By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director

College of the Canyons competed at the Saddleback College Invitational on Saturday, March 4 with the Cougars combined results highlighted by several strong individual performances.

Canyons finished 13th in the men’s team standings and 11th on the women’s side. The event attracted 17 men’s programs and 16 women’s teams from across the Southern California region.

San Diego Mesa College (236) easily won the men’s meet ahead of runner-up El Camino College (99) and third-place Cerritos College (71). In the women’s standings it was Cerritos (170), San Diego Mesa (104) and Bakersfield College (88).

COC sophomore Milca Osorio posted the top individual finish for the Cougars with a second place run in the 5,000m (18:56.44).

Canyons also fared well in the 400h with Samantha Rodriguez taking fifth (1:12.23) with Trinity Winslow close behind in seventh (1:13.79).

Sophomore Layne Buck turned in sixth place results in the 400m (51.20) and triple jump (12.77m / 41′ 11.5″) to lead the Cougars’ men’s team.

However, the top performance came in the 4 x 100 relay with Kory Bacon, Dylan Roof, Semaj Freeman and Simon Sampson combining for a pace of 43.46, good for fifth place.

Full event results are available here.

Canyons Top Performers (W)

Milca Osorio – 2nd, 5000m (18:56.44)

Samantha Rodriguez – 5th, 400h (1:12.23)

Trinity Winslow – 7th, 400h (1:13.79)

Canyons Top Performers (M)

Layne Buck – 6th, 400m (51.20); 6th place, Triple Jump (12.77m / 41′ 11.5″)

Jerome Hughes — 7th, 400m (51.33)

Simon Sampson — 9th, 100m (11.02)

Phillip Vizmanos – 7th, Pole Vault (3.65m / 11′ 11.75″)

4×100 Relay – 5th – The combination of K. Bacon, D. Roof, S. Freeman and S. Sampson posted a time of 43.46.

Upcoming Schedule

The Cougars will be back on the track at the Ben Brown Invitational hosted by California State University, Fullerton March 10-11.

Canyons is then slated to head north and compete at the University of Redlands Invitational on March 17.

Stay up to date on all this season’s action by visiting the College of the Canyons Athletic department and following on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.