The San Bernardino Valley College track team had its best showing in several years at the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships this past weekend at San Mateo College.

Jacob Mendiola, a sophomore from Cajon High School, took the top spot in the 3000-meter steeplechase. After finishing third in the event a year ago, Mendiola took the top spot on Saturday, finishing with a time of 9 minutes, 32.54 seconds. It was SBVC's first men's state championship since Michael Teran won the 5000 meters in 2015, and the first state championship overall since 2017 when Savannah Perez won the 800 meters.

The action kicked off Friday evening with the 10,000 meters, which saw two SBVC athletes compete. After being under the weather for training during the week, Kevin Nava finished in seventh place with a time of 32:10.47 - with that .47 being the difference between sixth and seventh. Finishing just behind in eighth was teammate Zach Calderon, who stopped the clock at 32:17.17. Nava has signed to continue his career at the University of St. Mary in Kansas. 

Sophomore Sara Jaquez, the only member of the women's team at the state championships, finished eighth in the 800 meters, landing her the final spot on the podium. The Grand Terrace High School grad finished at 2:24.66.

In the weekend's final event, the men's 4x400 meter relay team of Keshion Mackel (Rialto), Elijah Koskey (Beaumont), Solomon German (Beaumont), and Semaj Johnson, finished off the podium in their final race of the season with a time of 3:22.42.