SPORTS ROUNDUP: Glendale Community College’s Grace Zamudio pushes through pain, wind to another SoCal title
WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
Glendale Community College at Southern California prelims: There isn’t much about the 10,000-meter run for GCC’s Grace Zamudio to like.
Still, it appears to be her specialty.
The Vaqueros sophomore proved that again Saturday at Antelope Valley College when she repeated as the California Community College Southern California 10K champion — the only final of the day — to advance to the California Community College Track and Field Championships, which will take place May 17 and 18 at San Mateo College.
“Out of all the races I do the 10K is my least favorite,” said Zamudio, who won the race in 39 minutes, 15.48 seconds. “It’s not that much fun, it’s really just like 30 minutes of pain.”
Conditions were even less comfortable Saturday, as Zamudio said high winds pushed her and other runners out of lanes on turns and seemed to be pushing them back on straightaways.
“I couldn’t really race time-wise, it was just a mind set to place,” she said. “It was too windy.”
Glendale college received a handful of other quality performances, taking first in another race and advancing five athletes to the Southern California Finals at Antelope Valley College on May 11.
Zamudio also provided a runner-up finish in the 1,500 (4:50.63), which Elizabeth Nelson won for the Vaqueros by just edging Zamudio in 4:50.03.
Zamudio will likely look to improve on her fourth-place finish in the 10K at state from last year (38:29.16).
“The mind set is just to finish this season off well,” Zamudio said. “I wasn’t exactly too happy after last year’s state meet so I am hoping to do better this year and maybe take home a title.”
Glendale Community College also had Kelly Castillo advance to the finals in the steeplechase, as she took third in 12:07.56. Lilia Asserian also took fourth in the 800 (2:21.69, fourth) and Ana Tonga was seventh in the javelin (33.54 meters).
MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
Glendale Community College at Southern California prelims: The Vaqueros stood out in the field Saturday at Antelope Valley College, as three of their four athletes who advanced to the Southern California Finals on May 11 came off the track.
Nick La Croix was Glendale’s top finisher, as he placed third in the hammer throw with a mark of 50.38 meters and also moved on in the shot put (13.56, 12th).
The Vaqueros also saw Quaid Vuncannon move on in the discus (44.25, sixth), Jason Ahn in the javelin (50.08, ninth) and Edwardo Vasquez in the 1,500 (four minutes, 7.48 seconds).