2002-2012
2002
GAYLE HUNTER FINISHES FOURTH IN TWO EVENTS AT STATE
Gayle Hunter finished her fine season in fine fashion Friday and Saturday at the California State Championships. On Friday night, she qualified in the long jump and triple jump, but was the 10th place finisher in her third event, the 100 hurdles, missing going on to the final by one place.
But on Saturday, she made the most of her opportunity in the two jumps, going 19'0" in the long jump and 39' 4" in the triple. Both were good enough for fourth and a medal. Great work, Gayle!
GAYLE HUNTER QUALIFIES FOR STATE
Putting together perhaps her finest day this season, Gayle Hunter qualified for the State Championships in all three events she contested. She finished fifth overall in the 100 hurdles, just off of her school and personal best of 14.44. She nearly equaled her triple jump leap from last week, going 39' 7" to finish in third in that event. In the long jump however, she made three jumps over 19 feet, with a astounding launch, flight and landing at 20' .5"! Incredible!
The State Championship will be held Friday and Saturday May 31-June 1. The meet will be held again at Cerritos College. Gayle will be entered in the preliminary and rounds on Friday afternoon, and if she should qualify, she will compete in the Finals on Saturday.
KING'S QUEENS FINISH FOURTH IN CIF D2
The ladies of the track worked together on Saturday to score 37 points and finish fourth in Division Two of CIF. It was an exciting way to end the season.
Gayle Hunter won the 100 hurdles, to earn the second CIF Individual title in school history (Nicole Smith won the first in golf last Fall) and finished second in the long jump and triple jump and fourth in the high jump. Markisha Lea was 6th in the 400 to earn All-CIF honors in that event for the second year in a row and in two different CIF divisions. Orlisha Henlon finished seventh in the 100 and fifth in the high jump. The afternoon was topped off with the best performance of the year by our 4x400 team of Orlisha, Kellye and Daphney Lazarus and Markisha anchoring, as they raced to another school record (4:00.55) and a fourth place finish in the race to earn All-CIF honors. It was a gutsy, all-out effort by all four girls that not only netted them a top four divisional finish, but a top 12 Southern Section finish! Incredible!
Gayle qualified for the Masters meet by finishing in the top nine performers of all four divisions at Finals in each of her events. Orlisha Henlon also qualified in the high jump. The Masters meet is held this Friday at Cerritos College and serves as a qualifing meet for the State Championships as well as a "Southern Section/Southern California championship". The top five finishers in each event will go on to the State meet, while the winners of each event can rightly be crowned "Southern California Champion." Should be a great evening of track and field.
STARS SHINE BRIGHTER AT CIF PRELIMS
Assembling with many of the finest track athletes in the Southern Section, 31 King athletes met their Division Two competition at MtSAC and for many of our troupe, it was a night to shine and perform like they never had before. By evening's end, seven "Queens of King" had qualified to move on, making the CIF Finals next week for -- our school at least -- an all-girls affair.
Orlisha Henlon, Gayle Hunter and Markisha Lea simply had awesome performances both on the track and in the field. Orlisha had her best day of track, period. She jumped 5'04" in the high jump to qualify for the second year in a row, and then walked over to the 100 meters and literally destroyed her own personal and school record, running 12.35! Coach Jones, our sprint coach said, "Last year, at CIF Prelims, she ran 13.2 ... a whole second faster this season ... do you know how big that is?!?" Indeed. Gayle Hunter qualified in four events, and is the leading athlete in the 100 hurdles and second in the long and triple jumps. At this rate, she'll need a wheelbarrel next week to take home the hardware! Markisha Lea broke the school record in the 200 (one of the last to fall this season) after qualifying for Finals in the 400. In that event, Markisha has qualified for CIF Finals three straight years and in three different divisions! Quite a feat!
The girls 4x400 relay at the end of the evening was a truly special effort, when the "dream team" as Coach Jones and Mush have envisioned all season long, finally came together on the right night in the right race. Kellye Lazarus, Daphney Lazarus, Orlisha Henlon and Markisha Lea cranked out the best races of their lives to win their heat (and automatically advance) but moreso to run like their Coaches have been telling them all season they could do. They shattered the old school mark of 4:11 by running 4:02.24! (In comparison, the relay mark at the end of last season was 4:24). Krystle Ruiz had a good day in the pole vault, finishing in 10th (of all D2 schools!) and qualifying for Finals as an alternate.
But these were not the only strong marks, as a number of King athletes finished their seasons at or below their personal bests. Chris Barnes finished 13th in the discus, Warren Ray matched his PR in the shot, Michael Myers ran really well in the 100 and 200 to cap off his incredible season. With a pained ankle, Jon Barilone ran right at his lifetime best in the 300 hurdles, finishing off his high school career with a typical gutty performance. Leon Dixson ran a personal record in the 400, and Shamari LaCour put an exclamation mark on his fine career with a huge lifetime best of 10:00 in the 3200 with a gutsy, all-out effort for the eight laps. Like the girls, the boys 4x400 team of Barilone, Dixson, Ian Peebles and Daniel Beld ran a school record of 3:32.0 in their heat of that event.
KING OF HEART PLAYED ON FINAL DAY
In what was one of the more impassioned days of King Track's short history, as numerous athletes seemed to dig deeper, go harder and reach for more than they had all season. It was an exciting way to finish off the season. Perhaps because the team titles were clinched, athletes seemed to realize that they were "competing for themselves" ... for personal records, for individual titles, for medals or for personal satisfaction and accomplishment. The result was performances around the track and in the field that were truly something to behold.
The boys 4x100 team, minus Lamont Jones raced immediately to a second place finish but were awarded the win when Ramona was disqualified for a uniform violation. Kristin McHugh won the 1600 after a glacier-like first lap when no one seemingly wanted to lead. She ended up running negative splits to take home the victory in 5:39. Gayle Hunter took the stage next by winning easily the 100 Hurdles, and would go on to win three more events, the high jump, triple and long jumps! The 100 meter dashes were truly exciting affairs with Michael Myers and Orlisha Henlon taking the honors of "fastest on the track." In the 400, Markisha Lea won her third-straight league title in the event, while Leon Dixson ran his lifetime PR to finish second in 52.4. The 800 race brought a third league title to Daniel Beld as well as a lifetime PR in the event. He led from gun to finish line, and ran almost perfectly even splits on both laps! Nicole Gutteriez ran a very smart race, shadowing Rachael Harms for the first lap and then accelerating through the second to take her first-ever league title. Jon Barilone qualified for CIF in the 300 hurdles, as did Zenobia Bracey. Markisha Lea and Kellye Lazarus ran side-by-side in the 200, and Michael Myers won the 200 with a thrilling shoulder-to-shoulder effort with a sprinter from Ramona.
The boys 3200 saw an epic battle between six runners, two of which were Shamari LaCour and Brian Brierly. With a lap to go the pack was still intact, and both King runners made their moves, Brian with an authoritative surge from sixth place into first. He was caught in the last 150 and finished second, while LaCour finished third. Both athletes qualified for CIF.
Both of the 1600 relays were King affairs, with the two squads running school records and winning close races against Kaiser who finished in second. In the field events, King had a great day in the Vault, with Brandon LaBuda leaping a PR of 10'6", and Krystle Ruiz breaking the school record with a vault of 9'9" to win the league! Holly Campbell placed third in the discus, while Chris Barnes won his discus contest. Chris Lugo set another school record in the triple jump, going past 40' for the first time.
The JV's also had a great day, with Michael Doty winning two events, Glenn Carter won the 1600 and Angella Nanyonyi won three distance events, the 3200, 1600 and 800! Lindsey Vitort competed extremely well in her field events, winning three times.
TEAMS KEEP UNDEFEATED SEASON GOING
King was host to the Bloomington Bruins on Thursday and won handily on all four levels. With small numbers on the junior varsity level, few races or events were contested at that level, as many of King's JV athletes were moved up to varsity.
The girls were led by Orlisha Henlon who captured the 100 school record she had once held in 2001, dropping the mark by .1 seconds going 12.4! She also cleared 5 feet in the high jump and won the 200 as well. Quite a day for the Junior. Julia Malkina won the triple jump with a hop-skip-jump of 30' 7.5". Kristina Citi was third in that event. Lorrie Carrol had a good day in both hurdle events, finishing third in the 100. Janea Pederson scored for the first time this season with a third place finish in the pole vault. The girls continued their incredible win streak, having not lost a league meet in the history of the program.
The boys too, had a great day, foremost perhaps was Lamont Jones' efforts. Lamont shattered the stadium and school records in the 400 meters, running to a 51.6 finish, one and a half seconds ahead of the old mark! (King had perhaps it's best all-around showing in the 400 with Daniel Beld and Leon Dixson finishing behing Lamont at 54-flat!) Jones also won the 200 and helped out in the 4x100 victory! Chris Barnes, always bucking for attention in the throws, got it again with two school and stadium records, throwing 148 in the discus and just shy of 48' in the shot. What a year Chris has had! Evan Palmer set a new SR in the triple jump, finishing second in that event. David Lee won the 800 and Albert Watson won the two distance races. Steve Griesinger just missed a PR in the 1600, a PR he had set on the faster rubber track surface. Sergio Montiel scored in the 300 hurdles, racing to a third place finish.
STARS SHINE OVERNIGHT AT POWAY
Taking the first overnight-travel trip in our short history, King Track and Field journeyed south to compete in the 22nd annual Poway High School Track Festival. With competition on both Friday evening and Saturday, the Wolves were busy contesting and experiencing the first of what we hope to become an annual tradition of travel.
The Friday portion of the meet was pretty much a distance affair, with the 4x1600 teams kicking things off with school record times and first place finishes. Shamari LaCour, Albert Watson, Grant Carter and Jon MacLaughlin combined for a 19:16.6 finish time, while Tawny Odekirk, Stephanie Fematt, Kristin McHugh and Rachael Harms worked a winning effort for the girls. Brian Brierly ran a strong race in the open 3200, going 10:15, and Daniel Beld lowered his own SR in the 800 with a 2:04.15 finish.
Saturday dawned warm, which only allowed the sprinters to excel even more. Lamont Jones had a superb day, taking second in the open 100, anchoring the 4x100, 4x200 (SR), and the 4x400 (SR). Michael Myers, Ian Peebles and Levi Bailey helped out on the 4x200 record, and Daniel Beld took Bailey's spot on the 4x400 school record. The Distance Medley team of Shamari LaCour, Kevin Marquardt, David Lee and Grant Carter ran a new SR of 13:37.
The girls did equally well on Saturday. The 4x100 team of Markisha Lea, Zenobia Bracey, Stephanie Ramirez and Kelly Lazarus dropped the SR by going under 51 seconds for the first time. Markisha also ran the open 400 and dropped under 60 seconds for the first time this season, finishing 5th overall. Stephanie Erdodi, Kellye Lazarus, Lea, and Zenobia Bracey combined for a SR in the 4x200, and Kristin McHugh, Erdodi, Stephanie Fematt and Rachael Harms worked together to run a new Distance Medley school record, and the foursome of Laura Moore, Harms, Fematt and McHugh dropped the school record in the 4x800. Katie Chouinard, Andrea Morrison and Holly Campbell did really well in both throw events, setting new SR's in the shot and discus relays. Caroline Stark, Krystle Ruiz and Shilpa Hareesh upped their own SR by two feet in the pole vault relay.
FOUR FOR FOUR IN WINS OVER KAISER
Displaying depth and strength in most events, the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams of both boys and girls won handily Thursday against Kaiser High School. The boys varsity score was 101-35, girls varsity 95-38, JV Boys 118-0 and JV girls 89-25.
David Doty had a fine day in the Junior Varsity 4x100, 100 and 200, winning the open races and aiding in a King victory in the relay. Josh Madrid, Jeff Burton and Sergio Montiel swept the shot put. Michael Nevarez, Omid Asadi and Josh Franklin swept the long jump.
The girls' JV wasn't as lop-sided as the boys' was, but the girls still won big. Cherise Larkin had a good day in the short sprints, while Nicole Gutteriez won the 800 and the 1600. Jenelle Jackson had a personal record in the 100, finishing third in a PR of 13.9. Channel Dixson won the 100 hurdles and the 300 hurdles.
The boys varsity beat Kaiser for the second time in three years, and increased the margin significantly from the 16 points they won by in 2001. This year the gap was 76 points! Lamont Jones ran a strong 11.1 100 meters and set a new school record in the long jump, going six inches over the school best and landing at 20' 1". Evan Palmer, fresh off his stint with the State Championship Basketball squad, won the 100 hurdles with a 17.3 showing. Mike Vargas soared to a 10' PR in the vault, and Daniel Beld ran the 1600, 400, 800 and 4x400. Adam Pritchard ran two great hurdle races, and Grant Carter scored in the two long races, winning the 3200.
The girls continued their three-year win streak, sweeping four events. Ashley Hearle extended her school record in the discus, almost reaching the century mark. Daphney Lazarus ran a PR in the 300 hurdles to win, and was followed by Lindsey Vitort in third.
GIRLS ARE KINGS OF COVINA
Proving once again that it takes a team to crown a king, the girls dominated the 40+ school Covina Invitational on Saturday! Scoring 81 points, the girls ran away from their nearest opponent and did it in convincing fashion. It was simply an outstanding performance by everyone involved.
Gayle Hunter led the way for the Wolves, winning four events and setting three new meet records and gathering in the "Athlete of the Meet" award against some stellar competition. But she was not alone on the great day. Daphney Lazarus won her heat of the 300 hurdles in a PR, Julia Malkina went 31' 11.5" in the triple jump, a PR, Sarah Moore set a new school record and finished fourth overall in the 3200, going 12:00.43! Rachael Harms lowered her own school record in the 1600 with a 5:34 clocking. Kellye Lazarus scored in the 100 and won her heat of the 200, just off of the school record. Holly Campbell and Katie Chouinard both medaled in their field events. Both Caroline Stark and Krystle Ruiz went over 9' in the vault. The exciting conclusion came when the 4x400 started, as both Lazarus sisters ran splits under 61 seconds, and Katie Chouinard and Cherise Larkin held up their ends and the foursome shattered the school record, running 4:14.42, a full four seconds ahead of the old mark. WOW!
Though outscored in points, the boys had a truly fine day, with many guys coming home with the beautiful custom medals and personal records. Garret Allen ran a lifetime best in the 3200 with a 10:13 mark, to place him second on the all-time list. Grant Carter screamed through the 1600 and 3200, running two lifetime PR's of 4:48 and 10:23. Dude, he's only a sophomore! Kevin Rodgers had a lifetime PR in the 1600, running 5:32. Lamont Jones had a great day sprinting, running in the mid-11's in the 100 and 22.69 in the 200 to break his school record. Adam Pritchard won his heat of the 300 hurdles, and Jon Barilone nudged his own SR in that event done a hair more. Chris Barnes was third overall in the discus, and Chris Lugo took back the SR in the triple that he and Malcolm Thomas have been flip-flopping. He leapfrogged 39' 2.5". The 4x100 team of Jones, Rafferty, Bailey and Myers won their heat and the 4x400 team of Arhin, Myers, Barilone and Beld came within 4/100's of a second from breaking the SR in that event. Not to be outdone by anyone, the "heavyweight" division of the 4x100 saw Warren Ray, Chris Barnes, Steve Chaffin and Arturo Aguayo run 54.6 and set a new school record.
It was a great day for King Track and Field.
BIG WINS OVER RUBIDOUX
All four levels of King Track and Field won their contests against the Rubidoux Falcons. The scores were: JV Girls 118-0, JV Boys 89-40, Varsity girls 111-20 and Varsity boys 90-37.
In what was hoped to be a strong contest on the boys varsity side, the Falcons were missing some firepower and our boys did their jobs in every event, making the meet more lopsided than anticipated. The momentum was started with the 1600, as Jon MacLaughlin went from fourth to first in the last 300 meters for a thrilling win and stadium record of 4:46.7. Shamari LaCour finished third in the race, (he would later finish third in the 3200) and the meet was on. The throwers scored 15 of their 18 available points, as Mark Winscher had a fine day improving to over 40' in the shot and placing third. Mike Rafferty won the 200 and Levi Bailey showed great form in the short sprints, finishing third in both events. Brandon LaBuda won the vault at 9'0", and Garret Allen had a fine second-place effort in the 3200, running 10:35. Kojo Arhin won the high jump and Chris Lugo won the triple jump by one inch in his final attempt of the afternoon.
The girls were unchallenged in almost every event. Zenobia Bracey won the 300 hurdles, Holly Campbell continued her great season by placing second in the discus, and Julia Malkina scored 3 points in the long jump. The trio of Krystle Ruiz, Caroline Stark and Shilpa Hareesh swept the vault, with Krystle going over 8'6" for the first time this season.
The JV Boys were led by David Doty who won two events. Josh Madrid broke up a Rubidoux sweep in the shot and discus by finishing second in both. Glenn Carter won the two distance races and finished second in the 800. Eric Stevens won that event in 2:17. Despite being new to the hurdles, Sergio Montiel won both hurdle races! In the JV Girls contest, Elena Creutzberg won twice, Nicole Gutteriez won the 800 and Cherise Larkin took home "gold" in the two sprint races. Erin Fitzgerald won the 3200 and Angella Nanyonyi won in the 1600.
DISTANCE RUNNERS HAVE FAST DAY AT AZUSA PACIFIC MEET OF CHAMPIONS
The "magic track" of Azusa Pacific University cast its spell once again, as the distance crew had one of its finest days ever. Four school records fell, and two were tied, and every single athlete came home with a personal best, in a few cases, by large margins.
Rachael Harms broke two records, in the 800 and the 1600. Not able to run under 6:00 in the 1600 last year, Rachael sped to a 5:36 time on Saturday. Brian Brierly simply exploded, shattering both his personal best as well as the two-year old record in the 3200 (10:23) by going 9:58 ... running two, back-to-back 4:59 miles! David Lee went under 2:10 for the 800, and five girls ran the 800 under 2:34 (Stephanie Fematt, Kristin McHugh, Nicole Gutteriez, Laura Moore and Harms). Five guys went under 10:25 in the 3200 (Garret Allen, Grant Carter, Shamari LaCour, Jon MacLaughlin and Brierly).
Sarah Moore came within two seconds of breaking the 3200 school record with a 12:14 time. Erin Fitzgerald and Megan Fairley made huge drops in their personal bests in both the 16 and the 32. Kevin Rodgers went "lifetime" in the 1600, as did Grant Carter, who ran a 4:51 and a 10:24 in the two long races. Jon Barilone tied the school mark in the 800, and Daniel Beld was 2/hundreths off of the school's best in the 400. It was quite a day!
SPRINTERS SHINE AT VALLEY VIEW RELAYS
The sprinters and field event athletes had a strong showing at the Valley View Relays, competing in some rarely run events such as the 8x100 and shuttle hurdle relays. Even the field events were contested in relay fashion. When the dust had settled, the girls came home with a second-place trophy, the boys finished in 5th. The girls won most of the events they entered, including the 4x100, the sprint medley, the high jump relay, pole vault relay and the 4x400. Gayle Hunter continued in her school record holding ways, by leaping 5'6" in the high jump. The triple jump relay team of Katie Chouinard, Lindsey Vitort and Julia Malkina saw all three girls going over 30'. The boys finished in 5th overall, and had some quality individual efforts amidst the relays. Malcolm Thomas, who has been improving very quickly in this, his first season of track, broke the ever-changing school record in the triple jump, hop-skipping and jumping to a 38'3" record. The 4x100 team finished in third as did the 4x400 team.
WOW! WHAT A MEET! ALL FOUR TEAMS WIN OVER NORTE VISTA
In what may be one of the best meets King High Track and Field has put together at all levels on the same day, the Wolves beat Norte Vista soundly in both JV and Varsity contests on Thursday.
The boys' varsity was on a mission from the first events, seeking to turn a huge loss in 2001 into the first Sunkist League victory in 2002. The relay team of Rafferty, Mendoza, Jones and Myers sped to victory, and an inspiring, gutsy, come from behind effort by Brian Brierly to snag a second place in the 1600 got the momentum rolling. From there on, the guys competed with heart and determination, and came away with an 81-55 win. Warren Ray threw the shot 2'2" farther than his lifetime best, Jon Barilone won both hurdle races, but only with a last second lunge to take the 110 highs. Adam Pritchard took two crucial third place points in the same events. Leon Dixson won the 400 and helped out on the winning 4x400 team. We were swept in the pole vault, but for the first time in many meets, we swept the high jump, with Malcolm Thomas, Chris Lugo, and Kojo Arhin taking 1,2,3. Both Thomas and Lugo PR'd as well in the long and triple jump.
The girls dominated the meet from the start (1st and 2nd in the 3200) to the end (winning the 4x400 in a school record). So many of our athletes did their job in their event or events. Ashley Hearle, always solid in the throws, scored six points there, Stephanie Erdodi moved up to varsity in the 300 hurdles and finished second, and Rachael Harms set a new school record in the 800 with a 2:33.7 time. She was .05 behind Kristin McHugh in the 1600 who set a new school record of 5:48.6 in that event. Gayle Hunter had a huge effort in the long jump, leaping to a new school record and State-leading 19’3”! Krystle Ruiz had a good day in the vault, scoring in third place. The girls finished with a resounding 100-36 victory.
The JV teams also won, with the boys scoring in every event, and shutting out their opponent in the 200 and the triple jump. Mike Nevarez, Josh Franklin and Omid Asadi did the honors there. Sergio Montiel, ran his first-ever hurdle events and took an inspiring third in the 110’s and second in the 300’s. Brandon LaBuda won the vault with a PR of 9 feet. Jeff Burton scored in both the shot put and the 400! What range!
The JV girls were leading through six events when NOVI won both throwing events and got back in the hunt. But the Wolves were not to be denied, and stormed back with a sweep of the 1600 (Nanyonyi, Fitzgerald and Fairley) and the 200 (Larkin, Ramirez and Chatham) and won the mile relay. It was quite a meet.
12 RECORDS FALL AT LA VERNE
If nothing else brings out the team aspects of track and field, relay meets will. With each event demanding a reliance on and alliance between four athletes going all-out for one-another, the relay meet becomes quite an event to behold.
Saturday at the La Verne Relays, the athletes who showed up came home with medals around their necks and their names in the record book. One after another, the relay records for King High began to fall. Starting with the 4x1600 meters, our girl distance runners simply destroyed the record, dropping two full minutes off the old mark. Rachael Harms took 13 seconds off her PR in the 1600, Kristin McHugh dropped over 20 off of hers, Stephanie Fematt went under 6:00 for the first time and Sarah Moore anchored and also broke 6:00. The boys' foursome of Brian Brierly, Albert Watson, Shamari LaCour and Garret Allen dropped their respective SR by 22 seconds.
The 4x800 SR's also fell, with the boys team putting together one of the best four-person performances our school has seen. In just eight laps, the team of Daniel Beld, (who, on the day, ran 3 800's -- two at 2:06 and one at 2:13!) Jon Barilone, David Lee and Steve Vance dropped the school's best by 47 seconds, finishing in 8:39! The sprint medley records, (200, 200, 400 and 800 meters) also changed, as did the Distance Medley's (1200, 400, 800 and 1600) with Sarah Moore, Lindsey Vitort, Rachael Harms and Tawny Odekirk doing the honors for the girls, and Shamari LaCour, Kojo Arhin, Daniel Beld and Brian Brierly working together for the boys' record.
There were a few individual events, and there too, King's athletes shined. Malcolm Thomas continued his improvement in the high jump with a leap of 5'8" and placing third. Warren Ray upped his own school shot put record with a throw of 44'8", and Jon Barilone lowered his 110 hurdle record with a 17.01 time. Chris Lugo added to the record-assault, by improving his own triple jump record.
WINS OVER ONTARIO
An eager group of ninth graders from up-start Chino Hills High arrived ready to compete, and compete they did! In both the girls and boys Junior Varsity meets, the Huskies pressed and pushed and came away with the wins.
Our JV squads didn't give it away, however, as event after event saw our teams battling all the way to the line. But it was our inability to "fill lanes" that allowed our opponents to score a lot of points. Josh Madrid and Jeff Burton did well in the shot. Grant and Glenn Carter combined for 22 points as each one ran a tough distance triple, scoring each time. Ian Peebles ran superbly, winning the 200, 100 and anchoring a come-from-behind win in the 4x400. Jamal Jones had a fine day with three second place finishes, and Javon Moody won the long jump in a leap of 16'11". Brandon Labuda won the pole vault by going 8'. The boys lost, with Chino Hills scoring 106, King 90 and Colton 16.
The girls JV was a victim of a swarming attack by Chino Hills who threw numerous athletes into each event. For the Wolves, great performances were turned in by Stephanie Erdodi, who won the two hurdles races. Angella Nanyonyi won the 800 and scored in the 1600, with Tawny Odekirk winning the 1600 with a time of 6:17. Shilpa Hareesh won the pole vault with a personal record, 6'6". The final score was, Chino Hills 122, King 56, Ontario 16.
The varsity squads had an easy go of it with both boys and girls winning easily to finish out a strong pre-season schedule. Rachael Harms set a new stadium record in the 800 with a 2:34.7 clocking, and then came back to place second in the 1600. Daphney Lazarus won the 300 hurdles, with Zenobia Bracy finishing fourth. Markisha Lea won the 400 and took second in the 200. Katie Chouinard, ever-adabtable athlete that she is, won the discus with a throw of 91'6". Holly Campbell took second behind her.
