Ventura Track & Field Competes at Occidental Classic

The VC men's and women's track and field teams competed at the Occidental Distance Carnival and Spring Break Classic Saturday in Eagle Rock with several season-best performances. Jaedon Rogers won silver in the men's triple jump against a host of two-year and four-year schools while the women's 4x100m relay team of Aubrianna Smith, Ariana Vera, Nicole Rivera Cortez and Citilali Cortez finished fifth overall.

Rogers (Rio Mesa) led the men's team with his silver medal performance in the triple jump. His mark of 43'6" was a season best, currently ranked No. 2 in the Western State Conference, 13th in Southern California and 17th in the state. He also produced a ninth place leap in the long jump.

The men's 4x400m relay team of Ethan Figlio (Rio Mesa), Angel Gomez (Buena), Julian Gibson, Isaiah Martinez Spence (Oxnard) was fourth overall while the 4x100m relay with Rogers, Figlio, Martinez Spence and Julian Gibson (Pacifica) ran a season-best to finish fifth overall. 

For the Pirate women, Smith (Foothill) ran a season-best 12.52 in the 100m, good for ninth place overall. Her mark ranks No. 1 in the WSC this season, eighth in Southern California and 11th in the state.

VC had a trio of competitors in the javelin with Danilo Juarez (Pacifica) coming in 14th with Denise Cardona (Pacifica) and Michelle Sanchez (Oxnard) placing 15th and 16th, respectively. 

Sanchez was 16th in the discus with a mark that ranks her fourth in the WSC, 10th in SoCal and 14th in the state. Christian Alejandre placed 14th on Saturday as she is currently ranked fifth in the conference, ninth in the region and 26th in the state. 

Jaime Lozano (Oxnard) came in 19th overall in the hammer. She currently ranks seventh in the WSC, 17th in SoCal and 30th in the CCCAA.

The Pirate women's 4x100 relay team of Smith, Vera (Rio Mesa), Rivera Cortez (Channel Islands) and Cortez (Rio Mesa) ran a 49.41, cutting nearly a half second off their season-best while finishing fifth. They rank second in the conference, fifth in the region and seventh in the state.

Meanwhile, Ventura's 4x400m relay quartet of Vera, Cortez, Rivera Cortez and Anissa Cason (Pacifica) cut 18 seconds off their season-best time finishing in ninth place overall.  They now rank third in the WSC, 10th in Southern California and 14th in the state.

The Pirate men and women will next compete at the Franson Classic at Asuza Pacific University on Saturday March 19.