Giants sweep men's, women's CVC track and field titles

By Nick Giannandrea

COS ATHLETICS

College of the Sequoias' men's and women's track and field teams opened the postseason in impressive fashion.

Fernando Hernandez and Riley Beeman led the way.

Hernandez (Mt. Whitney High) and Beeman (Monache-Porterville) were named the Male and Female Athletes of the Meet, respectively, after combining to finish in the top two of eight events individually as the Giants swept the Central Valley Conference championship meet April 30 at Sanger High's Tom Flores Stadium.

"Everything starts with your conference," said Sequoias' Kenny Jackson, who was named the CVC's men's and women's Coach of the Year. "You can't move forward in trying to win another championship if you aren't a conference champion. Now, we're looking forward to competing at NorCal. 

"I'm so thankful for the athletes being coachable and working through adversity and staying on the right path."

Hernandez was dominant in the distance races, winning the 5,000-meters in 16 minutes, 45.73 seconds, placing first in the 1,500 in 4:08.22 and placing second in the 800 in 2:02.43 to help Sequoias' men score 153 points. Fresno City College was second with 94, followed by Clovis (37) and Merced (4).

Hernandez also was a standout on Sequoias' cross country team, finishing 62nd at the state meet in November.

"Fernando contributed a lot to the team," Jackson said. "Coming into this season with all those miles on his legs, he sacrificed himself week in and week out for this team. (The men's team score) would have been a lot closer if the distance program didn't show up and do what they are supposed to do."

Beeman was even more impactful for the Giant's women, placing first in the 100 hurdles (17.38), javelin (83 feet, one inch), high jump (4-6) and as a member of the 400 relay team (50.86) along with Serena Salcido (Golden West), Alisha McFall (Yreka) and Taylor Reed (Tulare Western). 

Beeman also was second in the pole vault (7-8), third in the 400 hurdles (1:22.12) and fourth in the long jump (13-6) to lead Sequoias' women to 126 points. Clovis was second at 69, followed by Fresno (37) and Merced (14).

"She's Super Woman. She's got an S on her chest," Jackson said. "She could have pulled out of an event at the end (after Sequoias had secured the women's team title), but she was like 'no coach, I want to compete.' She's just a super athlete. She's different."

The Giants men featured seven other individual champions and two relay winners, led by a pair of runners from Hawaii: Justyce Kahunahana-Simms and Isaiah Kemp.

Kahunahana-Simms swept the 110 hurdles (15.33) and 400 hurdles (56.13), while Kemp swept the 200 (22.25) and 400 (50.13) dashes.

They combined with Manuel Torres (Lindsay) and Nicholas Trevino (Redwood) to place first in the 1,600 relay (3:29.22).

Sequoias' men also received individual conference titles from Noah Jimenez (Kingsburg) in the 100 in 10.96, Juan Santacruz (El Diamante) in the 10,000 in 35:20.00, Alberto Nunez (Golden West) in the javelin in 145-0, and the 400 relay team of Jimenez, Derrick Jones (Houston), Zavion Battle (Ft. Myers, Fla.) and Trevino in 42.17.

Second-place finishes were achieved by Jones in the 100 (11.04) and 200 (22.40), Trevino in the 400 (51.66), Nunez in the high jump (5-4) and Alexander Mederos (Tulare Western) in the 110 hurdles (15.50) and 400 hurdles (57.51).

In addition to Beeman's three individual first-place finishes, the Giants' women had eight other gold-medal performances, including Aislin Taylor in the 1,500 (4:48.59) and the 5,000 (18:58.45).

Also winning events, and earning automatic entry into the Northern California Regionals, for the Giants' women were McFall in the 100 (12.96), Crystal Reyes (Lindsay) in the triple jump (32-0), Liliana Salado (Mt. Whitney) in the 800 (2:25.51), Gisel Barajas (Farmersville) in the 400 hurdles (1:14.51), Alyssa Logan (Mission Oak) in the discus (142-5) and Breanna Fraley (Tulare Western) in the pole vault (10-0). Fraley is the niece of former Fresno State track and field coach Bob Fraley.

Sequoias received second-place finishes from Salcido in the 100 (13.30) and 200 (27.91), Reyes in the long jump (14-2), Salado in the 1,500 (5:00.40), Barajas in the 100 hurdles (19.05), Logan in the shot put (32-3) and hammer (137-7), and Courtney Santos (Hanford) in the 10,000 (41:51.50).

"We really take pride in our track and field team representing our community," Jackson said of his primary recruiting area of Kings and Tulare counties. "It was amazing to see kids from Redwood, Mt. Whitney, Golden West, Tulare Western, Monache and Kingsburg, just to name a few, all on the track at the same time competing for the game goal and accomplishing that goal in men's and women's."

The NorCal Regionals begin with the Trials on May 6 and conclude with the Finals on May 14 at Chabot College in Hayward.

The California Community College Athletic Association Championships are scheduled for May 20-21 at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.