Final Regional Results
updated May 13, 2008
Mesa Track & Field coaches have nearly 20 athletes heading to national competition after stellar performances in the Regional Championships that concluded May 8.
The women's team finished 2nd overall tallying 168.5 points. The men finished 5th overall tallying 95 points.
The women, anchored by the efforts of Samantha Henderson, did all they could to hold off Central Arizona. Henderson placed first overall individually, followed by her teammate, Alesha Asijie, who finished second overall.
Henderson scored an astounding 57.5 points herself, and Asijie tallied 30 in her events.
Henderson won the heptathlon, the high jump (5'5.25"), the long jump (17'6.25"), placed 2nd in the shot put (35'3.75"), 4th in the javelin (97'9"), 2nd in the 100 m hurdles (15.33), 5th in the 200 m (26.2), was the anchor on the 4 x 100 m relay team that took 3rd place overall (51.34), and finally, Henderson was the #2 slot on the 4 x 400 m relay team that took 4th place overall (4:39.13).
Asijie was equally amazing. In winning the hammer throw, Asijie threw over 30 feet farther than the second place finisher (147' to 116'). Her first place in the shot put (42'9.5") dominated the competition as well. Asijie also won the discus event (128'5") by nearly ten feet.
Long distance star Ingrid Mollenkopf took the 10,000 m in a time of 39:59.20. She also placed 5th in the 5000 m with a 19:48.70.
Spivey Vasquez took 4th overall in the 400 m for the men with a time of 48.79. Chris Johnson took 5th in the same event with a time of 50.68.
Hannah Rucker scored a 5th place finish overall in the women's 100 m with a time of 13.36, while Tommyka Henry also scored in the same event, finishing 6th with a time of 13.42.
In the 400 m hurdles on the men's side, Ayden Wilber placed 8th for Mesa with a time of 59.42.
In the distance category on the men's side, Brendan McMaster took 2nd overall in the 10,000 m with a time of 33:00.81.
McMaster also finished 2nd overall on the 3000 m steeplechase with a 10:02.71. Teammates Daniel Bowen (10:52.39) finished 5th, and David Hecht (10:55.72) finished 7th in the same event.
Shanna Passey placed 3rd in the hammer (85.09), 5th in the shot put (30'.25"), 2nd in discus (119'11"), and 6th in javelin (90'8").
Tommyka Henry finished 2nd in the triple jump with a 34'1.5".
Lauren Pew took 2nd in the pole vault with a 11'8.5". Lisa Navarro took 3rd in the same event with a 11'2.5". Alexandra Stinchfield took 5th in the pole vault with a 10'8.75". Stinchfield and Navarro also placed on relay teams.
Tory Enderson-Vail placed 5th in the triple jump with a distance of 31'6.5".
Jared Jonovich took 3rd in the men's hammer with a 146'4" throw. He also placed 2nd in the javelin with a 179'7" throw.
Jack Heiman took 3rd overall in the discus throw with a 150'3" mark. Heiman also placed 6th in the hammer with a 135'1", and 7th in the shot put, with a 38'9.75" mark.
Brandon Ottens finished 2nd in the shot put with a 51'4.5" heave. Ottens also took 8th in the hammer (114'3").
Josh Dekonty won the high jump with a 6'6.75" leap, took 6th in the long jump (20'10"), and 3rd in the triple jump (44'11.5").
Michael Kandel placed fourth in the javelin with a 146'11" throw.
Miles Fakhoury placed 8th in the javelin with a 113'2" throw.
John Harrison placed in the 4 x 400 m relay as the anchor.
Nationals take place May 15-17 at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. Competitors from Mesa Community College will be updated as information comes in.
