The Triton College Track and Field team had a strong showing at the NJCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships held May 7-9 in Utica, NY. Both the Trojan men's and women's teams competed well against some of the nation's top NJCAA athletes. Nine of the 14 Triton student-athletes who qualified for nationals were able to come back home with All-American honors.
The men's 4 x 800-meter relay was the first event for the Trojans to hit the track. The team consisted of an all-sophomore crew of
Gabriel Arreola,
Israel Rodriguez,
Jamie Favela and
Philip Roche. The men ran a fast race against a competitive first heat, pushing them to finish seventh overall, earning All-American.
Along with the relay, Arreola and Favela both earned individual All-American status as well. Arreola in the 800-meter run placed eighth with a finishing time of 2:02 and Favela in the men's 5,000-meters recorded an eighth-place finishing time of 16:06, while setting a Triton school record in the process.
In the field events. sophomore
Donald Davis battled his way to the finals to secure seventh overall, earning his spot as an All-American.
But the highlight of the weekend came from the women's 4 X 400-meter relay team of
Mariana Borini,
Megan Bolda,
Jayla Gardner and
Joaliz Rodriguez. The quartet secured a fourth‑place finish and was Triton's best performance of the national championships to earn their status as All-American's.
Borini would leave New York as a two-time All-American after her eighth-place finish in the 800-meter run.
The season was another step in the right direction for the program under head coach
Jason Guevarra as the Trojans were able to top last year's number of eight individuals All-American at nationals.
"All of the athletes competed well and I know they gave it their best." Guevarra said, "I am very proud of all the athletes who qualified this year and happy for those who earned All-American at the National Championship. There is a sense of pride when it comes to competing, as a coach, I am grateful all of our athletes were proud to represent Triton College as Trojan athletes."
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