JC roundup: BC qualifies six for SoCal track and field championships
Bakersfield College sophomore Neshara Smith qualified for the CCCAA SoCal track and field finals in three more events.
Smith, who had already qualified in the heptathlon, added the high jump, long jump and 100 hurdles as competitions at Friday's prelims at Cerritos College.
The East High graduate won the 100 hurdles (14.17 seconds) and long jump (18 feet 3.75 inches) and tied for second in the high jump (4-11).
Tania Mancilla qualified with a sixth-place finish in the 400 hurdles (1:06.83) and Gabby Espinoza was ninth to qualify in the javelin (101-4).
Kern Valley graduate Daimon Dedmon qualified in two events, finishing second in the long jump with a 23-11, and in the 100 (10.84) with an eighth-place finish.
Abraham Castro (9:48.27) and Jacob Perez (9:48.24) qualified in the 3,000 steeplechase, finishing eighth and ninth, respectively.
The SoCal finals are scheduled for Friday at Cerritos, with the state championships on May 17-18 at Saddleback College.
BC softball eliminated from playoffs by Orange Coast
After winning Game 1 of the three-game regional series to the Pirates on Friday, the Renegades lost a pair of games on Saturday and were eliminated from the CCCAA playoffs.
In the opener, Savannah Figueroa limited Orange Coast to four hits, striking out seven in a 2-1 victory. Are Marquez went 2 for 3 and Ryleigh Harrison had an RBI single to drive in Serenity Angulo with the go-ahead run. Angulo led off the inning with a double.
Cam Chavez went 1 for 2 and scored BC's first run.
The Renegades (26-16) lost to OCC 6-0 and 7-3 on Saturday.
In Game 2, Bakersfield had just five hits and never recovered from a five-run first inning by the Pirates. Harrison and Breanna Marquez were each 2 for 3, with Marquez and Angulo hitting doubles.
In the finale, Orange Coast scored four runs in the second and led 5-0 before BC rallied with single runs in the third and fourth.
But that was as close as the Renegades would get.
Marquez finished 3 for 4, and Alyna Ruiz was 2 for 3 with a double. Both scored a run. Angulo and Chavez had RBIs.
BC honors SAAC award winners
Bakersfield College presented its Student-Athlete Advisory Committee awards on Wednesday.
The Sports Medicine Student-Athlete of the year award was given to Aubree Dees and Kevin Tello. Dees and Jalen Hankins were presented the Student Leadership and Involvement award.
The Iron Renegade of the year award went to Aaron Martinez and Brianna Bowyer. Shelby Laster and Luis Martinez won the Most Improved Student-Athlete award, and Estanisalo Arealo and Javen Silva received the Top Academic Student-Athlete award.
