Pirate trio earn top-8 performances at State Meet
SAN MATEO -- Three members of the Orange Coast College men's track and field team overcame Mother Nature and a top-flight field and picked up top-eight performances at the California Community College Athletic Association's State Meet this past weekend at the College of San Mateo.
Under dark, cold, cloudy and rainy conditions, the Pirate trio of Ryan Fegan (pole vault), Yuki Ishida (javelin) and Isaiah Galloway (triple jump) fought through the elements and all posted solid marks against the state's top athletes in each event.
For Fegan, the OCC sophomore out of Newport Harbor HS wrapped up his Pirate career by finishing fourth overall with a mark of 15-feet, 7-inches. Fegan's mark equalled that of three other pole vaulters, including state champion Shane Peterson of West Los Angeles, but Peterson won the gold based on fewer missed attempts. After passing on the first two heights, Fegan attempted 15-1 and after two misses, he cleared on his third and final attempt to stay in the competition.
At 15-7, it was the same thing for Fegan as he went 0-for-2 before clearing the bar on his third attempt. Unfortunately for Fegan, he came up just short on three attempts for 16-0 3/4.
For Isida, the fifth time was the charm for the freshman out of Japan as he tossed his best throw of the afternoon with a fifth-place distance of 170-11. Riverside City College's Marcos Gonzalez launched a winning throw of 201-08 to win the title handedly over the rest of the field.
For Galloway, the Pirate freshman from Fountain Valley HS had six foul-free and consistent attempts before nailing his longest jump of the weekend on attempt No. 5 for a distance of 43-7 1/4. His mark was good enough for eighth place in the state, with Diablo Valley's Trey Pierce taking the top mark at 47-9.