The boys had great efforts turned in by just about everyone. Mike Myers had another good quad in the short sprints, Shamari LaCour had a first and second in the distances, and Chris Lugo won the triple jump again. Jon Barilone took home gold in both hurdle races. Curtis Bechtel set two new PR's in the shot and discus, improving by over 5 feet in the disc. The boys won handily, 110 to Ontario's 42 and Colton's 19.
STRONG PERFORMANCES IN MEET AGAINST SANTIAGO
In cold, drizzly weather, the Wolves took on what proved to be one of the better total track programs we've faced in three years. Fielding good teams of both boys and girls, the Santiago Sharks unloaded two full busses of athletes and the stage was set for a good preseason contest.
The girls' contest was a see-saw all afternoon with the score knotted or separated by only a handful of points for most of the meet. In the final few events to be recorded, King pulled away, after scoring five in the TJ, eight in the 200 and all nine in the 1600 meters. Kellye Lazarus, in her first-ever track meet, made a big mark; winning the 100, 200, and contributing to the two relays. Gayle Hunter scored her usual 20 points. Ashley Hearle brought home 6 points in the throws. On the JV side, Evelyn Job won the 300 hurdles, and Rachael Harms scored 10 points, winning the 800 and 1600. Stephanie Erdodi, just a freshman, took second in the quarter with a fine 1:09 clocking. Courtney Heard won the shot with a heave of 23-3. The varsity score was a 72-62 win, the JV's lost 37-75.
The boys continued their winning ways with a strong showing in all events of both the varsity and JV levels. Lamont Jones blasted his way to a new school record in the 200, while running a strong leg on both relays. Brian Brierly did a rare distance triple, winning all three long runs and notching two stadium records and two PR's. Chris Lugo brought down the school record in the triple jump going over 37'. Chris Barnes stretched out his week-old school mark in the discus, by throwing 139'5". Last season Chris' best throw was 124'. Quite an improvement for the three-sport athlete. Warren Ray set a new stadium record in the shot put. Kevin Mihalyi had a great 400 to finish third, and Jones, Michael Myers and Mike Rafferty all swept the 200. In the JV contest, Ian Peebles, Jamal Jones and David Doty swept the 100, while Ian, Jamal and Harry Agustin combined to sweep the 200. The Carters went 1-2 in the mile and two-mile. Josh Madrid finished second in the JV Discus. The boys varsity score was a win for King, 82-53, and the JV's won with a score of 58-47.
SPLIT DECISIONS AGAINST CHAPARRAL
The girls track team, minus a number of our veteran performers, muscled through a strong team effort to hold off the Chapparel Pumas in a close battle, 69-66. It came down to the final two races of the day, with a couple of freshmen stepping up and saving the day. Sarah Moore powered her way to her first win in the 3200 Meters and then just minutes later Lindsey Vitort anchored the 4x400 relay and pulled away from her opponent in the last 350 meters to seal it.
But there were good performances all afternoon by the ladies. Ashley Hearle won her usual two events in the throws, Gayle Hunter won three events and Katie Chouinard placed in three while carrying the stick for a lap in the 4x4. Caroline Stark, just two short weeks into her vaulting career, skyed 8'6", an impressive first-ever go. Laura Moore had a career best 2:39 win in the 800 and ran a leg on the 4x4. In the JV Girls, though the team ended up on the losing side of the meet, there were still some good marks. Holly Campbell won the disc with a heave of 72+ feet, Rachael Harms, Savanah Kerr and Erin Fitzgerald swept the 800, and Ashley Johnson scored in her first-ever 1600 by finishing third.
Athletically our boys finished ahead of the Pumas in a close meet, but the rule book kept us out of the winner's column due to a disqualification for jewelry. Yep, jewelry --a new CIF rule was called on us. Regardless, the effort all afternoon was nothing short of quality. Jon Barilone set a new school record in the 300 hurdles, as did Chris Barnes in the discus and Warren Ray in the shot put. Michael Myers won the 200 and took second in the 100. Brian Brierly scored twice in the two distance events. The final score was King 63, Chaparrel 70.
The boys JV won easily, 72-55, with good performance turned in by Art Aguayo in the shot, the Carter twins scored twice in the 1600 and the 800, and Mike Rafferty impressed all with his speed by winning the 100 and 200. His 100 time would have challenged for the win in the varsity race!
2003
ORLISHA HENLON AMONG CALIFORNIA'S BEST
Orlisha Henlon ended her King High track career on a high not, as she became the second King athlete ever to qualify for the California State Championships in Track and Field on June 6 and 7. Orlisha was among 26 young women from the entire state in the high jump competition. To qualify for such a distinction, she had to finish in the top five of the Southern
Section Masters Meet the week prior to State. She placed second in that competition (a combined divisional meet, featuring the top 9 jumpers in all of the SS), thereby earning the right to advance to the State meet. Her mark at Masters of 5'4" equaled the height she had cleared at the Division Two championships. The State Championships includes a qualifying round on Friday to advance to the final the following day. With that State Finals berth on the line, Orlisha PR'd at 5'6" on her final attempt of the evening. She went into Saturday's competition as one of the top 9 high jumpers in the state. Once again, she cleared 5'6" on her last try. When total attempts were tallied, she finished 7th overall. Quite an ending for the talented senior!
ORLISHA HENLON LEAPS TO CIF TITLE IN HIGH JUMP
One of the most likeable, charming and talented athletes to ever wear the King uniform, leaped herself into the record books Saturday, at the CIF Division Two Finals. Orlisha Henlon captured the high jump crown with a jump of 5'4", besting her nearest opponent on missed attempts, and then nearly clearing 5'6". She nicked the bar with her heels on the way down. She commented after, "I wanted 5-6 so bad, but I'm just glad I was able to win the division." Her clearance advances her to the CIF Masters meet, which includes the nine best performers from Finals in each event, regardless of division.
It truly is the "Southern California Championship" and Orlisha's mark puts her in position to claim a berth at the State Championships. The top five finishers from Masters advance. Orlisha also competed in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, and despite an off-performance in the century, she came roaring back in the deuce. Coming off the turn she was in fifth, but accelerated down the finish straight, ultimately crossing the line in 3rd and lowering her own SR in the event to 25.32. Krystle Ruiz and Caroline Stark both competed in the pole vault, the first time King has had two competitors in the same event. Krystle cleared 10'6" to finish 5th and medal.
HENLON, STARK, RUIZ ON TO CIF FINALS
The depth and the talent of Division Two was on display Friday evening at the CIF preliminaries, held at Mt.SAC. With many of the best athletes in the Southern Section and in the state competing, the Wolves got their eyes opened to the reality of track and field beyond the league level. Even with valiant efforts by many of the 30 King athletes entered, only three were able to advance to the CIF Finals.
Orlisha Henlon proved she is one of the best in the Division, as she heads into the Final leading all competitors in the high jump, and ranking third in the 200 and 7th in the 100! Orlisha ran new school records in both of the sprint races, and "wanted to go higher" in the jump, but officials closed the pit after 9 had qualified. A CIF title could be in the works next week for the talented senior.
Caroline Stark and Krystle Ruiz continued their amazing season in the vault, with both clearing 9' 6" to advance to the final. King has now had a competitor or an alternate in the pole vault at CIF Finals in three of our four seasons!
A couple of school records besides Orlisha's were bettered as well. Kristin McHugh ended her phenomenal season of improvement (12 seconds in the 800 from last year!) with a 2:22.63 effort, Brian Brierly ran a gutsy 3200 to drop his own SR to 9:51.04 and the 4x400 relay team of Daniel Beld, James Ellis, Jonah Katende and Ian Peebles slivered a half-second off the existing mark, running 3:32.1.
Both Ellis and Peebles, two of King's most competitive runners, ran well in the open 400, both finishing right at 53 seconds and gaining valuable experience for 2004. Bridget Gonzalez ran just a second off of her PR in the 1600, Morgan Sjogren ran a PR in the 3200, and finishing 17th overall, Beld nearly matched his own SR in the 800 going 2:00.2 and Jonah Katende had great performance in both of the short sprints, ending up in the top 15 of Division 2 in both. The girls 4x400 team of McHugh, Stephanie Erdodi, Henlon and Markisha Lea ran a seasonal best of 4:05.96 but finished just one second out of the 9th qualifying spot.
In all, it was a good night of competition, showing once again that if one is looking for excellence in track and field, one need not look any further than the CIF Southern Section.
TEAMS EXPLODE AT LEAGUE FINALS
The 2002 running of the Sunkist League Finals saw King bring it with exceptional performances throughout the afternoon. This year's edition made the efforts a year ago look like a jog in the park. King Track and Field won 7 of the 8 relay's contested (a second only in the JV Girls 4x100 -- "I'll take that!" said Coach Jones), had one or more athletes in the top three of 15 of the 18 boys varsity events, and all 18 of the girls' varsity events! Incredible! On the girls' side, the squad had 12 League titles including the relays, while the boys racked up 7 including both relays.
Jonah Katende continued his dominant sprinting (he ran 10.9 in the prelims on Monday) by winning the 100 and 200 and anchoring the victorious 4x100 relay - taking the baton side-by-side with Kaiser and Ramona and then accelerating to a lead in the final 50 meters. Ian Peebles ran a lifetime best in the 400 to win at 52.6, with James Ellis right on his heels at 53.1. Daniel Beld achieved his desired "four-peat" winning the 800 League Title in each of his four seasons at King. Jimmy Kirkemo broke the school record in the pole vault with a thrilling 12' 0" clearance. (He also took third in the triple jump) Mark Johnston was right behind him with a lifetime best of 11' 6". The 4x100 relay team of Mike Rafferty, Michael Myers, Ian Peebles and Katende broke the school record, going 43.92. The 4x400 team of Peebles, Beld, Ellis and David Lee were only a half-second off the SR to take the win. Brian Brierly ran a strong 3200 to finish third and qualify for CIF by besting the standard.
The girls simply dominated throughout, from the 4x100 to the 4x400. Orlisha Henlon added three more patches to her already burdened varsity jacket, winning the century, deuce and vertical jump. Markisha Lea mimicked Daniel Beld's achievement by taking her fourth consecutive league title in the 400. In the 1600, a thrilling race unfolded, with six girls vying for the three spots for nearly all four laps. Freshmen Bridget Gonzalez and Carly Sjogren dashed into second and third in huge lifetime PR's (5:35.4), just a step out of fourth and first. Zenobia Bracey took home patch and silver in the two hurdle races, while ever-versatile Katie Chouinard patched in the triple jump, and took second in the high jump and discus. Kristin McHugh and Laura Moore went 1-2 in the 800, while the dynamic duo of Megan Fairley and Morgan Sjogren shadowed each other for 8 laps to qualify in the 3200. Holly Campbell and Andrea Morrison earned first and second in the shot, throwing over 31' and 30' respectively, and Krystle Ruiz launched herself over 10'8" to win the PV with a new school record.
A phenomenal day of inspired competition. Like always, King saved the best for last and came away victorious.
For those who qualified for CIF action, they will continue on through at least the 16th of May, in which the preliminaries in Division 2 will be held at Mt.SAC.
RISING TO NEW HEIGHTS AT RIM OF THE WORLD INVITATIONAL
A meet held above the clouds at over 5800 feet of elevation, and a five-place victory stand upon which numerous King athletes strode was the setting for the Rim of the World Invitational. With thin air and a great way of honoring those who placed high in their events, a unique day of competition turned out to be quite an affair.
Things looked gloomy in the ascent through the clouds to Lake Arrowhead, but once the competition began, the almost constant ascent of King athletes up the victory stand seemed to bring the sun out and warm things up. Time and again another of our 80+ members climbed the platform to receive their awards. Carly Sjogren received two, with two victories in the day -- the 1600 and 3200 9th grade races. Teammate Bridget Gonzalez was literally right on her heels with a 2nd and a 3rd in the same events. Orlisha Henlon followed suit with victories in the 100 meters and high jump. and Markisha Lea both medaled in their 400 events, Markisha taking her own record in that event down a tenth at 58.5. Jenelle Jackson and Janai Starks went 1-2 in the long jump.
On the boys' side, a fine day of competing was had by Ian Peebles who won the 200 and took second in the 400 with a huge PR, 52.7. Mike Rafferty won his heat of the 200 as well and Jamal Jones took third in the same event. David Galante won the 9th grade 1600, while Jeremy Baugus also medaled for the boys, fighting his way to third place and one second off his all-time best. Taylor Fagg took 5th in the 400, to medal. In the throws, Del Campbell missed out of the medals, but came within three inches of his lifetime best in the discus, tossing the plate 133' 1".
By afternoon, the chill had been replaced by warm mountain-high sun, and the steady stream of King athletes ascending the winners platform came to a close. A great day, and a great way to end the invitational season for 2003.
CHAMPIONS!
It came in quietly, almost unnoticed. But what happened on Wednesday afternoon was unprecedented in any sport at King High ... Four league championships, all of them in undefeated fashion. No other sport on campus can claim such a feat. For the Ladies of King Track and Field, so used to winning all of these years (the record now stands at 25-1, a loss only to Ontario two years ago by four points), the victory came with little fanfare and with lesser surprise.
Though some might claim the accomplishment has been achieved on the back of a lone star or a posse of talented elites, just the opposite has been the case. In each of these first four seasons, the victories have been the result of team effort and team work. Points have been scored in every event category; from the sprints to the throws, the jumps to the distances, the pole vault and hurdles. No one person can claim credit, it belongs to all.
How fitting it was too, that the title was wrapped up against our sister school of sorts, Kaiser. Kaiser opened the same year as King, and the first installment of the rivalry saw a pitted battle between the two teams of frosh-soph masquerading as varsity. Only a handful of points separated the schools by the time the dust settled, and the Ladies of King had notched the first girls league title in school history. From there, they never looked back. Calling on athletes in each event, the next three seasons saw the girls not only share the limelight with each other, but simultaneously pull away from their opponents, winning by margins of well over 50 points per meet, sometimes larger. This season was no different. A number of the ladies who took home the championship this season were not even around when titles One and Two and even Three were gained. Names like Stark and Ruiz in the vault, Fairley, Sjogren and McHugh in the distances, Bracey and Pacheco in the hurdles, Deslonde, Stark and Peebles sprinting, Vitort jumping and Campbell and Morrison throwing shot and disc have all added recent jewels in the crown. The originals like Lea, Nanyonyi, Griesinger, Perkins, Chouinard and Henlon have seen it all, contributing throughout. What a ride it has been!
And of course we can't leave out the boys and how far they have come! Go back to 2000 and you'll find a bunch of novices who looked at that Kaiser squad who had just taken home their first league title in that school's history and must have thought, "How will we ever compete?" Though the process was a bit slower than what the girls went through, it has changed mightily. 3-2 the first two seasons, and then going undefeated in the league each of the last two. What growth! And, like with the girls, the feat has not been to the credit of one or two studs. Instead, it has been the ensemble approach. As demonstrated this season, there were meets in which the distances shined, only to be followed the next week by a dominant sprint corps. Huge improvement has been made in the last two seasons by our throwers who in the first two seasons were the pushovers of the league. The nucleus of sprinters -- Levi Bailey being the only four year athlete among them -- could hardly be called a nucleaus in that with each season a different handful of guys emerge. Mike Rafferty has proven consistent in three seasons and the arrival of super-competitive Ian Peebles and James Ellis in 2002 has given a tremendous boost, but an on-again-off-again contingent of talented football players has kept the Fast Guys afloat throughout the winning seasons. Again, no one true star, but many lesser lights digging in and doing their best.
Though they have had moments of lapse, the jumpers have provided needed sparks of brilliance at times, with Chris Lugo and Malcolm Thomas doing the honors last year, where '03 looks to be the season for Jovaun Moody to shine, triple jumping a new school record against Kaiser.
The point is that this sport, at least at the league level, is the quintessential team endeavor. High school track can't survive on one event or one stud alone. It takes everyone, including the steadfast Junior Varsity athletes who diligently put in the same work and effort as their varsity counterparts, patiently waiting in the wings until it is their turn to step up. Such has been the story of King Track and Field, or at least the first four chapters of that story.
We may yell and scream a lot and get on your cases to constantly do better, but know this from the coaching staff: We're proud of you all and what you've done. Don't take it lightly, because winning isn't easy. Hang your banners high.
When all was said and done, the girls won by a score of 91-45, while the boys won even bigger, 100-36. Both JV teams won the day as well.
MORE RECORDS FALL AT MT.SAC RELAYS
Only a handful or so of King's athletes made the cut for the prestigious Mt.SAC Relays on Friday, one of the largest and competitive invitationals in the country. Orlisha Henlon showed why she's earned a full-ride to high jump at UCI next year, going 5'5" and winning her heat. Also in the field events, Caroline Stark had a fine performance with a vault of 9' 6".
In the boys distance medley, the strong squad of David Lee, Lamont Jones, Daniel Beld and Brian Brierly went out competitively, looking to take down the school record. They didn't just take it down, they tore it down, dropping the mark from 11:06 to 10:46.94! Lee went 3:17 in the 1200, Lamont followed with a 52 second quarter, Beld ran 2:02 in the half and Brian ran 4:33.8 in the 1600. The team finished 7th overall in a field of 20+ teams. Kristin McHugh lowered her own SR in the 800 with another 2-second drop, going down to 2:23.52 and medaling in third place!
In the rarely-run 3000, Megan Fairley and Morgan Sjogren continued their impressive seasons, racing hard-fought efforts to finish in 10:59 and 11:00 respectively.
SPRINTERS PULL THROUGH, HELP SEAL THE VICTORY
In what may turn out to be the deciding meet for the 2003 Boys varsity Sunkist League title, the sprinters for King came through in a big way against the Rubidoux Falcons, winning both relays and sweeping the 100, 200 and 400. The dominance in those events was needed as Rubidoux brought out their fabled distance runners (State Runners-up in cross country last Fall, State champs in 2001) and ran away with two of the three longer events, and were able to outscore King in the throws, pole vault and long jump. The meet was close throughout, and after 12 of 16 events, the two teams were knotted at 52 a piece. King then surged with a sweep of the 200, -- Mike Rafferty, Ian Peebles and Levi Bailey took the honors there -- but the score closed again in the next event as Rubidoux went 8-1 in the 3200. With only the 4x400 relay remaining, King still needed one point to secure the victory. A win in the final event by Rubidoux would result in a tie. But once again, as they had done all day, sprinters Ian Peebles and James Ellis came through with a little help from 800 stars Daniel Beld and David Lee and won the 4x400 going away. Their time of 3:46 was a half-straightaway ahead of their opponents. The final score was 73-63, one of the closest meets King has been involved in this season or any other.
The girls' contest was another King runaway, as Rubidoux managed only 14 points. Caroline Stark went 9' 6" in the pole vault and Katie Chouinard threw the discus 94-1 for the win in that event. Holly Campbell and Andrea Morrison were not far behind with throws over 93 and 91 feet respectively. Lindsay Vitort scored twice, in the high jump and the 800, taking third in each.
DISTANCES TRAVEL TO POWAY AND COLLECT SCHOOL RECORDS
The distance team traveled on Friday to northern San Diego to compete in the distance carnival of the Poway Track Festival. The squad was able to put together several relay teams for the 4x1600 meters and Kristin McHugh, Laura Moore, Daniel Beld and David Lee competed in the invitational 800's.
Kristin ran the best 800 of her three-year career, aggressively taking out the pace, handling a challenge from an opponent and finishing with a fine 2:25.3 SR! Her effort capped off the night that had already seen the team of Carly Sjogren, Morgan Sjogren, Stephanie Fematt and Megan Fairley shatter the SR in the 4x1600 by 37 seconds! Both Megan and Morgan dropped below 5:30 in their legs, while Carly and Stephanie held their own with 5:51 and 5:45 efforts. The team led from wire-to-wire and were unpushed throughout while running the fastest time of the night of all schools.
There were other great efforts hidden among the exchange of batons. Jeremy Baugus and Matt Sheppard ran great PR legs, with Matt getting tantalizingly close to 5:00 with a 5:03 run, and Jeremy running a PR for the distance. On the girls' side, the "B" team of Angella Nanyonyi, Ashley Johnson, Laura Moore and Kristina Moore finished second in their division to medal. The boys team of David Galante, Glenn Carter, Grant Carter and Brian Brierly finished third overall to take home medals.
The team ended the evening stuffing their faces with a late-night pizza team dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen, and despite an unhealthy number of plain cheese pizza's ordered, a good time was had by all!
NEW HIGH AND LOWS AT COVINA INVITATIONAL
It was a day for raising the bar and lowering the standard. Several school records were set, including one of the most stubborn records on our list, the pole vault, and over 25 personal records were established as the athletes who participated in the Covina Invitational took advantage of the fast track and strong competition.
Caroline Stark became the first King girl to clear 10' in the pole vault, capping off a tremendous day for the sophomore. Her vault took the SR up four inches. Megan Fairley lowered her own SR in the 1600 with a 5:26.0 run, good for fifth overall in the race. Daniel Beld also nudged his own SR in the 800 going 2:01.3.
But it was the PR's that crowned the day. Seemingly in every event King contested, another "PR" card was hung from the team canopy. Adam Pritchard and Maile Pacheco earned one in the 300 IH, Ashley Peebles, Joe Chen, Jamal Jones and Janae Starks in the 200, Janelle Jackson and Jovaun Moody went farther than ever in the triple jump. Paval Minenkov took his PV PR to 9'6".
In the distances, it was a truly fine day. Grant Carter had a great 16-32 double, setting seasonal bests in each. Garret Allen ran a liftime best in the 3200, winning his heat with a 10:06 mark. Carly Sjogren and Ashley Johnson ran huge PR's in the 3200, with Ashley breaking 13:00 for the first time. Jeremy Baugus improved in the 800 to 2:17.
The Covina Invitational worked it's magic once again. The competition, the track, the setting; they're all there to see improvement. Improvement was had.
HALF WAY THROUGH LEAGUE AND ALL TEAMS STILL UNDEFEATED
In the short two-year history of King's involvement in the Sunkist League, the track meets with the Braves of Norte Vista have been hard-fought, competitive affairs. The boys varsity has split the last two meetings, while the girls have won but not without significant effort. This year's contest was much different, with the girls winning by over 80 points and the boys by over 50. The JV meets were equally one-sided.
Much of this is due to the effort put forth on the track and in the field by so many of King's athletes. On this day, the last track meet at King minus a stadium (cross your fingers!), the competitive fire was evident. In event after event, the athletes competed all-out.
In the boys varsity, NOVI's fine distance group came out charging, winning the 1600, the 3200 and just missing a win in the 800. The pleasant surprises of the meet were seeing Adam Pritchard, Alex Sevey and Jovaun Moody sweep both hurdle events. Lamont Jones, Mike Rafferty and Levi Bailey did the honors in the 200, and the 4x400 team of Daniel Beld, Ian Peebles, James Ellis and Lamont Jones lowered the stadium record to 3:36.
The girls varsity dominated throughout, taking all but two points in every field event. Katie Chouinard won both the discus and triple jump while scoring third in the high jump. Morgan Sjogren set a new stadium record in the 3200, going 11:58. Kristin McHugh followed suit in the 800 and Orlisha Henlon took home a stadium record in the 200 in this, her last meet at King High School. Orlisha is headed off to UCI next year on a full scholarship to high jump for the Anteaters.
In the JV boys contest, James Griesinger won his first ever race with a victory in the 1600, and Justin Wiley won the 110 high hurdles. Joe Chen took third in two events, the 100 and the 200. As of this writing, the scores were incomplete, but had the Wolves ahead by a large margin.
Norte Vista was able to score only 18 points at the girls JV level. Valerie Shunkwiler scored twice in the 100 and 200, while Chauntel Riser, Kelsey Peters and Quesada swept the 400. Lauren Antrim ran the 7th fastest 9th grade 800 time in school history to win that race. Alicia Citi, Kerry Halladay and Dipippo swept the shot put.
SCHOOL RECORDS CONTINUE TO FALL AT BREA RELAYS
For those who made the effort to compete in the 28th annual Brea Relays, they were treated to a fast track, good competition and during the cooler morning events, a number of school-record breaking performances.
Distance runners Brian Brierly, Morgan Sjogren, and Megan Fairley got things rolling with superb efforts in the open 1600's. Morgan opened up with a lifetime PR and SR of 5:33, to win the frosh-soph invitational, but her school record was one of the shortest-lived ever, as Megan followed up in the next race with a 5:26.8 clocking. Brian reclaimed the 1600 record he owned two weeks ago with a 4:39.7 mark. Pole vaulters Caroline Stark, Krystle Ruiz and Katie Poindexter took their relay (combined heights of all three vaulters) a foot higher with a 25' effort. On the boys' side of the vault, Mike Vargas, Jimmy Kirkemo and Mark Johnston put together a 30' 6" effort to establish an SR.
Hurdlers Jovaun Moody, Alex Sevey, Adam Pritchard and Mike Vargas lowered the shuttle hurdles record with a 1:14.7 mark.
