Orange Coast College

Track and Field: Pirates hold their own at Cerritos Invitational

Monday, February 25, 2008

NORWALK -- Going up against some of the top athletes in the state, the Orange Coast College track and field teams more than hung tough at the Cerritos Invitational this past weekend.

On the women's side, there were several top-three finishes, led by hurdler Brenda Finney, who placed first in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles with a winning time of 1 minute, 7.15 seconds.

In the 3,000 steeplechase, the Pirates posted a 1-2 finish. Cassie Mitchell crossed the finish line first with a time of 11:23.22, while teammate Claire Fleming was close behind with a second-place time of 11:56.48. In fact, those two were the only runners to finish the race in under 12 minutes.

Another strong time was turned in by freshman distance runner standout Crystal Reed, who finished second in the 5,000 with a time of 17:43.23. Both Reed and winner Daniela Alonzo from L.A. City (17:31.37) were the only two to finish with a time under 18 minutes.

On the men's side, thrower Andres Rossini impressed all in the discus, placing first with a winning mark of 139 feet, 10 inches. His throw bettered runner up Lane Thompson of Cuyamaca by over eight feet.

Rossini wasn't through for the day, however. He also fared well in the javelin, finishing second with a throw of 182-7.

Complete results from the Cerritos Invitational can be found by clicking HERE.