Ventura College Pirates Shine at Oxy Invitational

The Pirates' men's and women's track and field teams had some exceptional performances  Saturday at the Oxy Invitational hosted by Occidental College in Eagle Rock. Erick Tienda's performance in the 800m highlighted the efforts by the men's team while Sophia Godina continued her dominance in the 5k run. VC's men's 4x100m relay team of Micah Contreras, Trevor McCarthy, Andrew Stuart and Thomas Dore also had a strong showing winning their event.

Tienda (Rio Mesa) stole the spotlight, securing fifth place overall in the 800m with a time of 1:53.80, the third-fastest mark in Ventura College history. He currently holds the No. 1-ranked time in the event among California community colleges. Tienda's versatility was evident as he also competed in the loaded 5k field, finishing 68th.

Dore (Oxnard) showcased his talent, securing fifth place overall in the 100m. Dore's speed also played a crucial role as he anchored the winning 4x100m relay team, crossing the tape in 41.78 on a team with Contreras (Camarillo), McCarthy (St. Bonaventure), and Stuart (Buena). The relay team's performance of 41.78 currently ranks 5th in California.

McCarthy finished eighth overall in the 100m while Contreras secured 12th place in the 100m and an impressive fourth place finish in the 110m hurdles.

In the 4x400m relay, Contreras and McCarthy, joined by Miles Becker (Ventura) and Joseph Moore (Fillmore), finished fourth.

Mason Jekogian (Ventura) finished 21st in the 1500m, running the ninth-fastest time in school history, and currently ranks seventh in the 3C2A. Adrian Valdez (Oxnard) came in 85th in a competitive 5k field.

Godina (Rio Mesa) continued to establish her dominance for the Pirate women, finishing 15th overall in the 5k in 17:55.85. She has the the No. 1-ranked time in California and No. 2 mark all-time for Ventura College.

Brianna Torres (Oxnard) finished in 37th place in the 5k with the No. 11 all-time performance for Ventura College and she currently ranks seventh in the 3C2A.

Cassandra O'Reilly (Rio Mesa) came in 11th overall in the 100m hurdles, 12th in the shot put, and contributed to the fifth-place 4x100m relay team alongside Ashley Crist (Foothill Tech), Brooke Pyle (Foothill Tech), and Savannah Sprinkle (Buena).

Pyle also finished sixth in the long jump and placed 11th in the 100m. Sprinkle, meanwhile, came in sixth in the long jump and 11th in the 100m. Crist finished 10th in the triple jump.

Stephanie Alanis (Channel Islands) posted an eighth-place finish in the javelin, came in 12th in the discus and finished 22nd in the hammer.

The Pirates are set to continue the season, gearing up for the upcoming competition at Cal State Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16.