By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director

College of the Canyons is returning from the California Community College Athletic Association Track & Field State Championships with some new hardware as sophomores Milca Osorio and Layne Buck combined for three top-eight finishes while garnering both All-State Team and All-American honors for the respective performances.

The highlight of the state championship meet for Canyons was Buck’s leap of 7.10m / 23′ 3.5″ in the long jump. That mark placed Buck, the two-time defending conference champion in the same event, third in the final state rankings.

The third-place result also earned Buck 2023 CCCAA All-State Team and J.C. All-American honors.

Buck later placed eighth in the triple jump at a distance of 13.66m / 44′ 9.75″ to round out his run at the state meet and bring his Cougar track & field career to a close.

Meanwhile, Osorio ran to a time of 39:39.24 in the 10,000m during day one action on the track at Modesto Junior College. That pace placed Osorio fifth and earned the sophomore All-State Team honors.

Osorio’s 10k run at the state meet represented the fourth state championship event of her Cougar career, having also run at the 2022 CCCAA Track & Field State Championships, as well as representing Canyons at both the 2021 and 2022 CCCAA Cross Country State Championships.

Buck and Osorio were the only members of the COC program to compete at the state meet. Their performances placed Canyons 24th in the men’s team standings and 31st on the women’s side.

Mt. San Antonio College won both the men’s and women’s 2023 Track & Field State Championships.