| Current Time @ Riverside is 4:18 AM Thursday, May 17, 2012 |
 |
|
|
 |
| |
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MEN'S TRACK WINS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TITLE, EYE STATE TITLE TRACK AND FIELD MEN (5/12/2012) |
Riverside City men's track and field team won the Southern California Championship after the Tigers scored a school-record 200.33 points, easily out-distancing Mt. San Antonio, which finished with 116 points. Cerritos was third with just 60 points.
The Tigers, who will be trying to win their fourth state championship in the last five years, had a state qualifier in 18 of the 21 events. Riverside will compete in the state championship meet this coming Friday and Saturday, May 19-20 at Cerritos College in Norwalk, CA. The top four runners and ninth fastest time from Southern and Northern California advance to the finals. In field events, the top 12 advance in the throw events with the top nine advancing in the high jump and the pole vault.
Riverside saw both of its relay teams win the regional title, with four athletes taking individual titles. Leading the list was Yusef Merriweather and Kenny Jackson. Merriweather won the 100 meters in a time of 10.29, with Jackson finishing second at 10.36. The two student-athletes reversed the order in the 200 meters as Jackson finished in a time of 20.75, with Merriweather finishing second in a time of 21.91. Teammate Chris Navarro won the 110 hurdles, leading a contingent of Riverside runners which finished 1-2-3. Navarro crossed the finish the line in a time of 14.60, followed by Jonte Turner (14.64) and Michael Peters (14.75). Sophomore pole vaulter Austin Woods was the Tigers' other individual winner, after clearing 15-feet, 9-inches.
The 4x100 relay team finished in a time of 40.10, while the 4x400 relay finished in a time of 3:10.19, nearly two and half seconds in front of Mt. San Antonio.
Kris Kirk conclude the meet with three silver medals, finishing second in the shot put (52-1/2), discus (152-5) and the hammer (175-1). in those three events Riverside qualified eight athletes. In the high jump, Jer'rel Moore finished second with a jump of 6-7 1/2. Triple jumper Spencer Gray advanced with a fourth-place finish and a jump of 46-3 1/4.
In the 400 hurdles, Jonte Turner finished second and advanced to the finals with a time of 51.96. Chris Chamness (47.32) and Robert Thomas (48.18) advanced in the 400 meters with a third- and fourth-place finish, respectively. In the 800 meters, Bennett Harris finished third in a time of 1:52.68. John Guzman qualified for the 10,000 meters after a third-place finish and in the 5,000 meters with a time of 14:56.66.
Riverside also had two decathlon athletes advance to the state finals as Billy Britt finished third with 6221 points and teammate Wesley Morris finishing sixth with 5914 points. |
|
|
|
MEN'S TRACK DOMINATES REGIONAL PRELIMS, EYES REGIONAL TITLE TRACK AND FIELD MEN (5/5/2012) |
Riverside City men's track and field team qualified at least one student-athlete in every event, something the program has never done, at the Southern California Prelims this past weekend. The Tigers will now try to bring home the regional title on SAturday, May 12 when they return to San Diego Mesa College for the finals. Many of the events have multiple Riverside athletes, setting the TIgers up for a great run at another state title.
"This is definitely the most well-rounded team we have had at RCC," said head coach Jim McCarron. "We are deep from the sprints to the throws and everything in between. The guys are coming together at the right time." |
|
|
|
JACKSON, MCCARRON HONORED BY THE ORANGE EMPIRE CONFERENCE TRACK AND FIELD MEN (5/2/2012) |
|
Riverside City sophomore sprinter Kenny Jackson (Elsinore High School/Lake Elsinore, CA) has been named the Orange Empire Conference Track Athlete of the Year, and Tiger head coach Jim McCarron, for the sixth consecutive season, has been named the Orange Empire Conference Men's Track Coach of the Year. McCarron led the Tigers to their sixth straight conference title this past season and has the team primed for its fourth state-tile run in the last five years. Jackson won the 200 meters at the conference finals in a time of 21.09 and finished second in the 100 meters (10.66) to teammate Yusef Merriweather (10.59) after running the fast time in the 100 meter prelims. Jackson also helped the 4x100 (40.75) and the 4x400 (3:13.01) to conference titles. |
|
|
|
ASU FEATURE ON FORMER RCC TIGER DANIEL AUBERRY TRACK AND FIELD MEN (5/1/2012) |
The following article is re-printed on the Riverside City College website with permission from its author, Jeremy Hawkes, as well as the ASU Media Relations' staff. RCC thanks Jeremy Hawkes and the ASU staff for allowing RCC Sports Information to share Daniel Auberry's story of success.
By Jeremy Hawkes, ASU Media Relations
When he steps into the blocks for the 100-meter dash, clad in his Sun Devil track and field uniform and iconic sunglasses, Daniel Auberry looks every part the Pac-12 point-scoring sprinter that he is.
A couple years ago, however, had you asked Auberry where he saw himself in five years, he likely would have told you he saw himself as a starting guard for a collegiate basketball team somewhere in the country.
Instead, he finds himself as one of the key figures on an Arizona State University men's track and field team hunting just its second Pac-12 title in school history.
While there are no shortage of football-track hybrids at the NCAA level, the chances of finding an exceptional basketball-track talent is far less frequent.
"Basketball was my first passion," said Auberry, who played prep ball at Alta Loma High School in Long Beach, Calif. "My friends always told me to come out to track, but I wanted to focus on basketball."
And at first, it appeared that that would be Auberry's true calling. A second-team All-Conference member in the prep ranks in 2006-07, Auberry had a few scholarship offers from some lower division NCAA programs - including Cal State Long Beach - and some local community colleges.
