Sac State Men and Women Win Big Sky Conference Championships
Celebrating Hornets
There was wind and there was unseasonably cool temperatures. There were cramps and pulled muscles, and there was the occasional jackrabbit bolting across the track and mid-field. When the all-weather track dust had settled, both the Sac State Men and the Sac State Women had clinched Big Sky Conference outdoor titles.
The Hornet women earned their fourth consecutive team title, with a commanding 236 points. Montana finished second with 133 while Eastern Washington was third at 79.
While the women have been there before, this was the first time the men got to enjoy wearing the outdoor title. The men scored 204.5 points, ahead of Northern Arizona who finished with 167.
Andy White (Rt) and Ronald Brookins were 1 and 2 in the 100 meters
Standouts were many, but it must be noted that Hornet Ronald Brookins ended his career with a total 102 outdoor points, putting him second in all-time ranking behind Weber State’s Wiley King, who had 108. At this meet, Brookins was first in the 110-hurdles and long jump, and second in the 100.
The best “photo-finish” of the day goes to Hornet Sakya Bolton, who out-leaned Portland State’s Joenisha Vinson to win the 100 meter hurdles by .02 seconds, with a career best 13.57 seconds–the third fastest in school history.
Sac State Senior Lea Wallace ran just fast enough to win the 1500 meters, running 4:26, which is well off her recent PR of 4:11. A couple hours later, Wallace poured it on in the 800 meters and buried the field and the conference record with a 2:04.
Lea Wallace running alone in front in the 800
Moira Robinson was named the Female Most Valuable Athlete after scoring 32 points with wins in the long jump and triple jump, a second place finish in the high jump and a fifth-place showing in the 100-hurdles.
Seniors Ronald Brookins and Emilio Hernandez were named co-Male Most Valuable Athletes. Hernandez won the high jump and triple jump and was second to Brookins in the long jump.
Lea Wallace’s efforts in the 800 earned her the Female Performer of the Meet. Wallace, besides winning the 1500 and 800, anchored the team’s winning 4×400 relay entry.
“This was a total team effort and I could not be happier of the way we performed today,” said Sacramento State Director of Track and Field Kathleen Raske. “We knew what we wanted to do and our seniors led the way for the entire team. Today was just sheer dominance by both teams (men and women).”
Complete results are here.
The start of the women's 1500
Leaning for the tape
Diego Estrada and Ahmed Osman gap the field in the 5000.
Sometimes things don't go as planned.