Posted: Mar 08, 2025
The Occidental Distance Carnival and Spring Break Classic took place under sunny skies, with a highly competitive atmosphere throughout the event. Several athletes posted impressive performances, marking significant personal bests and positioning themselves among the top performers in the state.
Men's Highlights:
- Julien Rivera (Freshman) set a new personal record in the Javelin with a throw of 41.75 meters. This performance ranks him 24th in the 2025 3C2A all-state rankings.
- Fabrizio Valdivia (Sophomore) ran a season-best of 4:12.41 in the 1500m, which positions him 49th in the 2025 3C2A all-state rankings.
- Evan Ellersieck (Freshman) set a new personal best in the 5000m, clocking 15:44.09. This marks a significant 47-second improvement from his previous time of 16:31.41 at the Pirate Invitational. He is now ranked 32nd in the 2025 3C2A all-state rankings.
- Isaiah Garcia (Sophomore) also set a new personal best in the 5000m, running 16:36.69. This marks a more than one-minute improvement from his previous time of 17:41.79.
Women's Highlights:
- Lilit Arakelyan (Sophomore) ran her first 3000m Steeplechase of the season, posting a new personal best of 11:19.09. This performance not only qualifies her for the 3C2A state championship but also ranks her 1st in the 2025 3C2A all-state rankings for the 3000m Steeplechase.
- Rashel-Alvarez Chavez (Freshman) ran a substantial personal best of 5:10.24 in the 1500m, a 13-second improvement from her previous time of 5:23.04. This mark ranks her 42nd in the 2025 3C2A all-state rankings for the 1500m.
- Elsa Ludena (Freshman) also posted a significant personal best in the 1500m, finishing with a time of 5:34.55, which is a 17-second improvement from her earlier mark of 5:51.04 at the WSC South Invite.
- Fernanda Barranco (Freshman) ran a new personal best of 2:30.70 in the 800m, despite falling during the race. This marks a 10-second improvement from her previous time of 2:40.09 at the WSC South Invite, and it ranks her 37th in the 2025 3C2A all-state rankings for the 800m.
Overall, the event showcased a series of standout performances, with several athletes significantly improving their personal bests and climbing the state rankings. It was a competitive and successful weekend for all involved.