SBCC's Kelly Mayer leaps over a hurdle during her record-setting steeplechase. (Presidio Sports Photo)
SBCC’s Kelly Mayer used positive thinking to set a meet record in the 74th annual Easter Relays track and field meet on Friday at La Playa Stadium.
The collegiate competition of the Easter Relays was Friday, with the high school athletes taking over La Playa Stadium on Saturday. The Easter Relays youth meet that was postponed last weekend is scheduled for Sunday weather permitting.
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Mayer took third in the 3000 Steeplechase in 12:15.66, the fifth-fastest time in SBCC history. She broke the Community College record by more than 11 seconds. Darlene Salmon of Mt. SAC set the previous mark of 12:26 in 2009.
Bethany Nickless, running unattached, won the event in 10:29. The second-place runner was from Bowdoin, a four-year college in Maine.
SBCC's Cody Uhrig hands off to Cliff Lekas for the final leg of the men's 4x100 relay.
“I have this mantra of ‘Strong mind, strong body, strong soul,’ ” said Mayer, a sophomore from Santa Ynez High. “When I repeat that, I feel really great. I was pretty much settled into third place by the second lap of the race and it stayed that way.”
Harley Arce took second in the 5000m in 19:28.65 and nearly won it with a last-lap kick, according to SBCC coach Scott Fickerson. Arce came up 95-hundreths of a second short of Charity Schoeder of Antelope Valley.
Kaytee Krivulka threw the hammer a season-best 39.01 meters to take seventh. She was already the No. 2 hammer thrower in school history and her heave of 127 feet, 11¾ inches is less than two feet behind the leader.
Zoe Davis was seventh in the discus (35.63m) and Krivulka was eighth at 35.49.
Matthew Bailey ran a personal-best 3:58 to take second in the 1500m. Tristan Lake was second in the 400 hurdles in 54.86, the eighth-fastest in SBCC history.
“The meet was a success as it went off very smoothly and our athletes competed hard with some good results,” said Fickerson. “I’m happy for our athletes to have the opportunity to compete at home. I look forward to our next meet where I can be 100% focused on watching them compete and coaching.
“When you‘re running a meet, it‘s tough to coach at the same time.”
