Panthers Start Season Strong at MPC
The 2020 track & field season officially started this past weekend at the Monterey Peninsula College Open. Friday the hammer and javelin were contested with two Panthers hitting early season regional qualifying marks. Saturday's meet gave the Panthers a good preview of conference and local competition in host MPC and DeAnza College.
Sophomore Ashley Smith hit a lifetime best in the hammer Friday tossing the ball and chain to a 35.85m, over five meters better than she had previously thrown. Alyssa Ceja Pena also had a lifetime best cracking the 30 meter barrier for the first time at 33.53m. She also bettered 30 meters in the discus with a toss of 31.20. Freshman Pablo Villasenor enjoyed a solid debut in the hammer throw tossing it also a provisional mark 44.38. He is only six feet shy of the top 10 all-time hammer list. He also had a toss of 38.81 in his 2 kg discus debut. Saturday's action brought much of the same success for the Panthers. Ven Limosnero qualified provisionally in the long jump at 6.70m to take third overall. Daniela Salazar lt placed first in the 3000 meters in a lifetime best 10:30.79. It is the fastest mark by 30 seconds in the state. Freshman Valeria Gomez-Lozano completed her first collegiate 3000 meters in 11:03.41 with Isabelle Torres recoving from her fall injury nicely in 11:25.66. Freshman Isaac Gensel almost took the win the men's 3000 meters but was rewarded with a 9:03.94 mark. Joseph Loredo was third in 9:11.27 as the Panthers put five in the top seven all within 11 seconds. Sophomore De'Antae Williams was the fastest man in Monterye on Saturday running 11.04 into a headwind. The mark met the provisional qualifying standard in the sprint. Freshman Jesse Mandujano debuted in the 400 meters sixth overall in 52.87. Gerilynn Omictin paced the women's sprint corp with a 13.69 100meters also into a head wind. Freshman Dillon Engler ran over the 42 inch high hurdles in 16.56 for his first performance of his Hartnell career. Freshman Hiroki Terada was third overall in the 200 meters with a lifetime best 22.59. The women's 4x400 relay of Salazar, Gomez-Lozano, Omictin and Andrea Villalobos was second in 4:22.47. Williams and Terada paired with newcomer Jeffrey Weimer and returner Tim Hunter to also place second in 3:27.51. Julian Resendiz cleared 3.80 meters in the pole vault to start his senior as leader for the Panthers in the vertical jump.
The Panthers will visit Coast Conference foe DeAnza College as the Dons host the first ever Jim Linthicum Invitational on Saturday, February 22nd.
