College of the Canyons Track and Field competed against mostly four-year programs last month, setting three new school records at the meets hosted by Cal State Fullerton.
Despite being one of only a few community college programs in the field, the Cougars held their own, combining for 16 top-25 finishes across 12 events.
Sprinters Thurlee Bowers, Antonio Moore, and Hazel Rhodes all played key roles in the record-breaking performances
Rhodes turned heads in the 400 meters, winning the event with a school-record time of 53.99 the fastest among community college runners this season.
Hazel says the moment didn’t fully hit her until the race
“I realize how special this race was after because I remember crossing the finish line and I was like ‘WOW’,” said Rhodes.
“That felt amazing, and then I turned to my coach, and my teammates are running to me, and they’re like ‘Oh My Gosh, Hazel,’ they’re telling me the time I ran.”
“I was just shocked and just blown away and just beyond grateful for being to compete with the competitors that I had and the training that I’ve done to build up to that moment,” said Rhodes.
Moore also made history, setting a school record in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.48, finishing fifth against four-year competition.
Bowers added to the success, finishing ninth overall in the 100 meters while ranking first among community college runners with a time of 10.65
“My first race in the season I had went 10.9 and that was already a big PR from what I had ran last season,” said Bowers.
“That just told me the workouts that the coaches were giving me, the diet change, and the stretching have really been paying off.”
“Shout out to my coaches.”
For Bowers, that improvement comes from trusting the process from training to recovery.
With strong performances against four-year competition, the Cougars are proving they can compete at the next level.
