Canyons Track Brings Home Two Conference Titles, Sees 16 Qualify for SoCal Championships

College of the Canyons women's track student-athletes Emily Cruz, Katelyn Catu, Kaiya Cortinas and Zeniah Ellsworth.
Results
April 29, 2024

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director 

BAKERSFIELD — College of the Canyons brought home a pair of individual conference titles while seeing a combined 16 student-athletes qualify to compete at the regional championships, after a strong finish on day two of the Western State Conference (WSC) Championships at Bakersfield College on Friday. 

Canyons sophomore Jerome Hughes clocked a time of 1:53.58 to win an individual WSC Championship in the 800m, becoming the first Cougar to accomplish that feat since 2015. 

COC freshman Nathaniel Wilkinson also took the conference top spot with a run of 9:55.66 in the 3,000m steeplechase, an accomplishment not seen since 2016. 

Canyons finished seventh in the men's team standings while the women's team finished 10th. Moorpark College won team conference titles in both the men's and women's competitions.

Additionally, the Cougars will now move on to compete as individuals in 14 events at the prelims of the 3C2A Southern California Championships on Friday, May 3, at Cerritos College.

COC clinched a few of those qualifications during the opening day of the WSC Prelims & Championships held Friday, April 19 at Antelope Valley College, before another strong showing in Bakersfield. 

On Friday, sophomore Zeniah Ellsworth finished runner-up in the 400m (59.23) and fifth in the 200m (26.10) to advance in both events. Likewise for freshman Katelyn Catu who placed seventh in the 800m (2:28.46).

The women's 4x400 relay team of Kaiya Cortinas, Catu, Emily Cruz and Ellsworth ran to a time of 4:17.64 and will also compete in the regional prelims.

COC sophomore Sam Regez placed third in the 1,500m (4:01.16) and will join Hughes and Wilkinson at the SoCal Regionals. Same for freshman Lyndon Ravare who placed sixth in the 100m (11.04). 

The 4x100 relay team of Da'Marrie Smith, Andre Bray, Alex Megas and Ravare took fourth at 42.65. The combo of JT Saenz, Heath Arceneaux, Ravare and Hughes came in at 3:20.91 in the 4x400 relay. 

Saenz led a strong Cougar contingent in the field events, taking second in the triple jump (13.11m/43' 0.25") ahead of Bray (12.32m/40' 5") in fifth and Damon Barkus in seventh (12.05m/39' 6.5"). 

Delamonte Barnes followed up with a sixth-place result in the shot put (11.82m/38' 9.5").

A full list of competing student-athletes and events is included below:

Women's Team

Men's Team

 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 X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.