College Roundup: Stanislaus’ Alvarado leads nation in 800 meters
Abraham Alvarado missed a national championship in 2015 by four-tenths of a second.
One year later, he’s determined to make up that tiny deficit.
Alvarado, a Cal State Stanislaus sophomore out of Atwater High School, has regained the national lead in the 800 meters. This time, he was timed in a career-best 1 minute, 47.23 seconds Saturday at the 37th annual Sun Angel Classic at Arizona State. Alvarado, No. 2 on the NCAA Division II list entering the week, passed Saint Augustine’s Shaquille Dill for the season’s fastest time.
Last week in Austin, Texas, Alvarado jumped on top with a time of 1:48.65, but Dill recorded a faster time two days later at the Florida Relays. Alvarado set a goal during the week to beat Dill’s time, and he did.
Alvarado, Dill and Saint Augustine’s teammate Immanuel Hutchinson are the only three athletes with automatic qualifying times for the NCAA D-II Championships from May 26-28 in Tampa, Fla.
At the 2015 nationals, Alvarado rallied from off the pace and barely was beaten by Drew Windle of Ashland.
MJC sprinters roll in Oakland – The Modesto Junior College 4x100 relay team – Windsor Jamison, Donovan Wallace, Justin Burton and Dante Berggren – was timed in 40.92, the third-fastest in school history, at the Maurice Compton Invitational in Oakland. Wallace went on to win the 100 in 10.58, and Jamison raced to victory with a career-best 21.93 in the 200.
Sophomore Daniel Roberts, a three-time state champion last year, tripled in his specialties – the hammer throw (191 feet), shot put (46-5) and discus (173-5). Erick Loomis placed a close second in the hammer (187-0) and was runner-up in the discus (160-3).
Better times, marks for MJC women – Harleen Pabla placed second in the 1500 (4:46.66) and Angelique Sousa cleared 5- 1/4 in the high jump, and both MJC athletes met state “A” standards at the two-day Cerritos Invitational in Norwalk.
Personal bests were recorded by Modesto’s Mariajose Correa in the 800 (2:24.61) and 400 (60.44), Dana Pollard for a win in the 5000 (18:51), Danielle Rodgers in the 100 hurdles (17:31) and Lia Burrell in the 400 (61.59).
Baseball
Kron, Warriors split doubleheader – Junior right-hander Jordan Kron pitched his fourth complete game, this time beating 29th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona 10-1 as the Warriors split a doubleheader at home. Kron (6-3) allowed five hits, struck out two and walked one. He finished with 12 consecutive outs. Kron has yielded one earned run over his last 27 innings.
Stanislaus (17-15, 9-12 California Collegiate Athletic Association) followed Kron’s lead and took charge with two four-run innings. Aldo Koutsoyanopulos went 3 for 5 and drove in four runs. Patrick Mulry, who’s batting .337, stayed hot by going 3 for 4.
Pomona (22-12, 14-8) bounced back in the nightcap 6-3, though Scott Stetson stole home in the first inning for Stanislaus.
The Warriors remain at home for a nonleague game against William Jessup on Tuesday night at 6 o’clock.
Softball
Warriors drop two to powerful Humboldt – Stanislaus State challenged No. 3-ranked Humboldt State in the nightcap before dropping both ends of a doubleheader 9-4 and 3-0 in Arcata.
Humboldt (36-3-1, 25-2 CCAA) swept the four-game series, but the Warriors (21-22, 13-17) stayed close in the finale. Katelyn McDonald had two of Stanislaus’ three hits. In the first game, Ruby Quiralte tripled and Cassidy Duke doubled, both for an RBIs, as Stanislaus closed to 5-4. Earlier, Stanislaus led 2-0.
Stanislaus returns home for a makeup doubleheader Wednesday against Cal State East Bay, followed by a four-game home series against Sonoma State on Friday and Saturday.
This story was originally published April 10, 2016 at 10:45 PM with the headline "College Roundup: Stanislaus’ Alvarado leads nation in 800 meters."