2020 VC Men's and Women's Track & Field Review

2020 was already a transition year for the Ventura College track and field teams. With former VC All-American and new head coach Tom Czerwinski at the helm, the Pirates began anew in January and racked up some solid performances before the season was stopped in mid-March due to the coronavirus. 

Men's Most Valuable Athlete Jake Reinwald put together a very impressive start to the 2020 season. He won the long jump in four of five competitions, leaving him ranked No. 1 in the Western State Conference. In the final meet  of the season at the Santa Monica Classic, the freshman from Buena High School competed in his first 100m, winning and setting the No. 1 mark in the conference, as well. Reinwald was a vital part of the 4x100m and 4x400m meter relay teams that were just beginning to mesh mid season.

Other notable performances were turned in by Julian Gibson, who ended the year with the state's No. 6 ranking in the 400m and the No. 12 spot in the 200m. Jaedon Rogers excelled in the triple jump, long jump and the 100m. Meanwhile Brandon Sarmiento was a solid fourth on both the 4x100 and 4x400m relay teams. 

The women's distance runners dominated for the Pirates in 2020. Most Valuable Athlete Brieanna Tafoya placed second overall at Battle of the Regions in 800m with a time of 2:23.98 which ranks No. 5 in the state. The Foothill Tech graduate helped the Pirates' distance medley relay team take first at the WSC Relays, and she also ran on the 4x400m relay team. Tafoya, a sophomore, also won the 1500m at the WSC North meet with the 11th-fastest time in school history. She also ran a state-ranked No. 4 time in the 800m. 

Olivia Burton was ranked No. 3 in California in the 3000m and also produced the Nos. 9 and 14 marks in the 5000m and 1500m runs, respectively. Alisann Tolusa led VC in the 800m with the third-ranked mark in the state and Isabelle Egbert was No. 15 in the 3000m.

Aubrianna Smith had solid performances in the 100m and 200m sprints, ranking No. 7 in the 100. She, along with Gillian Serate, Catalina Escobal and Tajanae Mack teamed up to post the No. 11-ranked time in the 4x100m relay. Serate also won the long jump at the final meet of the year.

Sarmiento and Michelle Hamm earned the men's and women's Scholar Athlete Awards, respectively, with both posting perfect 4.0 grade point averages.