Track and Field: Vikings open season well at SCC All-Comers meet

The 2011 track and field season for Long Beach City College men and women got underway on Friday with the South Coast Conference All-Comers meet at Mt. San Antonio College. Although team scores were not kept, the Viking men came away with wins in four events and produced eight top-five showings, while the LBCC women totaled four top-five finishes.

The Long Beach men opened the season unranked in the state top-10 preseason poll, but after Friday's event, the Vikings made a statement and should be considered among the state's elite.

Long Beach produced victories in the 100 meters (Kiree Jabril, 11.11), the 200 meters (Daveon Collins, 21.70), the 110-meter high hurdles (Marquan Jackson, 15.22), and the 4x400-meter relay (Rooseveldt Payne, Daveon Collins, Kiree Jabril, and Jonathan Sanders, 3:16.11). 

Other Vikings notables were Kyle Byrdsong in the 100 (2nd, 11.44), Rooseveldt Payne (3rd, 51.18) and Davon Leblanc (4th, 51.64) in the 400, Traveon Harris (3rd, 2:02.81) and David Grey (8th, 2:07.04) in the 800, Anthony Fierros (2nd, 4:27.68) in the 1500, Jonathan Sanders (2nd, 54.56) in the 400-meter hurdles, and Marquan Jackson (4th, 44'4") in the triple jump.

On the women's side, Ashley Craddock led LBCC with a pair of second-place finishes. She ran 12.80 in the 100 and 26.14 in the 200.

Phillisha Nunley won her heat of the 400 meters and was third overall with a time of 1:01.82. Mary Onuohah finished fourth in the javelin with a throw of 81-4.

The LBCC men and women return to action when they will compete at the Cerritos College Invitational on Friday-Saturday (Feb. 18-19).