Results (PDF)

HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay women's track and field team hosted the third annual East Bay Invitational on Friday and Saturday at Chabot College. 

With weather more befitting of August than April, the Pioneers turned in several strong performances to finish as the highest scoring team at the meet. They continue to gear up for the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championships in Los Angeles the first weekend in May. 

The team's lone first place finish of the day was achieved by senior Oddessy Tapia in the 1500 meters. She out-paced the field from start to finish and won with a time of 4:43.84

The Pioneers had four of the top nine runners in the 1500, as Kandace Compton took fifth place (4:55.48), Sarah Perrin finished sixth (4:55.54), and Imani Heath finished ninth (5:03.38).

Compton doubled in the 800 meters, a tough task with the races just a few hours apart. She nonetheless posted a third place finish with a time of 2:20.83.

Suzanne Bateson doubled for the Pioneers as well, joining Compton in the 800 in addition to her best race, the 400 meters. Bateson took 11th place overall in the 800 in 2:28.58. She had a strong in the 400, placing second in 58.52 seconds. 

Ravyn Miller also ran two events on Saturday, finishing sixth in the 400 with a time of 1:00.21 and taking fourth place in the 200 meters in 25.95.

Jasmine Starks led the Pioneers in the 200, crossing the finish line with an impressive runner-up time of 25.77 seconds, just three hundredths behind the winner. CSUEB had five of the top 11 runners in the 200, with Imani Blincoe finishing eighth (26.60), Deja Croft taking 11th (27.26 to win her heat), and Donnisha Brown placing 11th (27.89).

All five Pioneer sprinters competed in the 100 meter dash. Starks paced the squad with a third place finish and a time of 12.60. Sydney Johnson took sixth place in 12.78, with Blincoe right on her heels in seventh at 12.79. Croft and Brown just missed qualifying for the finals with prelim times of 13.32 and 13.37, respectively.

On Friday, Vanessa Mares and Taryn Stevenson represented the Pioneers in the 5000 meters. Mares finished in seventh place with a 5k time of 20:09.41, while Stevenson took 11th in 21:07.83.

Yete Zeleke was East Bay's lone field event competitor on Saturday. She leaped 3.80m (12 feet, 5.75 inches) to place 10th in the long jump.