Zenobia Bracey ran extremely well in the hurdles, anchoring a photo finish second place in the shuttles and winning the open 100's. She helped as well in the sprint medley victory along with Cosette Deslonde, Maile Pacheco and Janai Starks. The girls Frosh/Soph team would finish in third of all teams in the meet.
FIELD EVENTS SAVE THE DAY
It was being billed as a potentially close contest between the two boys varsity squads of Ramona and King, for much of the meet on Wednesday, the pre-meet talk proved to be true. The Rams came out buttin' heads, and by mid meet, the two teams were locked in a close contest separated by only five points. But a few key event groups for King stepped up and did battle, earning valuable points and ultimately allowing the Wolves to pull away for the win 78-55.
Though King was solid in the distances and in the pole vault, (Mike Vargas vaulted a school record of 11' 6" to win) making the outcomes there somewhat expected, it was in the field events that the crucial meet-winning points were taken. The throwers tossed 14 personal records and earned 16 points (89%), to win two critical events. It was then over to the high jump -- long a low-point in the King arsenal -- where Duane Harris, James Ellis and Malcolm Thomas swept the event ... a feat truly not expected going in. Harris would also make his first-ever long jump an impressive third-place leap of 17' 9". Those nine points in the high jump made the difference and King earned the meet victory. Ellis had a particularly fine day with a competitive third place in the 400 when the meet was tight, and also ran a strong leg in the victorious 4x400.
The girls won easily, 101-16, sweeping 10 of the 16 events and winning both relays. Tammy Perkins scored for the first time this season in the shot put, taking third. Ashley Johnson earned her first varsity points as well in the 1600, taking the victory there. Krystle Ruiz went 9' 6" in the vault.
The JV teams were not pressed at all, winning by larger margins than the varsity girls did. Valerie Shunkwiller took the win in the long jump with a leap of 13' 3", while also winning the 100 and 200 meters. Lauren Antrim earned the five first-place points in the 800, while Kelsey Peters won the 400. The boys effort was highlighted by 10 event shutouts, a testimony to the depth of the King squad. Matt Sheppard won in the 3200, Daniel Velasquez the 400, Jamal Jones in the 100, 200 and long jump. Eric Cullen earned the victory in the triple jump.
45 PR'S, 5 SCHOOL RECORDS SET AT AZUSA MEET OF CHAMPIONS
At the Arroyo Distance Carnival on Saturday, the distance runners of King Track and Field held nothing back and had a phenomenal day of racing, setting 45 personal records, 5 school records and aiding in two world records. It was an incredible day!
The day was highlighted by the new school record holders (Daniel Beld and Kristin McHugh in the 800, David Galante in the 1600 and Megan Fairley and Brian Brierly in the 3200. Beld came screaming down the final 100 to nudge his own SR a half-second lower while outleaning David Lee who was on his way to claiming it while lowering his own PR at the distance by three seconds! McHugh became the first King girl to go below 2:30 in the 800 with a 2:27.83 SR. David Galante slivered .3 off of the 1600 record with a 4:43.02 finish. He would also set a 9th grade SR in the 800 with a 2:09.1 clocking. In the seeded heats of the 3200, Megan and Brian ran with some of the best distance runners in the State and Nation. The pack pulled them along to their new records. Megan was accompanied on all eight laps by Morgan Sjogren who finished just 1.6 seconds behind Megan. The two became the first two King girls to go sub-12:00 for two miles in our history. (11:36.91 and 11:38.5 respectively. Wow!)
But it wasn't just about school records, as the large group of multi-lappers tore up the track in heat after heat (there were near 50 heats of the 1600, a marathon for even the most hearty of mile fans) and in the process tore down their previous notions of "what's fast." With 45 new PR's set, and every "all-time" list we keep changed in some fashion, it truly was a day for the record books.
Ivan "The Great" Guevara continued to show why he might become the "go-to" guy in the 800 in coming years as he ran 2:15.4, matching Beld's 9th grade best. Jeremy Baugus and Glenn Carter ran lifetime bests in the 800 and moved on and up the 800 depth chart.
In the 1600, two world records were set during the meet. The record was for the most girls in one meet to break 6:00 in the 1600 meters and the most boys under 5:00. 110 girls made the mark and 150 boys accomplished it. adidas was giving away a free pair of shoes to the 50th girl that accomplished the feat, and that person was none other than Stephanie Fematt with a 5:52 finish! Carly Sjogren and Bridget Gonzalez, both 9th graders, also contributed to the world record with sub-6:00 times. On the boys side of the WR, Garret Allen, David Lee, Galante, and Grant and Glenn Carter all played a part with times under 5:00.
KING GETS A PEAK INTO THE FUTURE
On a day in which the nation went to war and the future seemed uncertain, the King Track and Field program got a preview of things to come with a dual meet against future Ivy League opponent, Canyon Springs. The outcome was certain: The future looks competitive!
Canyon Springs' strong boys' program wound up and got going quickly in the first two events (4x100 and 1600),and eventually went on to win both the JV and the Varsity meets. The Ladies from King took the win, but not without having to work for it in just about every event. Nothing came easy on this day.
The girls (No JV level was contested) won by a score of 88.5 to 47.5. All told the Lady Wolves took first in ten events: Both relays, Orlisha Henlon (100 and high jump), Markisha Lea (400), Kristin McHugh (800), Megan Fairley 3200, Zenobia Bracey (100 and 300 hurdles), and Lindsay Vitort (triple jump). Stephanie Fematt had a great race in the 1600 to take second, and word out of the pole vault camp was that Katie Poindexter improved by over a foot in the vault. Katie Chouinard took second in the high jump and discus, while Andrea Morrison placed second in the shot with a PR of 28' 10".
The boys had a superb meet of wonderful performances and strong efforts despite coming out on the losing side of the ledger. Canyon Springs proved to be too deep and tough to overcome. The Wolves welcomed back Lamont Jones who shined in the century and duece, just a shade off of his own SR's in both events. Garret Allen ran very strong in the 3200 to win, followed by Grant Carter who had a very good distance double, scoring twice. Adam Pritchard ran an impressive 300 hurdles, challenging for the lead and ultimately holding off the third place finisher. Ian Peebles continued his dynamic racing with second place finishes in the 200 and 400.
King's JV boys were outdone by CS, but emulated the boys varsity in effort and discipline. Chris Norris ran a superb double in the distance races, winning both the 1600 and 3200 in PR times. In that 1600, he was followed by Mike Luna and James Griesinger who both ran lifetime bests to score the 9-point sweep. Eric Cullen won the triple jump with a hop-skip-jump of 37 feet and change. Jackson and Bouye won the shot put and discus respectively. From there, it was slim-pickins on the score sheet for the hungry Wolves, being shut out in both relays, the 800, the high jump and long jump. The final score was 79-53, Canyon Springs.
All around a good meet. A peek into the future, with King's arrival in the Ivy league just two seasons away. Should the effort displayed today continue, with time and growth, King Track and Field will be where it needs to be when that time comes.
WOLVES FISH FOR SHARK: HOOK THREE, BIG ONE GETS AWAY
The teams waded into a terracota sea of newly built suburban homes in South Corona to take on the Santiago Sharks on Wednesday, and the girls varsity and both JV squads came home with big catches. The boys varsity on the other hand, came home bruised, scarred and minus both shark and bait. Like the real-life predators of the deep, the Santiago boys team seemed to remember the prey that got away in '02 and determined not to let it happen again.
For the victorious ladies, the meet got off with a thrilling 8-lap dual between Megan Fairley, Morgan Sjogren and Santiago's top multi-lapper. With 200m to go, the threesome splintered as all three kicked to the line. Megan went across first, one second off the SR, and Morgan finished third. The relay squad won the next event and Zenobia Bracey and Elaina Cruetzbergwent 1-3 in the 100 hurdles and it was 17-6 in a hurry. Bracey went on to win the 300's as well, with Stephanie Erdodi and Tamara Perkins finishing out a sweep of the 300's. and Rachael Harms took first and second in the 800 and Orlisha Henlon, Katie Chouinard and Lindsay Vitort swept the high jump. King also swept the 200. The girls final score was 74-53.
The boys and girls JV's got in the win column after losing last week. This time around, the scores were lopsided in favor of King. Chris Norrisimpressed in the 1600 with a strong 5:11 mark, followed by Mike Luna. The two would repeat their scoring efforts in the 800 and 3200. Daniel Velazquez finished third. The girls saw great performance across the board. Maile Pacheco won both hurdle races. Cosette Deslonde and Katherine Kim looked good going 2-3 in the 200, while Jessica Nosce won both the shot and discus. The boys won 87-28 and the girls won 64-45.
The boys varsity was lacking three of it's top athletes due to injury, and their absence was noticable. King was unable to win any of the short sprints, despite valiant efforts by Jonah Katende in the 100 and 200 and Kojo Arhin in the 400. David Lee ran to his second victory in the half-mile, and Brian Brierly lowered his own school record in the 1600 with a 4:43.4 finish and win. David Galante was right on his heels with a 4:44 mark - the fastest 9th grade time in school history. Adam Pritchard scored four points in the hurdle races, while Wardell Campbell and Daniel Boynton were the only two scorers in the throws. With the absence of key scorers and the inability to compete in a few vital areas, the Wolves lost, 77-50.
A SPLIT AGAINST CHAPARRAL TO KICK OFF THE SEASON
The fourth edition of King Track and Field hit the oval today with the teams turning in a split decision; the varsity teams winning and the JV teams losing. Despite the outcome however, both levels exhibited an exciting output of effort, discipline and team spirit. In that regard, King High came away the winner despite the scores.
After a narrow 3 point victory last year in the girls varsity contest, this year's episode was won handily by King, going 87-52. The distance squads scored 88% of their available points, allowing only a second-place finish in the 800 meters. Laura Moore won that event in 2:40 with a thrilling last 100 meter dash to the line. Zenobia Bracy won the 100 hurdles, and Caroline Stark tied the stadium record of 9'6" in the pole vault. Markisha Lea impressed with an early-season 60-second quarter mile, a PR for the senior captain on a dirt surface. Katie Chouinard threw the discus over 97' to take the win in that event.
The boys varsity also won, taking back the narrow loss to the Pumas in '02. Led by a strong trio of sprinters, Mike Myers, Mike Rafferty and Jonah Katende swept both the century and the deuce. David Galante impressed with an outstanding, school-record effort in the full mile, running 4:53 in his first-ever race. Quite a splash for the freshman! David Lee looked strong in the 800 with a 2:09 win. In the field events, Campbell finished second in the discus, Boynton threw 41' for second in the shot, and Jovan Moody won the long jump with a leap of 18'2". The boys won 78-58.
The JV's were outdone in both contests, losing mainly to a lack of depth in key events. However, as stated earlier, the effort put forth was remarkable and impressive. 9th grader Chauntel Riser won the 400 with a 1:07 mark, Ashley Johnson and Bridget Gonzalez went 1-2 in the 3200 and Rachael Harms won the 800 with a 2:40.8 finishing time. The JV boys lost by 15 points, but were led by Grant Carter's 5:07 mile, Spencer Allen's 8'6" clearing win in the vault and a sweep in the long jump with Jones, Hilt and Clarke doing the honors there.
A solid beginning it was. The girls varsity continued their dominating ways, having lost only one dual meet in the school's history.
2004
SEASON ENDS QUICKLY AT CIF FINALS
With several thousand people watching on, the CIF Southern Section Finals proved again to be one of the best prep high school meets in the nation with incredible performances from the track to the field. For seven King athletes, the most to represent MLK in our five yearly trips to Cerritos College, the event was cause to perform well on the last day, and collecively the group went home with three new PR's and two new school records to show for it.
Kellye Lazarus equaled the number 2 KHS all-time best mark for the 200, running 26.07 to finish 8th. She ran to a 7th place finish in the 100 meter dash as well. Krystle Ruiz had a solid day in the pole vault, finishing 8th at 10 feet. Krystle's participation in the Final was the third straight year that King Vaulting has been represented in the meet.
In the boys's 400, Tristan Taylor went out very fast in the first 250 and was challenging for the lead going into the final curve. He faltered a bit in the final straightaway and ended up in 8th, running just two-hundreths behind his own school record.
The girls' 3200 was an exciting event, as Megan Fairley entered the fray in what would be the final race of her high school career. Positioned behind the lead pack she was pulled along to a pre-race script of 5:32 at the 1600 split. The race was on by that point as a group of 7 went through the next two laps without slowing, leaving the last two laps to guts and will. With a solid penultimate circuit she went by two Ventura runners to capture 5th place and medal. Her finish of 11:05.60 (8th fastest time in Riverside County history; 3rd fastest this season) was 10 seconds better than her lifetime PR set last week at the Prelims and a 17 second drop in the last month ... a remarkable finish for the UCI bound senior.
The boys 4x400 finished the night with a thrilling race that played like a see-saw episode for most of the race. James Ellis led off and exchanged with Arthur Clark in third. A lap later the guys were flirting with fifth, but after 50 seconds of Ian Peebles' racing (and bumping into competitors) the stick found it's way to Tristan Taylor who scorched his lap to pull away and put the group solidly into second for the CIF Runners-up honor. Their time was a sliver lower than the school record set last week.
It was an exciting end to what was an exciting meet and indeed, a very good season for King Track and Field. With the Ivy league and a possible bump up to Division One CIF next year, good challenges await the kids from Orangecrest.
CHARGING INTO FINALS
28 King Athletes in every event distinction entered competition in the 2004 CIF Division 2 Preliminaries on Saturday. For many, it was their first trip to the action-packed event, for others, it was a return trip. All came away with solid performances and 7 King athletes weathered the fierce, pressure-packed competition to advance to the CIF Finals, held May 22 at Cerritos College.
Talented Kellye Lazarus qualified in both of her primary events, the 100 and 200, racing equal marks to her PR's for the year. She also aided in a school record run by the girls' 4x100 relay, which finished 11th overall but shattered the old school record, set in 2002 by 1 second, running 49.89. Jacque Aquino, Janae Starks and Chelsey Frazier helped do the honors on the lap. Kristina Moore had a huge day despite not qualifying. She ran a lifetime best in both the 800 and 1600, going 5:19.58 and 2:24.9 to move her second-best ever King marks even closer to the record summit. Lindsay Vitort likewise had a good outing in the 800, equalling her best-ever of 2:27. Zenobia Bracey sliced off a half-second from her best ever in the 300 hurdles in a strong, all-out effort. Megan Fairley came storming back from a sub-par League Finals to put together the finest (and fastest) 3200 meter race of her career. Jockeying with the leaders through a tactical 6 laps, she and two others finally broke free from the pack and after a 78 second closing lap, she finished second to qualify for Finals in 11:15.48. Lastly, qualifying to the Finals for the second time in her fine four years of pole vaulting, was Krystle Ruiz, who got through on a 9’9” leap. Krystle's accomplishment makes it the fifth season straight that King has sent a pole vault representatives to the CIF Finals.
The boys had an equally fine day. Tristan Taylor capped off his singular season in grand style by qualifying in the 400 (49.59 seconds) and then helping the 4x400 team to win their heat in a new SR time of 3:24. In that second event, Ian Peebles, James Ellis and Nevin Gutteriez all earned a trip to Cerritos along with Tristan. Mark Johnston upped his own SR in the pole vault to 12’ 9” but wasn’t able to capture one of the coveted top nine spots with the effort. Adam Schwarz and John Ashley finished their great seasons with solid efforts in the 3200.
It was a good, competitive effort put forth by the King Kids, and it resulted in the largest contingent of athletes ever qualified for the Finals in our short history.
A FINALE' AND A FAREWELL TO THE SUNKIST LEAGUE
The final event of King's reign in the Sunkist League went off at just after 7:30 PM, but in the previous four hours of competition the Wolves of King High left many in the league presumably to think it would be good to see the Pack go. "Domination" would be an apt description both at the team and individual level of what the 2002, 2003 and 2004 squads have done to their league opponents. On this final day before leaving to the Ivy League in 2005, domination became the operative word again in what was a grand finale.
On the boys varsity level, King took home six individual league titles. In the 400, King swept the competition, with Tristan Taylor winning in 49.72; Ian Peebles and Arthur Clark going 2nd and 3rd. James Ellis finished fourth. Mark Johnston won the Pole Vault. Jovaun Moody took home a couple of silvers with second place runs in the hurdles, while going bronze in the long jump. Daniel Boynton took second in the shot put. Mike Rafferty closed out his fine four years helping the 4x100 team to a second place finish. Adam Schwarz ran the finest race of his first season to win the 3200, running almost perfectly even splits throughout the entire eight laps. John Ashley qualified for CIF in this sophomore season by finishing second behind Schwarz, almost exactly two minutes faster in the race than he ran it in 2003.
The girls varsity dominated throughout the afternoon. The 4x100 team got things rolling by winning with fine efforts by Janae Starks, Britney Thurman, Chelsey Frazier and Jacquie Aquino. Kelly Lazarus won both of the short sprints, while tough running freshman Anna Duffy won her first league title in the 400 meters. Andrea Morrison "patched" in the shot put with a PR throw and took second in the discus. Holly Campbell took third in both of the same events. Kristina Moore had a huge day of stunning performances, running a lifetime PR in the 1600 (5:22) and then doubling back to patch in the 800, equalling her lifetime best in that event. Morgan Sjogren won the 3200 with a negative split effort, running the second mile faster than the first. Rookie Brenda Hanrahan won the pole vault.
In JV action, King fared just as well, winning six events and medaling in eight others. John Martinez ran a PR effort in the 1600 to finish third, Tommy Weathers was golden in the 100 and 200. Corey Everett showed great form and future varsity ability in both barrier races. The 4x100 team of Brian Dominguez, Joe Chen, Taylor Fagg and Weathers won that event, requiring Weathers to ask for help getting his medals home. Super-talented Kevin Marquardt finished 2nd in the 800.
King's junior girls were golden 10 diferent times. Bridget Gonzalez ran a wire-to-wire victory in the 3200, dodging spectators on the track in the midst of it. Her time of 12:23 was impressive after a season filled with injury. Britney McGhee won the high jump, Valerie Shunkwiler won both hurdle events and helped out with the victory in the 4x100. Lauren Antrim saved her best race for the end, winning the 800 in a lifetime best of 2:38, a time predicted for her by Coach Peters way back in December! She then came back in the 4x400, the last event of the day to help Kaitlyn Traver, Chauntel Riser and Britney Haynes win that event.
It was a fun and rewarding way to end the day and the four years in the Sunkist League. The look from here is one going uphill, as the much stronger Ivy League awaits King's arrival along with the track-power La Sierra. Those committed to the challenge will look forward with anticipation. Those who came accustomed to the lighter weights of the Sunkist league will find their work cut out for them. Either way, the Ivy League is coming, and King is going!
SUNKIST SQUEEZED AGAIN
It was a "high five" for the ladies and a "three-peat" for the boys, but once again the Sunkist League felt the squeeze of a dominant Wolf Pack which dismantled the league in large margins for five straight weeks. In the grand finale of King's Sunkist league action, the Wolves defeated the Bruins of Bloomington by over 100 points to earn the undefeated League Titles. For the girls, it was the fifth-straight championship in our five years, (four in the Sunkist and one in the Arrowhead league ... an accomplishment no other sport at King can claim), for the boys, it was the third year in a row after taking third place in the inaugural Sunkist season. With the much more competitive Ivy League peeking now from over the horizon, the easy win was a final taste of light competition before facing the likes of Canyon Springs, North, La Sierra and Poly in 2005.
The job of winning was spread around this day, as a number of athletes stepped up to win events not normally accorded to them. Ivan Guevara snatched his first victory in the 1600, running a wire-to-wire victory in 4:59. Daniel Boynton won the shot with a throw of 46' 8". After going third last week, Jimmy Kirkemo won the triple jump in 42' 1.5", setting a new stadium record on this final meet of the year. Austin Mathe won the high jump. Jovaun Moody, who has improved so tremendously in these last months, contributed again with a win in the 300 and 110 hurdles, a second in the triple jump and a first in the long jump. The one-man scoring machine chalked up 18 (of a max of 20) points by himself! Alex Sevey finished out his fine four years of competition with a second place finish in the 110 hurdles and a third place point in the 300 hurdles.
It was much the same story for the ladies. Monika Valenzuela, usually second to Anna Duffy, switched places with her friend in the 400, and the two dynamite freshmen went 1-2 in the 400. Jodi Mettler won the 800 in 2:37.4. Andrea Morrison had a stellar day, heaving the shot over 30', and setting a new School Record in the discus, throwing 100' 10.5" to win. Caroline Stark, just a few weeks removed from knee surgery, won in the pole vault, and Kristina Moore ran a lifetime PR in the 1600 at 5:27, finishing in second. Maile Pacheco scored 16 points, winning the long, triple and 300 hurdles, and taking third in the 100 hurdles.
The JV teams won against Bloomington as the Bruins didn't field more than a handful of athletes at the lower level. However, Vista Murrieta, a brand new school south of us, brought their frosh-soph squad, and dominated both JV contests. Their boys captured event victories in every event except the 100 and both relays. King's JV girls fared only slightly better, winning four events.
But in the end, it was a day of victory and farewell. For four years, the Sunkist League provided a good home for the Wolves, giving them early challenges and a string of successes upon which to build and learn lessons. Change and opportunity await the Wolfpack in 2005, only time will tell if the crew can rise to the occasion. For now at least, they rest in the reward of winning yet another league title.
UNINSPIRED WINS KEEP UNDEFEATED SEASON GOING
All four levels of King Track and Field won easily again on Wednesday, as the Kaiser Cats, once a mighty foe, couldn't muster enough talent or depth to match the King crew. The lack of competition drained the adrenaline from the Wolves, and except for a few standout performances, the teams competed with lackluster drive and energy. It was cause for concern among the coaching staff as the Sunkist League Finals loom just two weeks away.
The final scores were lopsided, with the girls ahead 115-21 by meet's end, and the boys varsity up 90-45. The JV teams won by just as large of margins.
The highpoints of the meet came in the jumps, as Jovaun Moody and Chris Chamberlin came alive with leaps beyond 21', a first for King in our history. Jovaun broke the school record by 14 inches, and Chamberlin's leap would have also eclipsed the SR. Jimmy Kirkemo descended the same runway and took off himself, this time in the triple jump. 42' 1" of hop, skipping, jumping and landing brought home a SR for the senior. In the distances, John Ashley found himself in a fine duel with Kaiser's sole distance ace, and muscled out a good closing 100 to win in 4:51. In a rare occurance this season, King was shut out in the 200 meter dash, and managed only a third place point in the 100.
The varsity girls were simply unchallenged. Only two Kaiser girls were able to win events, so King shared the duties across the scorecard. Anna Duffy won the 400, Stepanie Fematt won her first race this season in taking the victory in the 3200. Kellye Lazarus ran well in the short sprints, breaking 27 seconds in the 200. Krsytle Ruiz, Caroline Stark and Brenda Hanrahan had a good day in the vault, sweeping.
With one meet left in the Sunkist League, it appears certain that the teams will wrap up the League Titles in undefeated fashion. The question remains whether the teams will stoke the competitive fires witnessed prior to Spring Break. Time will tell.
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS ...
A stiff wind from Southern California blew across the Nevada desert slowing some efforts and times, but it was not strong enough to disrupt the almost weekly assault on the King Track record books. After a night of yodeling “YMCA” at the Hard Rock Café, and seeing the bright lights of Las Vegas’s famous Strip, the teams took part in the Silverado Skyhawk Invitational and came away with a few surprising performances given the tougher than normal circumstances. The girls, who were not competing at full strength, still managed to come away with a second place finish out of 22 schools, just 16 points shy of the win. The boys finished a respectable 6th place in the field of schools.
The record books were altered once again, as the victorious boys’ 4x400 relay team (Nevin Gutteriez, Arthur Clark, Tristan Taylor, Ian Peebles) shattered the old mark of 3:30 by 5 seconds, winning by 10 meters. Tristan complemented that effort with a 49.29 victory in the 400, becoming the first King athlete to eclipse 50 seconds in the one-lap sprint. The girls 4x800 team of Brittany Schuette, Carly Sjogren, Stephanie Fematt and Ashley Johnson nudged the school record in that event by a half-second. The fourth SR of the windy day took place in the boys 4x100, as Mike Rafferty, Tristan Taylor, Mike Myers and Ian Peebles took a full second off of the old mark, going 43.84
Del Campbell took third in the discus, throwing 141’. The pole vault trio of Mark Johnston, Pavel Minenkov and Danny Stark did well, with Johnston coming in 4th. The wind affected the short sprints and hurdles which both had to compete into the wind. The gale did a number on the distance events as well, but Kristina Moore and Lindsay Vitort were still able to muscle their way to second and third place finishes in the 800, gaining key points. John Ashley ran just off of his PR in the 1600.
The last major invitational of the season proved another successful chapter in the growth and progress of King Track and Field.
FALCONS' WINGS CLIPPED, KING WINS BIG
The talons of the Rubidoux Falcons were missing some of their normal sharpness and the Wolves of King clipped the wings of their opponents, winning all four levels of competition on Wednesday.
