Lauderdale Wins 100 Dash, PCC Women's Track And Field 9th At SoCal Championships

COMPLETE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

Ireja Lauderdale won the 100 meters title as the Pasadena City College women's track and field team scored ninth place at the Southern California Championships held Saturday at Bakersfield College. 

Lauderdale, who was the top seed from the May 2 SoCal Prelims, hit the finish line in 11.89 seconds, .05 off her prelims mark. She remains fourth in the state going into the 3C2A State Championships on May 16 at Mt. San Antonio College.

The 5-foot-7 sophomore gave the Lancers a SoCal champ for the second year in a row and she is the first regional 100 dash champ since Omhuniqe Browne won in 2013. Browne went on to win the 100 and 200 state titles.

PCC totaled 33 team points, 10 more than last year, but ended up in the same top 10 spot--ninth. Mt. San Antonio won the SoCal team crown followed by Cerritos in second and El Camino 10th as four South Coast Conference members were in that elite top 10 group.

Destiny Rayburn leaped a team season best 18 feet, 10.5 inches to score second in the long jump. That is sixth longest in the state this year and it's the second longest recorded jump ever by a PCC women's athlete--the record belonging to Darlene Pennie in 1984 of 19-1.5. Rayburn's beat her previous best by 10 inches.

Rayburn wasn't finished as she scored third in the triple jump at 38-11.5, that's also the second longest in that event in PCC history, a record of 39-5 by Essence Wyatt who was SoCal champ in 2007. Rayburn is fifth in the state in that event.

Kezia Gavlak was fifth in the LJ at 17-11 and seventh in the TJ at 37-3. Gavlak's 38-2.5 at the Prelims leaves her just behind teammate Rayburn in sixth in California.

The Lancers placed fifth with a season-best 47.86 in the 4x100 relay behind the racing of Gavlak, Rayburn, Jariah Martin and anchor Lauderdale. That puts them seventh fastest in the state this year and they are not far off the PCC school record set in 2013 of 47.24.

Quiana Laughlin settled for 11th in the high jump (4-11, her best is 5-3) and was 12th in the long jump at 16-9.75. Raiah Blackmon was 11th in the discus at 113-1.

The Lancers are directed by head coach Innocent Egbunike.