When all was said and done, Auberry found himself at Riverside Community College where he was discovered by RCC track and field head coach Jim McCarron. McCarron convinced Auberry to come out to the track and Auberry obliged, simply wanting to "see how fast he was."
It wasn't long before the wins started piling up and Auberry realized the talent he had there and decided to drop basketball and continue his career on the track.
Two years later, the offers started rolling in as Auberry found himself as one of the top-ranked junior college recruits in the country. Auberry chose Arizona State over numerous scholarship offers and now finds himself as the 31st-ranked student-athlete in the nation at 100 meters while also running the leadoff leg on ASU's fourth-ranked 4x100-meter relay team.
Rising to the Top
From the beginning, Auberry turned some heads with his lightning quick speed everywhere he went.
"Every sport I played, I was always the fastest guy out there," Auberry said. "Even when I was little and would run around the store, my mom could never catch me."
That was the kind of talent that McCarron saw in Auberry when they recruited him to the track team at Riverside Community College, even despite Auberry's affection to basketball.
"As coaches, we are paid to have a really good eye for speed and talent, it's part of our job," McCarron said. "He had this amazing lift out of the box and his ability to accelerate put him on top of our list as a recruit."
Auberry joined the team as maybe the third-best runner on the squad but by the end, McCarron said, he was the best. Auberry took fifth in his first complete year as a runner at the California State Championships at 100 meters in 2008 before taking third in the event in 2009 and runner-up honors at 200 meters the same year.
By that time, it wasn't the heads of JC coaches that he was turning, but the heads of several prominent Division I programs as well. But even with all the attention, Auberry was drawn to Arizona State because of its proximity to home as well as its ability to make him feel like part of a family.
Even so, Arizona State wasn"t really part of the recruiting process until late in the game for Auberry, who had offers from powerhouses such as USC, LSU and Oklahoma.
It wasn't until Auberry shot an E-mail to ASU sprints coach Ronnie Williams to express his interest that Williams looked into the up-and-coming junior college recruit and was immediately impressed with what he saw.
"I looked at his JC times with due diligence," Williams said. "When I found out he didn't compete in high school, I was more intrigued and when I saw some footage of him running, I really pushed forward hard to get him here."
When Auberry took his visit to ASU, though, he knew he was home.
"Coach (Greg) Kraft brought me into the middle of the circle at a team meeting and told my story," Auberry remembers. "As soon as we had that meeting, everyone on the team showed nothing but love and I never felt like that with any of the other schools."
Auberry told Kraft and sprints coach Ronnie Williams that he wanted to sign right there on the spot.
Since then, Auberry has wasted little time making an impact. After scoring points for the Sun Devils at the 2011 Pac-10 Outdoor Championships, he posted one of the top-five fastest times in school history at 60 meters earlier this season during the 2012 indoor campaign.
Despite just narrowly missing out on a bid to the NCAA Indoor Championships, Auberry has posted outdoor bests of 10.34 and 20.99 at 100 and 200 meters this year, respectively, while also helping the 4x100-meter team to a top-five mark in the nation.
"He is tremendously talented and has helped us to become, in my opinion, the best overall sprint team in the conference," Williams said. "His ability to be Daniel and be light-hearted but also to come out and work to get better everyday at his craft has made him a mature, common force to do what we want to do on this team."
Auberry will be a key player for the Sun Devils at the Pac-12 Championships in Eugene, Ore., in May in all three events and likely will have a chance to make some noise in one event or another at the NCAA Championships in June.
"I never thought I'd make it to a Division I university to play sports," Auberry said. "Track and field has made that all come true."
Meeting the Grade
While Daniel Auberry had all the tools and natural talent to be successful as a runner, he really struggled to establish himself in the classroom. Auberry described himself as an average student-athlete in high school and during his time in junior college.
And that hat was where Auberry first started running into trouble. Auberry admittedly didnnnnnÃÂâÃt take track or his grades seriously during his first year at Riverside CC. He rarely showed up to practice and only his apathy in the classroom matched his apathy on the track.
"His first semester here, he really did terrible," Jim McCarron, the head coach at Riverside Community College, said. "He kind of bucked the system and didn't listen well."
McCarron recalls numerous one-on-one meetings where he would try and convince Auberry to turn it around, to respect himself and the system and to be a good student. None of it really struck home, however, and McCarron watched as Auberry got better one the track but continued to slide backward in the classroom.
At the California State Championships, Auberry was fifth overall as a freshman at 100 meters in 2008. He started attracting the attention of some Division I universities, even receiving a phone call from UCLA with a scholarship offer.
However, his academic apathy came back to bite him as he was unable to meet UCLA's entry standards. Auberry watched other teammates around him succeed in the classroom and move on to bigger and better things, including current ASU senior Chris Benard who has already earned All-America status and holds the ASU school record in the indoor and outdoor triple jump events.
Even with that lesson in mind, Auberry continued to struggle with his attitude in the classroom.
"I had convinced myself that because I was fast, I was going to end up somewhere," Auberry said. "I had to learn the hard way that that's not the case."
"He saw some friends doing well and going to universities and he got really discouraged as he was going the other way," McCarron said of Auberry's first year. "At the end of the year, I sat him down and said 'Listen, young man, this is it.' "
McCarron contacted Auberry's mother, Toya Woods, and after the two had conversation with Daniel that McCarron described as not being "light by any means," McCarron convinced Auberry that he could go one way or the other. It was that moment where Auberry finally buckled down and got into a groove academically.