The boys varsity won all 14 events contested, a feat achieved for the first time in school history. For the record, the individual event winners were: David Galante in the 1600 ... he also ran a stadium record time of 4:38.5, Jovaun Moody 110 hurdles and long jump ... his long jump was a new school record..., Ian Peebles 400 meters, Mike Rafferty 100, Grant Carter 800, Nevin Gutteriez 300 hurdles, Peebles again in the 200, tieing the stadium record, Daniel Boynton, shot put, Del Campbell who set a new school and stadium record in the discus, heaving the plate 152' 1/2", Chris Chamberlin triple jump, Austin Mathe high jump, Jimmy Kirkemo pole vault and Adam Schwarz in the 3200. There was no 4x400 relay, as the meet was out of hand by that point, with the Wolves winning 109-18.
The girls varsity dominated as well, also winning every event. So, to keep things even, here are their event winners: Stephanie Fematt 3200, Zenobia Bracy 100 hurdles, Samantha Miller 400 (in a second-all time mark of 1:01.1, Janae Starks 100, Megan Fairley 800 and 1600, Stephanie Erdodi 300 hurdles, Kellye Lazarus 200, Andrea Morrison shot put, Holly Campbell in the discus, Maile Pacheco triple jump, Britany Thurman high jump, and Krystle Ruiz in the pole vault. A truly dominating performance, with King victorious 113-12.
Rubidoux's JV boys team scored the most points of the day for the Falcons, but still came up behind 80-36. Eric Cullen had a good day for King in the long and triple jumps, taking first and second. Ricardo Leopando took second in the shot put with a heave of 37' 4". Travis Mills won the 110 high hurdles, and Taylor Fagg had another great effort and victory in the 400, running 61 seconds. Rubidoux's girls JV team was only able to win the long and high jump and the 3200. Lyndsey Hutcherson had a strong day for King winning both of the short sprints, Lorie Carroll won both hurdle events. The girls JV won easily as well, going 80-29.
BIG RACE EXPERIENCE GAINED AT ARCADIA INVITATIONAL
When desiring a national meet for competition, most teams have to travel out of state to find such a venue. But with the 37th annual Arcadia Invitational in our own backyard, two of King's athletes had to only drive an hour or so to find athletes assembled from 25 different states from as far away as Florida and New York. Arcadia, which boasts as "the meet of national records" had 15 different event performances that earned "national leader" status, and 25 events had athletes turn in the second-best mark in the country this season. Indeed, the premier "mid-season" meet in the country provided a "big meet" experience for both Megan Fairley and David Galante.
With both racers contesting the 3200 meters, they toed the line with some of the better racers in the state and nation entered. The battle of nerves, tactics and pace that come in any highly talented and deep field of runners was on. Megan's first mile was only 9 seconds off of her mile PR and proved to be a gamble she couldn't win on and therefore slowed a bit in the second mile to finish mid-pack and right at her current best of 11:22.5 She had a good race and the experience of "going out too fast" was a valuable lesson learned.
David brought home an invaluable experience as well, as racing with "the big boys" in a huge field of 44 athletes made the first laps crowded and the last laps fast and provided a race setting the young talent had never experienced before. Eight valuable laps later, Galante, disappointed in a less-than-ideal performance, left the stadium with a 10:08 clocking and a new appreciation for the mental side of our sport.
It was a good afternoon for the two representatives of King Track and Field in a national meet.
MORE PR'S AT POWAY
Ten members of the distance crew were able to make the trip down to Poway, just north of San Diego, for an evening of racing, and a majority of them came home with yet another seasonal or lifetime PR. A couple more equaled their best, in what is becoming a season of personal record setting for the distance runners of King High.
Kristina Moore and Lindsay Vitort got things rolling in the 800, and both set the tone for a fast night. Kristina equaled her best of 2:25, while Lindsay ran the fastest she ever has with a 2:27.0 clocking. Both girls medaled in the race.
The 3200's closed out the evening with a torrent of personal bests and strong race performances. Morgan Sjogren ran with the leaders throughout the eight laps, ultimately finishing in 3rd, just one second off of her best time this season. Kristina Moore doubled back and ran a sub-12:00 effort, while Carly Sjogren came storming through the second mile to move up the field and equal her lifetime best of 12:15. It was her finest race of the season. 9th grader Brittany Schuette continued to improve with a 12:19 race, while Stephanie Fematt ran her lifetime PR of 12:24. Erin Fitzgerald and Ashley Johnson finished out the King field.
Adam Schwarz and John Ashley hammered out great efforts in their 3200 race, with Adam running TWO pr's in the single race. He came by the 1600 meter split at 4:53 ... faster than he's ever run a single 1600 with still another 1600 to go. He ultimately finished six seconds under his PR at 10:14. John Ashley ran a remarkable race, shadowing Adam under the stadium lights until the 7th lap when he broke away to run 10:08.26, the 5th fastest mark in King history.
COMPETITIVE FIRES BURNING IN 2ND LEAGUE WIN
Three seasons ago, Norte Vista's boys handed the Wolves a big defeat on our home track. In 2002 the tide reversed, and the two teams locked themselves into a great battle that ended with King up by about 30 points. Last season, the gap opened even more, and then yesterday, there was little the Braves could do to counter the competitiveness and growing skill of King Track and Field. The outcome was a lopsided 108-28 victory, as the King kids came out and aggressively attacked each event, leaving any question marks of the meet to wondering what the final score would be.
In the field events, good things were happening. Keith Canzater high jumped 6' 2" to move a couple of notches closer to the school record. Daniel Boynton PR'd as well in the shot as did Dell Campbell. Jovaun Moody leaped the 4th longest long jump in school history, 19' 5.5", to take 2nd in that event. The 4x100 team of Mike Rafferty, Mike Myers, Ian Peebles and Tristan Taylor had a great sprint dual down to the lean by Myers for the win. In fact, it was in the short sprint that NOVI was able to generate any excitement at all, as their top speed-guy, Anthony Ross, won in a close race over Mike Rafferty. Ross would be the only event winner for NOVI all day, as he also won the triple jump. The final event of the evening, the 4x400 relay, saw the team of Nevin Gutteriez, James Ellis, Arthur Clark and Tristan Taylor run the 3rd fastest time in school history, 3:34.0 to finish the meet.
King's ladies have handled Norte Vista easily in years past, and this last dual for the two teams was no different with a 100-36 final tally. The meet ended in an unusual way, as a gally of observors gathered around the high jump -- being contested by Brittany Thurman and Cosette Deslonde -- to watch the final event unfold long after the running events had concluded. Both King girls used the stage to jump PR's and place themselves in the top five jumpers in school history, a select group that includes two All-State jumpers! Both girls got over 4' 10". Andrea Morrison and Holly Campbell did 8 points of duty in both throwing events, while Maile Pacheco, new to the triple jump, didn't waste any time getting going by winning the event with a top-five mark of 30' 3".
There was little competition at the JV levels, with both girls and boys winning easily and right from the start. Amy Manning continued her winning ways in the 400, as did ever-consistent Valerie Shunkwiler who scored in the 100 hurdles and the long jump. Shannon Kendrick won the shot and took third in the discus. Lauren Antrim won the 800. In the JV boys meet, it ended up 90-33 in favor of King. Nick Ehret won the 3200, followed by Alec Fillmore and John Martinez. Tommy Weathers won the 100 meter dash and Chris Chapel took second in the 200. Ryan Gushwa continued to impress in the 400 by winning there and taking the baton in winning 4x400.
LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT PRODUCES FINE RESULTS
The Bishop Amat Relays ran afoul of the time schedule, at one point limping along three hours behind the posted start times and causing a number of teams to abandon the meet as the stadium lights came on with still a series of events to go. King was one of the early releases, but not before notching a number of strong performances, three school records and finishing the long day with a flurry of seasonal and lifetime PR's in the 1600's. It was an exciting early exit!
Tristan Taylor ran the finest 400 in his short career and in King High history, as he bettered the school record in the event by about a half-second, running 50.77. Jovaun Moody lowered the SR in the 110 Hurdles, going 16.9 to better Jon Barilone's mark of 17-flat in 2002. Megan Fairley lowered her own SR in the 1600 by a half second, dipping just under 5:19 to finish in second and in the 3000, David Galante put a new SR up on the board (his third this season) finishing second to a Katella runner in the 3000. His 9:19 mark was the first 3000 run in school history. The boys 4x100 team of Ian Peebles, Mike Rafferty, Tristan Taylor and Mike Myers PR'd as a group again this season, and put up the third-fastest time in school history at 44.8. Krystle Ruiz won the pole vault with a mark of 9' 6". Chauntel Riser went 68 seconds in the 400, her fastest time ever, and finished second in her heat. Kaitlyn Traver ran just a second off of the all-time 9th graders list in the 800, finishing with a brilliant kick to win her heat in 2:46.00. She later went sub-6:00 in the 1600 to notch the 7th fastest 9th grade time in school history. And in a show of great sportsmanship, thrower Robert Prescott jumped into the 400 and ran a tough 58.9! Thomas Malcuit threw the discus 124' to earn a fifith-ever placing on the all-time list.
The evening's last two events saw a torrent of "fastest evers" as the milers took the track in the dusk of evening. Matt Cummins Ryan Sheehan and Alec Fillmore ran three of the fastest 9th grade times ever with Matt dipping under 5:00 for the first time, a dramatic improvement from his first race this season at 5:19. John Martinez continued to improve with a 5:07, and James Griesinger ran sub-5:00 after flirting with the benchmark for almost two seasons. As he said after the race, "it's about time." Indeed! John Ashley ran 10 seconds faster than he has, going 4:47. The girl 4-lappers weren't to be outdone, as all but one ran PR's. Mary Griesinger and Kaitlyn Traver were perhaps the most thrilled, as they ran under 6:00 for the first time in their young careers.
It was an exciting way to finish a long day, and as the troops headed home, they could be encouraged that despite a poorly run meet, King ran (and threw and jumped) superbly!
RUNAWAY WINS AT RAMONA
All four levels of King Track and Field traveled to Ramona High on Wednesday and from start to finish recorded runaway victories. The margin of victory in the varsity contest exceeded 70 points and the JV's won easily, outscoring the Rams by 60 points (boys) and 80 points (girls). Despite the lack of demanding competition in most events, the athletes of King High showed determination and skill, pushing themselves to better performances in many events. Tristan Taylor moved a spot higher on the All-time 400 meters list with a winning 51.8 effort, and second-place finisher Ian Peebles bettered his lifetime best with a 51.9 effort on the soft, cinder track. Kojo Arhin ran his first-ever 800 meters, and ran negative splits to record a second-place finish. Michael Myers had a list-making effort in the 100, and Josh Madrid won his first shot event in two years of competition.
The girls saw Samantha Miller run the 400 for the first time and dashed her way to the second-fastest mark in school history, an impressive 1:02.7 showing. The SR is 58 and change. A good start for the junior in what could be her best event. The 4x100 team of Kellye Lazarus, Miller, Janai Starks and Chelsey Frazier put together a list-making 4x100 relay, and Starks came back to make the top-five all-time group with a 15'4" long jump win. Out in the 'south 40' Andrea Morrison had a lifetime performance in the discus, heaving the big heavy frisbee 98'9", just inches below the SR held by Ashley Hearle ('02). Morrison would finish second in the shot with a throw beyond 28'.
Almost 100 points separated the two JV girls teams, as the Lady Wolves were unpressed the entire afternoon. Carly Sjogren had two victories in the 3200 and 800, running a PR in the 800 at 2:44. Valerie Shunkwiler won the 100 hurdles and the triple jump. The JV Boys won 89-34. Terrance Kirby had an impressive victory in the 800, running just a tick off of his PR at 2:20. Ryan Gushwa won the 200 and the 400 for a two-win afternoon. Mario Godoy took the victory in the pole vault with an 8'6" leap.
DISTANCE CREW PHENOMENAL AT AZUSA MEET OF CHAMPIONS
Phenomenal. Extraordinary. Fast. Such are a few of the words to describe the performances of the distance team who traveled to Azusa Pacific University on Saturday to compete in the Arroyo Meet of Champions distance carnival. Competing against some of the best distance runners in the state, the group of multi-lappers practiced scorched-earth policy in race after race, setting their previous bests and the track ablaze in a passionate display of courage and guts. They ultimately set 55 seasonal or lifetime personal records (pr's), 5 new school records and rewrote every "all-time" list King Track keeps. With many of these athletes having devoted themselves to diligent training since early January, the races were the sweet taste of reward that comes only after weeks of hard work, patience and tenacity. By evening, the day had become the greatest set of collective efforts, marks and race performances ever put together by the distance crew in the history of King High.
Megan Fairley and David Galante bettered two school records apiece, in both the 1600 and the 3200. For Megan, it was lowering her own records, and doing it in dramatic fashion. Going 5:19.30 and 11:22.44 in both of the long races, she dropped six seconds off of her SR in the first race then doubled back to carve 15 seconds off of the 3200 mark. David lowered his own SR in the sixteen by winning the second heat of the contest in 4:34.47, then he came back in the "seeded" heat of the 3200 and, under the lights, hammered out a stunning 6th-place 9:47 SR, lowering Brian Brierly's mark (class of 03) by 4 seconds. Also setting a school record this day was Jodi Mettler, who ran a 9th grade SR of 2:31.76 in the 800.
Kristina Moore ran the school's second-fastest 800 with a superb 2:25 effort in a field loaded with some of the nation's finest distance runners. Grant Carter worked himself into the school's all-time 800 list with a great 2:07 effort, as did his twin brother Glenn who ran 2:11. Ivan Guevara was a half-second off of Glenn to run a lifetime best as well.
The unique format of the meet which divided all runners into multiple heats of like-ability and medaling every heat, accorded King the opportunity to have a number of individual victories. Ryan Sheehan won his 1600 heat with a 5:19 effort in the 1600, Mary Griesinger and Brittany Schuette won their 3200's, and Galante won in the 1600. Ivan Guevara and John Martinez just missed the victory stand with PR races for second place finishes.
Ashley Johnson and Erin Fitzgerald both broke six minutes in the 1600 for the first time in their lives while also setting huge lifetime bests in the 3200. Adam Schwarz and John Ashley ran the fifth and eighth fastest 3200's in school history while tough 9th graders Matt Cummins and Alec Fillmore became only the 2nd and 3rd 9th graders at King to ever break 11:00 in the 8-lap race. Also ending up on the "all-time" lists were Chris Wolf and Nick Ehret in the 800.
It was a stunning day, full of passionate, all-out efforts that resulted in experiences and levels of success you can't buy in a store, get from your parents or borrow from a friend. Work, hard work, is the currency of accomplishment, and these kids are starting to reap the dividends of consistent investment in their athletic bank accounts. With medals hanging from their chests and unbelievably new levels of accomplishment freshly minted in their minds, the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow is clearly in sight.
KING, RISING
Great competition can bring out the best in athletes. Rise or fall. Either the competition will bring out the best in the athlete, or he or she will crumble from the pressure. In an action-packed track and field meet against one of the premier track programs in all of the Inland Empire, King rose to the occasion and did battle at every step, throw or leap. With three victories and a narrow loss to show for their efforts, the Wolves showed Canyon Springs that the “new kids on the block” were not to be taken lightly.
The boys varsity match see-sawed throughout the meet. After a slipped block got the 4x100 relay off to a losing start, the team had to rally for points from thereon. But Canyon Springs was able to counter each move and the two squads moved to the bottom of the score book locked in a near dead heat. The final events were thrilling. In the 200, five guys gave chase, when Canyon Springs’ Moore moved ahead, but a hard-charging Tristan Taylor and Mike Rafferty closed for the final four points. In the 3200, Adam Schwarz played tug-o-war with the CS runner for seven of the eight laps, until settling for second. Meanwhile Ivan Guevara was wrapped up in his own dual for third, when it came down to a last furious sprint to the line. It was one of his finest moments in his young racing career. The 4x400 team capped off the afternoon with a SR effort of 3:30. Taylor, Ian Peebles, Arthur Clark and James Ellis put forth the record setting mark. Caught up in the midst of all of this was a great SR and Stadium record in the pole vault by Mark Johnston, who flung himself over 12' 6". In the end though, the war went to the Cougars, who won by a mere 4 points, 70-66.
The girls varsity had a runaway easy victory, but didn’t let the lopsided scoreboard get in the way of strong individual and collective performances. Precocious 9th graders were doing wonderful things all afternoon long. Anna Duffy pulled Monika Valenzuela along in the 400 to a 1-2 finish with identical times of 66.2. They would later team up in the 1600 relay to help run the third fastest mark in school history at 4:21. Fellow 9th grader Jodi Mettler surged majestically in the last 100 of the 800 to snag a third place and one of the fastest 800 times ever at King for freshmen. Zenobia Bracey won the 100 hurdles while Megan Fairley ran a superb effort in the 1600 to win in a SR and stadium record of 5:25.5. The ladies won 96-40.
A mirror of the BV match unfolded in the BJV meet as both schools moved forward and backward on the ledger, until King sealed the deal with a 69-67 narrow win. Matt Cummins, Alec Fillmore and Kevin Rodgers swept the 3200 with solid times, both Matt and Alec ran the third and fourth fastest 9th grade marks in school history. Ryan Sheehan ran exceptionally tough in his finest hour to snatch a crucial mid-meet 3rd place in the 800.Eric Cullen and Austin Mathe took 1-2 in the high jump, while Ryan Gushwa, Jason Sevey and Taylor Fagg swept the 400. It was a close meet, but again, the Wolves rose to the challenge.
Things were not so close in the GJV meet, as the Lady Wolves pulled away immediately and never looked back, ultimately winning by a score of 96-27. In all, the team swept five events, the 800, 300 hurdles, shot put, discus, and high jump, indeed, a good day for the field events.
BREA INVITATIONAL BRINGS SUCCESS
With well-over 30 schools in attendances, some boasting strong track credentials, the King Wolves were treated to quality competition, large fields and impressive athletes in nearly every event. For some in the King contingent, that was nothing more than an invitation to rise to the challenge and compete. Others still, were given a good dose of reality regarding the level of competition outside of Orangecrest. In all it was a good experience.
The hard charging freshman Anna Duffy, so recently moved up from JV to varsity, ran aggressively through four races, three of them relays. In her open 400, she pulled away for the win with a mad-dash down the final straight. Her time of 1:04.4 moved her to fourth on the all-time girls list at King. Fellow one-lapper, Ian Peebles, proved his mettle as well, finishing second in the same event, running a PR of 52.05. The pole vault relay, combining the heights of the three entrants, set a new SR with a total of 33'. Mark Johnston, Pavel Minenkov and Tyler Jackson did the honors there, adding their names to the coveted list. Megan Fairly ran 3rd in the open 1600 with a 5:32.04 mark and the precocious 9th grader Brittney Schuette assertively went after the FS 1600 field, ultimately finishing in 5th and running 5:42, good for 4th on the all-time 9th graders' list. It was an impressive effort. Kellye Lazarus sprinted to a second place finish in the open 100, and the boys triple-jump team of Chris Chamberlain, Javon Moody and Kalikiany Cruetzberg shattered the school record by 10 feet, going 117' 11" to finish in third, while a group of frosh-soph throwers also bettered the frosh-soph SR in the shot put. Matt Malcuit, Rob Malone and Robby Prescott ganged up to put a 117' 6.5" new mark on the board.
In the day's final event, a group of cross country girls, (three freshman and a sophomore) Monika Valenzuela, Anna Duffy, Carly Sjogren and Jodi Mettler showed off some leg speed to win the FS 4x400 relay in a time of 4:30, amazingly, the fourth fastest mark in school history!
SANTIAGO UPENDS GIRLS' WIN STREAK
You have to look back three seasons to find the last dual meet loss for the Ladies of King, but nevertheless, the Sharks of Santiago handed out the second defeat in King High Track history on a warm but very windy afternoon. In the first sporting event to be staged in the newly completed King Stadium, two large teams entered in excess of 300 athletes and saw spirited battles throughout the meet. The varsity girls meet was close throughout, but a forfeiture in the pole vault (ceding all 9 points to Santiago), and wins in every field event spelled doom for King. Morgan Sjogren ran well in two events, scoring a win in the 3200 and a second in the 1600. Kelly Lazarus won close contests in the century and duece to score 10 points. Zenobia Bracey won the short hurdle race and placed second in the 300. But the story turned on the gaps and holes in the lineup that allowed the Sharks to attack and take the victory home. The final tally was 62-73.
The varsity boys rebounded wonderfully from the season-opening loss, winning handily, 82-54. Freshman Nevin Gutteriez played a big role in helping to open up a gap on Santiago late in the meet, as both teams see-sawed through most of the early going. In the 300 hurdles, Gutteriez ran tough over the last two barriers and gutted out a lean at the line to score a critical 5 points. In the next event, the 200 meter-guys came storming around the bend with a strong wind at their backs, and Ian Peebles, Tristan Taylor and Mike Rafferty swept all nine points. In the 3200, David Galante, running his third distance event of the afternoon, won for the second time and was followed by John Ashley who put in a fine second-place performance. The above efforts were enough to make the winning 4x400 relay icing on the cake.
A resounding win was earned by the JV boys, who outdistanced the Sharks 90-46. King swept a number of events, including both relays. Matt Cummins, Matt Sheppard and James Griesinger handled the 1600, while Matt Malcuit, Robert Malone and Chris Chamberlin cleaned up in the discus. King also took all 9 points in the high jump.
The JV Girls had a good meet as well, winning by a 78-57 margin. Kaitlyn Traver won easily in the 1600. Three sweeps took place; Jodi Mettler, Ashley Johnson and Mary Griesinger swept the 800, while Jacqueline Aquino, Amy Manning and Lyndsey Hutcherson swept the 200. Manning, Lauren Antrim and Laura Quesada went 1-3 in the 400. A strong performance across the board by the JV girls.
A FALSE START IN SEASON OPENER
The Wolves started their fifth season with a bobble, a lean, a false start. After several rainouts of critical early season workouts coupled with the late arrival of several key athletes from winter sport CIF action, the first meet of the ’04 campaign against Chaparral High of Temecula proved to be a workout in and of itself, and the first events of the season lurched into being and showed much needed work. With three losses and one victory, it was readily apparent that the season to “finish up to move up” was off to a shaky start.
The girls varsity squad extended their impressive win streak out and into their fifth season. With only one dual meet loss in five years – two years ago to Ontario – the Lady Wolves had to wrestle with the events this day to come away with an 85-51 victory. Marks and times were off of prime levels, but the efforts were good enough to get the win and actually sweep several events. After winning the opening 4x100 relay, King’s Queens would go onto sweep the 400, 100, 800, and 200. Kellye Lazarus had a fine day after a year off of track, to win the 100 and 200. In both events she was followed closely by newcomers, Monika Valenzuela and Samantha Miller both varsity athletes earlier this year in cross county and soccer.
Chaparral’s boys won for the second time in three years with a close, 72-64 final tally. Their strengths came in the hurdles, sweeping both races while also sweeping the shot put. For the Wolves however, there were some solid individual effort sprinkled throughout the contest. Mark Johnston vaulted 12’ 0”, to equal the school record, Nevin Gutteriez launched himself to a new school record in the long jump, leaping 20' 5". The 4x400 relay squad of Guttierez, Ian Peebles, Kojo Arhin and Tristan Taylor got off to an impressive start with a 3:39.2 win, the fastest early season mark such a team has put together ever at King. Mike Rafferty and Mike Myers went 1-2 in the 100 and Myers scored as well in the 200.
The JV girls were pummeled by the Pumas, losing 44-83. Anna Duffy won the 400 in a time that would have landed her the victory of the varsity race, 69.5. Brittney Schuette won her first ever track race as well, sprinting away in the last lap of the 1600 to win in 6:02.4. Brenda Harran, Stephanie Karras and Sydnee Helton swept the pole vault. The boys JV lost a close one, falling 66-69. It was a close battle throughout, but the Pumas were able to counter while getting swept in three events (the 1600, 100 and shot) and losing both relays! King stumbled in the hurdles and both horizontal jumps. Ryan Gushwa had a fine performance in the 400, to win with a 57.7 time.
Normally, a false start is an immediate disqualification. Thankfully, as seasons go, the first meet does not spell doom. This one, however, showed in painfully clear ways, there is much work left to do to get back on the right track.
2005
A SENIOR FAREWELL AT CERRITOS
Zenobia Bracey didn't know she was competiting in the CIF Division One Finals until literally minutes before the gun sounded. Stuck in the unenviable "1st alternate" spot, Zenobia proved the truth of the old adage "good things come to those who wait." Waiting all week for a phone call from CIF that never came, she showed up anyway at Cerritos College hoping upon hope that someone would drop out of the 100 hurdles race and provide her an opportunity to race. As the clerk called the names, that opportunity came. Zenobia made the most of it, zooming her way down the track in 15.68, the fastest time of her life to claim sixth place and the last of the medals. Incredible!
Two other senior King stars made their way to the blue track of Cerritos. Kristina Moore and Caroline Stark competed in the Finals for the first time in their careers. Caroline took to the vault in late morning and cleared 10-00 before missing on three attempts at 10-6. Kristina was off her "A-game" a bit in the four-lap metric mile, and though she made a bold move at 1200 meters to put herself in medal contention, it wasn't to be by the finish line and she ended her season in 8th.
The three seniors symbolize one of the best classes of King track performers the school has had, and their farewell tour at Cerritos was a fitting end to an excellent season.
