W. Track & Field: Cerritos excels in final invitational

In their last chance to tune up for the South Coast Conference Prelims, the Cerritos College women's track and field turned in several fine performances at the Cerritos Invitational. The Falcons will now compete in the SCC Prelims, which will take place on April 23 at El Camino College.

As a team, Cerritos won a pair of events and took second place in seven others. Both relay teams came in second place, with the 4x100-meter relay team of KeeAnna McCaulley (North Fort Meyers, FL HS), Elena Mack (El Camino Real Charter HS), Crystal Nguyen (Fountain Valley HS) and Jasmine Soto-Castro (Schurr HS) turning in a time of 49.74. They were only edged out by four-year college Hunboldt State. As for the 4x400-meter relay, the quartet of Ariel Alvarez (Firebaugh HS), Lila Palmer (Long Beach Poly HS), Kimberly Ibarra (Warren HS) and Leslie Juarez (Warren HS) were timed in 4:22.55 and trailed only College of the Canyons.

In the sprinting events, Mack posted a season-best time of 25.07 to place second in the 200 meters and trailed only former Falcon Kierra King, who had a time of 24.81. Mack matched that finish in the 400 meters, with her personal best time of 58.34 trailing only Orange Coast College's Esmeray Demirbas, who won the event in 57.02.

Also registering a personal best time on the year was sophomore Megan Feitz (Fountain Valley HS), who posted a time of 12:09.23 in the 3000 meter steeplechase and trailed only Yonselin Canseco of San Bernardino Valley College by eight seconds. 

In the field events, sophomore Zharia Taylor (Long Beach Poly HS) won the high jump when she cleared 1.55 meters on her first attempt. She also finished in second place in the triple jump with a personal best distance of 10.74 meters, which came on her second of four attempts. Sophomore thrower Dimitra Vitogiannis (Downey HS) defeated 35 other entries in the discus and turned in a personal best distance of 44.18 meters, which she accomplished on her first throw. There were 11 entries in the competition that came from four-year schools. Sophomore javelin thrower Andrea Villalta (Norwalk HS) turned in a second place distance of 36.27 meters and trailed only Mariah Humphrey of New Mexico State University.

Below is a list of all the Cerritos College athletes that competed in the Cerritos Invitational.