PCC Season Opener: Track and Field Takes Part At Mt. SAC Meet

The Pasadena City College men’s and women’s track and field teams began the 2016 season under interim head coach Bobby Godinez at the Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) Season Opener meet held Feb. 5.

The meet only offered selected events which for the women resulted in the PCC athletes running in the 3,000 meters. Franceska Millanponce (Temple City High) took second in her heat and 10th overall in the event with a time of 11 minutes, 52.64 seconds. Veronica Mejia (San Marino) was 13th at 11:58.03 while Joanna Anaya (LA Marshall) placed 28th (14:07.91). All three are freshmen who participated in Lancers cross country this past fall.

In the men’s events, letterman Ramon Gallo (Garfield) placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles (63.55 seconds) and frosh teammate Kekoa Smith-Bipialaka (Alief Taylor HS, Houston, Texas) was sixth in the field at 64.11. Gallo also threw a 115-10 to take 10th in the javelin.

Sophomore transfer Stewart McKenzie (Eagle Rock) leaped to eighth in the long jump at 21-1.25. McKenzie was third in the triple jump at the SCIAC Championships while a freshman at the University of La Verne in 2014.

First-year athlete Kevin Chu (Arroyo) was 20th in the LJ at 18-2.5. Chu took ninth in the high jump (5-7.75) while Gabriel Ramos (Temple City) was 17th in the shot put (34-5.5).

Sophomore Emilio Barragan-Steimer (Gabrielino) ran a 9:46.46 for 33rd out of 62 runners in the 3,000 meters. Cesar Sandoval Martinez (Burbank) placed 40th (9:52.50) and Alexis Arevalo (Gabrielino) broke the 10-minute mark as well in 48th at 9:59.78.

A complete look at the PCC men’s and women’s track and field rosters are at the following link: http://www.pasadena.edu/athletics/track/players.cfm

On Feb. 26-27, the Lancers return to action at the Cerritos Opener Meet in Norwalk.