WALNUT, Calif. – Shasta College distance runner Grace Southern took first place in the women's 1,500-meter race at the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships at Mt. San Antonio College over the weekend.
Southern, a sophomore from Middleton, completed the race in 4 minutes, 33.55 seconds, nearly four seconds better than second-place finisher Sofia Camacho of Hartnell. Her time was her second fastest this season after running 4:31.15 at the Humboldt Invite on March 26.
"Becoming a state champion is no easy task," said Knights' track and field coach Anthony Williams said. "The goal since November for Grace was never about winning conference or NorCal finals, it was always about prepping to win a state title. There were some hurdles and adversity she overcame the last couple weeks but she remained focused and trusted the taper and other training processes that her distance coach implemented."
The state championship race was the fourth time in the past five races that Southern tied or beat the school record of 4:38.39 set by Yoshi Shimizu in 1986. Entering this year, Southern's best time was 5:22, Williams said, and improved it by 44 seconds.
"Her story of running a 5:22, which is OK, to becoming a state champion a year later will be one of the most remarkable stories of Shasta College track history," Williams said. "What she did this year was incredible and it couldn't have happened to a better person. She worked tirelessly to make this dream become a reality."
Southern was one of three Knights competing at the state championship meet. Anthony Pigoni-Covington finished third in the high jump and Audrie Reuss took fourth in the heptathlon.
Pigoni-Covington, a freshman from Mount Shasta, cleared 6 feet, 6.75 inches on his first attempt but couldn't get to 6-8.75. He cleared 1.80 on his first try and converted his second attempt at 1.85, 1.90 and 1.95 before flying over 6-6.75. Pigoni-Covington cleared 6-8.75 at the NorCal championships to take second and cleared 6-8 earlier this year at the 49er Invite on Feb. 26.
"Anthony has had a great freshman year," Williams said. "There weren't All-American expectations coming into the spring but we knew after the second meet that becoming an All-American was a reality. From that point forward there was no looking back. He took his training very serious this year and bought-in like no other. "
Shasta's Dominque Stewart finished fourth place in the high jump in 2016 but Pigoni-Covington's third-place finish at state was the highest finish for a Shasta high jump athlete in at least 15 years, Williams said.
Reuss, a freshman from University Prep in Redding, scored 3,971 points to take fourth in the heptathlon. Reuss had three fourth-place finishes in the high jump (4-11 for 621 points), shot put (30-7 for 485 points) and javelin throw (104-5 for 511 points), a fifth-place finish in the 100 hurdles (15.90 for 727 points), a sixth-place finish in the long jump (15-6.75 for 490 points) and 800 (2:44.68 for 520 points) and she took 10th in the 200 (28.18 for 617 points).
"Audrie has had to overcome an injury that left her sidelined for over year, Williams said. "To come back stronger shows how hard she works and how committed she is being the best she can be. It was amazing to see her run a gritty last race to bump her into the All-American status."
Reuss also competed in diving for the Knights where she took fifth place at the state championships in 1-meter diving on May 5.
