Eventful Day for Moorpark Pair

Sophomores Denaye Lakotich and Shannon Livingston of Moorpark College won’t have much time to catch their breath between events in the Western State Conference track and field championships today at Bakersfield College.

Lakotich, a Newbury Park High graduate, will compete in eight events and Livingston, a Simi Valley alum, will compete in seven in an effort to help Moorpark win its second consecutive women’s title.

The meet starts with field events at 1 p.m. and running events at 5.

Lakotich placed seventh in the 400-meter low hurdles in the state junior college championships last year, but she’ll also compete in the 400, 100 high hurdles, long jump, pole vault, javelin and the 400 and 1,600 relays today.

Livingston, defending conference champion in the 100 high hurdles, will compete in that event plus the 100, 200, high jump, long jump and both relays.

“I’m not sure they’d compete in that many events if the meet were [only four hours],” Moorpark Coach Doni Green said. “But it’s long enough where I think they can do it.”

Freshman Angela Foster should also play a role in Moorpark’s attempt to win a second consecutive title.

Foster, sixth in the shotput for Ventura in the state high school championships last year, won the hammer throw last Saturday when it was held in conjunction with the conference preliminaries.

She will compete in the shotput, discus and javelin today when Moorpark and Bakersfield are expected to battle for the title.

Bakersfield is heavily favored to win its sixth consecutive conference title in the men’s meet with Moorpark and Santa Monica battling for second. Moorpark was regarded as a title contender this season but the transfer of distance runner Todd Disney to Wyoming, injuries and illnesses have hurt the Raiders.

“It’s going to take a miracle for us to win,” Green said. “Bakersfield has so much depth.”

Several Moorpark athletes, including Mike Brauer and Rey Coronado, should contend for individual titles.

Brauer is favored to defend his WSC title in the pole vault and teammate Coronado will try to improve upon his second-place finishes in the 3,000 steeplechase and 5,000 last year.