Hartnell Men Top 3 at Norcal Preview Meet

The Hartnell College men's track & field quietly put together their best meet of the 2025 season at the Norcal Preview Meet hosted by Butte College. Competing with several top programs in the North, the Panthers finished third as a team and again in front of last year's Coast Conference winners De Anza College. Butte College will host the Northern California Championship for the first time in over 30 years come May 2-3 and the preview meet afforded the Panthers an early look at the facility and competition. 


Sophomore Eduardo Morfin placed third in the 100 meters lowering his season best to 11.02. Former high school teammate Eduardo Manriquez set a season best in the 400 meters (51.98) to lead all Panthers in the one lap event. Last year's Norcal finalist Jose Cota flirted with his first sub 2 minute clocking in the 800 meters (2:00.05) with Jesse Blanco next at 2:03.33. Blanco also ran a season best 4:11.65 in the 1500 meters. Leyder Hernandez paced the Panthers in the 5000 meters at 16:41.04. Adrian Manriquez dipped under 60 seconds for the first time in the 400mIH (59.96). Both the 4x100 relay (44.09) and 4x400 (3:29.82) set season bests. Gianni Ponce recorded the team's best high jump clearance for the third meet in a row at 1.80m and had the best triple jump for the squad at 12.65m. Freshman Logan Bayhonan was tops in the jump (6.04m). 

In the throwing events, Armando Amaro tossed the hammer 45.94m. Freshman Isaiah Garife got his best collegiate discus mark so far this season at 34.84m. Misael Silva was best Panther in the shot put (11.16m) with sophomore Hector Ortega in the javelin with the best mark (37.44m). 

The Panthers will take the next two weeks to prepare for the Henry Kirk Invitational on Friday, March 7th and the Occidental Spring Break Classic on March 8th.