The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Daily Journal and is being reprinted with permission.

Kelly Young completed her College of San Mateo track and field career by scoring in all four women’s throwing events at the California Community College Athletic Association Championships, which CSM hosted over the weekend.

Saturday, the Capuchino High grad placed fifth in the shot put at 41 feet, 9 3/4 inches, and eighth in the discus throw at 126-2. That added to her runner-up performance in the javelin throw and seventh place in the hammer throw on Friday — for a total of 15 state meet points.

“It is rare to place in four throws,” said CSM’s head track coach Joe Mangan. “In two years, she’s had a transformation.”

Young made it to the state finals in seven out of a possible eight throwing events in her two-years, competing for the Bulldogs and throwing coach Mike Lewis.

“She is the quintessential Mike Lewis project,” Mangan said. “[Lewis] relishes in that, ‘Give me a body of someone who is athletic and doesn’t have any preconceptions.”

Brandon Becerra finished his CSM career making the state finals four times — twice each in cross country and track.

The Coast Conference 1,500 meter champion out of Hillsdale High placed tenth in the 1,500 meter finals in 4 minutes, 7.36 seconds.  His best time of 3:58.43, when he “peaked” at the Coast championships, would have placed second.

CSM freshman James Aubrey got his first taste of state competition, throwing the discus 145-7 for 10th place. Managan was just happy Aubrey got some experience this season and expects bigger things next year.

“He could be a three-event person in the state finals next year,” Mangan said.

More than 2,400 people attended Saturday’s championships on a warm day at CSM, with the Riverside City College men and the Cerritos College women repeating as team champions. Riverside didn’t win an event but had three runner-up performances and a lot of depth to roll up 68 points. Cerritos College of Norwalk and Moorpark tied for second (58).

Cerritos won a tight duel with Coast Conference and Northern California champion Laney College of Oakland for the women’s title, 107 1/2 to 101.

Cassie Mitchell of Orange Coast College set a national JC record in Saturday’s first running final, the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase. She repeated as state champion in 10 minutes, 44.46 seconds. She was a double winner this year, taking the 5,000 meters in 17:54.81.

For Laney, track and field newcomer Lauryn Newson won the 100 meters in 11.78 and the 200 meters in 23.64 — the nation’s top outdoor mark by a JC/CC athlete this year. Friday, Newson had won the long jump (in which she is the national leader) and placed third in the high jump.

But Laney was hurt by the absence of its state-leading 4 x 100 meter relay team, which has run 45.56 this season. The Eagles were disqualified for a relay violation during the Northern California Meet. That cost Laney 10 potential points.

Champelle Brown won the 400 meters in 53.89, improving her own state leading and No. 2 national leading time. She placed second to Newson in the 200 (23.93) and ran a 53.3 anchor leg to bring the Eagles from fourth to first place in the 4 x 400 meter relay — which the Eagles won in 3:48.20.

The top male athlete on the track was Curtis Mitchell of Southwestern College (El Cajon). He completed an outstanding double-double, defending his titles in the 100 and 200 meters with the best legal times of any American JC/CC athlete this year.

Mitchell had a legal aiding wind of 1.5 meters per second in both races. His 100 time was 10.31.  In the 200, Mitchell ran 20.58, the third best clocking by any American collegian this year — and better than the 20.59 this year by former Olympic champion Shawn Crawford.

The last California athlete to win back-to-back 100 and 200 titles was Carlos Moore of Mt. San Antonio College in 2002-03.