Auberry credits McCarron for being one of the first people to really invest in him and help him turn his life around.
"He convinced me that grades were number one," Auberry said. "He would tell me that you could be the fastest guy in the world but without the grades, you wouldn't go anywhere."
Auberry would graduate from Riverside CC with an Associate's degree in Humanities but even that took him an extra semester to complete, forcing him to sit out a year of competition before joining the Sun Devils.
And even when he came to Arizona State, Auberry still had his struggles.
"Things were way more independent in junior college," Auberry said. "ASU was more helpful and I wasn't used to that. I kept rebelling and was really struggling at the beginning."
Auberry's academic advisor, Sophia Sledge, also noted Auberry's reluctance to accommodate the system at Arizona State.
"It wasnnnnnÃÂâÃt that he was a bad student, he was just very determined to do everything on his own," Sledge said. "He was very hesitant to accept help from anyone and he didn't want a tutor and didn't want to use the resources available to him."
When Auberry's first round of grade checks came in during his first semester, it came to the forefront that he was not doing well in his classes.
"We finally had to sit down with him and have a "Come to Jesus" moment," Sledge said. "I told him that you need to do things my way at first, and if they don't work, then you can go back to doing things your way."
Arizona State men's sprint coach Ronnie Williams noted that Auberry was in his office once or twice a week to discuss his grades during
Auberry's first year, with Williams seeing his potential and pushing him to reach that in the classroom.
Williams reiterated what Sledge had told Auberry and told him he needed to work with her because she was there to help him. Auberry got the message and decided then that he was going to do what he needed to do to be successful.
The change was night and day. He earned three A's that semester and posted over a 3.0 GPA for the first time in his academic career, finding himself in Sledge's office more often just to stop by and talk about how well he was doing in school as opposed to opposite. Once the track season actually started in the Spring though, Auberry had a bit of a relapse. He found trouble balancing his academic time with his athletic time and his grades began to slip, forcing another heart-to-heart with Sledge. In that conversation, they discussed Auberry's future and what he wanted to do with it and something clicked, causing him to turn things back around for the positive again.
Now that Auberry has finally bought into the system, he has become a model student-athlete for the Sun Devils, averaging a 3.37 GPA in criminology and earning honors as ASU Student-Athlete of the Month and Student-Athlete of the Semester over the past two years. He was recently named to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation All-Academic team for the indoor season.
He also has become a role model for other transfer students struggling from the same issues that he faced coming in, and has taken guys under his wing to help them see the light and see what ASU has to offer to help them be successful.
"To watch him mature and have ownership of his academics and find a blueprint for academic success has been great to watch," Williams said. "No matter how fast he is on the track, that's the thing I'm most proud of when it comes to Daniel - watching him grow into a man and become successful in the classroom."
McCarron echoed Williams' sentiments, noting that Auberry is a "special young man and an inspiration."
"I love him a lot and he always calls me to let me know how he's doing in school," McCarron said. "He was really at rock bottom and he turned his life around and that's why I coach. It's not to win championships, but to get that hug in the end from the kids as they move on to do something with their lives."
Auberry has been nominated for several post-graduate scholarships and, as such, will become the first member of his family to attend grad school after he graduates from Arizona State in just a couple of weeks.
"I can't say enough good things about Daniel and I really look forward to seeing what he's going to do when he's graduated and moving on into the real world," Sledge says. "This is something that never would have crossed his mind when he first came here."
"Everything I Do, I Do For Her."
Daniel Auberry's path to a successful Division I career was oft arduous, as exemplified by his struggles in the classroom throughout college and having to find his way in a brand new sport. However, it was Auberry's life growing up that would truly set him apart as the man he is today and give him the tools to overcome all other adversity to become successful.
Auberry was raised in a single-parent home in a tough neighborhood and frequently found himself watching over his younger sister, Asia, while his mother, Toya Woods, worked long hours as a probation officer.
"I didn't have a lot of guidance because my mom was working all the time," Auberry said of growing up. "But she still kept me out of trouble by keeping me in sports and other activities."
Auberry competed in everything as a youth, from football to basketball to baseball. His mom even enrolled him in tap dancing for a time - anything to keep him busy and out of trouble.
But while Auberry was growing up around positive sports influences, others around him were giving in to the temptations and poor decisions available to them in a low-income urban setting.
"A lot of my friends growing up, some of my friends from childhood, they all got in gangs," Auberry said." Looking back now, some are dead, others are in jail and some have kids. None really went to college and I was able to stay out of the life."
Even now, Auberry looks back on his ability to stay out of trouble and attributes it to the steps his mother took to help him avoid such a fate. He'll be the first to admit that his rise to prominence in track and field isn't about himself.
"I enjoy track because I'm good at it, but I really do it to help my mom," he says. "Everything I do, I do for her. To get an education is the first goal, but honestly itttttÃÂâÃs for my mom so that one day, I can help her with her struggles."
Whether Auberry makes it as a professional sprinter or not, he plans to utilize his tools from college to help him make a living some day, be it on the track or in the workplace, and give something back to his mother.
"I would see her come home after a long day of work with her swollen ankles," Auberry said of his youth. "She did it all to try and pay the bills and help us, to make something out of nothing and one day, I'll have a successful career and be able to help her in return."
Even now, Woods' work schedule restricts her from being able to witness many of Auberry's races, but he never fails to call her after every competition to let her know how he performed.
"She's given me so much advice over the years, but the biggest is to always stay happy," Auberry said of her influence. "She told me to let no one bring my happiness down. We create our own happiness."
