First Home Track Meet Breaks Records

On Friday, April 5, Vanguard University’s track and field team finished a successful meet at home with multiple broken records and first-place finishes.

The women’s 4×100-meter relay broke the school record, which they had set earlier in the season, with a 49.07 finish. Runners Jasmine Johnson, Joi Goynes, Ashley Ramey and Erin Thompson beat their 49.09 record from the previous California State University, Fullerton meet just this season. The relay requires runners to complete 100 meters each and blindly pass a baton to the next runner within a 20 meter stretch, so they can run the next 100-meter stretch.

Vanguard also took first place in three other events. Kristine Grimes took first in two events: women’s shot put with 39’4 ½” and women’s hammer throw with 143’10”. And Cameron Barela finished first in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:39.57.

Along with the broken school record and first-place finishes, the men’s team and the women’s team racked up numerous individual broken records. The 30 new personal records were in almost every event including hurdles, sprints, jumps and throws.

Currently, Vanguard uses Orange Coast College’s track as our home turf where the team practices daily. Joi Goynes said it was exciting to run on their home track and long jump in the pit that she uses every day. Looking back on the day, Goynes said the team used their God-given talents and simply “went out there and competed.”

Goynes found success in the team relay and individually in the long jump. Sophomore Goynes continued to break personal and school records. Goynes achieved a 16’7” distance for long jump and broke her previous personal record. Competing in the long jump event is a recent addition to her list of events.

Goynes described what happens during the race and during the moment of the jump, saying, “You just go blank. You have to relax and just go for it.” Struggling to find words to express the feeling, she added that, “When you think about it- that’s when you mess up.”

With only two meets left before the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) championship meet, and three meets before nationals, the end of the outdoor track season rapidly approaches. Goynes thinks Vanguard has a chance to finish first in the GSAC. The meet will be in Santa Barbara at Westmont College.

On May 23-25 in Marion, Indiana, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) will hold the national outdoor track and field competition. In these final meets, Vanguard’s track-and-field athletes will fight to qualify for nationals.