American River College runner Robert Ellis finished first in the 100-meter dash while Freshman Maria Rojo set a personal record for ARC during the Beaver Relays, which consisted of 23 events and 17 men and women’s track and field teams from around California competed in the 28th annual event.
For the men, sophomore Logan Stahl finished first finish in the 800-meter dash with a time of 1 minute, 53.82 seconds and sophomore David French finished second with 1 minute and 54.70 seconds.
In the men’s 4×100-relay team, sophomores Devan Sawyer, Robert Ellis, and Shawn Simms and freshman Andre Woodson were part of the first place team with a time of 40.79 seconds.
Sophomore James Hubbard finished in first in two relay events including the discus throw relay with a distance of 49.12 meters and the hammer throw relay with a distance of 53.13 meters.
Freshman Sean Gregg won the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9 minutes and 37.24 seconds with Sophomore Aidan Schraer finishing in second with a time of 9 minutes and 58.86 seconds.
In the high jump relay, sophomore Edwin Matthews took first place with a height of 2.07 meters due to the fact that he had a fewer number of trials than fellow sophomore Xavier Howell, who came in second with the same height.
ARC alum, Garrett Seawell, ran unattached and finished first in the 1500-meter race with a time of 3 minutes and 53.70 seconds and sophomore Epi Nunez finished third with a time of 4 minutes and 4.39 seconds.
The women’s team scored many victories as freshman Jenica Dodge raced the 5000-meter for the first time, finishing with a time of 18 minutes and 17.27 seconds.
Freshman Maria Rojo set her personal record in the 5000-meter, finishing at 21 minutes and 39.19 seconds with her previous best being 22 minutes and 58 seconds.
“I definitely felt faster. My goal is to be in the 17:40s by the end of the season,” said Dodge.
“In my first 5k race, I started out my first mile at (a) 6:15 pace and this time I tried to run smart and hit 6:45 pace. I was going for 22 flat, but I kicked it in at the end,” said Rojo on her performance.
“You guys just gave me goosebumps,” women’s track head coach Jeanette Powless said about Dodge’s and Rojo’s races.
The women’s 2×800-relay team, sophomore Kandace Compton, Dodge, Ane Archuleta and Silvana-Zuniga-Valdivia were all part of the team that finished first with a time of 10 minutes and 2.69 seconds with the anchor, Compton, lapping a competing runner from De Anza in the last one hundred meters.
“I got stuck behind people but I pulled ahead at the end,” said Compton.
Compton finished third in the 1500-meter with a time of 4.58.89 and Mariah Earl finished fourth in the high jump relay with a height of 1.41 meters .
In the 400-meter dash Zuniga-Valdiva finished third at 59.20 seconds.
Sophomore Shelby Cider finished second in both the javelin throw relay with a distance of 128 feet and 11 inches and in the hammer throw relay with a distance of 40.96 meters.
ARC’s next home track and field event will be the AR Invitational and Multis on March 27 at 10 a.m. and on March 28 at 11 a.m.