Persevering For His "Best Friend"
While Auberry credits his mother for being one of the driving forces thus far, it is his grandmother, Cerretha Woods, that Auberry says is the most inspirational person in his life.
When Auberry was born, his grandmother had her legs amputated around the same time. While Auberry made a name for himself with his legs, he was humbled by a person who was a constant in his life who had none. Woods had several heart attacks during his lifetime but was so strong, she survived all of them, Auberry said.
"I just remember any time she'd see me, all I could remember was her smile even when she was sick in bed." Auberry said. "She always told me I was her favorite grandchild and her best friend."
Because Woods was immobile, Auberry found himself as her personal driver to help her get around as needed.
"Everywhere I went, she went and everywhere she went, I went," Auberry said. " even took her on dates with me. She was truly my best friend and my everything."
When Auberry found himself back home, wondering where his future lay after his struggles with academics in community college, he felt a ghost of himself. He had gone from the 'Big Man on Campus' to a shell as universities and even his own friends and family had seemed to shun him because of him academic woes.
"It seemed everyone had given up on me but the only person there for me that believe that I could make my dreams come true was my grandmother," Auberry said. "She told me I had come a long way and I just needed to keep following my heart. Without those words, God knows where I would be today."
Woods was able to witness Auberry's rise to prominence in the classroom and on the track over the past couple years, but unfortunately passed away on August 11, 2011.
"She won't be able to see my graduation in less than two weeks, but I know she is shining down on me from Heaven and she will never be forgotten," Auberry said. "Everything I do, I do for my mother and grandmother. I will make sure I continue to make them both happy by doing the right things on the track and off."
Here and Beyond
At this point, Auberry's future is still undecided but does have direction. While he desires to pursue a graduate degree in teaching, Auberry first wants to turn his attention to a potential FBI career if something in track doesnnnnnÃÂâÃt work out.
Auberry became interested in the field after seeing his mom's career in law enforcement.
"It's still a team environment and I'd still be outside and I'd still be running, you know? Chasing bad guys," Auberry said. "It's something I can see myself doing and staying active and not getting bored."
Auberry's impact on those that have surrounded him through the years is as lasting as their impact on him, as many will be the first to admit.
"Daniel is a special young man that we use for inspiration here in our program," said Jim McCarron, Auberry's coach at Riverside Community College.
"He has such great values and morals and his mother who is a rock for him," says his academic advisor, Sophia Sledge, one of the individuals Auberry claims helped to turn his life around. "You can see the change in him over the years and he's just a great young man that will do well in this world."
Whatever path Auberry chooses, he is convinced to make it a successful one and not let the struggles of his past keep him from moving forward into the future, a piece of advice he would give all up-and-coming youth coming out of rough environments who think they can't be successful in today's day and age.
"It doesn't matter what you go through, there's always going to be ups and downs," he said. "You just need to find a happy medium and create your own happiness. Keep your dreams alive and don't ever give up."
|
|
|
|
MEN'S TRACK WINS SIXTH STRAIGHT CONFERENCE TITLE, HEAD TO REGIONALS TRACK AND FIELD MEN (4/27/2012) |
Riverside City men's track and field team won its sixth consecutive Orange Empire Conference track championship after racking up 352.5 points, the second largest point total in the conference's history. The Tigers own the point record after amassing 258.5 points in 2009. Orange Coast was second with 163 points followed by Fullerton with 121.5 points.
The women also won the confernence title, thier first back-to-back championship since 1994.
The men had 13 student-athletes win conference title as well as two relay teams. The top six finishers in each event qualify for the southern California prelims, which will be hosted by San Diego Mesa on Saturday, May 5th.
"The guys made a statement today that they are ready for the post season, and a run at the program's fourth state title," said coach Jim McCarron.
In the 100m, Yusef Merriweather, who verbally committed to UCLA before taking to the track in Mission Viejo for the conference finals, ran a 10.59, good for the conference title. His teammate Kenny Jackson, was second with a 10.66 finish. The order was reversed in the 200m with Jackson winning in a personal best time of 21.09 and Merriweather finishing second in a time of 21.16.
In the 800m, the Tigers finished 1-2-3 with Bennett Harris running 1:56.81 in a tactical race. In the 1500m, Mikey Davila (3:58.86) edged Orange Coast's Hugo Guitterez (3:58.93) for the win and the conference title. Last year Guitierrez edged Davila at the line, but Davila returned the favor this year in what proved to be one of the more exciting finishes of the conference meet.
John Guzman took home two seconds - in the 5K (15:28) and 10K (31:33). The 5k had some drama when an official walked in front of the lead pack with a two laps to go and four of the top six runners fell hard to the ground. Guzman, who was one of the runners to hit the track, managed to regain his stride in order to finish second. Chris Navarro (14.63) and Jonte Turner (14.66) took the top two spots in the 110HH, and their teammates Mike Peters and Nick Reynolds were not far behind with the fourth- and fifth-place finishes, respectiviely. Turner also won the 400IH clocking 53.29.
The men's 4x100 (40.75) and 4x400 (3:13) cruised to easy victories.
In the high jump, Jer'rel Moore jumped a personal best of 6-feet, 9 1/4-inches to win the event. Billy Britt, had a personal best of 6-5, to take third. Spencer Gray won the triple jump with a leap of 46-11 1/2, and Austin Woods was victorious in the pole vault with a personal best mark of 15-9.
