ELAC Men’s Track and Field Competes with Nation’s Elite
LONG BEACH, CA —The East Los Angeles College men’s track and field team competed with more than 2,200 athletes in the Beach Invitational at the Cal State Long Beach Jack Rose Track.
The competition included World Champions, Olympic Gold Medalists and top NCAA Division I men. The Huskies brought home some personal records.
Only two community colleges competed in the Beach Invitational, ELAC and Compton College. Neither team scored, however, ELAC defeated Compton in each event they both competed in.
The Huskies full team has the dubious task of competing against just community college men for the first time this season in next week’s last meet of the regular season, the South Coast Conference Championships.
PAW TRACKS
Jakob Tilford (Colony HS) led the Huskies with a personal record in the 100-meter dash in 10.95 seconds. He won his heat against four-year and post four-year university competition. Tilford placed 38th overall in a field of 103. In the SCC Championships he should be seeded 11th. Tilford will receive SCC bids in both Husky relay teams.
Kirk Baril (Millbrae Mills HS) finished in 11.42 in the 100-dash. His times are fast enough to get bids to the SCC Championships in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes as well as the 4x100-meter relay.
Jamal Brinkley (Santiago HS) placed fifth today in his heat edging Cal State L.A. junior David Williams 11.69 to 11.71. Brinkley’s season best times have him on the cusp for bids to the SCC Championships in the 100 and 200 dashes as well as the 4x100-meter relay.
Dijon Donaldson (Bellflower HS) placed 53 out of 57 jumpers in Long Beach with a leap of 6.11 meters (20.05 feet). He placed 40th out of 44 in 13.54 meters (44.42 feet). Olympic Gold Medalist Christian Taylor won the event in 17.15 meters (56.27 feet). Donaldson will get a No. 4 seed at the SCC Championships in the triple jump and a 5 or 6 seed in the long jump.
Steven Murillo Garcia (Montebello HS) ran a personal record today in the 800-run good enough for 9th place in his heat over Cal State L.A. junior Luis Ayala-Sierra, 2:08.38 to 2:09.10. Garcia should receive a bid to the SCC Championships in the 4x400 relay.
Hector Gutierrez (South East HS) edged teammate Nicholas Hutson (Paramount HS) in the 100-dash for 99th place, 12.20 to 12.27. Hutson edged two Compton runners at the tape.
Garrison Harris (GA / Elbert County HS) didn’t compete at the Beach Invitational but will get a bid to the SCC Championships in the long jump and the 4x400 relay. Harris is the No. 1 seed in the SCC long jump, No. 6-ranked in the state and No. 22-ranked in the nation.
Nathan Rangel (Montebello HS) placed 20th today in the 5,000-meter run in 17:32.98 defeating Cal State L.A. junior Didier Pina for the second straight week.
All-American Joshua Taylor (Franklin HS) jumped 6.29 (20.64 feet) in the long jump at the Beach invitational. He tends to foul in big meets and fouled twice, however his third and final jump was good enough for 48th place against world class competition. He will be the second seed in the SCC Championships in both the long jump and the triple jump.
Relay Teams - Both relay teams, the 4 x 100-meter run, 4 x 400-meter run, did not compete today, but will get bids to the SCC Championships.
Up Next
The SCC Championship Prelims are set for Tuesday and the Championship Finals will be on Friday, April 27 at the El Camino College Football Stadium. Both days begin at 1:00 p.m.
Follow ELAC Athletics at http://athletics.elac.edu/landing/index or on Facebook at ELAC Huskies Athletics (@elachuskiesathletics).
story submitted by Tadzio Garcia