Bakersfield, CA (Track and Field) -- Six Citrus College track and field athletes qualified for the upcoming Southern California Preliminaries. Vanessa Esquivel, Cynthia Acedo, Nicole Diaz, Ashleigh Stover, Evan D'Oyen, and Christopher Pope all qualified after their performances at the WSC Finals.
Pope would be the highlight of Citrus' performances at Bakersfield College. Pope easily grabbed the WSC Championships in the high jump, clearing six feet seven inches, two inches higher then the next closer competitor. The mark places him as the fifth overall seed in the upcoming SoCal's.
Other strong performances came from sophomore Evan D'Oyen who took fifth in the discus (138'8") and eighth in the hammer throw (135"3'). Despite his strong showing in the hammer, D'Oyen qualified just for the discus, but is an alternate in the hammer. Also earning alternate status was Daro Johnson who is an alternate in the triple jump and the 100M Dash.
For the women, Vanessa Esquivel and Cynthia Acedo were the lone highlights. Esquivel finished sixth in the 1,500 Meter run (5:00.02), while Acedo was finished fifth in the 400M Dash (1:00.11). Both qualified in their respective events. Also earning SoCal bids were Nicole Diaz and Ashleigh Stover in the Hammer.
The prelims start this Saturday May 2nd at Mount San Antonio College. The first event is scheduled for a 10:00 AM start.
2009 WSC Finals Results
2009 Southern California Preliminary Qualifiers
2009 Southern California Perlimary Alternates