By Tadzio Garcia
Two members of the women’s track and field team advanced to the state finals after the team placed 12th in the Southern California Championships last Friday at Mt. San Antonio College.
The Huskies scored 27 points, “the most by a women’s Husky team since I’ve been here—1988,” said assistant coach Louis Ramirez.
Jill Schmidt and Shawnta Barnes, who scored all of ELAC’s points, advanced to the 2011 California Community College Athletic Association Track & Field Championships May 20 to 21 at American River College in Sacramento.
Schmidt and Barnes scored upsets while also being upset themselves.
Barnes busted into the heptathlon scene with a fourth place finish while Schmidt placed fifth. These results identified both Huskies as top all-around track and field women athletes in the state among community colleges. The heptathlon event was held last month.
On the other hand, both fell short in their top events–Schmidt in the women’s high jump, Barnes in the 100-meter dash.
Barnes, who currently owns the third fastest 100-meter dash time in the state accomplished last week in the SoCal prelims, was out-raced in the SoCal finals by all of her competitors and finished ninth.
Schmidt was upset in the women’s high jump. Schmidt, tied for the
top spot in the SoCal finals, jumped 1.70-meters but lost the title to Lydia French of Moorpark College, who took less jumps to reach the same height.
This is the first time this season a community college competitor has placed above Schmidt.
Schmidt and French will be the top two seeds in the women’s high
jump at the state championships based on their SoCal high jump results.
Barnes out-jumped sophomore Shara Longbotham of Ventura College for fifth place based on a tie-breaker of less jumps after being in a five-way deadlock for fourth place.
The extra point helped the Huskies edge Orange Coast College, the seventh ranked team in the state, by one point.
Barnes advanced to the state finals in the high jump, the heptathlon and the long jump as a result of her final placings at the SoCal finals.
She edged out athletes from Saddleback College and Mt. SAC for a sixth place finish in the long jump final at SoCal.
Schmidt placed eighth in the SoCal triple jump final with a leap of 11.07-meters. Schmidt fell two places short of advancing to the state finals in this event even though she almost matched her record of 11.08.
Although both Barnes and Schmidt advanced to the state finals in the heptathlon, only Barnes will compete. Schmidt will focus on the high jump championship.
tgarcia@elaccampusnews.com