MAKING THE JUMP TO DIVISION ONE
King entered 24 athletes into it's first-ever CIF Division One preliminary on Saturday and found the competition to be demanding and accepting only of the best. There was little room for error on a warm afternoon at Trabuco Hills High in Mission Viejo, as witnessed by several Wolves who just missed making the Finals at the Southern Section's toughest division. In the end, two jumpers moved on to the Final, while two wait in the wings as alternates.
Caroline Stark had to enter a jump off with teammate Brenda Hanrahan and two other vaulters to decide the last of the nine competitors at next week's Big Dance. With the bar set at 10-3, Caroline was the only one to clear it and move on. Brittany Thurman put an exclamation point on her fine season with a leap of 5' 1" in the high jump to qualify for Finals at 6th place. The two jumpers will be the only guaranteed King competitors at the meet next week at Cerritos College.
Kristina Moore and Zenobia Bracey were left just shy of their qualifying goal, finishing tenth in the 1600 meters and the 100 hurdles respectively. Kristina did everything she could, running a 3-second PR and lowering her own school record in the process, but was left to wait for any of the official nine to drop after finishing a tantalizingly three-tenths of a second away. Zenobia found herself in the same unenviable 10th-overall spot in the 100 hurdles, less than point-2 away!
By Tuesday, good news came from the CIF office indicating Kristina Moore's "alternate status" had been upgraded to "competitor" as two qualified athletes had dropped out leaving room for the move up.
John Ashley ran the school's second-fastest 1600 meters at 4:35.63, his best race of the season and his career. The girls' 4x100 team of Monika Valenzuela, Kellye Lazarus, Amber Mooney and Brittany Thurman reeled of the school record in the event at 49.42, but finished out of the money at 12th place. The boys' one-lap relay team ran a quality 44.07 but were well-back of the qualifying nine.
STELLAR PERFORMANCES HIGHLIGHT IVY LEAGUE FINALS
When asked a century ago how he made his millions, Captain of Industry Cornelius Vanderbilt replied, "I seeeen my opportunities, and I took 'em!"Strong competition in the industry of of athletics is an opportunity to excel, to improve and to rise to another level. Like the great industrialists of the past, the athlete must see the opportunity and take it. That opportunity presented itself Wednesday in the form of the Ivy League finals, a dramatic step up from previous years in terms of competition and depth. Under cool and gusty conditions, the qualified athletes from King did battle and came away from the meet with outstanding marks, high finishes, and 24 individual qualifiers for Division I CIF Preliminaries -- 13 girls and 11 boys.
Kristina Moore highlighted the Wolves' efforts with two titles in the 1600 and 3200 while setting Ivy League records in both events. Her 1600 time of 5:17.27 broke a record set back in 1988 when the senior sprinter was a one-year old toddler! Other event champions were Mark Johnston who earned the vault title with a 13-6 effort and Brenda Hanrahan who claimed the girls vault title at 9-6 for the second year in a row.
Sprinkled throughout the afternoon were strong efforts that harvested numerous medals. Tommy Weathers ran a wind-aided 11.37 100 meters. Ian Peebles fought the winds to a 5th place 200 and 4th place 400. To demonstrate the competitive level of the Ivy league, Ian's time in the 400 would have earned him the victory in the Mountain View league that competed alongside the Ivy all afternoon! Jeremy Baugas ran both his fastest and smartest 800 in his career, cruising along in last at the 400 and then rocketing a negative-split 63.5-61.6 for a 2:05 and a photo finish with 4th/5th placing! John Ashley gutted out a terrific 4:39.44 third place in the 1600 meters, .7 seconds under the CIF qualifying time. Matt Cummins finished fourth in the 3200, a fine effort for the sophomore! Corey Everett showed his trademark style and flash in the hurdles earned two medals on the day. Rashad Bias triple jumped to 4th at 41' even, Carrington Mathews, just a rookie, high jumped to runner-up at 6-4 and out in the throws, Robert Malone finished 2nd and Matt Malcuit was fouth in the discus.
On the girls' side, Kellye Lazarus finished out her fine career with a second and third in the century and deuce, Lindsay Vitort followed her fellow 12th grader with a battle for 4th in the 800 as she and the three girls in front of her crossed the line within a second of each other! Zenobia Bracey ran 15.74 in the hurdles. Brittany Thurman who has improved so dramatically this season, went 5-4 in the high jump for second. Maile Pacheco PR'd in the long jump for second and mimicked the finish in the triple just for good measure. She earned her 3rd medal in the 100 hurdles, coming across in 4th. Fellow hurdler Zenobia Bracey medaled in both barrier events and wisked herself to a wind-aided sub-16 second sprint in the 100 meter version. Morgan Sjogren placed second in the 3200 and was followed by freshman Carissa Bowman in 4th who notched King's 5th fastest time ever in the 8-lapper at 12:03.
It was, in the end, a thrilling meet of fast-paced and high flying action. King's track program found the next level, and made the most of the opportunity. Now, on to CIF!
A LOCK ON 2ND IN FIRST IVY LEAGUE SEASON
The varsity teams clinched second-place finishes in their first year of Ivy League action after defeating easily the Lions of Arlington. It was a bit of deja-vu for Coach Corona as he went up against his former team for the first time since leaving Arlington in 2001. The boys varsity won 86-41, the girls varsity 106-21, the JV boys 91-11 and the JV girls won by forfeit.
As the teams prepared to move into the Ivy League finals set for next week, for some it was a tuneup, while others it was a meet to build momentum for their final efforts in 7 days. Arlington's few standout boys made a number of the events close ones, and they served notice they wouldn't go lightly after winning the opening event, the 4x100 relay. But the Wolves came storming back with sweeps of the shot, 800, discus, 1600 and 3200. Alec Fillmore won his first varsity event of the year in the 3200 at 11:18.4, and Rashad Bias showed some of his early season leaping ability going 42-10 in the triple jump. The girls took first place in every event save the 400 and the 1600 relay. Larissa Davis got things rolling in the first event with her first ever varsity win at 3200 meters. Andrea Morrison closed out her dual meet career winning the discus as did fellow seniors, Zenobia Bracey, Kelly Lazarus, Maile Pacheco, and Kristina Moore -- each winning their respective events in their final team competition of high school.
North's girls will end up winning the league title on the girls' side, while La Sierra wins the crown for the boys in their first season in the Ivy League. After five straight league titles for the Lady Wolves the streak has been broken, but not without great effort, teamwork and improvement
FIELD LEADS TRACK IN RESOUNDING WIN OVER CANYON SPRINGS
In the three year history of King vs. Canyon Springs it never turned out this way. Led by remarkable performances and two school records in the field events, King won easily on both sides for the first time over the Cougars.
Though the track runners had their fair share of strong efforts, for King the day was held by the field events. Class of 2005's Valedictorian, Caroline Stark, had a wonderful outing in the vault, exactly one year after her return from ACL surgery. At an attempt at 10-9, one inch above Krystle Ruiz's SR, she hit the bar, the bar bounced ... but settled back on it's perch for a new record. Two attempts later at 11' 0", she brushed the beam again, and again it held for a huge accomplishment. Fellow vaulter Brenda Hanrahan moved off a season-long 9' 6" perch of her own to PR at 10'0", the third-best vault in school history. Next door in the triple jump, senior Maile Pacheco put together her best triple every at 31-11. Valerie Shunkwiler hopped, leaped and jumped to the 5th all-time best for King with a mark of 31' 9", good for second place. Andrea Morrison upped her own school record in the discus with a 108' 8" throw, while Diedre Russell launched a 20' improvement for herself with a number-two all time effort at 99' 7"! The girls would win easily, scoring over a century at 104-30.
The boys varsity also saw it's highlights come in the field events. Carrington Mathews skied to a 6' 4" clearance in the high jump, the best jump in four years for King, and only 2 inches below Marvin Lea's SR at 6'6". Robert Malone had a great day throwing things around in the north field, with an improvement on his own SR in the shot at 50' 4.5" -- the first King thrower to put it beyond 50 feet. Matt Malcuit pushed his third-best all time discus throw up a couple of feet with a second-place finish at 147' 11.5". Mark Johnston, Pavel Minenkov and Tyler Jackson did sweeping duties in the vault. A notable effort in the track events was the 800 meters turned in by Jeremy Baugus who ran alone for two laps and notched the fifth-fastest time in school history at 2:06.64. After losing by two points in 2004, the boys won this one easily, 99-37.
Canyon Spring's JV boys team was their single bright light on the afternoon, defeating King 75-48. The Wolves could only win six events. Jason Sevey and Marques Lea went 1-2 in the 400, Joe Chen earned a win in the 100 meter dash while Belfield and Bell took home victories int the 300 hurdles and long jump respectively. The JV girls was nearly as lopsided as the two varsity contests were, with King winning 77-22. Addy Odekirk had two victories in the 800 and 1600. Lorie Carroll and Amy Filakousky switched first and second place duties in both hurdle races and Jessica Nosce won the discus.
GIRLS VARSITY PLACES THIRD AT INLAND EMPIRE CHAMPIONSHIPS
The second annual Inland Empire championships brought together 38 schools to set the stage for a showdown of the best teams in the area. While the boys and girls frosh soph teams as well as the boys varsity finished well down in the final scores, the girls varsity team finished third overall, behind North and Rancho Verde. In the process, a couple of school records (SR) were improved upon, and a number of athletes had solid performances.
Kristina Moore put together the finest race of her career in a well-paced and calculated 1600 meters, finishing 4th overall. Her time of 5:13.89 was a full six seconds of her prior best and dropped the SR a whopping six seconds as well. The girls 4x100 relay team of Kellye Lazarus, Amber Mooney, Monika Valenzuela and Britany Thurman scorched the black track for a school record 49.53 and a third place finish. Also in the scoring for the varsity girls throughout the day was Caroline Stark and Stephanie Karas in the vault (2-3), Britany Thurman was second in the high jump at 5-0, while Cosette Deslonde tied for fifth in the event with a leap of 4-10. Lindsay Vitort finished fifth in the 800 at 2:28.28, Zenobia Bracey was fifth in the 100 hurdles at a PR of 16.56. Morgan Sjogren was second overall in the 3200 and Kellye Lazarus finished fourth in the 100 meter dash. Finally, Brenda Hanrahan won the frosh/soph pole vault at 9-0.
The boys teams scored poorly against the region's schools, but their day was highlighted by some personal victories. Nick Ehret lowered his own 1600 mark to 4:42.97, fourth all-time for King. Matt Cummins PR'd as well in the 3200 with a third place finish in the FS race at 10:19.25. Senior Ian Peebles ran a PR in the 400 at 51.23. Jovaun Moody and Corey Everett ran side-by-side to sub 17 second efforts in the 110 high hurdle event. Jared Chrisman scored in the discus. The day's final event, the vault, saw Mark Johnston and Pavel Minenkov have an outstanding day, going third and sixth, with Minenkov notching a huge PR at 13-5 3/4"!
DOGFIGHT BRINGS VICTORY AND DEFEAT
The Huskies of North and the Wolves of King did battle on Wednesday, and the results were decidedly mixed. The long-victorious ladies of North continued their winning ways, but had to work for a 15 point victory over King, while the boys of King dominated both levels, winning overwhelmingly at the JV level and decidedly at the varsity level.
King's JV boys team won by it's largest margin ever, 136-2. The two points the Huskies scored came in third place finishes in the 800 and the 200. The varsity team earned a 92-44 victory with outstanding performances and hard efforts throughout the meet and in all corners of the venue. After a botched final exchange in the 4x100 gave North five points in the first event, the boys came back with a sweep of the 1600 and the 100. Corey Everett fought for a victory in the 100 hurdles, leaning at the line. Later he came back to dodge and jump over a competitor in the 300 hurdles to secure a second-place finish. Robert Malone and Matt Malcuit went 1-2 in the discus and 1-3 in the shot. The victory came easier than anticipated, given North's tradition of excellence in track over the years.
North's ladies have won the Ivy League title for at least the last nine seasons and in that span have added numerous CIF and State crowns to their trophy chest as well. They had to scrap for the victory Wednesday, as the Lady Wolves made every effort a quality one and took North to the line in nearly every event. The King attack was perhaps symbolized in Kristina Moore and Lindsay Vitort's race in the 800. Taking North's ace Lorraine King on, right from the gun, the two pushed the pace through 600 meters until Moore took a 5 meter lead into the final straight. King edged into the lead with 50 to go but slowed two steps from the finish and a hard-charging effort by Kristina gave her the lean and victory. Kellye Lazarus did rare duty in the long jump and finished second, while taking second in the 100 and 200, running a PR of 12.4 in the century. Britany Thurman pushed the leader in the high jump while PR-ing at 5'2" to finish second. Andrea Morrison extended her own SR in the discus with a win at 105' 2", and Caroline Stark set a new PR at 10'6" in the vault.
The JV girls won handily as well. Lauren Antrim, Kasie Shaw and Misty Masgula swept the 800. Chauntel Riser won in the 400 again, and Krystal Solomona had strong efforts for victory in both hurdle races.
KING'S ELITES FARE WELL AT ARCADIA
King High sent many of its best athletes to the Arcadia Invitational, the premier national-class invitational in the country. Most came back with success in their pockets and valuable experience to spend in later competitions.
Britany Thurman finished third on Friday in the high jump, marking her place with a leap of 5-0. The girls 4xmile team of the Sjogren sisters, Carissa Bowman and Kristina Moore set a new school record in the event at 22:09.17, to finish in 8th in the invitational heat of the event. Kristina Moore doubled back to run a fine 5:20.71 for the full mile in the open race on Saturday morning. It was a personal record for the senior runner and a school record in the rarely contested event. (The 1600 meters race is more commonly run and is approximately 9 yards short of a mile). The 4x100 team of Jackie Aquino, Amber Mooney, Britany Thurman and Monika Valenzuela ran a solid 51.19 in their heat to finish third. Caroline Stark finished 4th in the pole vault at 9-6 to medal along with Thurman in the other vertical event.
The boys were not quite as sharp as the girls, but nonetheless gained valuable experience going against some of the best in the state, region and country. Rashad Bias was off his best form in the triple jump, going 39-01 to finish thirteenth. The squad of Matt Cummins, Nick Ehret, Jeremy Baugus and John Ashley finished 20th overall in their heat of the 4xmile.
FIRST FROSH SOPH INVITATIONAL SHOWCASES KING'S FUTURE
The first annual King High Frosh Soph Invitational was a chance for the younger athletes and future stars of the program to shine on a stage all their own. King's kids did just that, with the boys finishing third overall (half-a-point ahead of Claremont!), while the girls (who were missing a handful of potential scorers) finished fifth.
For the boys, Brian Deslonde had a great day in the jumps, leaping to a PR of 18-0 in the long jump. Matt Cummins, Nick Ehret and Colton Underwood combined for 18 points in the 3200 meters, finishing 2,3,4. Ehret ran a PR for the race, doubling up his stellar day with a PR and fourth-fastest all-time in the 1600 meters at 4:43. He scored 14 points on the day. Eddie Santiago finished 7th overall in the 110 high hurdles and hurdle-partner Chris Phillips scored 2 points for the team in the 300 meter version of the discipline. The 4x100 team finished third overall. Danny Stark continued his stellar ways in the vault, winning at 12-0.
The girls struggled a bit at less than 100% of their full complement of athletes, but there were still some good performances. Brenda Hanrahan mimicked Stark's performance in the pole vault by winning. Jasmine Simpson placed second in the high jump. Larissa Davis scored in both the 800 and the 1600, winning the 16 with a time of 5:38. Brittany Schuette also placed in the points in the 1600, running to a 5:47 mark. The meet proved to be a success for all concerned, as several coaches remarked on the speed, efficiency and organization of the event.
IVY NEOPHYTES SPLIT DECISIONS
The Ivy League's newest members, La Sierra and King, clashed at La Sierra's track on Wednesday and the results were mixed. King's girls varsity squad continued to roll easily, setting up a titanic clash in two weeks against the league's perenial power, North. The boys had it very rough, as a dominant Eagle squad consumed nearly every event, shutting out or limiting the Wolves to only one scorer in every event but two. The JV teams also split the decisions with King winning on the boys side.
87-47 was the girls' score, with King winning.. Kristina Moore, Morgan Sjogren and Carissa Bowman got things rolling early with a shut out in the 2-mile. Brittany Thurman cleared 4-10 in the high jump and Maile Pacheco and Valerie Shunkwiler went 1-2 in the triple jump. King's mighty vaulters cleaned up again in their high-flying event, as Caroline Stark, Brenda Hanrahan and Stephanie Karas all went above 9'0". Zenobia Bracy scored 8 points in the two hurdle events. With 9-year undefeated North coming in two short weeks, the matchup should be spectacular.
La Sierra's boys are dubbed "the best in Riverside County" and their talent, depth and spread showed the billing to be true. Outside of their two weaknesses (the 100 and the pole vault), the Eagles soared all afternoon, despite strong efforts by King to match them. The final score was 100-36. Robert Malone had a huge PR in the shot put, throwing 47-2 for second on the all-time list. He won the discus as well at 138'2". King's vaulters continue to climb, as Pavel Minenkov, Mark Johnston and Tyler Jackson all cleared 12', the first time that has happened in school history. At the end, with the outcome decided, John Ashley played up the "class, character and courage" of our program by running a hard two mile, despite the talent of his opponents who had already shut out all of King's distance runners in the first two multi-lap races. After the race, in which he finished third, he said "my goal was to score at least one point in the distances, and to force them to have to work." Goal accomplished.
The JV boys won the meet, 75-61, winning both relays and scoring strongly in the jumps. Marques Lea had a very good day, anchoring the 4x400 and placing second in the 400, long jump and 200. King's JV girls came up just short, down by 10 points at the meet's conclusion. Chauntel Riser won the 400, and Misty Masgula, Britany Schuette and Addy Odekirk combined for a sweep of the 800.
BIG WINS OVER POLY BEARS
King's introduction to the Ivy league could well have been "Well, how do you do!" A dominant performance by the girls and both JV teams over the Poly Bears showed that the new kids in the league were to be reckoned with. A close, hard-fought battle between the boys varsity squads served notice that the Ivy League would not be a pushover on the boys side.
Only 10 points separated the two varsity boys teams by the end of the meet, ten points that could very well have been decided in the first event of the meet - the 4x100 relay. On paper, Poly should have won the event, and both head coaches admitted later that Poly was penciled in as the winner of the event's solitary 5 points. Through three legs the two teams entered the final straight side-by-side, but a less-than-perfect exchange for Poly gave just enough daylight to Tommy Weathers to dash home for the win. It was a 10 point turnaround on the books. But meets are not won by one event, and it was full-tilt efforts throughout the afternoon that sealed King's first Ivy league victory. Ian Peebles shadowed Poly's Lewis in the 400 to lean for the victory. Weathers and Jamal Jones went 2-3 in the 100. King's normally solid distance crew was outshined by individual Poly victories, but the group was able to score 4 points in both the 800 and 3200. The throwers split their two events with Poly, but Robert Malone set a new school record in the shot with a put of 43' 5".
50 points separated the girls varsity teams, and the meet wasn't much in doubt from the first event sweep in the 3200 and a 400 relay victory. Deidre Russell continued her dramatic rookie improvement to win the shot put at 33 feet with Andrea Morrison inspired to win the discus and break her own school record at 101' 7". Russell went on to throw 83-6 in the discus, good for 5th on King's all-time list. Caroline Stark upped her personal record to 10'1" in the vault, and new stadium record. The boys JV team scored over 100 points, dominating throughout, sweeping six events and taking both relays. Joe Chen won the short sprint events. Ben Richey, Brody Womack and David Sundey swept the discus with all three heavers going beyond 100'. John Clem continued his fine sophomore season with a victory in the 800 and James Griesinger captured his first win in the 400 at 57.3. Alec Fillmore won both of the distance races. The girls JV teams were just as successful, winning every event but the relays. Krystal Solomona won both hurdles runs in helping the team to victory.
13 RECORDS FALL AT NORCO RELAYS
With “record setting day” as the goal for the day, the goal was accomplished by the end of the day. At the 31st Annual Chet Nicholson/Norco Relays, King’s elite track athletes stormed the field and track and took down 13 separate relay event school records (SR). Though a few were by slim margins, many of the records were, simply put, shattered. It was an exciting day that culminated not only with a reordering of the record books, but for the girls, it was a victorious as well, as the Lady Wolves took home the team title.
The 31 year history of the meet saw it’s own record book changed at the conclusion of the first event, as Carissa Bowman, Morgan Sjogren, Carly Sjogren and Kristina Moore set a meet record (and SR) running 22:05.84 to win the 4x1600 relay. That got the ball rolling, and five more relay groups set their own all-time marks. In the pole vault, Caroline Stark, Stephanie Karas and Brenda Hanrahan all eclipsed 9-0 to win at 27-6, two feet beyond their own school record. Lindsay Vitort, Anna Duffy, Jackie Aquino, and Monika Valenzuela ran 4:26.50 in the sprint medley, a combination of 2x200, 400 and 800 legs. Jackie Smith, Deidre Russell and Andrea Morrison combined for a shot put relay record at 91’ 6.5”. It was almost 14 feet better than the previous SR. The 8x200 team finished second overall for a SR at 3:56.00, and the Distance Medley (1200, 400, 800, 1600) of seniors Morgan Sjogren, Stephanie Erdodi and Kristina Moore sandwiching freshman Larissa Davis took down the school best going 13:08.73 and finish second.
The boys were not a-top the leader board but were busy putting many of their names on the all-time lists as well. The team of Matt Cummins, Nick Ehret, Jeremy Baugus and John Ashley took home an SR in their version of the 4x1600 finishing in the medals at 19:13.95. The 8x100 ran 1:38.28 for their record, while the Mighty “M’s” in the throws (Munro, Malone and Moore) obliterated the shot relay best by going 132-11. Munro, only a frosh, heaved the heavy ball a whopping 44-7.25 in route to the relay record and fifth on the individual all-time list. Malone, Malcuit and Chrisman set a SR in the discus relay, with a combined effort of 377-10. The shuttle hurdle team of Travis Mills, Corey Everett, Jovaun Moody and Kalikiano Cruetzberg ran 1:09:00 to lower the mark by 2 seconds. Rashad Bias, Moody and Markus Clarke established a new record in the long jump relay, flying 54’1”.
With both squads almost completely at full strength, the results were a gratifying step forward for the team, as the Norco Relays served as a mid-season “goal date” for 2005. With a victory in the bag and a radically new record list written it could well be said “mission accomplished.”
DISTANCE CREW RECORDS RECORDS AT AZUSA PACIFIC
School and personal records were the order of the day as the distance crew traveled to Azusa Pacific University to compete in the Arroyo Distance Carnival against many of southern and central California's best distance teams. With outstanding weather conditions except for intermittent rainfall, the meet helped to produce for King's multi-lappers, a host of personal records (PR's) and one school record.
King's fabulous freshmen ruled the day. Carissa Bowman shattered the 9th grade school record in the 1600 meters by over 11 seconds by competing ferociously over four laps with some of the top distance runners around. Holding third going into the last lap, she ultimately crossed the line in 10th, but only 2 seconds separated 8 of those 10 finishers. Her time of 5:24.62 was also good for the third fastest in King history, regardless of grade level. Larissa Davis came within two seconds of a 9th grade record in the 800 running a huge 2:33 PR for the two laps. She also PR'd in the 1600. Addy Odekirk tripled, running PR's in the 3200 and later in the 1600, and adding her name to the all-time list. Brittani Ciupek, Tiffinni Bauman, Kasie Shaw and Jamie Steffin all ran their fastest times ever in the 1600 as well.
Matt Cummins and John Ashley both altered the all-time list in the boys 1600, with Ashley gutting out a 4:39 effort and Cummins coming across the line with a 4:44 mark. Both were all-time bests. Cummins later ran in the Invitational section of the frosh-soph 3200 and ran another PR of 10:27. Nick Ehret had a strong day going 2:09.84 in the half and doubling back with a fine 4:51 in the 1600. Lindsay Vitort got a bit closer to her stated goal of capturing the school record in the 800 by running a personal best 2:26.07. Morgan Sjogren, Nashatar Gill and Alec Fillmore all had PR's in the 3200, and Jeremy Baugus and Terrence Kirby were placing themselves on the all-time list in the 800 with efforts under 2:10. Kristina Moore matched her best time in the 1600, finishing in the fastest heat of the day at 5:19.85. Kaitlin Traver had big, big, lifetime bests in both the 3200 and 1600. Ed Willits, Bradley Yarbrough, Jon Clem, Brett Meier, Eric Padilla, Colton Underwood and Ethan Park all added to the soggy, yet record producing day.
LATE RUSH PRODUCES CLOSE FINISHES
With four events left to score in the boys pre-league matchup between Los Osos, Chino Hills and King on Wednesday, it looked like the Bears of Los Osos would run away from both the Huskies and the Wolves. Up by 18 points, the meet appeared to be well in hand for the upstart Rancho Cucamonga squad which had displayed great talent in the sprints all afternoon. But that was with four events to go. The Bears went into hibernation and the Wolves went on the attack. Rashad Bias, Marcus Clark and Chris Chamberlin took 9 points in the triple jump, and Pavel Minenkov and Danny Stark went 1-4 in the vault to score 6 with Chino Hills helping King's cause by securing five points in the same event, effectively shutting out Los Osos. Then the dominant performance of Chino Hills' long-runners in the 3200, running 1,2,3 and taking 10 points helped bring both King and CHHS closer to Los Osos who were stalled at 58 points to King's 56. The final event saw King falter badly however, running a very distant third in the 4x400, giving Los Osos the final tally and victory of 63-56-51. King competed well and their valient efforts closed the gap near the end, but finished the team in second place.
