The EC track and field team takes leaping step forward
Freshman Haley Heinemann clears the water jump during her 2nd lap in the Women’s 3000 meter steeplechase at last Saturday’s meet at Mt. San Antonio College. Heinemann would place 2nd out of a field of 17 runners in the race with a time of 11:33.48. This was only Heinemann’s 2nd appearance in this event and yet the time was good enough to place her 2nd place overall in the South Coast Conference as well as place her 3rd overall among the all-time El Camino College performers in the event. Photo credit: Gilberto Castro
She waved and wished her teammates good luck as she warmed up for the race. Before blasting out of the blocks, everyone knew she had what it took to win. Dashing off to a fair start she started to pull away from the competition. That day Syrea Hicks made her mark on the track.
Hicks, freshman sprinter brought home two gold medals and a silver. She won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.07 seconds which now leads the Southern California Conference and places her No. 2 in the state.
“She won the 100 (meter) hurdles. She won the long jump and took second in the triple jump,” coach Dean Logren said. “Syrea had a great day.”
During the Mt. San Antonio College relays on last Saturday, the Warriors brought home medals, state titles, and achieved personal bests in their respective events.
“It really brought together the best in the state,” Lofgren said. “It was kind of like the state meet preview. This was really a sample of some of the best teams in state.”
Track athletes are invited based on times for the invitational which explains the high level of competitive marks.
“Crystal furthered her state lead in the 400-meter hurdles and she also improved in the 100-meter hurdles,” Lofgren said.
Crystal Lizaola, sophomore sprinter improved her state mark in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 61.02 seconds. She also ran her personal best in both the 400-meter hurdles and the 100-meter hurdles.
“I have the current state leading time,” Lizaola said. “I have been working as hard as I can and my time is showing that hard work pays off.”
Haley Heinemann, freshman distance runner placed second and came close to the EC Steeplechase record at 11:33.48 minutes placing her at No. 3 for the ECC All-Time Performer list.
“I was super stoked with my PR (personal record),” Heinemann said. “I expect to get my time down more and more each meet.”
Just like the women’s side, the men’s team scored some of its best times by the way of establishing new personal bests.
Christopher Street, sophomore thrower placed 5th in the shot put with a throw of 49 1/4 which places him in the top 10 in the state and he also took 6th in Javelin.
Antwon Parker, sophomore sprinter placed 10th in the 400-meter dash and 14th in the 200-meter dash.
“This week was a tough one. I was so nervous,” Parker said.
Lofgren thinks each junior college athlete has a competitive standing in the conference.
“We have only seen the bits and pieces from every other team and they only seen bits and pieces from us,” Lofgren said. “We just don’t know how well until we go head-to-head with them.”
