In a surge of record breaking performances, astonishing athletic feats and new state leaders, the track and field teams seem to be building up to a climactic finish for state championships come May.
Runner Shale’ Garland swept the competition in the 100-meter run, running it in 12 seconds flat and becoming the new state leader in that event.
“I can be nervous but I have to think about acheiving a personal record,” Garland said. “And I have to work on what I didn’t do on the race before.”
She also made the All-Time ECC Performer List, ranking fifth.
“I started off where I ended last year and I’m doing much better,” Garland said. “I have to get stronger and get the right mindset when I’m running.”
The EC track and field teams head to the Antelope Valley Invitational to face various contenders Saturday.
Cardona returned to win the traditional 2-mile race later in the evening with a time of 9 minutesand 20.39 seconds, while Lezama placed third.
Sophomore Maria Colin also won in the women’straditional 2-mile in 11:47.36.
The field event performers didn’t have trouble finding their way into the record books as sophomore Nestor Romero threw the hammer even further than his record-breaking performance last meet with a mark of 149 feet and 5 inches.
On a similar note was freshman Rukayah Bent-Mikail, who became the new state leader winning the triple jump with a mark of 38 feet and 10 ¼ inches. She also ranked ninth on the All-Time ECC Performer List.
The high jump saw freshman Michelle Woodruff win with a jump of 5 feet and 2 inches that didn’t trump her 5-3 mark last week placing her as the seventh on the All-Time ECC Performer List.
The EC shot putters dominated the competition consecutively placing in the top three.
Sophomore Jason Harrell won the event with 49 feet and 4 inches, freshman Richard Smith came in second with 48 feet and 4 inches and sophomore Jovan Beason placed third with 47 feet.
“I’m glad I made it over and placed,” sophomore Kara Kalmar said.
Kalmar remained undefeated Friday as she vaulted 11 feet flat in the pole-vault.
“I was expecting to hit 12 feet,” Kalmar said. “But the season has been going pretty good for me and I’ve been improving throughout the year.”
“I feel like my form wasn’t there and I could’ve done better. “But I tried my best and there is always next time,” she said.
The men’s 4×800-meter relay team came out triumphant despite a close race against Riverside.
“I think I did good, but the team did excellent as a whole,” Anthony Lewis said. Winning with a time of 7:42.08 seconds over Riverside’s 7:42.82, freshman Vincent Bui, sophomore David Cardona, freshman Anthony Lewis and sophomre Jose Lezama placed fourth on the ECC All-Time Top 10 List, collectively.
“We depend on each other twenty-four seven,” Lewis said. “These guys are the reason why I work as hard as I do.”
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