In the throw events, Riverside's throws coach Nick Robinson had the Tigers primed and it showed in the results. His shot putters took the top three spots with Moises Ramos winning with a toss of 49-9. Meanwhile, Andre Evans won the discus with a toss of 154-6. The hammer throwers took second, third and fourth in the hammer with Kris Kirk leading the way with a huge throw of 174 feet. |
|
|
|
FOUR ATHLETES WIN EVENTS AT THE MT. SAC RELAYS TRACK AND FIELD MEN (4/14/2012) |
Riverside City men's track and field team had four athletes win their respective events this past weekend at the prestigious Mt. San Antonio Relays. Leading the list was Kenneth Jackson who won the 100 meters in a time of 10.71. Hurdler Chris Navarro won the 110 meter hurdles in a time of 14.50, the fastest time this season by a Tiger. Navarro's previous best time was 14.66. Long jumper Gary Lee won the long jump after a 23-foot, 10 3/4 leap. The leap was a half inch shy of his previous best mark this season. In the pole vault Austin Woods sent a new seasonal-best mark as he cleared 15-7 - an inch and a quarter over his previous vault this season.
Riverside will compete in the Orange Empire Conference Championship meet this Friday, April 20 and the following Friday. In addition to many prelim event this coming Friday, the conference will hold the finals in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, the 10,000 meters and a few field events. The conference meet is being held at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. |
|
|
|
FORMER TIGER NAMED PAC-12 ATHLETE OF THE WEEK TRACK AND FIELD MEN (4/14/2012) |
Former Riverside City Tiger and current Arizona State University track and field senior Chris Benard has been named the Pac-12 Field Athlete of the Week, the conference announced this week. Benard, a two-time state champion during his time at Riverside, opened the outdoor triple jump season with a career outdoor-best leap of 16.38m (53-09.00) and a victory in the event at the 33rd Sun Angel Classic. The mark was good for third on ASU's all-time best list. It was the first jump of over 53 feet since 2006 and just the second since 1999. The mark also put Benard second on the NCAA descending order list for the current 2012 season.
In addition, Benard won the long jump with a career-best jump of 7.75m (25-05.25) and the fifth-best mark in the nation so far this year. That jump sits just outside ASUUâs prestigious top-10 list by only a couple centimeters.
The senior out of Corona, Calif., is the returning NCAA Indoor runner-up in the triple jump. While a Tiger, Benard won two state championship and was the state champion in the long jump and triple jump. Bernard is one of three former Tigers (Daniel Auberry and Lindon Vogelzon) competing at Arizona State University. |
|
|
|
RIVERSIDE SENDS TWO ATHLETES TO STATE DECATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP TRACK AND FIELD MEN (4/11/2012) |
Riverside City men's track and field team had two athletes qualify for the CCCAA Decathlon Championship next month after finishing in the top six at this week's Southern California Championship at Cerritos College. Sophomore Billy Britt finished third with 6221 points, while teammate Jordan Morris, a freshman, came in sixth with 5914 points. Their qualification to the state finals marks the first time the Tigers have had two decathlon athletes qualify for the state finals. This is the eighth straight year that the program has had an athlete qualify for the decathlon finals. Britt and Morris also scored nine points for the Tigers toward their pursuit of the regional title. Riverside, however, is looking for its fourth state title in its last five seasons. The state finals will take place at San Diego Mesa in May. Four of the six athletes who advanced to the state finals compete in the Orange Empire Conference. Mt. San Antonio's Tomek Czerwinski was the overall winner after amassing 6619 points.
|
|
|
|
MEN'S TRACK FINISHES UNDEFEATED IN DUAL MEETS TRACK AND FIELD MEN (3/31/2012) |
Riverside City men's track and field team finished the Orange Empire Conference dual meet season undefeated after posting wins over Santiago Canyon (152-1) and Orange Coast (126-28). The Tigers, the state's No. 1 ranked team, is looking for its fourth state title in the last five years. And based on what head coach Jim McCarron saw in Costa Mesa, the Tigers just might be the team to beat next month at the state finals.
Riverside's 4x100 relay team (Kenny Jackson, Yusef Merriweather, Gary Lee, Isaiah Braden) ran a season-best time of 40.9. And Merriweather wasn't done there, winning the 100 meters in 10.44 another season-best time for the Tigers. Teammate Isaiah Braden was second clocking a 10.69 time. Merriweather then turned around and ran a 21.23 in the 200 meters, which is the second fastest time in the state. Merriweather, who won the race, finished .20 in from of teammate Kenny Jackson who came in second.
Riverside took the top three places in the 400 meters as Chris Chamness ran a 47.80, becoming the first Tiger to get under 48 seconds this season. Teammates Robert Thomas and Craig Madkins finished second and third with times of 48.23 and 48.80, respectively. Riverside also dominated the 800 meters as Bennett Harris posted a winning time of 1:54.74. In the 1500 meters, Mikey Davila fell short as Orange Coast's Patrick Dougles edged him out of the win by just over a second. Davila finished the race in a time of 3:55.23. The time comes in as a top ten mark in the state. The 3000 meter run also produced one of the day's best races as Austin Little of Orange Coast edged Riverside's John Guzman by less than a second. Guzman finished in a time of 8:47.40 to Little's 8:46.95. The Tigers took the top 5 spots in the 110HH with Jordon Morris winning with a time of 15.08. Jonte Turner continued his strong showing in the 400IH with his 53.88 time in the event.
In field events, Riverside's Je'rel Moore won the high jump with a 6-foot, 6-inch effort. Austin Woods came through with the best mark of the season in the pole vault as he cleared 15-6 to win the vent. The mark is the third-best mark in the state this season. Teammate Art Hop jumped 15-0, good for second. The mark is a lifetime best for Hop. Kris Kirk continued to dominate the field, winning both the shot put (51-10) and the discus (151-7). Krik is ranked in the top five in the state in shot, discus and hammer. Teammate Leo Lopez, however, took the hammer event, throwing 156-5.
