the sprint relays returned with a bumper crop of fast times. Both the men's and women's 4x100 meter relay teams posted top-10 times in school history. Additionally a host of athletes posted top-5 finishes in the event featuring 12 men's and 12 women's teams.
The Pirates' men's and women's track and field programs traveled to the city of Eagle Rock Friday for the Occidental Spring Distance Classic, hosted by NCAA Division III Occidental College. The meet highlighted sprints, hurdles, jumps and throwing events in the early morning, followed by a distance carnival lasting until near midnight. Ventura's teams collected 14 lifetime best's, and an additional 15 Southern California minimum championship standards on the day.
The Ventura College men's and women's track and field teams hosted the Western State Conference North meet Friday at the VC Sportsplex, with the women placing second of the six participating teams and the men coming in fourth. Alyssa Carrillo led the Pirate women with a first place mark in the hammer throw and a third in the discus while Miranda Rodriguez and Alisa Houston posted the best marks in the 100m and 400m, respectively. Tristan Griffith came in first in the 200m and second in the 400m for the VC men while Jason Mesa won the 100m.
The 2017 Pirate track and field season kicked of at the annual Bakersfield College Battle of the Regions Friday. A constant rain storm reduced the participation of northern California schools resulting in 10 women's and nine men's teams in attendance. The cold, wet, and windy conditions were not conducive to good times or filed distances, but several Pirates still performed well.