With four events left to record on the girls side, the Lady Wolves saw and heard the reality: Chino Hills leading 58-50 with Los Osos a distance in third. With the challenge set, two of King's solid point getters, the vaulters and distance runners came through as they often do. Caroline Stark, Stephanie Karas, Brenda Hanrahan and Erin Fitzgerald did sweeping duty in the vault winning all 11 points the high-flying event had to offer, and Morgan Sjogren, Kristina Moore and Carissa Bowman went 1,3,4 to score 8 critical points in the 3200. Under the lights the two balanced teams then took out their batons and faced off for the final event, a thrilling four lap exchange of metal. Side by side, lap by lap, the two teams raced, with youngsters Monika Valenzuela, Amber Mooney and Anna Duffy running like seasoned veterans in the first three circuits. The final pass to senior Kellye Lazarus was two steps behind Chino Hills' 800 meter ace, Roxanne Franco. Lazarus patiently bided her time on Franco's shoulder until only 100 meters remained, a distance she's fairly familiar with. At that point she dropped the hammer and moved into lane two and finalized what had become a truly exciting meet with a King victory 76-67-26.
It was as track should be. Teams calling on all corners of both track and field to dig down and find a way. A close battle with the victor decided only in the waning laps.
KING HAS A FIELD DAY AT BREA
Once again, King sent a strong group of athletes to the annual Brea Olinda Relays in Brea, California on Saturday March 12th. Even though the sun never quite broke through, the day shined for a number of individuals and relay teams, as records were broken and future stars were born. Freshman, Amber Mooney, came through with many of the day’s top performances as she competed as a renaissance track star. Mooney ran to a 4th place time in the 100 meter individual, was part of the medal winning 100 meter relay team, ran in the 400 meter relay and took part in the pole vault relay. The girl’s high jump relay team of Brittany Thurman, Jazzmine Simpson, and Cosette Deslonde took first place with a combined jump of 14 feet 4 inches, falling just short of a school record. Equally impressive was the 6th place performance of the girl’s triple jump combination of Maili Pacheco, Janelle Jackson and Stephanie Erdodi and the medal-winning group of vaulters made up of Brenda Hanrahan, Erin Fitzgerald and Stephanie Karas. Anna Duffy once again showed her individual skill in the 400 by placing 4th overall with a time of 62.8.
On the boy’s side, the shuttle hurdle relay team made up of Corey Everett, Jovaun Moody, Kalikiano Cruetzberg and Travis Mills broke the school record with an impressive performance of 1:11.5. Once again, the pole-vaulters continued to dominate their event and finished tied for second overall with Chino Hills, our competition for Wednesday’s meet. Mark Johnston, Pavel Minkinov and Danny Stark also broke the school record by posting a relay performance of 34 feet 6 inches. King’s throwers made the biggest impact on the boy’s side as they won several medals and broke two school records, one in the shot put (Malcut, Malone and Munro-119 feet 10 inches) and one in the throwers relay (Malcut, Malone, Munro and Bowie-53.5 seconds). Jovaun Moody placed in both hurdle events, as did Ian Peebles in the open 400 and the 4x400 relay.
SHARKS PROVE TOOTHLESS, KING WINS
Several years of mighty battles between two large and capable track teams came well short of a struggle on Wednesday, as all four of King's track squads were able to win easily. Accustomed to great see-saw affairs over the last two seasons, the lopsided victories came as a bit of a surprise, but the decisions help to build important momentum heading into the league season a short two weeks away. The boys varsity won 105-39; girls varsity 92-48; girls JV 92-22; and the boys JV 75-47.
The Lady Wolves' rebounded from a close loss to Santiago last season - only the second loss in school history - by dominating all but four events. A poor exchange in the 400 relay would have made the final score even larger and moved King close to the century mark. The field events were strong, sweeping the discus, triple jump and vault. Lindsay Vitort, Kristina Moore and Jodi Mettler combined to sweep the 800 as well. At the JV level, King lost only two events, while sweeping the 3200, 100 hurdles, 400, vault, 300 hurdles, shot and the 1600. It was a dominating performance across both track and field.
The boys saw some great efforts and performances, especially in the jumps. Carrington Matthews leaped 6' 0" in the JV high jump, but the mark surpassed all jumpers on the day, including the varsity! The effort places him third-best in school history! Another newcomer, Rashad Bias, shattered the school record in the triple jump going 43' 10" - a full foot-and-a-half farther than the old mark by Jimmy Kirkemo ('04). Rashad also finished third in the long jump at 19' 7". Ian Peebles marked his return with a four event effort, winning the 400, 200 and carrying the stick in both victorious relays. Ivan Guevara ran a lifetime best in the 800 to win, nearly side-by-side with Jeremy Baugus and Terrence Kirby who also ran the fastest two-lapper in his career. Tommy Weathers picked up a victory in the 100. Ryan Sheehan won the JV 800 and Mario Godoy vaulted 9' 0" to win that JV event.
CLOSE LOSS, BIG WINS
The three year history of King vs. Chaparral producing close contests between the two school's varsity boys teams extended itself with a three-point difference in the Puma victory.
Tied together for most of the season opener, the Wolves pulled into the lead with a late-reporting 8-1 score in the pole vault and a thrilling sweep in the 3200, scoring 9 points. But in the closing event, the 4x400, the Chaparral foursome won easily to capture the win. With a key member of the '05 squad missing and the absence of graduated contributors from '04, the boys entered the meet with some questions. Faced with the strong competition, they answered many of those queries with fierce battles and "step-up" performances.
After a Chaparral DQ in the 4x100, John Ashley and Nick Ehret ran personal bests in the 1600 to score 8 points. Cory Everett, Terrance Kirby, Jamaal Jones and Tommy Weathers placed third in the hurdles, 400, long jump and 100. The 1-2 punch of Chaparral's in the middle of the meet put a King victory in jeopardy until Mark Johnston skied 13'7" in the vault to set a school and stadium record and pull Pavel Minenkov to a second place at 11'6". That set the stage for a 7 and a half lap total team effort in the 3200. Matt Cummins, Ashley, and Jeremy Baugus did tag team duty on the lone Puma long-runner and timed their attack perfectly in the final circuit to sweep all 9 points. The final score was 69-66 with King in defeat by less than 10 points to the Tememcula squad for the third time.
The Lady Wolves were not pressured by a slim margin, in fact, from the opening 3200 9-point sweep to the closing 1600 and 4x400 sweep, the win was a comfortable 84-52 gap. Morgan Sjogren scored 11 of those points in winning the 1600, and taking second behind Lindsay Vitort in the 800 and second in the 3200. Brittany Thurman won both the high jump and the 100 meters while helping stick a win in the 4x100 relay. Monica Valenzuela went 2-1 in the 400 and 200. Andrea Morrison came close to the century in the discus to finish in third.
In the JV contests, King was the winner easily, with the boys in victory 89-43 and the girls 88-46. Alec Fillmore ran well to win the two distance races. Tyler Jackson scored 5 points in the vault to lead Mario Godoy and Dylan Koroluck to a King sweep. Ryan Sheehan had a very strong second lap in the 800 to win the event, as Chaparral went 2-3. He also scored 3 points in running second in the 1600. The JV girls swept the 100 hurdles, shot put, 800 meters, 300 hurdles, pole vault, and 1600 meters. Chauntel Riser was victorious in the 400, Krystle Solomona in both hurdle races, Lauren Antrim in the 800 and Erin Fitzgerald in the vault. A good first meet for the 2005 season!
2006
KING VAULTS ITS WAY INTO CIF FINALS
The consistency of King's vault crew and throwers over the years has been one of the cornerstones of the King Track and Field Program. That pursuit of excellence continued to display itself Saturday at the CIF Southern Section Division One Preliminaries held at Trabuco Hills High School. Pavel Minenkov vaulted his way into the Finals making him the sixth King vaulter in seven seasons to earn one of the coveted "Top Nine" spots in the Section. Robert Malone cruised into the Finals in the shot put (he earned an alternate's position in the discus) with a good throw over 51'.
Sprinkled throughout many of the other events were solid efforts. The girls 4x100 team finished 14th overall (top 9 qualify in all events) at a year's best of 49.90. Carissa Bowman saved the best for last with a PR and King #2 time of 5:17.65. She was 18th on the day. The girls 4x400 team ran a solid 4:08.51 time, improving off of their 4:11 qualifying mark from League.
Brittany Thurman just missed an automatic bid in the high jump. She cleared 5-2, but finished in 10th as the first alternate into CIF Finals. Diedre Russell had a good afternoon in the shot, throwing beyond 35'. Danny Stark got over 12-6 in the vault, but did not qualify.
A MAJESTIC 2006 IVY LEAGUE FINALS
The Ivy League Finals took it's show to Riverside Community College's wonderful new facility, and upon a new and fast track and amid great competition, King's finest track and field athletes did battle and proved themselves worthy contenders in nearly every event.
With as many quality track and field athletes as the Ivy League boasts of, to come out on top with an individual league title is quite an accomplishment. King took home four champions. Robert Malone capped his terrific senior season with a victory in the shot put. His mark of 51' 1.25" was off his personal best, but it was good enough to outdistance the field. Pavel Minenkov battled through an injured back to win on less misses over teammate Danny Stark at 12'-6 in the pole vault. Pavel's title is the fourth in a row for King, as Mark Johnston ('05 & '04), and Jimmy Kirkemo ('03) were the past three winners. The third King to wear the crown, Vivian Ibewiro, won the triple jump by hop, skipping and jumping to a mark of 33' 10.5". Carly Sjogren finished the winning at the end of the evening with a stirring 3200 meter race in which she latched onto the lead pack from the get-go and then deftly moved away with 800 meters, running to a personal best of 11:51. Her victory in the event marks the fourth straight year that a King girl has won the 3200; Megan Fairley ('03), Morgan Sjogren -- Carly's older sister ('04) and Kristina Moore -- who set the league record at 11:30.34 --('05). Quite a string! (Wierd twist: Morgan Sjogren won the Ivy League title in 2002 while running for North - she came to King as a soph -- so is that five in a row? Your call!)
Behind the champions, great efforts and marks characterized a great day for the King kids. John Ashley qualified for the CIF preliminaries in the 1600, as did Matt Cummins in the 3200, who led a contingent of King long-runners who finished their season well. Nash Gill and Patrick Gonzalez both ran PR's in the 8-lap race. Carissa Bowman finished second in the 1600 meters in what turned out to be a crazy race as there were three lead changes in the final lap! Monika Valenzuela ran King's fourth fastest 800 time ever (2:26.42) but finished 4th in what was a very fast field. After battling injury early in the season, it was a great effort for the junior. Sara Strasbaugh and Jodi Mettler both ran seasonal bests in the same race that saw five of the eight racers dip below 2:31.
King's hurdlers had a great day, on purpose and by accident. As two false starts in the girls 100 HH took out two of the league's top hurdlers, Krystle Solomona and Brittany Haynes seized an opportunity in a more open field and snagged 3rd and 5th place medals respectively. Allene Finch, who has had a stunning last three weeks of improvement, continued the course she's been on with King's 4th fastest 300 LH mark at 49.17 and a 5th place finish. On the boys side, Chris Belfield and Sam Jeter had great outings, the two finished .02 apart, with Belfield's 42.03 a tie of the School Record set by Jon Barilone back in 2002.
Jamie Jelks launched himself like a circus act in the long jump, surpassing his previous best in the event by a whole foot! His school record setting leap of 21' 10.25" was still only good enough for third in the loaded Ivy League. Teammate Rashad Bias finished out of the top three but still qualified for CIF by besting a rigorous "at large" standard. In the vault, it was virtually all King on both sides. Sky Macdonald and Stephanie Karas finished 2nd and 3rd on the girls side while Ryan Sibley completed the King sweep behind Minenkov and Stark on the boys' side. Brittany Thurman battled in the high jump after a leg cramp in her take-off leg started; she still managed to finish second overall, with a clearance of 5-0 on her third and final attempt. Jasmine Simpson jumped a PR at 5-0 to finish her season off on a high note.
King's top throwers had their typical fine outings. Robert Malone's league title in the shot was backed up with a second place throw in the discus. Diedre Russell was the runner up in the shot.
In the sprints, the girls fared well. Autumn White ran King's 5th fastest all-time mark in the 200 and Julie Lambert ran King's #4 all time 100 meter dash time at 12.76 to medal in fifth. Amber Mooney finished 5th, Anna Duffy 6th and Tiffany West 7th in what was an abnormally slow field of the 400 (only the winner eclipsed 60 seconds).
So all in all, it was quite an afternoon and evening, culminating King's second season in the competitive Ivy League. Four individual titles, numerous PR's, and everyone involved giving their best on the final day. It is, ultimately, what sports is all about.
ALL FOUR LEVELS WIN THE LAST DUAL OF THE SEASON
Arlington posed the last obstacle to several significant outcomes on the 2006 dual meet season. For the varsity teams, wins would bring the highest victory count in a season in the school's history (9 for the girls, 7 for the boys). For the JV girls, a win would put them atop the victory stand as the undefeated league champions. After a cold and cloudy afternoon of competition, King walked away victorious on all accounts.
The JV girls scored the first shutout in school history, not allowing the Lions even a nibble of a point, 107-0. Tifinnie Baumann and Bekah Fairley started the blowout in the 3200, and Katy Coggins and Natalia Gardner finished it up in the pole vault. Though Arlington was unable to field much competition, the Lady Wolves nonetheless put forth fine efforts on what would be for many of them, their last contest of the season. The JV boys were not pressed with much more than the girls, as Arlington managed to score only 12 points in this match.
At the varsity level, both the boys and girls scores were just as lopsided as the JV's. The boys won 107-29, and without a serious push in most of the events, the marks and times reflected a more leisurely pursuit of victory. 90 points separated King and Arlington's girls at the varsity level. Deidre Russell upped her own school and stadium record in the shot put with a heave of 53'11".
BOYS CRUISE, GIRLS CLOSE AGAINST CANYON SPRINGS
Rebounding from losses a week ago, the boys varsity won easily against the Cougars of Canyon Springs, while the girls battled to a close, 12 point victory. The JV's split the contest, with the boys going down to defeat and the girls winning, to effectively lock up the JV league title with a win over Arlington next week.
The girls got things rolling with an 8-1 victory in the first event, the 3200. Carissa Bowman and Carly Sjogren did the duties there, but Canyon Springs' relay team followed up with a close victory despite a great 50.44 time by King's foursome. From there, the two teams played a virtual tag-team exchange of event victories, as Canyon Springs won the 100, 200, 800, high and long jumps. But it was a flury of second and third place "victories" that pulled King out on top. Monika Valenzuela and Jodi Mettler battled for the four combined extra points in the 800, Brittany Thurman and Jassmine Simpson went 2-3 in the high jump, Krystal Solomona and Brittany Haynes did likewise in the 100 hurdles. Allane Finch won the 300 version of the hurdles. A sweep of the 1600 in the closing minutes of the meet by Carissa Bowman, Carly Sjogren and a hard-charging Larissa Davis helped push the meet over into King's favor, as well as a 1-3 finish by Stephanie Karas and Sky MacDonald in the vault. The final score was 74.5 to 61.5.
Scoring was more lopsided on the boys side, as the Wolves went home winners 86-50. Things started well with a victorious short relay and a sweep of the 1600. Canyon Springs battled back with a sweep of their own in the 110 Hurdles, but a healed Rashad Bias made his presence known again with victories in the 100 dash and the triple jump. Pavel Minenkov attempted a school record in the pole vault but settled for a victory at 13-0, while Ryan Sibley finished in second. Matt Cummins and Alec Fillmore went 1-2 in the 3200, and Robert Malone and Colin Munroe scored 12 points between the two of them in both throwing events.
Canyon Spring's JV boys squad was their only group who was able to secure a win on the day, taking that contest 74-58. They won 9 of the events. It went the other way for the girls, as the Lady Wolves won easily, 95-29.
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
A week-long streak of sour events and bad news took the team into the weekend's Inland Empire Championships in a bit of a low spot. With news of key athletes quitting, some not living up to the team's motto of Class, Character and Courage and then both varsity contests losing on Thursday, well, any good that could be wrung from the IE Champs on Saturday would be sorely welcome. By the end of the day, good poured in more than mere drops, and with exceptional team places, a school record in the hurdles and a number of All-time list performances, a resounding "all's well that ends well" could have been shouted from the rocky hills above Rancho Verde's stadium.
Robert Malone again sparkled in the outstanding senior season he's put together, with an earned IE Championship in the shot put and a fourth place throw in the discus. The Fresno-bound senior has truly risen to the occasion of a final year. Not to be outdone in the final farewell category is and was John Ashley who ran a tick faster in his 1600 PR, running well just 48 hours after a tough distance triple against North, to finish fifth. Junior Sam Jeter set a new school record in the 110 high hurdles with a fine 15.65 clocking to knock Corey Everett off the coveted leader board. Danny Stark vaulted 12-6 to finish 4th, while Matt Malcuit follewed on Malone's heels with a 7th place finish in the shot at 45-5.5, and a 5th place discus finish. On the frosh-soph level, Joe Gilliland had a fine day in the shorter sprints, while Patrick Gonzalez put together a competitive 4:43, 6th place finish in the 1600 and doubled back in the afternoon with a 10:26 clocking in the 3200, scoring twice for the Wolves. Sophomore Chris Salas ran extremely well in the 3200 also, dropping his PR by 13 seconds! At the other end of the spectrum, the 110 high hurdles, Chris Belfield went 16.89 for 4th place, and finished 3rd in the 300 hurdles. Ryan Sibley won the pole vault at 11-6, while Colin Munro matched his double victories in the King Frosh Soph Classic on April 1st with two winning throws here. With so many outright event titleists and top 6 finishes, the boys frosh soph team finished 3rd overall, while the boys varsity finished 6th overall in fields of over 22 teams a piece! Quite a day!
On the girls side, things were just as bright. Amber Mooney had a fine day (again), running 61-flat in the 400 to score, and helping the two relays to tremendous seasonal PR's 50.25 and 4:07.55! The marks were also the third-fastest in school history. The 4x400 squad of Mooney, Brittany Rue, Monika Valenzuela and Anna Duffy dropped 8 seconds off their best this season and finished second behind the meet champion Rancho Verde. Monika Valenzuela ran the school's fifth-fastest 800 time at 2:29 while Carissa Bowman and Brittany Schuette also altered the 1600 all-time list with PR's of their own in wonderfully paced efforts over four laps. Carly Sjogren scored in the 3200. Thurman placed fourth in the high jump and Cossette Deslonde scored there as well (7th), Stephanie Karas tied for second in the vault and teammate Sky McDonald finished fourth at 8-6.
At the girls' frosh-soph level, things were a bit tougher and the Lady Wolves found themselves in the scoring on a rare occassion. Jasmine Simpson was second in the high jump and Brittany Ciupek continued her fine vaulting with a third place score. Vivian Ibewiro finished 5th in the triple jump and Lacey Russell was third in the discus. The girls varsity would end up finishing fourth overall, while the frosh soph girls finished 10th.
So all's well that ends well. A tough week ended on a high note, and the team finds a little momentum heading into the final 14 days.
OUTDONE BY NORTH
The juggernaut of talent that is the North track team did it's work on a depleted King squad of boys yesterday, despite near-heroic efforts by a few to keep the score close. At the end of the day, the Wolves were outmatched by the Huskies. North didn't have many, but they did have enough key athletes in enough key events to earn a 12 point victory.
Brian Deslonde was left alone in the lead cadre of sprinters as injuries, quitting and failing to show up for the bus left Brian to do the work in the shorter races. A patchwork 4x100 team was coddled together to little avail, but when it came time to go it alone, Brian did his best. He pushed the North sprinters in the 100 keeping them honest, and then snagged a second place in the 200. John Ashley had a similar day for King, working hard to secure as many points as possible in the distances, one of North's weaknesses. He staged a come from behind win in the 1600 (Jeremy Baugus and Pat Gonzalez helped to sweep up the event) then came back and ran a personal record in the 800 to finish second, and then at the meet's end, on very tired legs took second in the 3200 -- scoring 11 points on the day. The throwers had another fine day, sweeping the discus and going 1-2 in the shot. Jamie Jelks and Nathan Bradshaw leaped to second and third place points in the horizontal jumps. Despite strong efforts, however, it was not enough to pull out a victory.
North's girls team has not lost a league title in well over a decade and it showed again today. King's girls weren't going to go down without a fight however, as evidenced by Carissa Bowman's gritty victory in the meet's first event, the 3200 meters. Shadowing North's runner for almost the full 8 laps, the two broke into a ferocious kick that Carissa was able to maintain to the finish line to run 12:17.49. Her second mile split ended up being almost 18 seconds faster than the first! But from there, the North sprinters took over, easily winning the relay, sweeping the hurdles and going 1-2 in the 100. Brittany Rue ran the fastest 400 of her life to win in 1:00.75. Brittany Thurman had a good day in the high jump going 5-2, her best of the season. Amber Mooney battled in the 200 to snag third by a lean, while Brittany Schuette won the 1600. Like with the boys, the solitary efforts were in vain in a team setting, and the girls lost by a score of 83-48.
The JV contests were another story all together, as North is as weak at this level as they are as strong at the varsity. King's girls won 79-33, winning more than half of the individual events. The boys won by almost the exact score, 78-31.
STRONG EFFORTS AT ARCADIA
The Arcadia Invitational has become one of the top three, if not the top mid-season high school invitationals in the country. With 24 states represented and at least two foreign countries with athletes wearing uniforms, the meet can rightly proclaim itself the biggest dance in town, if not the entire country. Athletes have to be good to get into the Friday evening and Saturday day-time events, you have to be one of the nation's very best to get into the Saturday night events. King had 15 athletes make the cut and though they did not collectively turn in their fastest or best performances of the year, the stage was big enough to bring out solid efforts.
Brittany Thurman and Robert Malone were the sole individuals for the Wolves, as Brittany competed in the high jump (she made 4'-10") and Robert finished 14th in the shot at 50'-5.5". The remainder of the King contingent was made up of relay groups. Both the boys and girls ran 4xmile teams, and the girls foursome of Carly Sjogren, Larissa Davis, Brittany Schuette and Carissa Bowman showed a special level of competitiveness appropriate for the evening. Carly, Brittany and Carissa all ran their personal bests over the mile distance, while Larissa, just off a week-long battle with the flu, ran a gutsy effort. The boys team of Alec Fillmore, Patrick Gonzalez, Jeremy Baugus and John Ashley dropped a second off the school record in the event, finishing at 19:06.21.
Amber Mooney, Julie Lambert, Tiffany West and Brittany Thurman returned on Saturday for the 4x100 and finished in 51.1 while Baugus and Ashley returned as well to join Matt Cummins and Trevor White in the Distance Medley Relay. The foursome ran a great race moving up in the field as the event unwound, and running 11:00.96 ... the second fastest DMR in school history.
Arcadia is indeed a big stage on which to play, and the King Wolves who made their way into the hallowed meet were up for the challenge and performed well.
2ND ANNUAL FROSH SOPH MEET IS A CLASSIC
It had all the makings of a great meet. Wonderful individual performances, two team victories, 12 schools from across Southern California and even Mexico, and a brief squall of rain that shut down momentarily the field events and threatened the meet itself. But as the 2nd Annual King Frosh Soph Classic came to a close under bright and sunny skies the Wolves went home victorious with both squads winning by large margins.
Amber Mooney set the stage for the girls squad with one of her finest days in her short career. She PR'd in winning the 200, took fourth in the 400 at 1:02, and became the poster child for Anchor Legs in both relays as she took the baton with ground to make up to victory and did both times with exciting flair! Carissa Bowman set a new stadium record in the 1600, taking down King's Megan Fairley ('04) record of 5:25.74 by two-hundreths of a second! The talented Soph would come back later to finish third in the 800. Julie Lambert won the century with a 13.40 clocking. Allane Finch and Allison Mills both scored in the 300 hurdles and 3200 meters respectively, earning a medal for their efforts. Brittany Ciupek won the pole vault at 7-0, her first-ever victory in track!
On the boys' side, Brian Deslonde had another fine Classic day, as he did in the inaugural meet a year ago. Brian finished fourth in both the short sprints and helped the 4x100 relay team to a fourth place finish, but set a meet record of 19-05 in the long jump to win his fourth medal on the day and out-leap second place in the event by a full foot! Marques Lea was second in the 400 while Patrick Gonzalez locked himself into a great dual with Kelly of Granite Hills in both long distance races. Patrick ended up victorious in the 1600, while Kelly had the better 8th lap in the 3200 and won that event. Patrick ended up with 18 points on the day. 20 points were earned by Colin Munroe who won both throwing events. Ryan Shibley, like Brittany Ciupek before him, captured the vault victory with an 11-00 mark.
It was indeed a successful outing for the King kids. Both squads scored over 100 points.
