REDDING - The stranglehold on the Golden Valley Conference Championship that the Butte College men's track and field team had built with seven straight titles came to end Saturday. The women's team might have started building one of its own. The Butte women took the GVC title for the second straight year, amassing 103 points to easily outdistance host Shasta's second-place 74 on a dreary, wet Saturday. But the women's team still shined under all the clouds that had gathered, led by standout freshman Rosaura Reyes' three victories. The 2013 Oroville High graduate won the 800 meters in 2 minutes, 35.56 seconds. That victory was sandwiched by the 1,500 title that she first claimed in 5:11.48 before she capped her day with a 5,000 championship in 21:32.00.

"It was pretty hard. I was ranked first for all of them, but you never know," Reyes said. "I took the 5K pretty easy in the beginning." It didn't show. She won the 5,000 by more than 68 seconds, and she had a more than a 17-second margin in the 1,500. Reyes qualified for the Northern California Trials, set for Friday at De Anza College in Cupertino, but Butte coach Robby Snelling said she might drop the 800 to give her more of a break in between the other two. Either way, Reyes will have plenty of company at next week's trials including those with GVC titles.

One of those is Lauren Magneson-Schnelli, the defending NorCal champion in the women's high jump. She won the GVC title Saturday with a 1.54-meter leap, which converts to about 5 feet, .5 inches. While it wasn't her best jump, Magneson-Schnelli was pleased with it, especially after taxing herself with six attempts in the long jump. "I kind of wore myself out," said Magneson-Schnelli, her heels heavily wrapped in ice. "I've never had an event before I've done high jump before. Typically, high jump is my first event so I can get that out of the way. It's my main event." Magneson-Schnelli, who took up the long jump a few weeks ago, was second in that event at 4.65 meters, helping the Roadrunners get crucial points on their way to the team title.

Her teammate, Ellen Jeffers, a Chico High grad, won the long jump in 4.89 meters. Jeffers also was second in the triple jump at 9.35 meters. Butte's Karina Carillo, yet another Chico High grad, won the women's 3,000 steeplechase in 11:58.93. Jenna Stansbury, a fellow Roadrunner and Chico grad, was second in 14:27.24. Butte's Caitlin McCoy, a Corning High grad, won the 100 hurdles in 16.60 seconds, and she added a second place in the 800 behind Reyes in 2:38.17. Amanda Larson won the pole vault in 9 feet, 1 inch, besting the field by 16 inches.

"Really good day for the women. I'm really happy. A lot of sophomore girls who did a really good job for us, and they competed very well," Snelling said. "They worked hard for it and earned it." Butte's Tanaya Belone was second in the 5,000 in 22:40.03, and Bailey Moss, an Orland High grad, was second in the 400 hurdles in 1:09.77. Among women's teams, Siskiyous was third with 65 points. Yuba was fourth at 25 with Feather River and Redwoods tying for fifth with 10.

Eli Penick, a 2013 Chico High grad, continued his dominance in the men's sprint events. Penick won the 100 in 10.57 and the 200 in 21.92. He also added a relay title, running the second leg of the 400 relay with Deon Beck, Davion Masters and Zuhuri Manley in 42.29, which was enough to edge the College of the Siskiyous' team at the finish line by .03. "It was a good overall day for our spring squad," said Penick, who ran the 100 in 10.46 earlier this season and has the school record of 10.43 set by Rashad Ross in his sights. Penick, who entered Saturday ranked fourth in NorCal in the 100, built a lead for the 400 relay team that proved crucial. "We just probably need to work on our handoffs a little more, crisp things up," Penick said. "We just have got to work on small, little techniques like the passing zones, but overall we have a bunch of great athletes able to compete at a high caliber."

Despite its string of GVC titles ending at seven as Shasta finished with 100 points, the Butte men - who totaled 84 points - still had several standouts. Eli Stillman, a Paradise High grad, won the 1,500 meters in 4:17.40, and Max Bryson took the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 2 inches. Michael Haddorff had his best mark in the discus as a Roadrunner at 157-10, good for second. Pleasant Valley grad Bret Cornell was second in the 110 hurdles in 16.20. Redwoods ended up third among men's teams with 46 points. Siskiyous was fourth with 42 and Yuba had 40. Ryan Donnahoe, a Gridley High grad, won the shot for Yuba at 16.66 meters. Probably need to work on our handoffs a little more, crisp things up," Penick said. "We just have got to work on small, little techniques like the passing zones, but overall we have a bunch of great athletes able to compete at a high caliber." Erik Scribner clutched the men's team trophy for the Golden Valley Conference Championship Track and Field Meet, his feelings evident enough without a word. The sophomore's broad grin was plenty. The Shasta College men's team snapped the stranglehold that Butte College had built with seven straight titles as the Knights claimed their own GVC championship with 100 points to the Roadrunners' 84 Saturday.

"I'm so stoked right now. I've never had a team championship for track. This is the very first," said Scribner, a 2012 Central Valley High graduate, as he and the rest of the team took photos with the trophy. "It's an amazing day for us. I am shocked right now." Scribner won both the men's discus throw in 162 feet, 6 inches and the hammer in 168-11, and added a second place in the shot put at 14.52 meters, easily advancing to the Northern California Trials set for Friday at De Anza College in Cupertino. "Everything has been clicking in the hammer. The coaching staff has just been phenomenal," Scribner said.

Scribner will be joined at NorCals by several Knights, including many who took GVC titles as well. Aaron Brown crushed the competition in the men's 400 meters, winning in 49.85 seconds, a time that bested the field by more than 2.5 seconds. Antonio Meredith won the 10,000 in 36:15.64, and Luke Wright won the 110 hurdles in 15.72. Jacob Logan won the pole vault in 13 feet, 9.5 inches.

The Shasta women's team finished second as Butte took its second straight GVC crown with the Roadrunners amassing 103 points to the Knights' 74. Filling out the rest of the women's field, Siskiyous was third with 65 points. Yuba was fourth at 25 with Feather River and Redwoods tying for fifth with 10. Katlyne Brummett took two events for the Shasta women's team, winning the shot put in 12.45 meters and the discus in 123 feet, 1 inch. Shasta's Savannah Kniep won the 10,000 with a time of 58:44.47. College of the Redwoods ended up third among men's team with 46 points. Siskiyous was fourth with 42 and Yuba had 40.

Siskiyous got a victory in the men's javelin as 2012 Enterprise High grad Alex Henderson didn't even need his best day to win easily. His 62.98-meter throw was his best of the day and 4.61 meters ahead of teammate James Nizich, who was second. But the state leader in the event wasn't satisfied with a throw that converts to 206 feet, 7.5 inches. His best throw is 229-1. "It was kind of an off day," said Henderson, who has already received offers from the universities of Alabama, Kentucky, Southern California, UCLA and Sacramento State. "I wasn't hitting anything. My technique wasn't quite there. I wasn't snappy. I didn't have the pop I usually have." But he's still looking forward with even bigger meets still ahead, starting with the NorCal trials. "It should be good. I'm excited and that's what kind of matters most because that gets you to state and that's where you want to be at your best," Henderson said.

Lindsey L