2021 Ventura College Track & Field Team News
In a year like no other with online learning, season cancelations and COVID-shortened schedules, Ventura College Athletics still transferred 36 student athletes to four-year schools for the 2020-21 academic year, as of August 10. Of those transfers, 19 plan on continuing competing in their sport(s) across all divisions of intercollegiate competition. There were 15 transfers who received athletic scholarships while 20 received academic aid to their new school.
Ventura College student athletes excelled once again in the classroom in the spring semester, achieving an overall 3.22 grade point average. A total of 106 Pirates earned Dean's List honors by posting at least a 3.5 GPA in 12 or more units of study, with 49 of them recording a perfect 4.0 GPA of all A's. Of VC's 19 intercollegiate athletic teams, 17 earned an overall GPA of 3.0 or better.
The lifetime bests kept pouring in on a hot day in Bakersfield for the Ventura College track and field teams at the Western State Conference Championships on Friday. Charlotte Allison claimed first place in the triple jump on Friday to go along with her high jump gold from a week ago, and she teamed up with Gillian Serate, Andrianna Vera and Aubriana Smith to win the 4x100m relay. Pierson Reynolds won the men's 800m run while Jaedon Rodgers triumphed in the triple jump for the Pirates at the championships.
It was a cold and very windy day at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster as the Pirate track and field teams competed in the Western State Conference Preliminaries on Friday. In total, 19 athletes qualified to compete in next week's conference finals at Bakersfield. Meanwhile, there were five events of finals competition, with VC well-represented in the place-winners.
The Pirate track and field teams traveled to Antelope Valley Friday and battled the elements on a hot windy day. The teams showed grit as they competed in a preview of a condensed Western State Conference with the women placing third and the men fifth of the seven schools competing. Michelle Sanchez and Denise Cardona scored 24 of VC's 101 points in three throwing events to lead the Pirate women while Pierson Reynolds claimed the 800m for the VC men.
The Ventura College track and field teams competed in another triangular meet at Moorpark College Friday, showing significant signs of improvement for both the men and women. Jaedon Rogers matched a lifetime best to win the triple jump to lead the men while Charlotte Allison again claimed four golds in the competition.
After over 400 days since their last competition, the Pirates suited up to step on the track, rings, and runways to continue where they left off against Moorpark and Hancock in Moorpark. Charlotte Allison led the VC women winning three individual events and anchoring a victorious relay while Gisele Ortega won the 1500m.
It has been 392 days since the Pirates competed in an intercollegiate contest, but in two days they return. On Saturday April 10 the VC baseball team hosts Cuesta College for a double-header and the Pirates' men's tennis team travels to Westmont College to usher in Ventura College's post-Covid athletic schedule. All 10 of Ventura's spring sports are scheduled to return to competition in the coming weeks, although fans will not be allowed inside venues due to county and state health department restrictions.
After opting out of Spring I season sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) will “opt-in” for the upcoming California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Spring II season. The decision is based on CCCAA COVID-19 guidelines and input from the athletic directors, coaches and athletic staff of Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges. The Spring II season includes men’s and women’s competitive sports and begins April 10. The length of the season varies by sport.
Ventura College Athletics is achieving great success in the classroom and on the field! Please consider participating in the #HaveAHeartforVC fundraising campaign for our student athletes February 14 - 22, 2021!
Student athletes at Ventura College continued to achieve academic honors in the fall 2020 semester with 99 of them earning a spot on VC's Dean's List by posting a 3.5 or better grade point average in 12 or more units. Of those honores, 47 earned perfect 4.0 GPA's signifying all A's in their classes. Meanwhile, 13 of the Pirates' 19 intercollegiate athletic teams achieved an overall GPA of 3.0 or better.
After Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the VC Athletic Department is hosting a Day of Giving on Tuesday Dec. 1. The fundraiser conducted through text messaging or online will benefit Pirate Athletics, or any of VC's 19 sports teams. The goal for the day is to have at least 50 individual donors and raise at least $1,000 combined.
Tuesday September 22 was National Voter Registration Day. In conjunction with that day, the Ventura College Athletic Department has paired with the Associated Students of Ventura College to encourage 100 percent voter registration among eligible student athletes and 100 percent registration among VC students. The effort is also encouraging all students to become educated voters and participate in this fall's election.
The Ventura College Athletic Department is proud to announce that Antonio Rosales of the men's tennis team and Michelle Hamm and Raphaella Rosales of the women's cross country/track and field and volleyball/beach volleyball teams, respectively, have been named the Pirates' Scholar Athletes for the 2019-20. All three sophomores finished two years of competition for the orange and black with perfect 4.0 grade point averages in the classroom.
Despite the movement of classes online and the cancellation of most of the spring season, student athletes at Ventura College continued to achieve academically in 2019-20. In the fall, 99 student athletes made the Dean's list, signifying a grade point average of 3.5 or above, while 107 student athletes were honored on the Dean's list in the spring 2020 semester.