Regional Roundup
Thru 8 events Thursday, May 8, 2008
Mesa Women - 1st place overall with 81.5 points (35 pt lead over Central AZ)
Mesa Men - 3rd place overall with 45 points (30 pts behind leader Central AZ)
Mesa Men Placers
Spivey Vasquez
4th in 400 M - 49.51, 7th in 200 M - 22.41
Josh Dekonty
1st in High Jump - 6'6.75", 6th in Long Jump - 20'10"
Jarred Jonovich
2nd in Javelin - 179'7", 3rd in Hammer - 146'4"
Michael Kandel
4th in Javelin - 146'11"
Ayden Wilber
7th in 400 M Hurdles - 58.74
Jack Heiman
6th in Hammer - 135'1"
Chris Johnson
8th in 400 M - 51.07
Miles Fakhoury
8th in Javelin- 113'2"
Brandon Ottens
8th in Hammer - 120'5"
Brendan McMaster
2nd in 10,000 M - 33:00.81
Mesa Women Placers
Samantha Henderson
1st in Heptathlon, 1st in Long Jump -17'6.25", 1st in High Jump - 5'5.25",
4th in Javelin - 97'9", 3rd in 100 M Hurdles - 15.67, 7th in 200 M - 26.89
Ashley Asijie
1st in Hammer - 147'
Tommyka Henry
6th in 100 M - 13.55
Hannah Rucker
8th in 100 M - 13.72
Shanna Passey
6th in Javelin - 90'8"
Ingrid Mollenkopf
1st in 10,000 M - 39:59.20
Lauren Pew
2nd in Pole Vault - 11'8.5"
Lisa Navarro
4th in Pole Vault - 11'2.5"
Alexandra Stinchfield
5th in Pole Vault - 10'8.75"
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2008 Track & Field
15 women and 26 men make up formidable team
Head Coach Steve Jacobs has 41 reasons to be excited about his 2008 Track & Field team. He hopes those 41 tracksters can bring Mesa glory throughout the year and into nationals.
With the efforts of Colin Post, Eamonn Condon, Kevin Henderson, Ralph Haynie, James Smith, and John Godina, Jacobs has plenty of assistance on board to ensure that his athletes get all of the guidance they need to compete in the grueling ACCAC.
The Puma Invitational kicks things off on January 26 at Paradise Valley Community College. The Mountain "T" Invitational follows on February 2 in Flagstaff on the campus of NAU. February 9 in Glendale, the Gaucho Indoor at Glendale Community Collegetakes place. Finally Paradise Valley hosts again, this time at the Paradise Valley Indoor Invitational on February 16.
The NJCAA Indoor Championships will be held at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL on March 7-8.
Collin Post Is New Mesa Throws Coach
Alumnus Collin Post will take over as coach of the Mesa Community College men’s and women’s track & field weight throwers in the upcoming academic year, succeeding Selmer Olson who retired after 36 years on the MCC staff.
Post is also a graduate of Gilbert Highland High School and Boise State University. While at MCC, he was an NJCAA All-American and set school and regional records in the hammer throw.
Olson joined the MCC track program under the late Carvel Jackson in 1973 and over the years developed the reputation as one of the country’s top coaches in the weight events. Many athletes came to Mesa to benefit from his instruction. In the past three years, 12 of his T-Bird throwers won national championships. He was twice named Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Junior College Athletic Association.
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Spring 2007 Track & Field
Track Men Take 15th, Women 20th At Nationals
MCC Tracksters bode well with rest of ACCAC
With ten representatives at the Track & Field Nationals in Coffeyville, Kansas, Mesa's presence was felt throughout the weekend. With two 2nd-place finishes from Angie Sandell in the pole vault and Curtis Durocher in the hammer throw , one 3rd- place result from James Galvan in the 800 meters, and a surprise 6th- place from the 4 x 100 meter relay team comprised of Mitchell Gladstone, Todd Kreimeyer, Patrick Scott, and Anthony Jamison, Mesa's coaching staff is proud of the overall performances.
The men finished 15th overall and the women took 20th.
The ACCAC fared quite well in the NJCAA Division I Championships as Central Arizona brought home the title. Paradise Valley finished 12th in the competition. Glendale Community College, Pima Community College, and Scottsdale Community College took 20th, 22nd, and 29th respectively.
Click here for complete performance lists for nationals
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Track & Field Stars Shine at Nationals
Coaches Steve Jacobs and Ronnie Williams had ten athletes in Nationals competition the weekend of May 18 in Coffeyville, Kansas. All ten had strong efforts.
Angie Sandell placed second in the pole vault with a height of 12' even. "She had one more miss than the champ did in the early tries, otherwise she would've won it all," said coach Ronnie Williams.
Curtis Durocher also brought home a second place finish in the hammer throw.
James Galvan finished third in the 800 meters with a time of 1:51.40. "He was winning the race the whole time, but it was really windy and James came up just short," said Williams.
