Cougars Run Well at Occidental College Spring Classic

The College of the Canyons men's and women's track & field teams each performed well at last Friday's Occidental College Spring Classic, with several Cougars clocking times to rank among the best in the state and the conference.

Competing against a mix of community college and four-year college athletes, the team from COC did much to enhance its reputation as one of the top schools to beat in the always-competitive Western State Conference (WSC).

On the men's side, COC freshman sprinter Sike Azu-Irondi enjoyed a successful day of competition by placing first in the 100m with a time of 10.82 — tops in the WSC so far this season.

Azu-Irondi, a two-sport athlete who also plays wide receiver on the COC football team, would later join teammates Jonathon Choi, Cole Mears and James Chevious in helping Canyons win the 4x100 relay with a time of 41.97. 

Mears, a fellow two-sport athlete who plays left field for the COC baseball team, also finished sixth in the 100m event with a time of 11.19.

Despite fielding four freshmen, COC's 4x100 relay team is currently the top-ranked group in the WSC, having already posted the eighth-best time in the state thus far this season.

Later in the day Azu-Irondi was at it again, leading the Cougars to a second place finish in the 4x400 relay at 3:24.56 finishing just behind the team from University of Alaska Anchorage.

Not yet finished, Azu-Irondi rounded out the day by taking fifth place in the long jump with a distance of 6.37 meters.

COC's Ryan Carillo finished second in the pole vault with a mark of 4.09 meters, while high jumper Brando Parry would finish second in that event with a mark of 1.88 meters.

On the women's side Canyons freshman high jumper Jada Selexman took home first place honors after clearing a height of 1.52 meters. Not far behind, freshman Zakora Merriweather took third place at 1.47 meters.

Merriweather and Selexman would join forces with freshmen Tisian Nealy and Ariana Cooper to also take third in the 4x400m relay at 4:00.59.

Cooper also finished fourth in the 100m hurdles with a time of 16.34, while Nealy took fourth in the 400m at 59.77.

COC sophomore Dominique Dowell set a new school record in the 5000m event, clocking in at 18:19.56 to finish 29th among the field of 128 runners.

Freshman Samiyah Hawkins fared well in the throwing events, taking second place in the shot put at 11.14 meters and fourth in the discus at 33.26 meters.

The COC track & field team will next compete in the Antelope Valley College Spring Invite on Friday, March 20.