Moorpark College’s track and field team hosted the Moorpark Open on Friday April 7. Cuesta and Ventura College were the only other colleges that attended, but the Raiders took the meet as serious as any other.

“We’re going to use this as a practice meet, but still try our best to prepare for when we go to the conference finals,” said freshman Peter Blok.

The Raiders were extremely motivated to not only do well during the meet, but to accomplish goals they had for the rest of the season.

Sophomore Michael Purdy is a sprinter who has goals that are potentially record breaking. Purdy placed first in the 400 meter dash with a time of 49.48 and is also currently eighth all-time in college history.

“I definitely want to end top five in college all-time and I want to make it to the state final,” Purdy said.

Sophomore Naomi Carrillo utilized the meet as a way to participate in races for the first time. Although Carrillo normally runs the 400 meter and 4×4, she took on the challenge of running the 100 meter race as well as the 400 meter hurdles.

“Honestly I’m a little nervous that I might fall during the race or hit a hurdle really bad. But there is nothing I can do but try,” said Carrillo.

Carrillo proved that she was capable of competing in races outside of her comfort zone. She dominated the 400 meter hurdles winning first place with a time of 1:06.89, and placed third in the 100 meter dash with a time of 13.12 seconds.

Overall, the Moorpark Open was a success. The Raiders excelled in the various events they participated in, winning first place in 17 events.

The dedication of the Raiders is undeniable, and it will be exciting to see what Moorpark brings to the table during the preliminaries and finals at the end of April.