COC Track & Field Sends Five to Next Level
Included in the group of signees were James Chevious, Carson Lysik, Cole Mears and Ethan Walker for the men’s team, and Tisian Nealy on the women’s side.
After a strong finish to its 2016 campaign, this week the College of the Canyons track & field program had five student-athletes commit to continue their careers at the next level.
Included in the group of signees were James Chevious, Carson Lysik, Cole Mears and Ethan Walker for the men's team, and Tisian Nealy on the women's side.
Walker, the 2015 California Community College Athletic Association State Champion in the men's 3,000m steeplechase, will head to Utah Valley University, an NCAA Division I program located in Orem, Utah. The Wolverines compete in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
Walker is also expected to compete for the school's cross country program after having extraordinary success in the sport while at COC. He was a member of the college's 2014 CCCAA Men's Cross Country State Champion team as a freshman, before winning the 2015 CCCAA Men's Cross Country Individual State Championship as a sophomore.
Chevious moves on to Northern Arizona University, an NCAA Division I program located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Lumberjacks compete in the Big Sky Conference, and are currently the No. 20 ranked men's track & field program in the nation heading into Memorial Day weekend.
Chevious competed in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay for the Cougars. He was also a member of the 2015-16 COC men's basketball team.
Mears will head to UC San Diego next season, an NCAA Division II program. Mears, a two-year athlete for the Cougars, competed in the javelin and run on the 4x400m relay team. As a freshman, he split his time between the COC track & field and baseball teams.
This season, Mears placed fourth in the Western State Conference (WSC) and fifth in Southern California in the javelin. He was also a member of COC's 4x400m relay team that placed fourth in the WSC.
Lysik will move on to UC Santa Cruz, an NCAA Division III program, after one year with the Cougars. As a freshman, he competed in the triple jump, long jump, high jump and 400m hurdles.
Nealy will take her talents to the University of St. Mary, an National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) program in Leavenworth, Kansas.
Nealy competed in the 200m, 400m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay during her two year run with the Cougars. This season, she placed fourth in the WSC in the 400m.
Nealy also helped the 4x400m relay team earn a second place finish at the WSC Finals, while the 4x100m relay team she ran on placed fourth.