Track & Field Excels at Moorpark Invite Tune-Up Meet

The Ventura College Track and Field team showcased their talent at the Moorpark Invitational last Friday, using the meet as a tune-up for upcoming competitions. Erick Tienda, Sophia Godina, Brooke Pyle and Addy Cornell all claimed individual golds for the Pirates while Trevor McCarthy, Sam McKenzie and Savannah Sprinkle also had solid performances for VC.

Tienda (Rio Mesa) delivered an outstanding run, clinching victory in the 3000m steeplechase in 9:35.27 with the  fastest time in VC history and the current No. 3-ranked time in the 3C2A. McCarthy (St. Bonaventure) secured fourth place in both the 100m and 200m events with his 200m time of 21.60 ranking as the eighth-fastest all-time in the program record books and No. 10 in the state this year.

Joseph Moore (Moorpark) finished sixth in the 200m and 14th in the 100m while Andrew Stuart (Buena) came in 13th in the 100m. Oliver Tavira (Rio Mesa) secured 10th place in the 800m and Colin Crisostomo (Buena) finished ninth in the 1500m.

Godina (Rio Mesa) delivered another stellar performance, claiming gold in the 800m in 2:17.10, the program's third-fastest all-time and the second-ranked mark in the 3C2A. B. Pyle (Foothill Tech) broke the tape first in the 100m, posting a time of 12.63, and also ran the second leg of the winning 4x100m relay team alongside teammates Ashley Crist (Foothill Tech), Sprinkle (Buena), and McKenzie (Oxnard). McKenzie also won a silver medal in the high jump.

Sprinkle claimed bronze in the 100m while Crist finished 4th in the event. Brianna Torres (Oxnard) came in second in the 1500m. Charys Pyle (Foothill Tech) claimed second in the 100m hurdles and attempted the pole vault for the first time, taking third place.

Addy Cornell (Newbury Park Adventist) and Yesenia Molina (Oxnard) dominated the 400m hurdles, securing first and second place, respectively. Stephanie Alanis (Channel Islands) displayed versatility by finishing second in the hammer, third in the javelin, fourth in the discus and fifth in the shot put while Layla Alonso (Rio Mesa) finished fourth in the shot. 

Ventura next heads to the track on Friday March 12, competing at the Cerritos Invitational while a small contingent of distance runners will head to Azusa Pacific's Bryan Clay Invitational.