The Tigers will be competing in the Mt. San Antonio Relays on Saturday, April 14 before beginning pursuit of another state title with the Orange Empire Conference meet the following weekend. |
|
|
|
BROCKOFF, TURNER, SOUSA HIGHLIGHT TRACK'S PERFORMANCE AT RIVERSIDE OPEN TRACK AND FIELD MEN (3/23/2012) |
Riverside City men's track and field produced six event champions at its annual Riverside Open event this past weekend. Eric Brockoff won the 800 meters in 1:56.40 and Jonte Turner score a win in the 400 IH with a 53.71 clocking. Meanwhile, Keith Sousa won the 3,000 meter steeplechase for the second consecutive year. His time of 10:23.52, was seven seconds faster than the runner-up finisher, Martin Arreola or Moorpark.
The 100 meter dash was the highlight of the meet as former Tiger Mickey Grimes won the event in a time of 10.31. Riverside's Yusef Merriweather and Kenny Jackson finished tied for third at 10.52. For Jackson it gave him the third fastest time in the state .04 behind Merriweather who ran the second fastest time in the state earlier this season. Jackson's time in the 200 meters, 21.53, good for second. gave him the fourth fastest time in the event this year.
In field event, Austin Woods won the pole vault with a vault of 14-feet, 11-inches. Kris Kirk was the Tigers' only double winner, winning the shot put with a 50-11 effort, the only participant to make the 50-foot mark, and then won the discus with a 162-5 throw, which is the third best mark in the state this season. He also took fourth in the hammer at 162-8, finishing as the the top community college finisher in the event. Je'rel Moore became the state's fourth-best high jumper after clearing 6-8. He took second in the event as San Diego Mesa's Brandon Ford cleared 6-9 3/4.
In relays, Riverside dominated, setting a school record in the 4x1600 with a 17:41.61, 45 seconds faster than the previous record. The 4x800 relay posted the program's fifth fastest time at 7:48, good for the win. Meanwhile, the 4x100 crossed the finish line in a time of 41.10, good for the third fastest time in the state this season. The 4x400 relay team also won, finishing in a time of 3:16. |
|
|
|
LEE WINS AZTEC INVITE LONG JUMP COMPETITION TRACK AND FIELD MEN (3/17/2012) |
Riverside City's Gary Lee won the College Division long jump competition at this past weekend's Aztec Invitational. Lee, a sophomore out of Hoover High School in San Diego, CA, nailed a 24-foot, 11 1/4-inch jump on his first attempt of the day, the first time this season he's cleared the 24-foot mark. His previous best mark this season was 23-6 1/4. He was the only athlete in the division to clear the 24-feet. The next closest competitor was UC San Diego's Shaun Tu, who reached 23-4 on his final jump of the day.
Many of the events were cancelled after heavy rains moved into the San Diego area. But before the rains came, Chris Navarro posted a team-best time in the 110-meter hurdles with a 14.66 clocking. Danielle Ybarra ran the Tigers' second-fastest time in the 5000 meters this season with a 16:08.20 clocking. Meanwhile, Keith Sousa ran his fastest time of the season in the 3000 meter steeplechase at 10:07.07. |
|
|
|
BRITT, MORRIS FINISHED SECOND AND THIRD AT THE DECATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS TRACK AND FIELD MEN (3/15/2012) |
Riverside City sophomore Billy Britt finished second and freshman Jordon Morris finished second and third, respectively at the Orange Empire Conference Decathlon Championship at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA. Britt scored 5,933 points, while Morris compiled 5,743. Orange Coast's Andrew Cruikshank won the competition as he amassed 6,480 points. Riverside earned 14 points toward its goal as repeating as the Orange Empire Conference Champions thanks to Britt and Morris' finishes. The conference meet will be held on April 28 in Mission Viejo. |
|
|
|
JACKSON SHINES FOR MEN'S TRACK AT BROWN INVITATIONAL TRACK AND FIELD MEN (3/10/2012) |
Riverside City sophomore Kenneth Jackson (Elsinore/Lake Elsinore, CA) won the long jump at the Ben Brown Invitational, hosted by Cal State Fullerton, with a leap of 22-feet, 6 1/4-inches and placed second in the 100 meters with a 10.64 clocking. His clocking in the 200 meters was .16 off Yusef Merriweather's top time this season of 10.48. Merriweather (Bloomington/Fontana, CA), who only ran in the 200 meters, finished second in the event with a 21.49 mark, his best time in the event this year.
Kris Kirk set a season-best mark in the hammer. The sophomore out of Elsinore High School threw 170-10, over two feet better than his previous best seasonal-mark of 168-10, He finished eighth overall in the event. He also finished fifth in the shot put with a 49-9 3/4. In the high jump, Jerrell Moore (Benson/Omaha, NE) finished third with a leap of 6-6 1/4.
Riverside will be back in action March 14th 15th for the Decathlon Championship at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo . The Tigers then will compete at the Aztec Invite in San Diego on March 16th & 17th.
|
|
|
|
MOORE, NAVARRO HIGHLIGHT MEN'S TRACK EFFORT AT BEACH CLASSIC TRACK AND FIELD MEN (3/3/2012) |
Riverside City freshmen Jerrell Moore (Benson/Omaha, NE) and Chris Navarro (Vista Murrieta/Murrieta, CA) stood out at last weekend's Beach Class hosted by Cal State Long Beach at Cerritos College. Moore won the high jump competition with a jump of 6-feet, 7.5-inches. The mark was one foot and one and half inches better than his previous jump this season. Meanwhile, Navarro threw a personal-best mark in the javelin at 169-8, good for eighth place in the competition. He also finished fourth in the 110 hurdles at 14.70, one of only six athletes to post a time sub-15 seconds.
