MARAUDERS COLLECT 8 MEDALS AT BAKERSFIELD INVITE

The Antelope Valley College track teams participated in the annual invitational event at Bakersfield College on Friday. The Marauders had an outstanding performance, winning 4 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals.

Jorge Dela O Santillan won the men's 400 meters, coming from behind in the second half of the race and finishing with his second-fastest mark of the year. He has now secured the #5 spot in the WSC. Though he missed out on a second medal, he finished only two tenths of a second behind the bronze medalist in the 200 meters.

DaJahnae Jackson made a winning debut in the 800 meters, followed closely by Brianna Dominguez. Both athletes achieved seasonal bests. Ailani Salazar ran well in the women's 1500 meters and set a personal best but did not win a medal. She finished second in the 5k event, with Dominguez placing third and winning the bronze medal.

The distance crew, made up of cross country runners Jesus Florez, Eric Amaya, Brayden Briggs, Kai Smithley, and Leo Lopez, also performed well. They all achieved personal bests in their respective events: 800 meters, 1500 meters, and 5k.

The highlight of the day was Kayla Thompson's performance. She won both the women's 200 and 400 meters with decisive victories. Her 200-meter win ranks her #2 in the WSC, #7 in Socal, and #10 in the state. Her 400-meter performance also ranks her #1, #3, and #3, respectively.

The Marauders' next event is the Western State Conference Inland Meet, which is scheduled for Friday at Bakersfield. The field events will begin at 11 am, with the first running event starting at noon.