Ballentine Finishes Fifth at SoCal Decathlon, Qualifies for State Meet

By Mari Kneisel/COC Sports Information

El CAMINO – College of the Canyons freshman Matthew Ballentine represented the Cougars in his second decathlon of the year at the two-day SoCal Hep/Dec Championship at El Camino College on April 5-6, placing fifth overall and staking claim to a spot at the CCCAA Track & Field State Championships.

The dual-sport athlete, also a memebr of the Cougars football program, worked for a total of 5,571 event points highlighted by a first-place finish in javelin (49.47m / 162' 4") and a second-place finish in the shot put (10.33m / 33' 10.75").  

Ballentine also had two fourth-place finishes in the 110h (17.37) and the 100m (11.72). 

He recorded four six-place results in the 400m (53.27), 1500m (4:52.87) and both the high jump (1.73 / 5'8") and pole vault events (3.03m / 9'11.25").

His mark of 27.31m (89' 7") placed him seventh in discus and he took eighth in the long jump event (5.95m / 19' 6.25"). 

Ballentine's fifth place finish qualifies him to compete at the CCCAA State Championship in May.  

Upcoming Schedule

Ballentine will have a few more meets to prepare for the CCCAA State Championship May 20-21. The Cougars next compete at the Mt. SAC Relays at Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday, April 9, and then move on to the Western State Conference (WSC) Prelims with a home meet on Friday, April 22.  

Alumni Gathering

All alumni from the COC track & field and cross country programs are invited to come cheer on their fellow Cougars during the WSC Track & Field Prelims beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 22 at Cougar Stadium.  

Attendees should check in at the 'Alumni Tent' inside the stadium to meet with former coaches and teammates, and be treated to snacks, drinks and lunch. Additionally, the first 100 alumni at the meet will receive a free T-shirt. 

"The presence of our alumni in the stadium during our only home meet of the 2022 season will mean a tremendous amount to our student-athletes and coaches," said COC track & field/cross country head coach Lindie Kane. "We're back! And we invite all former Cougars to come share in that excitement."

For more information about the COC Track & Field and Cross Country Alumni Gathering please contact lindie.kane@canyons.edu.

Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.