GOOD KNIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
The tag line of 1950's-era television broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, and title of a recent movie, could well have been applied to the boys meet against La Sierra on Thursday. After watching the Knight twins (Dylan and Spencer) of La Sierra score 29 of their team's 72 points between the two of them, one had to conclude that "good luck" could have been an apt send-off for King as they headed into the meet. By the time the two dynamic distance runners circled the track for the 15th time (30 laps for the meet!) during their legs in the 4x400 relay and subsequently pulled away from King's top two sprinters, it was indeed "good Knight" to King's hopes to pull out a narrow victory.
The Knights took first and second in the 1600, 800 and 3200 and shored up the middle two legs of the Eagles' victorious 4x400. Despite valient efforts by John Ashley, Jeremy Baugus, Nick Ehret and Trevor White to break up the tandem the two scored 40% of La Sierra's total. Baugus came closest in the 800 as he was leading with 300 to go, but got passed at the line after a furious Spencer kick got him.
King's boys still had some good marks and moments of glory as they tried in vain to keep up with the Eagles. Nathan Bradshaw went over 6-1 in the high jump and Danny Stark vaulted 13-0 to win the vault. Larue Naea ran in the low-eleven-second range to win the 100, while Matt Malcuit and Colin Munroe both threw the shot over 45' but didn't score in a dynamite and deep shot put score card. In the triple jump, the top three placers were extremely close, with Bradshaw tying with La Sierra's Clancy for first with a hop-skip-jump of 40-6.5 and Jamie Jelks finishing third only one inch behind the two leaders! In the end the rays of light were not strong enough and King fell to La Sierra, 72-64.
The girls were not challenged. Less-than-stellar performances took over the meet as the Lady Wolves looked over their shoulders in most events and saw daylight. That didn't keep Deidre Russell however from taking down one of the school's oldest records. Russell heaved the shot a school record of 35' 10.25" and broke Ashley Hearle's record set way back in 2001 of 35' 9". Julie Lambert won the 100 meters dash in a great time for the youngster, 12.8. The girls won the meet handily, 105-32.
The JV boys lost a close one and the JV girls won as easily as their varsity teammates.
BURNIN' BATONS AND FALLIN' RECORDS
It was a day for weird relays. Weird, in that they are rarely run. 4x1600. Sprint Medley. 8x100. 4x800. 8x200. Even a “Shot put relay”. You don’t see these events very often, but when a meet such as the 32nd Annual Chet Nicholson Relays puts them on the card, it makes for exciting baton action and the chance to go fast and far. In each of the events mentioned, King’s runners and throwers erased seven unique, but nonetheless honored school records.
The boys 4x1600 got things going well with a shattering of a 3 year old record, dropping the mark 19 seconds and setting a new meet record of18:48.80 in the process. With only Jeremy Baugus of the four (John Ashley, David Galante and Patrick Gonzalez completed the team)setting a personal record in his 1600 leg, it makes one wonder how fast this crew can really go.
Baugus was a part of another record effort later in the day, anchoring the Sprint Medley (200,200,400 and 800), and helping Brian Deslonde, Jamie Jelks and Marques Lea break a four year old standard. The shot put team of Munroe, Malcuit and Malone improved the SR by 12 feet with a combined total of 144-7 to win the event. Impressive was that the old mark was their own, set one year ago at the CN Relays. As Coach Rickertt said following the feat, “it wasn’t too many years ago that if a guy threw 40’ at King he was ‘the man.’ Not any more!” Back on the track, 16 runners (including shot put school record holder Robert Malone) worked in two hallmark events of any relay meet (8x100 and 8x200) and set the final two school records on the day. The SR in the 8x200 was three years old and these guys eclipsed it by 11 seconds!
The girls got into the record-breaking mood as well with three new SR’s; off the pace of six SR's set in 2005 at this same meet. Lauren Antrim, Mary Griesinger, Larissa Davis and Sara Strasbaugh etched their name on the hallowed list with a one-second shaving of the 4x800 record at 10:43.45. Like the boys, 16 girls got together to break the 8x100 and 8x200 bests with 6 and 4 second improvements respectively. Both the boys and girls teams took home second place trophies for their efforts.
A GREAT DAY GOING THE DISTANCE
The annual hour long trip to the foothills of the San Gabriels for the Azusa Pacific Distance Carnival again proved to be well worth the time and effort. With thunderheads and lightening doing a meterological show-and-tell in the mountains above, the lightening-fast track produced it's yearly downpour of PR's for the multi-lap specialists before an actual downpour drenched the evening's marquee races, the seeded 3200 meters at the meet's end.
The Distance Carnival is known for being a meet for fast times, and the King girls didn't waste any time making the 2006 version do it's yearly duty. Carly Sjogren, Brittany Schuette, Mary Griesinger, Allison Mills, Rebekah Fairley and Tifinnie Baumann all ran their fastest 2-miles ever, and all in the first three races of the day. Carly especially found joy in erasing her mark of 12:14, which had rested comfortably on the all-time list for two years by going 12:03. She would be one of several athletes who would produce a fine double on the day, later she'd run 5:32 in the 1600, also a break from her 2-year old PR.
In fact, dynamite doubling seemed to be the headline of the day. Larissa Davis PR'd in both the 800 and the 1600, running King's 6th fast 800 time in history at 2:31. Ryan Sheehan, coming off 2 years of struggling through injuries and enjoying a nice revival in the first three weeks of the season, put it all together with his first-ever sub 5:00 mile and a 2:14 half! Amber Mooney ran King's second-fastest 400 meters in history then came back to throw down a 5:44 mile -- the talented sophomore is the epitome of versatile! Jamie Steffin went 2:47 in the 800 then came back with a 6:13 mile. Alec Fillmore was on fire with tenacious racing through the mile and 2 mile, running his second PR of the week in the 3200, (10:16.43) then coming back in the 1600 to run a PR in 4:50! In both races, he led for much of the way.
Alicia Miller had a moment to shine as she won her 1600 heat in 6:08, a 14 second drop in her season's best. Tatianna Balcazar followed suit with a 30 second drop in her best 1600 time, as did Jenna Kordic, Este Arias and Haley Hammar who are now 30 seconds faster than they were against Chaparral three weeks ago! Sara Strasbaugh came close to setting a new 9th grade school record in the 800 at 2:35.19. Jason Schupp continued his weekly improvement in the 3200 with a wonderful 11:42 effort, followed by Ethan Park and Hayden Traver, both of whom eclipsed 12:00 for the first time.
The school record in the 1600 meters was broken by John Ashley who screamed through four laps to go sub-4:30, (4:28.70 for the record) the first time any boy at King has done so in 7 seasons. Jeremy Baugus moved to number 2 all time on the 800 list with a fine 2:01 effort.
The seeded "invitational" 3200's traditionally close out the end of the meet, truly saving the best for last. As Patrick Gonzalez took the gun to start the 8 lap race with some of the finest frosh-soph distance runners in the Section, the heavens took the same cue and opened up with a torrential downpour that would soak the final three races. Despite the rain drops dancing off the track, Patrick ran his first-ever 3200 meters in almost perfect fashion, coming by the mile split in 5:03 and closing with a 5:02 to run King's 5th fastest 3200 ALL TIME! His ferocious last mile pulled him from near the back of the 25 man field to within medal contention in the final 400. His closing 67 second lap got him across the line in 7th place and with the fastest 3200 meter debut in King history!
Jeremy Baugus and Matt Cummins came next in the meet's final event, and with even heavier rains the two slogged their way through the boys varsity 3200 invitational. Cummins struggled a bit on an "off day" but Baugus put the finishing touches on his great double effort this day with a 10:01.53 time, King's 4th fastest all time and a huge lifetime best for the senior.
The day had been a spectacular one before the deluge, but the monsoon wasn't strong enough to wash away the records. Another great day going the distance!
HURDLE AND FIELD EVENTS SAVE THE DAY
The Poly Bears have improved dramatically on the boys side in recent years, and Thursday's dual between King and their cross-town rival proved to be no different. With Poly's Jeff Pelarde and Stephen Foster stealing King's normal thunder in the distance events and shutting the Wolves out of winning the three multi-lap races, the points for victory came solidly from all corners, but especially in the hurdles and the field events.
Robert Malone upped his own school record in the shot for the second time this season, heaving the heavy ball 55-7. Matt Malcuit secured third, and then the two would go 2-3 in the discus to win 10 of their 18 event points. Across the field in the pits, Jamie Jelks, Rashad Bias and Nate Bradshaw combined to win 21 of 27 possible points, while Pavel Minenkov, Danny Stark and Ryan Sibley were sweeping the 9 points in the vault. Quite a day for those in the field! S
omewhat of a surprise, but a welcome one, was the sweep of both hurdles races, as Sam Jeter, Chris Belfield, Spencer Brady and David Gonzalez combined to do duty for 18 points. The winning score was 75-61.
The girls varsity had an easier go of it, winning in a comfortable margin of 84-52. Carly Sjogren and Brittany Schuette got things started well with a 1-3 finish in the 3200, and their teammates went on to sweep 3 events (400, 200 and discus) and 8 points in the high jump. Deidre Russell came close to setting a school record in the shot with a full foot improvement off her school #2 best. She also won the discus with a 93-4 throw. Monika Valenzuela continued her comeback from injury with her second fine 800 outing in less than a week, taking third in the event at 2:36. Allene Finch won the 300 hurdles, her first-ever victory.
The JV contests were quite lopsided and quite close, with King winning the boys 71-38, but narrowly taking the girls, 66-59. Madelyn Mooney helped the cause by winning both the 400 and the 200. On the boys side, Ryan Sheehan won the 800 and the 1600 and Kyle Nugent had a PR in the pole vault to win the event at 8-6. To close out the evening, almost under the cover of darkness, the boys won the 4x400 in a time of 4:16.
GIRLS WIN RECOUNT OVER CHINO HILLS
The scorebooks had to be rechecked and recounted after an initial one-and-a-half-point difference separated presumed winner Chino Hills and King at the end of the meet that included Los Osos High. Upon a recount however, with all hanging and pregnant chads accounted for, it was the girls from King that found themselves 1.5 points up and on the winner's stand in the closest meet in five years.
After a slow start in which Chino Hills and Los Osos combined to take the first five places of the opening 3200 meter event, King found itself with an uphill climb at Los Osos, nestled appropriately at the base of Mt. Baldy in Rancho Cucamonga. But Amber Mooney, Brittany Thurman, Julie Lambert and Tiffany West got the trek started with a winning effort in the 4x100. Deidre Russell helped out by improving her shot best-ever to win that event, and Los Osos helped crowd out the Huskies of Chino Hills taking two of the remaining 3 scoring spots. Amber Mooney would go on to have a truly fine day, scoring 10 points outright in winning the 400 and 200, and aiding in the second place 4x400 relay event at the end of the meet. Carissa Bowman and Larissa Davis notched 8 critical points in the penultimate event, the 1600 meters, with both girls doing the work of leading into a head wind. Roxanne Franco of Chino Hills shadowed the two for all four laps, biding her time and moving solidly into second with 50 meters to go. Davis had other plans though, and kicked past Franco with 20 meters left to take second with a lean. (The move was strangely reminiscent of Kellye Lazarus doing the same thing to Franco in the 4x400 in 2005) An exciting finish for the two talented sophomores! After a 9 point win in 2005, this nail-biting, recounting victory is one for the history books. The final, recounted score: King 64, Chino Hills 62.5 and Los Osos 39.5.
The boys did equal battle, but fell to a very deep and talented Husky squad whose sprinters ruled the day. King was shut out of the 100, and scored only 2 combined points in the 200 and the 400. Robert Malone earned 10 points by winning both throw events, upping his discus best with a toss just under 150 feet. John Ashley, Matt Cummins and Jeremy Baugus took home five points a piece in each of the distance events while Jelks and Brown went 1-2 in the high jump and worked with Nate Bradshaw to take the top three finishes in the long jump. After five events however, King found itself down by 18 points and the gap was too large to bridge by the meet's end. Chino Hills, firmly in the driver's seat throughout, won going away 75-60, with Los Osos in third at 35.
WINTER STORM NIXES MEET, BUT NOT BEFORE RECORD LEAP
A cold winter storm put the brakes on King's efforts at the Rancho Verde Relays of Champions. A few events into the meet the brutal cold and wind forced a decision: Brave the elements for an early season relay meet and risk injury, or pack it up and head for warmer days unscathed. After the 4X100's the coaching staff opted for the latter and headed for home. With Ivy League action only two weeks away it wasn't worth the chance of anybody getting hurt.
The boys long jump relay was one of the few events to complete before quitting time, and it was a good thing it did as Brian Deslonde went 19-5, Nate Bradshaw went 19-7 and Jammie Jelks went 19-9 to finish in second place with a total of 58-9.5 and set a new school record in the rarely contested relay. Our girl's shuttle hurdle team of Brittany Haynes, Krystal Solomona, Amanda Hoffert and Kyla Davis ran a 1:17.02 for fifth while the boys team of Matt Webber, Chris Belfield, Spencer Brady and Sam Jeter ran around 1:10.58 for sixth. The boys 4x100 relay of Deslonde, Rashad Bias, Andrew Lazarus and Larue Naea ran third in 44.4. The Wolves were really off to a great start but the weather was more condusive to injury than anything else.
SHARKS AND BULLDOGS THROWN TO THE WOLVES
The upstart young'ns of King High came out hungry and competitive and surprised many -- perhaps foremost themselves -- in commanding wins at all four levels against the Santiago-Corona Sharks and the Hemet Bulldogs at Hemet High School's pristine, new all-weather track and 7,000 seat stadium. The setting was reminiscent of a small invitational with nearly 400 athletes in competition and a nicely sized crowd in the stands. Whatever it was, youthful exuberance, a great track or great competition, the Wolves came out victorious on what Coach Corona described as "one of our finest days of track ... ever!"
Rashad Bias announced his arrival in a big way by dominating several events. The basketball star showed his athleticism by dropping BELOW 11 seconds in the 100 with the wind at his back, nearly eclipsing his own school record in the triple jump and came within a half inch of setting a new school record in the long jump at 21'2.5"! What a day for Rashad. Nathan Bradshaw launched the fourth longest long jump in school history at 20' 9" and scored in the triple as well. The boys 4x100 team ran King's fourth fastest time in history to win that event. Robert Malone improved his own school record in the shot for the second week straight, winning in a heave of 52'1.75". Jeremy Baugus ran a lifetime best (and fourth fastest in school history) in the 800, hammering a negative-split 63-61 two lap effort to win going away. John Ashley won with a similar effort in the 1600 and Andrew Lazarus put in a superb effort in the 200 to win in 23.8. The boys' varsity collective effort was one obviously for the record books, but given the doubts some harbored about the relative inexperience of this crew, the meet was a coming of age experience and bodes well for an unexpected season of surprise.
The girls varsity counts even fewer returning letter winners than the boys and with only 10 seniors on the whole squad, youth runs in spades for the Lady Wolves. That didn't deter the girls however, as they too took the fight to their opponents and in nearly every event competed with great desire, spirit and success, ultimately winning with 77 points to Hemet's 54 and Santiago's 39. The 4x100 team of Brittany Thurman, Brittany Rue, Amber Mooney and Jillian Lambert notched King's fourth best time in history with a 51.22 victory. That race was followed by the 1600 in which Carissa Bowman and Brittany Schuette went 2nd and 3rd between two of Santiago's best. Schuette would finish the night with an epic dual in the 3200 with Santiago's Marx (the winner of the 1600) racing side-by-side with her through seven-and-a-half laps before Marx eventually pulled away to victory. Schuette's 12:20 time was one second off a lifetime best for the junior and near King's all-time list. Anna Duffy won the triple jump, a new event for the mulit-talented athlete and Deidre Russell won in the shot and placed second in the discus to score 8 points on the day.
On the JV level, the effort and victories of the varsity was matched. Charlie Alvarez took home two wins, in the 800 and 1600 and was shadowed in both by Ryan Sheehan who put together a fine meet of his own. Jason Sevey won the 400 in a time of 56.5 and Marcel Smith won the 200 in a fine 24.0. The boys won 79 to Hemet’s 65 and Santiago’s 21. King’s JV girls dominated the meet, winning by almost 40 points over Hemet. Lauren Antrim, Alicia Miller and Bekah Fairley combined to go 1,2,3 in the 3200 and Janet Padilla threw the discus 61’ to take the event. Sara Strasbaugh showed she’s not long for the JV level with wire to wire wins in the 800 and 1600.
SEVENTH SEASON STARTS SUCCESSFULLY
It is said that seven is the lucky number, and if the first meet of King Track and Field's seventh season is any indication, a lucky season would be a welcome event. With youth abounding in large numbers, this season's inexperienced crew got off on good footing Thursday against Chaparral in Temecula, winning both varsity contests and going down by very narrow margins at the JV level.
The Pumas and the Wolves split the 16 events in the boys varsity matchup, with both teams taking first in eight events. Jeremy Baugus had a fine outing winning both the 1600 and the 3200 races that book-ended the meet. His 1600 time of 4:43.09 was good for fifth all-time at King. John Ashley ran King's 6th fastest 800 time in our seven seasons to secure first in the event. LaRue Naea ran 11.2 in the 100 while Brian Deslonde and Marcus Lea took first and third in the long jump. Both guys are sophomores and competed well in their first varsity-level competition. Continuing the fine season of throwing that King enjoyed in 2005, Robert Malone, Matt Malcuitt, Colin Munroe and Steve Kruckenberg worked together to sweep both throws and change in a radical way the all-time top five list at King. Robert Malone's shot put heave set a new school record!. King won by a comfortable 75-60.
72-63 was the slightly closer winning score for King's girls varsity. Amber Mooney helped score 15 points in both long sprints and the anchor of the winning 4x400 relay. Brittney Thurman notched 10 points in winning the 100 and the high jump, while the team welcomed the arrival of talented Britteny Rue who in her first meet finished second in the 400 and 200 -- not bad for a rookie! Brittany Schuette had the opportunity to shine with a killer kick in the 1600 to secure third and then hammered a closely contested last lap in the 3200 to pull away for the victory.
Only one point separated the two schools in the JV girls, as Chaparral won 62-61. The Pumas secured 9 first place victories to the Wolves' 7, but it was a lot of seconds and thirds that kept King close. Sara Strasbaugh was one of those who battled for two third place points in the 1600 and 800, a fine first outing for the freshman. Bekah Fairley and Jenna Kordic scored 4 points combined in the 3200. Tiffany West won the 400 in 1:07.6 and then came back to win the high jump. King's boys JV team lost as well by a close margin, 59-68. Ryan Sheehan had a good debut after battling injuries for the last calendar year. Danny Campogasso finished first in the shot put and second in the discus to score 8 points.
2007
AN ALTERNATE ENDING TO THE 2007 SEASON
It was not how one would have scripted the close of the season. A series of miscues, mistakes and mishaps rewrote a happy ending to the season and made "alternate" the operative word on the day. The meet came to a merciful close when one injury and an unwillingness to compete by the other regulars forced a boys 4x400 team made up of four alternates to take the line and ultimately finish last in the field. Despite that foursome's strong effort in the face of very talented competition, the event and it's results served as an unfortunate symbol for the day.
The snowball began rolling before the meet even began, as the bus took an alternate route to the meet, causing the team to arrive 45 minutes late. Both of the 4x100 teams ran at least one alternate, and without the "A Team" on the line, the performances suffered a bit. Even the top performance of the day for any King athlete had "alternate" tattooed on it. Ryan Sibley vaulted a lifetime best of 13-6 but ended up tenth overall and the first alternate into CIF Finals, held next week in Cerritos. Perhaps the most accomplished athlete on the King squad, Sam Jeter, fell victim to the day as he clipped a hurdle in the 110's, fell hard to the track and seriously injured his shoulder. Going in, Sam figured to be a "sure thing" qualifier into CIF Finals but as he grimmaced in pain and shuffled off the track and to the hospital for x-rays, gone were his plans for Finals as well as his next two events. So, it was that kind of day, and for the first time in King history, the team failed to qualify even one person for the CIF Finals. Indeed, an alternate ending to the season, the likes of which King track and field is not accustomed.
Despite the miscues and missing athletes, there were still some strong efforts and solid performances. Chantel Hicks threw the discus five feet farther than she ever has and at 107-6 she now owns the 2nd farthest throw in school history. The aforementioned Ryan Sibley had a great day in the vault. The distance crew sent six athletes to the line, and though no PR's were recorded, all six put out great efforts. Kelsi Tippets had the highest track finish of the day, placing 15th overall in the 3200 meters. Fellow 9th grade distance runners Danielle Fillmore and Rebecca Asplund got good CIF experience in their first time at this level. Matt Cummins ran a good effort in the 3200 meters, but then due to the disintegrating mile relay team, he was called on to carry the baton for a lap just so King could field a team. The group of Jason Sevey, Chris Villanueva, Cummins and Brandon Walker put up a valiant effort against 35 other schools A-Teams.
So it wasn't a Hollywood ending. Marred by mishaps and missing athletes, the meet could have been described as a missed opportunity. But an alternate ending to the alternate ending would have the team leave the arena knowing all-too-well that when competing among the best -- and CIF D-1 certainly is -- you better have your "A team" on their "A game". Anything less and you go home empty-handed. Hopefully those who did compete Saturday found out how true that is will return next year to write a different ending to the '08 season than the one that finished out the '07.
A FURIOUS LEAGUE FINISH
King High played host to the 2007 running of the Ivy League Championships, and where the coaching staff endeavored to put on a first-class event for the league, the athletes of King High followed suit and put on their own show of strong performances, school and personal records, and in one case, a new League Meet record.
Sam Jeter closed out his league career by besting both of his own hurdle records. He won the 110's in commanding fashion, and then came back to finish second behind North's Reggie Wyatt (#1 statewide) and drop below 40 seconds for the first time ever. It was quite a day for the mild-mannered and soft-spoken senior. The other end of the spectrum of Sam is the distance events and the 9th grade, and Kelsi Tippets fits the mold for both, but she had a day not unlike Jeter's. The hardworking and talented freshman took home two league titles, winning both the 1600 and the 3200. In the 3200, she set a new Ivy League meet record, besting the mark set by King's own Kristina Moore in 2005. She was pushed along by a great effort from Mila Alvarez of North. Ryan Sibley was the only other King athlete to earn a league title, his coming over in the vault. He and Daniel Stark were locked in a great battle, with Sibley's 13-0 coming out on top. His victory marks the 8th straight year King has put a vaulter atop the league at Finals.
At the beginning of the season, there were some doubts about this season's sprint crew, causing Coach Corona to at one point remark "Your kingdom for a sprinter!" Well, Kingdom come, as Marcell Smith, David Bonner, the versatile Sam Jeter and Mark Franklin put down some impressive individual marks on the day but also ran King's #3 All-time 4x100 relay mark at 44.13! Tffany West PR'd in the 400, finishing 4th overall at 1:00.69.
In the girls 800, Monika Valenzuela proved she is all the way back from an extended layoff for health reasons earlier this season, racing to a lifetime best (#3 all time) of 2:25.66 and finishing second. Sara Strasbaugh likewise cranked out her lifetime best and unleashed a powerful kick to move by two competitors in the closing 100 meters to finish third. Also in the distances, 9th grader Danielle Fillmore had a miraculous day, running to 4th in the 1600 then coming back in the 3200 to race her best effort ever, finishing third and taking a spot into CIF with her third PR in three races! Carissa Bowman, though suffering through illness, ran a great 1600, finishing second overall.
Out in the field events, there were great things happening as well. Brenda Hanrahan got locked into the anticipated matchup with Susan Farrar, the best vaulter outside of King this league has seen in a long time. Though Brenda matcher her lifetime best of 10-6, she took second to Farrar who cleared 11-0. Vivian Ibewiro jumped well while staying closer to the ground, taking second in the triple jump with a lifetime best. Jazzmine Simpson finished second in the high jump at 4-10.
The guys' team saw great performances from more than just the sprinters. Colin Munro finished third in the shot put. Though finishing 8th overall, Ryan Sheehan closed out his career with a PR in the 800 at 2:09. Patrick Gonzalez had a solid double, finishing 5th in the 1600 and 8th in the 3200. Matt Cummins put together a huge effort in the 3200, ultimately finishing fourth in a race that saw five guys get under 10:00. Chris Belfield put the finishing touches on his season with a PR in the 300 hurdles, also King's #2 all time at 41.49. At the end of the evening, the 4x400 team of Marques Lea, Sam Jeter, Chris Belfield and Mark Franklin ran King's #4 all time mark at 3:34.90 to finish third overall.
So indeed, it was a grand night of track and field and a great conclusion to a season that for King, started slowly but built steadily and finished on a high note. Hard work is a reward unto itself, and most of the time it garners praise and high accomplishment. The season of 2007, and the Ivy League Championships that closed it out, are all the evidence needed to bear this truth out.
A FINAL FROSH SOPH TUNE UP IN HEMET
A small band of King Track Wolves( about 60 athletes) made their way to Hemet today for the 9th annual Hemet West Valley S/F meet and did very well for themselves competing against 13 other schools. For some, it was a tuneup for the upcoming league prelims and finals next week while for others it was one more chance to get that PR and finish the season on a positive note. The day got started well with both the boys and girls 4 X 100 relays finishing in the medal count. The girls with rookies Raquel Gardener and Taler Moore being supported by vets Juli Lambert and Tiffany West ,came in third with a 52.6. The boys team of Trent Parrish, Brandon Walker, Stevie Will and Diboro Kanabolo finished second with a season best 46.02.
