Panther Women Get Their Conference Title

Sophomore Aaliyah Carreras celebrates crossing the 4x400 relay finish line in first to secure the women's team title.

May 2, 2023

Despite winning a third Northern California team title in a row in 2022, the Hartnell women's track & field team had yet to win a conference title since returning after the pandemic. On Saturday, running in front of family and friends, the Panther women put on an impressive display of strength to win their first team title since before the pandemic. Fueled by five women who won one or more events, the Panthers tallied 312.50 points to easily defeat conference foe De Anza College who finished second iwth 219 points.

Sophomore Sofia Camacho won four events, the first being the 10,000 meter run on Wednesday. On Saturday, she began with a five second victory over teammate Andrea Villegas in the 1500 meter run in 4:49.77. After Villegas, Ashley Ochoa finished seventh to pick up two team points. Ochoa was also victorious in her repeating her conference 3k steeeplechase title in 12:18.92. Camacho would lead Villegas again in the 800 meters with the pair going first and second in 2:19.84 and 2:22.23. Freshman Dominique Cervantes-Samudio was fourth in 2:26.00, this coming after another fourth place in the 400 meters (61.80). Camacho and Villegas would sweep the top two spots in the 5000 meter run finishing in 19:01.81 and 19:02.32. All together, the pair scored 70 team points. Ochoa finished sixth in the 5000m in 19:59.32. Sophomore Ilianna Martinez placed third in the 3k steeplechase in a lifetime best 13:43.46 and seventh in the 5000 meters (22:10.68).

Isabella Reimann showed her tremendous athletic talent on Day Two of the conference championship winning the discus title after placing second in her first year. Her winning mark was 39.05m. Reimann also ran her second 100mH race of the year and placed second in 15.94. She would finish the day with a high jump clearance of 1.45m good for third overall. Daisy Macias would finish fourth in the 100mh in a personal best 16.67. Roxana Ruelas was fifth, and Lorraine Mankins seventh.

In the sprints, Aaliyah Carreras overcame a disappointing start to the day with a DQ in the 4x100 and 100 meters by winning her first ever Coast Conference title in the 200 meters in 25.32. She also anchored the winning 4x400 relay team to a time of 4:06.96. Clodine Tabernilla was fifth in the 100 meters at 13.13.

Roxana Ruelas repeated her 400mLH crown with a winning mark 68.49. This came after she very nearly won the 400 meters but did run a lifetime best 60.09. Daisy Macias was second in a lifetime best 70.90 with Lorraine Mankins fourth and Mercedes Rosales-Rivera fifth. Aleah Schreiber was seventh and Ilianna Martinez eighth.

Those who placed in the throwing events included Grace Padron (sixth), Katelyn Strader (seventh) and Linette Morales Martinez (eighth) in the shot put. Strader and Padron followed their teammate Reimann in the discus with second and third place finishes and Morales Martinez netting a seventh place finihsh.

Lorraine Mankins was second in the triple jump with Mercedes Rosales-Rivera jumping a lifetime best 9.77m as did Daisy Macias with 9.38m. Macias would get fourth in the high jump in a tie with teammate Aallyah Carreras both clearing 1.40m. Rosales-Rivera also cleared 1.40m for sixth place.

With the victory, the Panther women have now won 22 Coast Conference team titles as they head into the 2023 Northern California Championship at Yuba College in Marysville, CA. The Trials will be held on Friday, May 5th starting at 11am.