Mt. San Antonio's Ruiz and Capetillo repeat as 10,000-meter winners at CCCAA Track and Field Championships

CCCAA MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS (San Mateo)

 

SAN MATEO - Rebecca Ruiz and Salvador Capetillo of Mt. San Antonio College repeated as respective women’s and men’s 10,000 meter champions Friday in the first running events of the 2019 California Community College Athletic Association Track and Field Championships at College of San Mateo.

 

Ruiz covered the 25 laps around CSM’s Mondo track in 38 minutes, 13.41 seconds to win convincingly over the West Los Angeles duo of Olivia Quezada (38:31.54) and Cynthia Melendez (38:34.46).

Capetilllo took the men’s race in 31:30.15, beating Kibrom Elias of Cuyamaca (31:33.27) and Adan Cruz of Ventura (31:43.50).

 

This is the fifth time since 2007 that the state championships are being held at CSM’s College Heights Stadium.

Host CSM had one of the day’s final champions in women’s javelin thrower Taina Livai. The sophomore out of Mills High School (Millbrae) extended her state lead past the 40 meter mark twice, reaching 40.81 (133 feet, 10 inches) on her first effort to take control. She stretched that to 40.90 (134-2) on her third effort – which ranks No. 2 nationally among all community college throwers this year. Hannah Katches of Cuesta placed second at 128 feet even.

 

In similar fashion in the men’s javelin throw, Marcos Gonzalez of Riverside surpassed 200 feet for the first time, reaching 201-8, which ranks No. 4 nationally. Runner-up was Cole Parker of Shasta at 178-2.

 

Alec Jones of Riverside took the day’s first field final, the men’s hammer throw, at 177-8 over Jacob Whitby of Bakersfield (175-7). Jones is the state leader this season at 183-7.

 

Caitlin McClain of San Joaquin Delta had her season best in the women’s hammer, 165-2, to edge season state leader Melissa Favorite of De Anza at 158-3. Favorite has thrown 168-9.

 

Imani Jones of Cerritos was an upset winner in the women’s long jump, reaching 19-2 3/4 on her third effort. She replaced teammate and defending champion Kierra King, who finished fifth at 18-5 3/4. Daizhiana Ebert of Bakersfield was the runner-up at 19-1 1/4.

 

Men’s state long jump leader Jamal Britt of College of the Sequoias was the only person to jump past seven meters. And he did in four times, winning at 7.33 -- which is  24 feet and 3/4 of an inch. Qwintin Workman of El Camino took the silver medal at 22-4 1/2.

 

The pole vault competition was moved up a day due to predicted wet weather conditions for Saturday. Darla Gonzalez of Mt. San Antonio, the national women’s leader this season at 13-3 1/2, beat the field by nearly a foot with a 12-3 1/2 clearance. Her MSAC teammates Amy Campos and Mayara De Souza tied for second at 11-3 3/4.

 

Shane Peterson of West Los Angeles won a tight men’s pole vault competition by clearing 15-7 on his first attempt. Victor Zuniga of Moorpark cleared on his second try to place second and Jack Fling of Hartnell made it on his third to get the bronze medal. National leader Jimmy Escobar of Cuesta (16-4 3/4 best) finished sixth at 15-1.

 

Waisea Jikoiono of Santa Rosa was the men’s high jump winner at 6-6 3/4 over state leader Trey Pierce of Diablo Valley, who settled for a second place tie at 6-4 3/4 with Shallamar Poole of Mt. San Antonio.

 

Myrna Gillas of Fullerton equaled the state season lead of 5-7 to win the women’s high jump. State co-leader Alyssa Burke of Shasta finished second at 5-5. Hanah Smrt of Yuba College competed in her sixth event of the day, placing third at 5-3 (although she has also cleared 5-7). Smrt had earlier placed fourth in the long jump at 18-6 1/2.

 

She is the leader in the women’s heptathlon after the four first-day events with a score of 2,804 points. Smrt paces the state this season with a best of 4,354 for the seven events.  Daila Bell of Cerritos leads in a close second place battle with 2,442, ahead of Clarissa Menil of San Joaquin Delta (2,379) and Elizabeth Chidester of Mt. SAC ( 2,371).

 

David Clause of Butte leads the men’s decathlon after five events with 3,379 points, followed by Bylan Bouziques of De Anza at 3,251 and Brian Harper of Butte at 3,244. 

 

Competition will continue early Saturday with the men’s decathlon 100 meters starting things at 8 a.m.

 

WOMEN: Mt. San Antonio 34, Cerritos 18, San Joaquin Delta 16 1/2, Yuba 15, Cuesta 14 1/2, West Los Angeles 14, Riverside 13 1/2, Fullerton 12, College of San Mateo and De Anza 10.

MEN: Riverside 35, College of the Sequoias 22, Mt. San Antonio 21, West Los Angeles 17, El Camino and Moorpark 12, Hartnell 1, San Joaquin Delta and Santa Rosa 10, Diablo Valley and Orange Coast 9.

 

LIVE STREAM & TV COVERAGE: Saturday running events begin at 12:20 p.m. with the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase. Some outstanding sprint races are scheduled starting at 3 p.m. with the 100 meter events, which will also be shown live on Eleven Sports Next digital platform. Those final two plus hours of the meet are also scheduled for a delayed telecast on ELEVEN SPORTS USA, available on national cable outlets such as DirecTV and AT&T U-verse.

 

--The meet is being streamed live on baosn.tv on Saturday, starting at 12 noon.