CSM takes home 9 gold medals at Coast Conference track finals
The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Daily Journal and is being reprinted with permission.
College of San Mateo is heading to the California Community College Northern California Track and Field Championships after crowning nine Coast Conference champions over the weekend. The Nor Cal meet will determine the region's finalists for the CCCAA State Championships, May 16-17, at CSM's College Heights Stadium.
Ryan Keyhan was a double sprint winner for the CSM men at Monterey Peninsula College on Saturday. Ericka Dorn had a pair of impressive victories in the women's 800 and 1,500, while Deia Kerseg-Forman claimed the title in the 3,000 steeplechase.
Keyhan won the 100 meters in a season best 10.56 seconds, moving up to No. 9 on the state season leaders list, and the 200 in 20.34.
The Carlmont grad also took a silver medal in the 4x100 relay, which finished in 41.58. The Bulldogs rank No. 6 in the state in the event with their 41.31 time the previous week at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Southern California. Keyhan was narrowly edged on the anchor at the Coast finals by Chabot's state sprint leader Robert Stitts.
CSM completed a gold-medal sweep of the sprint events with Jax Bonney's triumph in the 400 meters. The former Capuchino standout ran the event in 50.00 flat.
State triple jump leader Alydan Bague gave CSM an early lead in the Coast championships on Friday's first day field event competition at San Jose City College, spearheading a Bulldogs sweep of the first four places in the event with a jump of 46 feet, 10 1/4 inches. He had taken the state lead the previous week, jumping 48-2 3/4 at the Bryan Clay meet.
Bague also placed second in the high jump (6-2 3/4) and placed third in the long jump (22-5 3/4) to total 24 points at the Coast Conference meet. His long jump best of 23 2 3/4 ranks No. 2 in the state.
Teammate Jaeden Vasquez (Mills) shared the field spotlight with silver in the long jump (22-8 1/4) and a pair of bronze medals in the triple jump (44-2 1/2) and high jump (5-10 3/4) — totaling 20 points.
CSM was in second place with 151 points, trailing only Hartnell (168), going into the last individual race, the 5,000 meters. Hartnell wrapped up the title there, scoring 16 points.
The Bulldogs won the meet-concluding 4x400 meter relay in 3:23.33, leading from the outset. CSM totaled 161 points to place third in the team competition. Hartnell had 190 points. De Anza, with 22 points in the last two races, took second with 168 points. No other team had more than 100 points.
Notable: CSM ranked No. 8 in the state in the 4 x 400 relay with a best of 3:19.23
CSM women claim four golds
CSM brought home four gold medals from the Coast Conference women's championships.
Dorn (Westmoor) had a pair of impressive victories. The freshman ranks No. 2 in the state at 800 meters and won that race in 2 minutes, 24.16 seconds, just ahead of teammate Kerseg-Forman (2:28.89), with no other runners bettering 2:30.
Kerseg-Forman (Half Moon Bay) led off the Saturday competition with an impressive triumph in the 3000 meter steeplechase in 11:49.51, the No. 6 time in the state this season.
Dorn followed with an easy gold medal run in the 1,500 meters (4:49.72). She leads Northern California and ranks No. 3 in the state with a 4:41.40 best time. Her Nor Cal leading 800 best is 2:16.77.
CSM had field event winners in the shot put, with state leader Jane Taufa at 43 feet, 2 1/2 inches, and javelin throw, with Jane Flowers (Westmoor) hitting a season best 107-1 to rank tenth in the state.
Taufa had taken the state shot put lead at the Bryan Clay meet the previous week, reaching 43-8 3/4.
De Anza College took the women's Coast crown with 193 points, followed by Hartnell (182), Chabot (103), San Mateo (102), and San Jose (98) in the seven team field.