College track and field: OCC’s Gomez wins three state titles.

BAKERSFIELD - Former Costa Mesa High standout Zoila Gomez capped a

brilliant running career at Orange Coast College by winning the 3,000,

5,000 and 10,000 meters at the state community college championships,

completed Saturday.

Gomez, the Pirates’ Female Athlete of the Year, won the 10,000 Friday

night in a time of 37:18.9.

She won the 3,000 early Saturday in 10:34.76, then topped the field in

the 5,000 with a time of 18:29.30.

While Gomez collected three titles, teammates Heather Shurtleff and

Bernice Carbajal added two top-four finishes apiece to help Coach Fred

Hockinson’s Pirates finish third, their best team finish in at least a

decade.

Carbajal, a sophomore out of Los Alamitos, was second in the 10,000

(37:44) and third in the 5,000 (19:22.53).

Shurtleff, a freshman from San Diego, was second in the 3,000 (10:40.84)

and fourth in the 1,500 (4:53).

Nicole Hansen added a seventh-place showing in the pole vault, with a

mark of 10-6, to help OCC amass 59 team points.

Mt. San Antonio won the meet with 112, followed by Moorpark (70). Long

Beach City was fourth with 49.5.

Hockinson said Gomez will continue her collegiate career at Adams State

in Colorado.

Sophomore Chris Monachelli paced the men’s squad with a second-place

showing in the 3,000 steeplechase. His time was 9:47.

Estancia High products Tony Magana, a sophomore, and Juan Sanchez, a

freshman, were fifth in the 3,000 steeplechase and the 5,000,

respectively, in 9:55 and 15:16.

Sanchez was also ninth in the 10,000 (33:39).

Freshman Steve Taeleman was sixth in the pole vault (15-7), while

freshmen teammates Troy Becker (15-1 in the pole vault) and Carl Olson

(15.28 in the 110 high hurdles) both finished eighth.

The Pirates’ 21 points placed them 14th. The men’s champion was Mt. SAC.