Track and field: Pirates men capture OEC title

SANTA ANA - The Orange Coast College men’s track and field team

successfully defended its Orange Empire Conference title from a year ago

by bettering the field at this year’s OEC Championships.

The Pirates had a team total of 177, edging out Santa Ana’s 151 and

Saddleback’s 138.5.

Four different OCC standouts took first place in individual events.

Sophomore Steven Taeleman took first in the decathlon with 5,245

points.

Costa Mesa High grad Robert Hulliger flexed his muscles by winning the

shot put with a mark of 44-feet-9 3/4.

In the 400-meter intermediate hurdles, sophomore Carl Olsson prevailed

with a time of 55.36.

Donnie Deschenes placed first in the javelin throw with a 173-3.

On the women’s side, the Pirates placed second for the second year in

a row with a team score of 141.5. Fullerton won with 242.5 points.

Sophomore Heather Shurtleff, the lone sophomore on OCC’s squad showed

her leadership by winning four individual events.

Shurtleff placed first in the 10,000 (40:17), 5,000 (20:18.88), 3,000

(10:40.89) and 1,500 (5:02.49) for the Pirates.

Costa Mesa High grad Julie Kroening took first in the 400 hurdles with

a 1:07.24.