Riverside will compete in the Brown Brown Invitational at Cal State Fullerton, beginning on Friday, March 9 and concluding on Saturday, March 10. |
|
|
|
KIRK PLACES SEVENTH IN HAMMER COMPETITION TRACK AND FIELD MEN (3/2/2012) |
Riverside City's Kris Kirk hit the third-longest mark in the college's history at the Cal State Long Beach Invitational at Cerritos College, finishing seventh in the hammer competition. Kirk, who was the highest finishing community college athlete in the event, hit 168-feet and a half-inch. The mark gives him the third-best hammer toss in the state this season
|
|
|
|
MEN'S TRACK HURDLES OVER SADDLEBACK TRACK AND FIELD MEN (2/24/2012) |
Riverside City men's track and field team had little trouble with Saddleback as the Tigers scored a 137-17 victory over the Gauchos in an Orange Empire Conference meet at Wheelock Field.
Yusef Merriweather (Bloomington HS) ran a state leading 10.48 in the 100 meters and 21.52 in the 200 meter. His teammate Chris Chamness (Bradford/Kenosha, WI) tied him in the 200 meters and won the 400 meters in a state leading time of 48.06. The Tigers swept the 800 meters with Willie Contreras (North/Riverside, CA) winning in a time of 1:57.18. The Tigers also swept the 1500 meters with Eric Brockoff (Calexico/Calexico, CA) clocking a 4:05. John Guzman won his second consecutive 3000 meter race in two days, running 8:56. Against Cal State Long Beach he set a state-best mark at 8:43. The Tigers also swept the hurdles with Jonte Turner (Indio/Indio, CA) running a 14.71 and Chris Navarro (Vista Murrieta/Murrieta, CA) finishing in 14.81. Jonte also won the 400IH running 54.35.
The Tigers had two 4x100 relay teams that break the 42-second barrier (41.56 and 41.70). The 4x400 squad set a state-leading mark with a 3:14 time.
The Tiger''Âs JerrrÂrell Moore won the high jump at 6-6, and Austin Woods (Canyon Springs) capped off a great week, winning the pole vault against CSULB on Wednesday and then posting a winning jump of 15-3 against Saddleback. Gary Lee (Hoover/San Diego, CA) won the long jump with a 23-6.25 effort, which now leads the state. Chris Kirk (Elsinore/Lake Elsinore, CA) won the discus with a 50-4 effort, his second consecutive 50-foot throw this season.
The Tigers will be competing at the Cal State Long Beach Classic on Saturday, where they will mix it up with some of the top universities in southern California.
|
|
|
|
MEN'S TRACK HAS STRONG SHOWING AGAINST CSLB TRACK AND FIELD MEN (2/22/2012) |
Riverside City men's track and field team has a strong showing against Cal State Long Beach, a Division I program, in a non-conference meet at Wheelock Field. The Tigers had five winners in showdowns with 49'er athletes.
In the 60-meter hurdles, Riverside's Chris Navarro (Vista Murrieta/Murrieta, CA) posted a 8.31 time. Meanwhile, Chris Chamness (Bradford/Kenosha, WI) edged CSLB's Christopher Lawson in the 300 meter run. Chamnes, a sophomore, managed a 35.53 time, .66 seconds better than Lawson. In the 60-meter dash, Riverside's Yusef Merriweather (Bloomington/Fontana, CA ) proved too much, winning in a time of 6.89. In the pole vault, Riverside's Austin Woods (Canyon Springs/Moreno Valley, CA) tied CSLB's Dillon Fox with a jump of 15-feet, 5.75-inches. In the men's hammer, Riverside's Kris Kirk (Elsinore/Lake Elsinore, CA) bettered CSLB's Jacob Fraser by 5 feet with a 154-8 toss.
Riverside, the favorite in the Orange Empire Conference race, hosts Saddleback and Santa Ana on Friday, February 24 in a 2 pm meet at Wheelock Field. |
|
|
|
CHAMNESS, GRAY SHINE IN AZUSA PACIFIC MEET TRACK AND FIELD MEN (2/18/2012) |
Riverside City sophomore Chris Chamness and sophomore Spencer Gray each won an event at the Azusa Pacific Invitational this past weekend. Chamness (Bradford HS/Kenosha, WI) won the 600 meter run and Gray (Poly/Riverside, CA) out jumped the competition in the triple jump. Chamness was the lone runner to break the one minute, twenty second barrier. He finished the run in a time of 1:19.57. Meanwhile, Gray out jumped the competition by nearly four feet. His jump of 46-feet, 10.25-inches was 3-feet, 9-inches better then the runner-up.
Sophomore Yusef Merriweather (Bloomington/Fontana, CA) was third and fifth, respectively, in the 200 meters and the 60 meter dash. In the 60 meter dash, he was one of just five runners to finish under the seven-second mark. His time of 6.86 was .22 seconds behind Azusa Pacific's Remontay McCalin, who won the event. In the 600 meters, Merriweather was one of just three athletes to come in under 22 seconds. His time of 21.53 was .37 seconds behind the overall winner.
