RIVERSIDE -- Cal State LA's men's and women's track and field teams competed on both coasts Friday in indoor and outdoor meets.

Jonon Young, Destiny Moedano, Drew Hill and Leon Tafirenyika ran in the Fast Track Last Chance Meet in New York, while a large contingent also competed in the Riverside City College Invitational.

Young won the long jump in New York and improved her NCAA qualifying mark to 19-2 before taking third in the triple jump, also recording a season's best of 40-11.25.

Moedano, meanwhile, recorded a provisional mark for the first time in the 400 while finishing third with a time of 56.28 that also set a new program indoor mark.

Hill finished second in the 60 with a time of 6.77, while Tafirenyika was third in 6.80. In the prelims, Hill was second with a time of 6.73 and Tafirenyika was fifth in 6.85.

Hill was also second in the 200 with a time of 21.68, just ahead of Tafirenyika, who was third in 21.70. Tafirenyika was also fourth in the 400 with a time of 49.51.

"It was an amazing opportunity given to us by our coaches to compete in New York. With it being my first time here, I had an amazing experience," Hill said. "I'm glad to have competed on the same track as many world class athletes. None of this would've been possible without the support of my teammates and coaches."

"I'm really grateful for the chance to travel to New York, where I was able to bond with my teammates and smoothly transition from soccer to track," Moedano said. "The support I received from coaches in both sports made a huge difference, and thanks to that, I set a new school record in the indoor 400 meters. While I'm disappointed about not being in the top qualifying spots for nationals, it's only fueling my drive to make it during the outdoor season."

"Our team that traveled to New York made every effort to achieve higher scores in order to improve their standings on the national list. We are now in a period of anticipation to determine if their marks will qualify," Cal State LA head coach Tina Fernandes said. "Jonon Young has a strong possibility of qualifying in the triple jump, while the rest of the team must await the conclusion of the indoor season, which ends on Sunday at midnight.
 
"The opportunity to compete indoors has been invaluable for our group, as they are significantly ahead of their performance in previous years. Provided that we maintain our health, we can look forward to an exciting outdoor season," Fernandes continued. "The support from coaches, student-athletes, staff, parents, fans, and the exceptional backing from administrators, trainers, advisors, and professors has facilitated a seamless transition, allowing our athletes to compete while still prioritizing their academic commitments. We sincerely appreciate the comprehensive support that enables our student-athletes to excel in both their athletic and academic pursuits."

In Riverside, Cal State LA's teams recorded three individual wins to highlight the day.

Matthew Bender on the men's javelin with a throw of 191-6, while Vanessa Portillo won the women's javelin with a mark of 112-1 and Dalia Romo won the women's 400 hurdles with a time of 64.48.

"My meet went alright even though I won. I did not end up hitting 60 (meters), but still did okay" Bender said. "My team was supportive, and I even played some cards with them. Coach Sarigiannis helped me try to stay focused at the task at hand and gave me good pointers. He's really trying to get me to do my best and succeed."

Jahbari Fraser took second in the 100 with a time of 10.74 and placed fifth in the 200 with a mark of 21.91 for the men's team, while Sinaiah Pointer had a second-place finish in the women's shot put with a mark of 42-0.75.

"This team by far has the best dynamic out of any team I have been on. Even with our heavy hitters out, my teammates are still supportive of everyone, and my coaches continue to be the greatest mentors," Fraser said. "Today was a light day for me, I'm hoping to get better and better every week."
 
"Today was very hectic. After only getting one throw for the hammer, I found out women's javelin had started, and I needed to check in. Not only did I have to rush all my hammer throws but I had to rush to javelin to do all my throws consecutively," Portillo said. "After I had scratched my first javelin throw, I began to hyperventilate, and I thank Coach Sarigiannis for telling me to just stop and think of my happy place and not worry about how much time I had left. Once I collected myself, I threw the mark I needed to win."

Cal State LA will return to action next weekend at the Beach Opener hosted by Long Beach State.

