Arreola Retains 3 CCAA Titles but CSUN Women Settle for 2nd

Many athletes would have been elated after winning two individual titles at the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. track and field championships.

Darcy Arreola of Cal State Northridge, however, was disappointed with the form that had gained her a pair of victories.

So she entered--and won--the 3,000 meters Saturday and emerged with a third title to go with victories in the 1,500 and 800.

“I didn’t plan on running the three,” Arreola said. “But I ran so crappy in the other races that I wanted to. I felt like I had to punish myself.”

Arreola, however, vented the brunt of her frustration on her opponents. She broke away from Tina Colebrook of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with 1,000 meters left to win the 3,000 in 9 minutes, 28.82 seconds.

The Northridge junior ran 4:19.47 in the 1,500 and 2:07.32 in the 800 and won female athlete of the meet honors for the second consecutive year.

Arreola, the defending NCAA Division II champion in the 1,500 and 3,000, has won eight CCAA track titles in her career. She won the 800 and 1,500 as a freshman in 1987 and has won the 800, 1,500 and 3,000 in each of the past two CCAA championships.

Her performances led Northridge to a second-place finish in the team standings behind host San Luis Obispo, which won its ninth consecutive CCAA title with 229 points.

The Lady Matadors scored 170 points and were followed by Cal Poly Pomona (92), Cal State Bakersfield (58), Chapman (10) and UC Riverside (8).

Tyrone Jeffries of Northridge won the 100 (10.64) and 200 (21.21) and placed third in the 110-meter high hurdles (14.23) in the men’s meet. His individual efforts, however, did not prevent Cal State Los Angeles from winning its fourth consecutive conference title.

The Golden Eagles, buoyed by Jesus Gutierrez’s victories in the 5,000 and 10,000, totaled 166 points. San Luis Obispo was second with 142, followed by Northridge (125), Pomona (114), Bakersfield (86) and Riverside (13). Chapman did not score in the meet.

Arreola’s victory in the 3,000--she won by almost six seconds--may have been the least impressive of her three wins.

In the 1,500, she broke away with 600 meters remaining to win by more than 11 seconds, and in the 800, she took command with 300 meters remaining and won by more than four seconds.

Her successful triple further inspired Northridge Coach Don Strametz, who intends to enter her in the 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 at the NCAA Division II championships in Hampton, Va., May 24-27.

Arreola, who was vehemently opposed to an NCAA triple three weeks ago, has softened her stance.

“He’s going to enter me in all three events,” she said. “But I’m still not convinced that I’ll run all three.”

Although Arreola was the standout of the women’s meet, she had plenty of support from teammates.

Laural Isles won the 100 in 12.00 seconds, placed second in the 200 (wind-aided 24.7) and ran the opening legs on the Lady Matadors’ victorious 400 (47.62) and 1,600 (3:49.81) relay teams.

Mary Coleman won the 400 in 55.29, placed fourth in the 200 (25.07) and ran legs on the 400 and 1,600 relays.

Lolita Pile defended her title in the triple jump (wind-aided 40-11 1/2), placed third in the 200 (24.86) and ran the third leg on the 400 relay team, which was anchored by Saeida Washington. Pile won the long jump Friday.

Northridge, which had an outside chance to win the men’s title, had its hopes dashed early when Shannon Haas and Jeffries dropped the baton on the first exchange of the 400 relay, the first men’s running event of the day.

Walt Stewart, a junior from Notre Dame High, won the men’s high jump at 7-1 3/4.