In the one-mile run, freshman John Guzman (Upland/Upland) finished second with a time of 4:18.69. He was one of just two runners to finish the race in under 4:18. Andrew Ochoa, who was running unattached, won the event in a time of 4:18.38. In the shot put, freshman Moises Ramos (Coachella Valley/Coachella, CA) was second, finishing with a toss of 47-4.25. In the pole vault, sophomore Stuart Bailey (Upland/Upland) was one of three athletes to clear 14 feet. His vault of 14-5.25 was good for third place.
Riverside's 4x400 relay team won in a time of 3:18.11.
Riverside will host Cal State Long Beach on Wednesday, February 22 in a non-scoring event at Wheelock Field and then host Saddleback and Santa Ana in an Orange Empire Conference meet on Friday, February 24. Both meets begin at 2 pm.
|
|
|
|
MEN'S TRACK LOOKS LIKE A STATE CONTENDER TRACK AND FIELD MEN (2/10/2012) |
Riverside City men's track team wasted little time in letting the track world know the Tigers will be contending for another state title in 2012. The Tigers, the defending Orange Empire Conference Champions and winners of three of the last four state titles, opened the 2012 season with victories over Fullerton and Golden West with identical, 121-33 scores.
Riverside' Jonte Turner, a freshman out of Indio High School, led Riverside's showing as he won the 100 high hurdles (14.93), the 400 intermediate hurdles (54.12) and the ran the lead-off leg on the winning 4x400 relay team. |
|
|
|
ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT AND VIEWPOINTS LAUNCHES TIGER TV GENERAL NEWS (9/15/2011) |
The Riverside athletic department, in conjunction with Viewpionts, the District's on-campus newspaper, has launched Tiger TV.
James Martinez, Matt Dziak and Javier Cabrera, editor in chief of Viewpoints, will cover Tiger athletics from the sidelines to the locker room, giving Tiger fans an inside look at the week's happenings.
There will be post-game interviews as well as a weekly wrap up and highlights from all 19 athletic teams during the 2011-12 season.
"We're excited about Tiger TV," said Athletic Director Barry Meier. "It will be another way for us to keep the community involved in the 19 athletic programs and the student-athletes who work so hard - in the classroom and on the field.
"Viewpoints is a top-notch college newspapers and (associate professor of Journalism) Allan Lovelace does a tremendous job working with his students to put them in a position to pull off a project like this. In the end, this is a win-win, a win for our student-athletes and win for the students wanting a career in broadcast journalism." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Community Education Football Offense/Defense Class
Riverside City's Kinesiology Department will be offering a spring Community Education class for Football Fundamentals (KIN-A60/A61 in the spring schedule or the college catalogue). The course provides the student an opportunity to learn general and specific individual defensive and offensive football fundamental techniques and strategies, emphasizing active participation in the game of football. The community education class is open to all students. Participants can sign-up on the Community Education website or in person the first day of class, which is Tuesday, April 3. The Community Education class will take place from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the football practice field. Students should come in proper football attire, which includes shorts and cleats. Cost is $36, please bring exact change. This is a noncredit class. Instructor is Tom Craft. |
|
Community Education Out of Season (Basketball) Conditioning Class
Riverside City's Kinesiology Department will be offering a spring Community Education class for Out of Season Basketball Conditioning Class (KIN-A95 in the spring schedule or the college catalogue). The course applies advanced conditioning and weight training principles for an out-of-season training program for varsity sport competition. The community education class is open to all students. Participants can sign-up on the Community Education website or in person the first day of class, which is Tuesday, April 17. The Community Education class will take place from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm in Wheelock Gym, on Monday through Friday with the end date being June 7. Students should come in proper attire, which includes gym shoes. Cost is $36, please bring exact change in you plan on registering in person. This is a noncredit class. Instructor is Joshua Thomas. |
|
Community Education Women's Summer Soccer Class
Riverside City's Kinesiology Department will be offering a spring Community Education class for Men's Soccer (KIN-A64 in the spring schedule or the college catalogue). This course is designed to introduce students to the rules, basic skills, and offensive/defensive strategy in soccer Emphasis will be placed on improving individual skills and applying these skills to game situations Subsequent enrollment in additional semesters will
provide the student an opportunity for added skill competency
development. Participants can sign-up on the Community Education website or in person the first day of class, which is Tuesday, July 3. The Community Education class will take place from 8 am to 10 am at the Norco College Soccer Stadium and meet Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (ending date is August 14, will be no class on Wednesday, July 4). Students should come in proper attire, which includes soccer cleats. Cost is $36, please bring exact change in you plan on registering in person. This is a noncredit class. Instructor is Lynsey Jalayer. |
|
Community Education Men's Summer Soccer Class
Riverside City's Kinesiology Department will be offering a spring Community Education class for Men's Soccer (KIN-A64 in the spring schedule or the college catalogue). This course is designed to introduce students to the rules, basic skills, and offensive/defensive strategy in soccer Emphasis will be placed on improving individual skills and applying these skills to game situations Subsequent enrollment in additional semesters will
provide the student an opportunity for added skill competency
development. Participants can sign-up on the Community Education website or in person the first day of class, which is Tuesday, July 3. The Community Education class will take place from 10 am to 1 pm at the Norco College Soccer Stadium and meet Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (ending date is August 14, with no class on Wednesday, July 4). Students should come in proper attire, which includes soccer cleats. Cost is $36, please bring exact change in you plan on registering in person. This is a noncredit class. Instructor is Francisco Melgarejo. |
|
|
|
RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY COLLEGE ● (951) 222-8032 ● Click here for email
Link to Archive Site
Official Web Site of Riverside City College District.
Disclaimer: This site may contain links to websites not administered by RCCD or one of
its divisions, departments, units or programs. RCCD is not responsible or liable for the accuracy or the content of the linked pages.
|