 "Overall, we are witnessing consistent improvement as a team, which is a positive development," Fernandes said. "In the throws category, Matt Bender continues to excel in the javelin. Despite having to compete on a grass runway this week, which presents additional challenges, he still delivered a commendable performance. His teammate, Vanessa Portillo, also excelled in the javelin, and both secured victories in their events. Sinaiah Pointer is making steady progress in the shot put, and we are eager to see her continued development. 
 
"Our distance runners are also advancing, with Nelly Garnica leading the women's group and Joshua Lovato demonstrating strong performance among the men. Their synergy is promising, and we anticipate further progress for the entire group. Dalia Romo exhibited significant improvement in the 400 hjurdles, winning her event, while Joshua Pearson achieved a personal record in the same event, showing increased strength and speed. 
 
"Our jumpers are also making strides, particularly freshman Cecille Lightbourn, who is showing continuous improvement in the triple jump. In the sprints, we are also seeing advancements. Emmerson Wiggins participated in her first open 400 meters, treating it as a practice session following a rest week aimed at allowing her body to recover from her initial indoor season. I am particularly enthusiastic about this sprint group, as they are all relatively new to the sport. Jahbari Fraser continues to demonstrate significant improvements in sprints, and his dedication is evident in his ongoing efforts. Most notably, the overall team support and encouragement among all members is truly impressive."

RIVERSIDE CITY COLLEGE INVITATIONAL
Friday's Results
Men
100 - 2. Jahbari Fraser 10.74; 30. Noah Moreno 12.55
200 - 5. Jahbari Fraser 21.91; 14. Gabriel Pearson 23.10; 22. Emmanuel Huerta 24.05
400 - 14. Gabriel Pearson 52.63; 16. John Covarrubias 53.17; 
800 - 28. Joshua Lovato 2:03.99; 33. Nathan Torres 2:08.52; 34. David Bonds 2:13.62; 36. Damian Bonds 2:20.84
1500 - 29. Christian Perez 4:17.73; 31. David Rush 4:27.10; 33. Miguel Morales Lopez 4:28.32; 34. Nathan Torres 4:30.27; 35. Trent Osburn 4:31.11; 38. Nicholas Delgado 4:42.01; 39. Joshua Lovato 4:44.70; 40. David Bonds 4:46.23; 41. Damian Bonds 4:52.54
3000 - 38. David Rush 9:28.21; 40. Christian Perez 9:31.03; 43. Miguel Morales Lopez 9:34.10; 49. Nicholas Delgado 9:53.12; 51. Trent Osburn 10:07.88
400 Hurdles - 8. Joshua Pearson 57.37
Javelin - 1. Matthew Bender 191-6; 6. Noah Moreno 105-6

Women
100 - 17. Ski'lar Wallace 12.62; 24. Cecille Lightbourn 13.21; 30. Sydney Holmes 13.65; 32. Ariana Ayala 14.38; 33. Jaqueline Monroy 15.16; 34. Taylor Jones 15.26
200 - 17. Emmerson Wiggins 25.79; 26. Ski'lar Wallace 26.87; 28. Paula Romo 27.11; 32. Isis Johnson 27.95
400 - 8. Emmerson Wiggins 59.32; 12. Paula Romo 60.66; 19. Jenna Pagan 66.35
800 - 35. Mikaela Holguin 2:39.58
1500 - 36. Nelly Garnica 5:17.16; 45. Mikaela Holguin 5:34.35; 47. Alejandra Estrada 5:39.26; 51. Norma Martinez 6:12.01
3000 - 29. Nelly Garnica 11:27.00; 33. Alejandra Estrada 11:59.21
400 Hurdles - 1. Dalia Romo 64.48
4x100 Relay - 4. Cal State LA (Wallace, Wiggins, Romo, Romo) 49.41
Long Jump - 18. Isis Johnson 16-4.50; 20. Cecille Lightbourn 15-7; 22. Jaqueline Monroy 12-9.50
Triple Jump - 10. Cecille Lightbourn 36-4.25
Javelin - 1. Vanessa Portillo 112-1
Hammer - 6. Vanessa Portillo 141-0; 14. Sinaiah Pointer 121-5
Discus - 10. Sinaiah Pointer 112-10
Shot Put - 2. Sinaiah Pointer 42-0.75; 9. Vanessa Portillo 36-9.75