Three Hancock Track and Field Athletes Qualify for State Meet with Top Seven Finishes at SoCal Finals

Three Hancock Track and Field Athletes Qualify for State Meet with Top Seven Finishes at SoCal Finals
May 14, 2016

For the first time in recent memory, Allan Hancock College will send three track and field athletes to the California Community College Athletic Association's (CCCAA) Track and Field State Championships. Freshmen Taylor Nevitt, Rachel Naugle and Luke Nickelson each finished in the top seven to qualify for the 2016 State Meet.

The Hancock trio competed Saturday at the Southern California Regional Finals at Antelope Valley College. Nevitt set personal bests in both events she competed in, the women's shot put and discus throw finals. Naugle qualified in the women's 5,000-meter run, and Luke Nickelson advanced in the men's long jump.

Nevitt finished second in the women's discus throw final with a personal-best mark of 134 feet, four inches. It surpassed her previous season best by more than two feet. Destiny Mack-Talalemotu of Cerritos won with a mark of 154 feet. Nevitt, a Nipomo High School graduate, also qualified in the shot put with a sixth place finish. The left-hander's top mark was 39 feet, 6.5 inches, which surpassed her previous season-best mark by one foot. Nevitt earned eight points in the discus and three more in the shot put for the Hancock women in the team standings.

Nagule finished fifth in the women's 5K with a time of 19:28.61 to earn four points for the Bulldogs. Naugle finished about 69 seconds behind the winner, Brianna Jacklin of Riverside. 

Nickelson finished seventh in the men's long jump final with a top mark of 22 feet, 10.5 inches. It matched the mark he set when he captured the Western State Conference title last month.

The Hancock women finished 14th in the region with 14 points. The men finished 24th with two points. The Cerritos women and men from Mt. San Antonio College won the regional championships.

The CCCAA Track and Field Championships will be May 20-21 at San Diego Mesa College. The last Bulldog to qualify for the state meet was Kelly Jarrett in 2012.