Debbie Jackson set the record in 1988 for the farthest javelin throw of 155 feet and 10 inches. Twenty-three years later, her daughter, Myshauna Alexander, almost broke the record by throwing with 152 feet and 9 inches.
Throwing just three feet short of her mother’s old school record, Alexander won the javelin event by over 30 feet.
“I don’t know whether to be happy about it or sad about it being so close yet so far,” Alexander said. “But she said she’d rather have me break it than anybody else.”
This mark moves her to No. 2 on the ECC All-Time Top 10.
“My series was not that good but it all came together in the end, and I finally got that one good throw,” Alexander said. “If I start the way I finish, then I should have a great day at state.”
The track and field teams head to American River College for the state championship finals tomorrow.
The women’s team placed second with Mt. San Antonio College coming in first and Cerritos College following EC. The men’s team placed fourth with Mt. SAC coming in first as well.
“It was a huge day for us and we truly came through,” coach Dean Lofgren said.
The Southern California Regional Finals were also the qualifiers for the state championship finals.
“With them performing that well and under that pressure really speaks how confident and yet relaxed they are,” Lofgren said.
There were also great performances on the track, as sprinter David Cardona won both the 1,500-meter and the 500 events.
“I’m feeling pretty confident and I’m ahead of the game,” Cardona said. “I just have to run a smart race and go for the title. All our training has come down to this and now it’s show time.
The women’s 400 relay team came out with a win remaining undefeated. The team included Isis Garland, Amanda Young, Ronisha Vallery and Shale’ Garland.
“We have a good team this year and I’m happy to have them with me,” Shale’ Garland said.
She went on to win the 400 and place second in the 200.
“I was sick last week so my performance wasn’t where I wanted it to be,” Shale’ Garland said. “I kept thinking, ‘I have to make it to the next level and I can’t let sickness get to me,’ and I had to pull through.”
Vallery moved up the ECC All-Time Top 10 List to ninth with a win in the long jump and Rukayah Bent-Mikail won in the triple jump.
The men’s field team showed strong performances as well.
“I’m really looking forward to this weekend to see what these north guys got, and to show them what I got and what the south can do,” Jason Harrell said.
Harrell won the discus event, automatically qualifying him for the state championship finals.
“Normally when I would go to the ring, the discus wouldn’t feel right in my hand, but this time it felt good,” Harrell said. “I was finally able to get back to what I was doing during the season and it was a great experience.”
Placing directly behind Harrell was freshman discus thrower Alexander Tuliau.
“I really wanted to top Jason but we took one and two so that’s cool,” Tuliau said. “As long as we get the team some points, that’s what we came here to do.”
“This is my first state championship meet so I’m kind of nervous right now, but practices are going well and hopefully I can make it feel like just another meet,” Tuliau added.
Kara Kalmar and Katrina Wilbanks also pulled through with a first and third place in the pole vault.
“They are a very personable group that’s not phased by a lot of pressure which is hard to find,” Lofgren said. “We’re excited when we have one SoCal champion but to have nine in one meet is phenomenal.”
Last year, Cardona was the only track and field member to reach the state competition level.
“It would be nice to be in a position to win a state title,” Lofgren said. “It’s great for the school, it’s great for the kids, and it’s something you have in history forever.”
