Utah Valley commit Logan captures NorCal women's discus title for Giants

By Nick Giannandrea

COS ATHLETICS

It's been a productive couple of weeks for College of the Sequoias' track and field standout Alyssa Logan.

First, the sophomore out of Tulare's Mission Oak High captured a Central Valley Conference individual title on April 30.

Then, on May 1, Logan officially committed to continue her athletic and academic career at Utah Valley, an NCAA Division I university competing in the Western Athletic Conference.

And most recently, on May 13, she became a Northern California champion.

Logan won the women's discus, uncorking a top throw of 129-feet, 2-inches, to highlight the performances of Sequoias' athletes at the NorCal Championship meet held May 6-13 at Chabot College in Hayward.

Logan's best toss was nearly 5 feet further than second place Briana Brugetti of Fresno City.

"It's really motivating because all the hard work I've put in since high school is paying off," Logan said. "I'm looking forward to taking it to the next level."

Logan also placed third in the hammer with a best mark of 152-9. She is the only Sequoias' athlete, male or female, to finish in the top three of two events during the NorCal Championships.

"I'm super blessed for everyone who helped me get here," Logan said, paying special thanks to Giants throws coach Cole Sprague. "I couldn't have done it by myself."

Logan, who said she also considered scholarship offers from Cal State Stanislaus and Fresno Pacific, qualified in both events for the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships on May 20-21 at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.

She is one of five Giants' individuals and one relay team to make the state meet.

Joining Logan at the state meet will be Breanna Fraley (Tulare Western) and Aislin Taylor (Monache) from the women's team, as well as Justyce Kahuanahana (Hawaii) and Adrian Barrios (Redwood) from the men's team. The men's 4x100 relay of Noah Jimenez (Kingsburg), Derrick Jones (Houston), Zavion Battle (Ft. Myers, Fla.) and Nicholas Trevino (Redwood) also qualified for the state meet.

Fraley, the niece of former Fresno State track and field coach Bob Fraley, finished third in the pole vault in 10-4, while Taylor was third in the 10,000 meters in 40:08.68 to help the Giants' women place ninth in NorCal as a team with 28.5 points. Hartnell won the NorCal women's title with 135 points.

The next best performance for Sequoias' women came from the 4x100 relay team of Riley Beeman (Monache-Porterville), Serena Salcido (Golden West), Alisha McFall (Yreka) and Taylor Reed (Tulare Western), who finished eighth in 51.88.

Beeman also placed 10th in the pole vault (7-10.5), 10th in the heptathlon (2,931 points) and 12th in the 100 hurdles (17.39) individually, while McFall was 12th in the 100 in 13.01.

Sherlyn Hernandez (Corcoran) placed ninth in the 10,000 (42:56.02), Courtney Santos (Hanford) was 10th in the 5,000 (19:52.23) and 12th in the 10,000 (43:08.91), Gisel Barajas (Farmersville) was 11th in the 400 hurdles (1:15.04), Liliana Salado (Mt. Whitney) was 12th in the 800 (2:28.98) and Crystal Reyes (Lindsay) was 15th in the triple jump (31-3.25) for the Giants. 

Kahuanahana, Barrios and the 4x100 relay team all earned fourth-place finishes to help Sequoias' men place 12th as a team with 19 points. American River was the men's team champion with 102 points.

Kahuanahana was fourth in the 110 hurdles in 15.19. He also placed sixth in the 400 hurdles in 54.36.

Barrios was fourth in the hammer finals with a mark of 151-6, but he unleashed a state-qualifying throw of 157-8 during the preliminaries.

The 4x100 relay team of Jimenez, Jones, Battle and Trevino clocked a 4:15.21 to finish fourth.

The only other top-10 placings for the Giants' man came from Fernando Hernandez (Mt. Whitney), who was seventh in the 1,500 in 4:05.01; Alexander Mederos (Tulare Western), who was eighth in the 110 hurdles in 15.31; and Alberto Nunez (Golden West), who was ninth in the javelin in 141-8.

Hernandez also finished 12th in the 800 (1:59.56), while Mederos was 11th in the 400 hurdles (57.20).

Sequoias' men also had 11th-place finishes from Nicholas Reid (Redwood) in the decathlon with 4,998 points, Juan Santacruz (El Diamante) in the 10,000 in 33:58.07.

Jimenez was 12th in the long jump (19-8.25) and 18th in the 100 (10.98); Hiram Blanken (Kings Christian-Hanford) was 11th in the hammer (142-3) and 17th in the shot put (39-5); the 4x400 relay team of Manuel Torres (Lindsay), Jones, Trevino and Isaiah Kemp (Hawaii) was 13th in 3:30.98; Tae Marks (Washington) was 16th in the long jump (19-10.25); Kemp was 20th in the 400 (52.12) and 21st in the 200 (22.50); and Battle was 20th in the 200 (22.37) for the Giants' men.