The surprise of the weekend was the 4 x 100 relay team of Mitchell Gladstone, Todd Kreimeyer, Patrick Scott, and Anthony Jamison- they placed sixth overall. "We are really pround of those guys. They did a great job," said Williams.
Rounding out the competitors were Amber Washington, who finished 11th in the 400 meters, Richard Johnson, who placed 10th in the 110 meter hurdles, Kevin Lambkins, who set a personal best en route to a 10th place finish in the triple jump. Finally, the 4 x 400 meter relay team of Jamison, Galvan, Johnson, and Gladstone placed 12th overall.
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Athletes off to Coffeyville, Kansas for Nationals!!!
Angie Sandell - Pole Vault Amber Washington- 400 Meters
James Galvan- 800 Meters Richard Johnson- 110 M Hurdles
Curtis Durocher- Hammer Kevin Lambkins- Triple Jump
4x400 Relay Team
Anthony Jamison
Richard Johnson
Mitchell Gladstone
James Galvan
4x100 Relay Team
Mitchell Gladstone
Todd Kreimeyer
Patrick Scott
Anthony Jamison
Mesa Fast Track News Flash!!!
2007 notables
On April 14, 2007 at the Sun Angel Classic, James Galvin ran the fastest 800 meters in the country. His 149.31 was just .01 off the school record.
At the Mesa Classic on April 13, 2007, the men's 4x100 relay qualified for outdoor nationals with a 41.81 clocking. Richard Johnson also qualified in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 14.77.
On April 7, 2007, Spivey Vasquez ran 54.58, a national qualifying mark in the 400 meter hurdles. This was his season opening hurdle race.
The 1600 meter relay team also qualified for the national championships with a time of 316.85. That team is comprised of Spivey Vasquez, Richard Johnson, James Galvin, and Anthony Jamison.
On March 30, 2007 at an ACCAC track meet, James Galvin ran 150.32 in the 800 meters, which is the second fastest 800 in the country.
In the same meet, Amber Washington ran a 57.9 in the 400. She tells how she got into Track to stay in shape, but now says, “Track is my life. I am totally committed, and it helps build character.” A year ago a stress fracture in her foot necessitated that she sit out part of the season. The injury forced her to set aside her jumping events where she had previously excelled to focus on sprinting. “Everything happens for a reason, and some good can obviously come out of an unfortunate situation,” she says.
Mesa track and field athletes turned in strong performances in both the indoor and outdoor seasons this past year. Coach Steve Jacobs who just completed his 19th year at MCC noted “Track & Field has been one of Mesa’s more successful sports, and we tend to have a solid team every year.”
Nicole Lloyd broke the School outdoor record in the discus with a throw of 151’ 8”, topping Michelle Amete’s old record of 148’ set in 2004. Husband Zack led the country in the indoor shotput event with a toss of 61’ 7”and ranked second in outdoor competition at 180’. Both Lloyds are transferring to the University of Arizona.
Others who did well in their particular events this past season include, for the Women, Gina Peterson in sprints, hurdles and field events; Valerie Dvorak, Diane Pacheco and Rochelle Bush, distance races; and Monica Neri, Shauna Frost and Angie Sandell, field events. For the Men: Rodney Burns, Shannon Waynewood and Michael Hilbe, sprints; Au Nyguen, Ray Fair and Glenn Jackson, distance races; and Curtis Durocher, Logan Carton, Jamie Borrego and Kevin Lawkins, field events.
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MCC Weight Throwers Sign with D-1 Universities
Two of Mesa Community College’s stellar weight throwers will be moving into the NCAA Division I ranks.
Michelle Amete who broke five school records, set a junior college national record in the hammer with a throw of 189 feet, and represented the United States in the 2005 Pan-American Track & Field Games will continue her career at Arizona State. Michelle was an Arizona state champion in the shot put and discus when she attended Queen Creek High School.
The University of Kentucky has recruited Rashaud Scott who has been ranked the #1 college freshman in his events. He broke a 1997 school record in the discus with a throw of 198 feet and won a silver medal for the U.S. under-23 team in the North American championships held last year in the Dominican Republic.
Both athletes came to Mesa so as to develop their skills under veteran track & field mentor Selmer Olson. In just the past three years, a dozen of his T-bird throwers have won 12 national championships. That group includes Sheldon Battle, now at the University of Kansas who ranks second nationally in NCAA competition, and Shaun Best at the University of Arizona.
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