Ochoa takes fifth in discus, earns trip to State Finals

Alana Ochoa of SBCC took fifth in the discus on Saturday in the Southern Cal Women's Track & Field Championships at Cerritos College.

The freshman from San Marcos High secured a spot in the CCCAA State Championships, which will be held on Friday and Saturday at American River College in Sacramento. She threw the discus 40.71 meters (133-6¾). She also finished eighth in the hammer at 40.84m, barely missing her season best.

Yuliana Garibay was 12th in the 3000 steeplechase in 12:38.73.

"Yuliana wasn't able to rally back after a 21-second PR last week to make the finals," noted Vaquero coach Scott Fickerson. "She ran with the pack for 800m but quickly faded and struggled the rest of the race, still fatigued from last weekend's race and a difficult week of final exams. She ends her season as the 7th-best steeplechaser in SBCC history."

Cerritos won the Southern Cal title with 193 points, followed by Mt. SAC (117) and Riverside (99). The Vaqueros tied for 10th in the 23-team field with 17 points.

Ochoa is one of three Vaqueros who will compete in the State Finals. Tiffany Costello, who got second an exciting 10,000 final at the So Cal meet, will compete in the 10,000 on Friday at 7:45 p.m. Andrea Mueller, a freshman from Switzerland, qualified for the State heptathlon, thanks to her fifth-place effort in the Southern Cal Multi-Events on April 4-5.