May 2, 2006
SPORTSThunderbirds have strong showing at Mesa Classic
Members of the MCC men’s track team took part in numerous events at the Mesa Classic held at MCC on April 14. They are (left to right) Torrie Walker in the long jump, Tyrell Horton in the hammer throw and Curtis Durocher in the discus throw. An injury-plagued 2006 season has not stopped the effort and determination of the MCC men and women’s track and field team.
The team, like most others at MCC, is preparing for upcoming regional and national meets.
However, the men and women just finished competing in the MCC hosted Mesa Classic, which was held on April 14 and had Thunderbirds from both squads giving strong performances.
The women won the 4x400 relay with a team that featured Monica Neri, Shaina Frost, Rochelle Bush and Gena Petersen.
They posted an overall time of 4 minutes, 10.2 seconds in the victory.
Sophomore Michelle Amete came through with a solid third-place finish in the hammer throw with a distance of 56.11 meters and beat-out top competition from schools such as the University of Kentucky and the University of Arizona.
Amete also placed fifth in the shot put and sixth in the discus throw.
For the men’s team, James Galvan finished second in the 800-meter run, and the men’s 4x400 relay team captured first.
David Morrow, Mike Hilbe, Rodney Burnes and Shannon Waynewood were the members of that team.
MCC also took second in the same race with a B-side team that featured Kyle Johnson, Josh Arvayo, Darrell Bradford and Castillo Bain.
Additionally, Logan Carton finished second in the pole vault, Jamie Borrego had a nice performance with a second place finish in the triple and long jumps and Curtis Durocher won the discus throw with a distance of 52.48 meters.
Yet, the highlight of the Mesa Classic may have been MCC’s Rashaud Scott’s record-setting performance in the discus throw.
Scott, throwing in the invitational event, reached a distance of 198.6 feet, breaking Doug Reynolds record throw of 197.06 feet by one foot.
Reynolds set the record in 1997 and went on to become a junior college and Pac-10 champion in the discus throw.
“It was a record we didn’t think would ever be broken,” said Steve Jacobs, MCC’s head track and field coach, of the discus record.
And according to Jacobs, both the MCC men and women’s teams are not only one of the top teams in the state, but in the country.
That should have the Thunderbirds feeling confident as they head into their final meets of the season. In fact, several athletes have already qualified for the meets.
Jacobs said Burnes, one the men’s teams top runners, will be representing MCC in the 100-meter dash at the national meet as he has already qualified with a time of 10.57 seconds in the 100-meter dash and that Carton, averaging 16.1 feet per vault, is one of the best pole vaulters in the country.
The women’s side will be led by another top vaulter, Shaina Frost, and their 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams.
“We’ve gotten solid performances all year,” said Jacobs referring to the women’s team.
The coach also feels that if the teams can get healthy they will put up strong performances at the upcoming meets.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries, hopefully we’ll be healthy enough by regionals,” Jacobs said. “The injuries are the only thing holding us back right now.”
The NJCAA Region I Championships begin May 2 at MCC’s Riggs Stadium and will last four days, while the NJCAA Outdoor Championships start May 18 at Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kan.
Volume 43, Issue 14. Today is
photos by Ami Johnson