Cougars Bring Home Eight WSC Titles, 19 Student-Athletes Advance to SoCal Prelims

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director  

MOORPARK — The Cougars exited the Western State Conference (WSC) Championship meet hosted by Moorpark College on Friday with a combined eight individual conference championships, with 19 student-athletes advancing to compete at the upcoming regional prelims.

WSC champions for the men team included Thurlee Bowers (100m) and Antonio Moore (110 & 400h), with the women's team represented by Hazel Rhodes (200m & 400m), and Monique Fulling (400h).

Additionally, Fulling, Amara Shields, Syrai Piper and Rhodes combined to win conference titles in both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay events.

"In my memory, the Cougars' performance at the WSC championships ranks among the top exceptional performances days in school history," said COC track & field head coach Lindie Kane.

Bowers clocked a time of 10.45 to set a new school record and win the program's first 100m conference title in more than a decade. He'll move on to the 3C2A Southern California Regional Prelims with the state's No. 3 ranked time. Bowers also qualified for SoCal prelims in the high jump (1.85m) during last week's opening round of conference finals events.

Moore is now a four-time conference champion after winning titles in both the 110h (15.12) and 400h (53.29) for a second consecutive year. His time in the 400h is the second fastest time in program history. Moore, who finished state runner-up in the 110h a year ago, holds the No. 3 state ranking in both events heading into the regional prelims.

Elijah Reid took third in the 100m (10.74) and also set a new school record in the 200m (21.67) to finish fifth in that event. Reid will advance to the regional prelims in both events. Same for Josh Smith who ran seventh in the 200m (22.25) and also placed second in the 400m (48.93).

COC has three qualifiers in the 800m with Alejandro Cueto (3rd/1:58.54), Elisha Himsl (6th/2:00.39) and Isaac Ornelas (7th/2:00.44) all moving on. Cueto also advances in the 3K steeplechase after finishing fourth (10:07.51) in that event.

Field event standouts for the men's team included Esaias Ellis with a second-place mark of 14.24m in the triple jump. That represents the No. 3 all-time mark in program history.

Jonathan Kanaley advances in the hammer after placing third (30.67m), also representing the No. 4 mark in program history. Kanaley had previously qualified to compete at SoCals in the shot put with a seventh-place mark (11.76m) during the opening round of championship events on April 17, at Cougar Stadium.

The men's 4x100 relay team (Smith, Reid, Moore, Bowers) finished second at a time of 41.53 to also establish the program's No. 2 all-time mark, which currently ranks No. 10 in the state.

COC's women's relay team of Fulling, Shields, Piper and Rhodes won the 4x100 at a time of 48.15, to rank No. 4 in program history. That same combination won the 4x400 at a pace of 3:55.74.

Those titles added to the impressive career totals of Rhodes, who now claims six WSC championships to her resume.

Rhodes won the 200m (24.30) and 400m (54.47) events with her time in the 200m at the conference finals representing a new school record. Rhodes also holds the school record in the 400m, having set that mark (53.88) earlier in the year. The sophomore previously won conference and state champions in the 400m during the 2025 campaign. She also ran as a member of the 4x400 conference championship team a year ago.

Fulling is also a member of the six-conference championship club after her title in this year's 400h (1:03.69), placing her in the No. 2 slot of the program's record books. Fulling won titles in the 100h and 400h in 2025 and has been a member of three conference championship relay teams across her two seasons of competition. The sophomore also placed third in this year's 100h (15.16).

Shields (3rd/59.77) and Piper (6th/1:03.26) advance to the SoCal Prelims in the 400m in addition to running in the relay events.

Liliana Moreira moves on in the 800m after taking sixth (2:29.28) with Victoria Jamison finishing third in the 5,000m (3rd/19:12.61).

Gabriella Nickels shined in the javelin (4th/27.33m) and hammer (8th/33.31m), while Chantel Ornelas also advanced in the hammer (7th/35.61m). Ruby Salazar will compete at the SoCal Prelims in the 3K steeplechase (8th/13:33.46).

The 3C2A Southern California Regional Prelims will be held Saturday, May 2, in Bakersfield. 

EVENT QUALIFIERS — 3C2A Southern California Regional Prelims

MEN
100m – Thurlee Bowers; Elijah Reid
200m – Elijah Reid; Josh Smith
400m – Josh Smith
800m – Alejandro Cueto, Elisha Himsl, Isaac Ornelas
5,000m – Josue Lopez
110h – Antonio Moore
400h – Antonio Moore; Matthew Grider
3K Steeplechase – Alejandro Cueto
High Jump – Thurlee Bowers
Triple Jump – Esaias Ellis
Shot Put – Jonathan Kanaley
Hammer – Jonathan Kanaley
4x100 relay - Josh Smith, Elijah Reid, Antonio Moore, Thurlee Bowers
4x400 relay – Matthew Grider, Elisha Himsl, Elijah Reid, Antonio Moore

11 student-athletes/14 events

WOMEN
200m – Hazel Rhodes
400m – Hazel Rhodes, Amara Shields, Syrai Piper
800m – Liliana Moreira
5,000m – Victoria Jamison
100h – Monique Fulling
400h – Monique Fulling
3K Steeplechase – Ruby Salazar
Javelin – Gabriella Nickels
Hammer – Chantel Ornelas; Gabriella Nickels
4x100 relay – Monique Fulling, Amara Shields, Syrai Piper, Hazel Rhodes
4x400 relay - Monique Fulling, Amara Shields, Syrai Piper, Hazel Rhodes

8 student-athletes/11 events

—Photo by Robert Hanashiro/COC Sports Information