TRACK : CSLA Advances to Conference Finals

In the first of three competitions that Cal State L.A. Coach Kevin McCarthy called the most important of the season, the Golden Eagle men and women each placed fourth in the California/Nevada championships, a 25-team meet with nearly 1,000 athletes last month in Fresno.

Next up Friday and Saturday are the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. championships at UC San Diego, where Cal State L.A. is the defending men’s and women’s champ, and the NCAA Division II national championships May 24-27 in Emporia, Kansas.

“We didn’t burn people out this season by doubling or tripling people in events in dual meets, and I think that paid off,” McCarthy said. “The California/Nevada meet was one we really wanted to do well. It was an opportunity for exposure and to showcase our people against Division I schools.”

Cal State L.A. finished as the top Division II school in the men’s and women’s competition, but fourth overall behind three Division I schools. Fresno State won the men’s title with 137 points. California was second with 127, followed by Stanford with 93 points and Cal State with 75.

UCLA amassed 154 points to win the women’s title for the second year in a row. Calfornia (118), Fresno State (90) and Cal State L.A. (83) were second, third and fourth.

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Greg Pratt, Ken Moxey and Jose Arriaga won two events to lead the East Los Angeles College men to the Southern California Athletic Conference title April 28 at Los Angeles Southwest College.

Pratt won the 400 (48.78) and 800 (2:05.14), Moxey won the pole vault (10-0) and javelin (142-3) and Arriaga captured the steeplechase (10:17.16) and 5,000 (16:00) for the Huskies, which totaled 119 points.