Gilleland, Nord punch tickets to State at 3C2A NorCal Regionals

Freshman Elijah Gilleland and sophomore Joel Nord are heading to the 3C2A State Championships.

A wide shot of an eight-person track and field podium ceremony at the NorCal Regionals. Eight male athletes stand on different tiers of a white wooden podium, all wearing medals around their necks. Two athletes wearing blue Lake Tahoe Community College uniforms stand near the center on the third- and fourth-place blocks. The background features a green turf field, stadium seating, and a press box sign that reads
Freshman Elijah Gilleland and sophomore Joel Nord led the pack for the Coyotes in a competitive 3000m steeplechase. Photo courtesy of Todd Tokubo, @todd.sports.photos.
Results
May 2, 2026

SANTA ROSA, Calif. – The Lake Tahoe Community College men's track & field team sent three distance runners to the 3C2A NorCal Regional Championships over the weekend, and two are coming home with tickets to the state finals.

Freshman Elijah Gilleland and sophomore Joel Nord led the pack for the Coyotes in a competitive 3000m steeplechase. Gilleland captured a third-place finish with a time of 9:43.65, followed closely by Nord, who crossed the line in fourth place at 9:44.24. By finishing in the top six, both runners successfully punched their tickets to the 3C2A State Championships.

Kyle Oltmanns also delivered a spectacular, leave-it-all-on-the-track performance in the steeplechase. Oltmanns shattered his previous best, recording a 37-second personal record to finish in 9:52.85. Despite the incredible race, he finished in seventh place, heartbreakingly missing the state qualifying cut by a mere .07 seconds.

Showing his resilience, Oltmanns returned to the track later that evening to compete in the 5000m race, battling fatigue to secure a 10th-place finish with a time of 15:44.12.

Gilleland and Nord will travel to Southern California to compete against the best in California at the 3C2A State Championships, held May 15-16 at Mt. San Antonio College.

LTCC Results