Alicia Miller continued her dramatic late season improvement with a 6:06 in the 1600-a 9 second drop from her PR on Thursday. Freshman Khyber White sped to a 16.89 mark in the 110 hurdles for third-also a PR. Khyber also had a season best 45.2 in the 300 hurdles and teammates Chris Villanueva and Michael Woolls ran 46.4 and 47.6 respectively. Casey Canderleria was fourth in the girls 400 in 62.3 and Brianna Bensen pulled out a PR 4-6 in the high jump for 6th place. Chantel Hicks continued her invitational success with a second place throw(Chantel was fifth at the Inland Empire meet-won the King Classic and shares the new school record Discus relay team) The future in the horizontal jumps appears to be in good hands as Tyson Thurman got third place in the long jump at 18-7 and1/4 beating teamate Brandon Walker by that quarter inch. Tyree Taylor took only one jump and won the triple jump with a PR 40-8. Stevie Will was third at 36'-10. Issac Moody tied his PR in the disc with a toss of 110 feet. Improvement was also seen in the boys distances as Brad Sheets and Derek Nelson ran to PR's in thier events.
BROOMING OF THE BEARS SECURES JV TITLES, VARSITY RUNNERS-UP
The Poly Bears weren't about to role over and play dead, and on a warm afternoon Thursday, Poly put up strong efforts on all levels making King work to secure the victories. But in the end, despite a close meet at the boys' varsity levels mid-way, King won going away and with the scores were able to achieve league titles for both JV squads, and runners-up titles for both varsity squads.
Before league action started -- well, even after it started with eventual league champs La Sierra -- the varsity boys were off to one of the poorest starts in school history. Questions abounded about our talent level and experience, two critical tools in any track arsenal. With defeats to Hemet, Chino Hills, Los Osos, Chaparral and then La Sierra, it was a gloomy beginning. But things started to change in mid-march as the guys started to find their groove and were able to close the season winning four straight.
This meet however, started much as the season did, as the 4x100 relay team failed to get the baton exchanged and Poly went up quickly by 5 points. The Bears went 1-3 in the 1600 and before King yell "duck!" the Wolves were down 11-3. That advantage would hold well past the midpoint of the meet, but great scores in the throws started to turn things around. Colin Munro won both throws as Jack Mahar and Isaac Moody helped to sweep the disc. Marcell Smith, David Bonner and Marques Lea swept the 200 and 8 points in the 3200 were all King needed. Ryan Sibley and Danny Stark had a great tandem performance in the pole vault, clearing 13-0 and 12-6 respectively in what turned out to be an event that lasted over 5 hours! The final score, long after sunset, was 89-47. The varsity boys therefore finished second in the league behind La Sierra.
It was an almost identical score on the girls' side (84-43), but King led right from the beginning and never relinquished it. Danielle Fillmore, Kelsi Tippets and Carissa Bowman swept the 3200 with Danielle notching another big PR at 12:18, the sixth-fastest 9th grade time in school history. The 4x100 team ran again under 50 seconds, Vivian Ibewiro and Tawana Noland tood 2-3 in the 100 hurdles and things were quickly going King's way. Amber Sanford ran King's #2 all time 100 time at 12.56, but still managed to finish only second behind Poly's speedy Amber Hegwood. Sanford would come back later in the afternoon and win the 200 with a time under 26.00, and win the long jump at 16-1, King's third farthest ever. Quite a day for the talented 9th grader!
The JV squads closed out yet another successful and winning season. Both teams scored over 100 points. Jessica Ebarb snagged a win in the 100 and 200. Brittnie Bennet was third in the 100 Hurdles. Alica Miller won her first ever race with a great 6:14 1600 meters. She was followed by Tatiana Balcazar and Rebecca Trupp. On the boys' side, Brad Yarbrough ran a huge lifetime PR in the 1600, winning in 5:00 -- a full 9 second drop from his previous best. Jon Clem was right behind him. Tyson Thurman won the long jump at 18-6.5, Adam Aquino won the 300 Low Hurdles. Pat Gonzalez had his best 3200 of the season, winning at 10:39.
So another successful team season is in the books. With youth and inexperience ruling the day in the early going, that inexperience matured a bit with solid performances and good team wins in the last month.
SAM JETER'S DAY CELEBRATED BY MANY AT I.E.CHAMPIONSHIPS
For many athletes, the thought of running a school record is merely that, a thought. The reality is that for most who lace on spikes, the gap between ability and notoriety is sometimes too great to span. The opportunity to notch one's name in the history books for any event is one enjoyed by the minority of athletes. At the 4th annual Inland Empire Championships, a stage that draws many of the most talented track and field stars from across the Inland area, Sam Jeter launched himself onto the School Record pedastol, not once, but twice, and in his wake a number of King's finest ran, jumped and threw themselves individual marks worthy of personal and collective celebration.
To be accurate, Sam Jeter's name has been atop the 110 hurdles list for a year, but the extent to which he broke his own SR was unprecedented at King, moving from 15.65 to 14.90 in the technically and athletically difficult event. He finished third overall behind two of the IE's best hurdlers. Later in the day he came back for the 300 hurdle event, and this time broke a record that has stood since 2002 (Jon Barilone, 42.03 -- Chris Belfield tied it last season). Sam didn't just nudge the mark lower however, he pushed if off the stage by running two seconds faster at 40.05! So where some dream of holding one school record, the fast-improving senior etched his name in the record books twice in a single afternoon.
At the Jeter party were many King kids who went home smiling after a good afternoon of accomplishment. Tiffany West ran the fourth all-time 400 mark at 61.13 and in the same event Casey Candelaria ran a PR of 62.84. West finished 3rd overall in the FS level of competition. Juli Lambert sprinted to a 13.09, 7th place finish in the 100, Amber Sanford finished 4th in the 200 just 2-hundreths off her PR at 26.45. The talented 9th grader doubled up with a 15-11 long jump, a PR and #3 all time at King.
Over in the pole vault, Brenda Hanrahan had to work against Apple Valley HS's best to secure the win at 10-0, and teammate Brittani Ciupek was 3rd overall going over at 8-6. Danny Stark cleared 12-0 and Kyle Nugent took 6th at 10-6.
The distances were under-represented in terms of King's normal number of constestants, but those who came raced well. Charlie Alvarez, coming back off almost a full month of rehabing an injury looked very good considering the circumstances and finished 7th in the FS 1600, just five seconds off his lifetime best at 4:46. Monika Valenzuela -- ditto Charlie's past month or so -- also impressed with a very encouraging and pleasing 2:35.01 in the 800. Matt Cummins gutted out a 9:55 3200, his second best time ever, while Kelsi Tippets did the same in her 3200 to finish second, closing again with a great last 100 meters to move up from 4th. Wesley Watanabe, quietly improving this year by the month ran a 5-second PR in the FS 3200, going 10:50. Perhaps the best race of the day belonged to Danielle Fillmore in the 1600 as she took an aggressive approach to the four laps and ultimately snagged sixth, but with a 10-second drop in her PR, taking it all the way down to 5:35.82! This, from a girl who couldn't break 6:00 at the beginning of the year! Jason Schupp and Greg Romandetti both ran PR's in the 800.
Over in the sand and the dirt, the field event athletes were also jumping and throwing well. Chantel Hicks finished 5th in the FS discus at 93-3, and Vivian Ibewiro finished 9th in the triple jump, but with the third-longest leap in school history at 33-1. Travis Jones finished 5th in the FS Shot put at 41-5.5. Loto Franklin was 10th in the shot at 31-8.5
So on a day that Sam Jeter will not soon forget, many others brought home hardware and marks of accomplishment equally memorable. In all, a good day for King at the Inland Empire Championships.
SEASON TURN AROUND CONTINUES BIG BEND
In the early-going of the 2007 season, both varsity teams were pushed around and beaten more times than King has been used to over the last seasons. However, a giant U-turn seems to be in effect as both have won the last three meets, albeit against a couple of weaker teams. Either way, whether by comfortable effort or harder ones, the victories have been welcomed and the Arlington Lions served up another easy win on Wednesday, bringing both varsity squads to 3-1 in the league with one more meet to contest.
Over 50 points separated the boys varsity squads and the win came comfortably for the Wolves. Sam Jeter continued to shine, winning the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles and running a leg in the 4x400 relay. Marcell Smith had a stunning anchor leg in the 4x100 relay, coming from behind by four meters to officially tie at the line. He came back to win the 100 dash in 11.12 (HT). David Bonner was second in 11.40. Carrington Mathews went 6-4 in the high jump despite leaping off of grass.
The girls varsity won by over 100 points, as Arlington was able to win only 2 events. Vivian Ibewiro took first in the 100 hurdls, second in the high jump and long jump and first in the high jump. Casey Candelaria won the 400, Anna Duffy the 300 hurdles and Danielle Fillmore took home a victory in the 1600, her first ever track victory.
Arlington's small squads made JV athletes scarce and far between. The points rapidly mounted for King and both teams won by very large margins.
DISTANCE RUNNERS SHINE AT ARCADIA
With twenty five states and four countries represented over the two days of competition, the Arcadia Invitational rightly calls itself THE national meet of the season, and openly advertises their Friday night portion of the meet with the phrase "when the lights go on, the stars come out." For King's top girl distance runners, it was exactly that, as the stars aligned for 16 laps in the biggest team effort these four have put out since the cross country CIF Finals they raced last November. The wait was worth it.
Competing in the seeded portion of the 4xMile relay, each girl ended up running their respective leg to almost perfect form. The leader of the group, Carissa Bowman got things off with a great 5:19 opening mile, placing the baton in Larissa Davis' hand in third place. Larissa held form for her own 5:34 effort and exchanged with Rebecca Asplund who ran a PR of 5:33, maintaining close contact with the lead pack in sixth place. Kelsi Tippets took the stick for the final mile and immediately devoured the gap to fifth, and then with a methodical rythme, closed the gap to first. Side by side she and two others did battle with 300 meters to go and closed in second with a 10 second PR of 5:22. The Ruyton Girls school of Melbourne Australia was the only team in front of them. The girls' time of 21:51.56 was 18 seconds faster than our school record set in 2005, and the medals earned were King's first-ever at this prestigious meet.
On Saturday, Carissa returned for an individual go in the seeded 3200 race. With a light drizzle on the track, Carissa sizzled in the first mile, coming by the half-way mark in 5:24. The fast tempo and legs a bit dead from the previous night's effort took it's toll on the second mile, but she was still able to rally for a strong final lap and closed at 11:06.11 -- missing the school record (11:05.60) set by Megan Fairley back in 2004 by a half-second! Just two weeks removed from her previous lifetime best of 11:15 and already a full minute ahead of her sophomore best of 12:07, Carissa's near-miss left her without disappointment. There will be other opportunities down the road.
So the national-atmosphere of the Arcadia Invitational worked it's magic again, producing a stage upon which the Dames of Distance shined like the stars.
GIRLS, JV TEAMS, SOAR ABOVE THE EAGLES
Under cloudy skies and cool temps, the JV squads and the Girls soared, threw and ran away from the La Sierra Eagles on Wednesday at La Sierra High School. The boys JV team won by a 35 point margin, the girls JV by 16 points, and the girls varsity by 33 points. The boys varsity was outdone again, losing by over 30 points.
Brenda Hanrahan had another strong outing in the pole vault, inching her way back to her sophomore form after a year off to injury. The senior cleared 10 feet and it came to symbolize the effort the girls had all day. Outside of just a few events in which La Sierra mounted a challenge, the girls rose above their competition at almost every turn. The talented trio of Carissa Bowman, Larissa Davis and Rebecca Asplund got things going with a cruising sweep of the two-mile (the distance events were of english or "yard" distances) and a 52.72 clocking in the 4x100 relay put King up 14-0 before any of the dust had time to settle. Brittani Ciupek and Katie Coggins helped Hanrahan sweep up in the vault, while Jazzmine Simpson, Amber Mooney and Browne swept the high jump. Amber Sanford and Julie Lambert went one-two in the 200. Kelsi Tippets won both the half mile and mile and the girls capped off the afternoon with an easy win in the 4x400 relay.
Kaitlin Traver ran two good distances races at the JV level, taking first in the two mile and second in the mile. Kirsti Correa won the 400 at 71 seconds. Brandi Rosenau and Haley Hammar sandwich Traver in the mile to help sweep that event. The boys' jv team also had a handle on the day, winning the 4x100 relay to open up the meet and closing it off with a victory in the 4x400.
La Sierra's talented Knight twins provide much of the lift for the Eagle's title efforts, and today was no different. The two combined for eight events and looked throughout the day that they were very much in the "workout mode" their coach had scripted for the day. The dynamic duo scored easily in the mile, the 800 the two mile and the 4x400 relay. One of the few joyful moments for King came in the 300 hurles when Sam Jeter was able to out run Dylan Knight who despite his incredible distance running resume is versatile enough to run the 300 LH event in the low 40-second range. It was a pyhric victory though for the Wolves as the team again fell to the presumptive Ivy League Champions. Despite the loss, King's young varsity team performed well, and there were good marks and strong efforts throughout the afternoon.
WOLVES RUN AWAY FROM THE RAMS
Over 200 combined points separated the boys and girls teams from their opponents on Wednesday, as small squads from Ramona could not muster enough production from their few athletes to mount an attack. The King victories were overwhelming, but despite the lack of competition, the Wolves were still able to record some impressive marks on a cool afternoon at Citrus Hill HS.
In the boys' varsity contest, Ramona won only one event, the 400, and totaled 21 points by the end of the meet to King's 112 points. King sprinkled throughout the meet some impressive times and marks. Sam Jeter is improving by leaps and bounds of late, even venturing away from his primary event - the hurdles. After an impressive 11.20 (adjusted to auto time standards) win in the 100, he came back to win the 300 hurdles in a time of 41.27. Carrington Mathews won the high jump and long jump. Nashatar Gill held off a Ramona challenge to win the 3200 going wire-to-wire for the victory in 10:48. Alec Fillmore picked up two third place points in the 1600 and 3200.
The girls won by 100 points exactly, 118-18. Ramona won two events in this one, the 800 and the triple jump, but like the boys before them, the Lady Wolves were able to still run and throw and jump some very respectable marks. Vivian Ibewiro won the 100 hurdles in 17.42 followed by Anna Duffy and Tawana Noland. Amber Sanford, King's newest freshman star, jumped King's third longest long jump in school history to win at 15-8.5. She also won the 100, 200 and contributed to the winning 4x100 relay team. Katie Coggins cleared 8-0 in the pole vault, while Hicks, out in the discus ring, launched the third-farthest throw in school history at 101'5.5"! Kaitlin Traver moved up from the JV level for the first time in the distances and scored twice. Jazzmine Simpson won the high jump with a leap of 5-0.
Ramona's small squads essentially eliminated the bodies needed for a JV team, so save for a couple of athletes in powder blue, the kids in navy blue found themselves competing against themselves, time and space. Pat Gonzalez won the 1600 in 4:51, one of his fastest times of the season. Jon Clem won the 3200 in 11:12. Chris Jackson won the pole vault at 8-6 and Trevor White went 5-8 in the high jump. The girls allowed only one point from the Rams the whole afternoon. Tatiana Balcazar took second in the 800 and first in the 1600. Megan Malcuit won the 100 dash in a time of 14.08.
2007 FROSH SOPH CLASSIC GOES INTERNATIONAL IN STYLE
The host King High Girls managed to pull away in the final events from a precocious group of Canadians to win the King High Frosh Soph Classic for the second-year straight. The Canadian group, all heralding from Calgary and admittedly enjoying the 80-degree temps, were led by Jean Bolen in the 800, and Rachel Machin and Jill MacEachen, both of whom were stars in the hurdles and the horizontal jumps. MacEachan was almost a full second ahead of her nearest competitor in the 100 hurdles and won at 16-01 in the long jump. Machin launched herself to a second-place finish in the event at 16-00 and also won the high jump at 4-10. Centennial placed second in the 4x100 relay as well, but it was the depth of the King attack that allowed the Wolves to hold on for the victory.
Amber Sanford of King was second in the 100 and first in the 200 at "varsity-quality times" of 12.84 and 26.75 respectively. The 4x100 team of Sanford, Tiffany West, Rachel Schulte and Juli Lambert won at 51.08. Rebecca Asplund won both long-distance races, running to a PR in the 1600 at 5:34.15 and coming from behind in the 3200 to win at 12:22.05 despite warm temperatures.
Lima Tuufuli of Riverside La Sierra threw the shot 43-2.5 to win there while placing 4th in the discus. Chantel Hicks of King won that event at 90-04.
On the boys' side, La Mirada High pulled out the victory in a close and hard fought battle between them, Orange Lutheran and King. Less than 10 points separated the three squads by the end of the meet. Terrance Brown of OL and Joe Alvis were first and second in the 400 and the only two to eclipse 53 seconds in the event. Damani Wilson and Isaiah Huss also of OL scored 14 points between the two of them in the 200. Jon McNey would help the La Mirada Matadores' cause by scoring 10 first place points in the 300 hurdles, at 44.17, while the two schools went first and second in the 1600 meter relay with OL on top at 3:35.97. But it was the field events that turned the tide, as LM scored in the high jump, pole vault, shot and discus to secure the victory.
Strong marks were seen throughout the day. Jared Drinkard of La Sierra emerged from the shadow of his teammates and All-State 1600/3200 runners Spencer and Dylan Knight, to shine in his own right (the point of a frosh-soph meet!) and won both the 800 and 1600, setting two new meet records in the process (2:02.68 and 4:38.05). Eric Vetter of Esperanza HS won the 200 in a time of 23.26. Keith Sousa of Hemet set a new meet record in the 3200 meters running a fine 10:14.37 in the midst of a classic Inland Empire warm afternoon. Even after dragging the final hurdle some ten meters in the preliminary rounds and still qualifying for the final, Wyatt of Canyon Springs went on to finish second in the Final at 16.48, just one-hundreth behind Darious Billberry of Hesperia. Edgar Panford of Cajon triple-jumped 41-08 to win that event, while Skylar LaCour brought new meaning to his name by winning the high jump at 6-0. Brandon Walker of King set at a new PR in the long jump, winning at 19-4.5.
So the third annual King Frosh Soph Classic was another great affair, with an international flavor to it that made it extra special. Finishing right on time and with an abundance of fine performances, the stage is set for an even better event next year.
WE'LL TAKE THAT BACK ... BOYS FINALLY END UP IN THE WIN COLUMN
It came down to the relays, or maybe the big kick in the 3200 that Matt Cummins unleashed to grab first -- and five critical points -- or maybe it was the chipping away with second and third place points, or maybe it really was the relays. Whatever it was or whichever way you see it, the boys finally came out on top and beat the defending Ivy League Champions North High School yesterday at Citrus Hill High.
The relays were important though, as the meet opened with North failing to field a 4x100 team. The Huskies are known for their sprinting prowess, and so the absence of a foursome right out of the gate was apparent and curious. As the meet progressed, North rose to the challenge, but the Wolves fought tough throughout the meet and kept it close. Colin Munroe earned 10 points in the throws; the long jump team of Mathews, Walker and Durolajay swept up all 9 points there, and Cummins took ten in the two long distance events. The combination of Ryan Sibley, Danny Stark and Trent Parrish swept the pole vault for another 9. Sam Jeter scored twice in the hurdle events. But after Cummins' aforementioned come-from-behind 3200 race, King found itself up by one point with one event left to contest. The meet would come down to the 4x400 relay with the winner of the event taking the meet. King led through most of three legs, got passed on the fourth and final leg and it appeared that North pulled out the win. But appearances were everything in this event as North showed up at the line with one of their four members having already competed in the meet at the JV level. An athlete competing at two levels in one meet is a clear violation of the rules. After the infraction was brought to light, the disqualification of North's relay team was quickly accepted without contest, complaint or explanation and the meet victory went to King, 71-65. It was a disappointing end to what had been a spirited effort by both squads throughout the afternoon.
King's JV boys squad was dominent througout, ultimately winning by 60 points. King would sweep 10 of the 16 events. Jon Clem, Wesley Watanabe and Andrew Huscher got things rolling with a sweep of the 1600, followed by White, Usher, and Wools doing cleanup duty in the 110 hurdles and the rout was on. Greg Bedell and Greg Romandetti battled to second and third in the 800. Mark Bell won the long jump.
The girls were close to North but lost 14 points in the throws at the end of the meet and then lost the 4x400 relay fair-and-square to drop 21 points in the waning minutes of the meet. The final score was 82-54, as North continued their winning ways, a streak that goes back more than a decade. The distance crew bolstered King's efforts, scoring all 27 available points. Only in the 800 did the long-running girls have to work, as Kelsi Tippets pushed home a Cummins-like kick to snag third behind Sara Strasbaugh and Carissa Bowman who ran King's #5 all-time 800 mark at 2:28. The dominance of the distance crew created a see-saw effect in the meet as North countered a distance sweep with a domination of a shorter event. But the plucky nature of King's girls kept North from sweeping any sprint or field event -- perhaps the first time in a long time that has happened. Vivian Ibewiro took third in the 100 hurdles, Anna Duffy did likewise in the 300 hurdles. Vivian took third and second in the horizontal jumps.
North's JV squad fell to King by 34 points. Brittani Bennett won the 100 hurdles. Kaitlin Traver, Rebecca Trupp and Stacy Yarbrough swept the 3200 meters, while Brandi Rosenau, Traver and Tatiana Balcazar swept the 1600 meters.
So in all, a victorious day for the Wolves, winning three of the four contests.
CHET NICHOLSON RELAYS BRINGS BROKEN RECORDS
While the King distance group was running its way to school records and PR’s at the APU Distance Carnival, the rest of the King tracksters journeyed to Corona for the 34th annual Chet Nicholson Relays. The past two years at this event the Wolves had accorded themselves well and this year was to be no exception. All but three of the relay teams entered earned points and 18 teams earned medals finishing fourth or higher. The Girls team finished in third place overall in the large school division-their third straight trophy winning performance. The boys team finished in 5th place –out of the money for a trophy but a great team performance nonetheless.
The girls were led by the 8x100 team and the pole vault relay who won first place in their events. The 8X100 was made up of Tawanna Noland, Rachel Schulte, Marie Jones, Julie Lambert. Loreal Hamliton, Sheri Haynes, Victorria "Reilly" Stevens and Diamond Rawlings. Rawlings overcame a 6 yard deficit on the anchor to win it for the Wolves. The PV relay was made up of Brenda Hanrahan who cleared 10 feet, Brittan Cuipek and Katie Coggins. The 4X100 team made up of Schulte, Lambert, Amber Sanford and Amber Mooney ran their fastest time of the year in 50.5 a real surprise was the triple jump relay team of Vivian Iberwiro, Anna Duffy and Amber Sanford who set a new school record. The 4X200 set a new school record as Tiffany West powered her way to the finish. Other members of the team were Sanford, Schulte and Lambert
The boys preformed well with the shuttle hurdle team of Chris Belfield, Sam Jeter, Malik Durojayli and Dalane Nash came away with a first place in 56.44 and the pole vault relay of Danny Stark, Trent Parrish and Kyle Nugent won in a combined 30-6. The high jump relay of Carrington Mathews, Mike Allbrecht and Khyber White finished second and the discus team of Colin Munro, Brian Malone and Danny Campobasso finished in third place. Colin had a career day with the second best throw in King history in the shot at 50-1 and the fourth best discus throw at 140-0. The triple jump relay also finished third with a team total of 117-7. Members of that team were Durojayli, Manny Santiago and sophomore Tyree Taylor-who jumped to a PR of 39-0---a foot and half improvement.
Overall-between the distance carnival and the relays –a fine day for King Track and Field.
MATT CUMMINS' 3200 SCHOOL RECORD HEADLINES AZUSA MEET OF CHAMPIONS
Matt Cummins had to lay down a 61-second 8th and final lap to make it happen but the long-coveted school record (SR) in the 3200 meters was his. Having aimed at that goal for two seasons, the "perfect" race finally came through for the senior captain, and in a stunning display of strength over the last 400 meters, he not only secured the record, but also the win in the race. His time of 9:42 eclipsed David Galante's 2004 SR of 9:47, set on the same track. His exploits were not alone however, as the distance crew traveled to the very popular Azusa Distance Carnival and in exchange brought home 46 new personal records (PR's).
The long, 13 hour day was finished on a high note as Carissa Bowman and Kelsi Tippets competed in the seeded 3200 meters, and ran the second and third fastest times in school history amid a stellar field of racers -- many of them the best in the state. With six girls eventually dipping under 11:00 minutes at the finish line, the two cross country All State runners in the King uniform were dragged through to 11:15 and 11:18 marks respectively, both huge PR's and another freshman record for Kelsi. Under the lights of APU's stadium, there was an electric feeling to the night and to their performances. Charlie Alvarez raced in the frosh-soph version of the same event just prior to the girls, and he also ran a big PR at 10:16; this after recording a 4:42 1600 meters earlier in the day. Quite a performance by the sophomore!
Throughout the day, there were equally impressive and exciting personal victories and achievements. Matt Wolf ran the second-fastest 9th grade 3200 time in school history (only Shawn Lawrence's 10:22 set in the team's first season, 2000, remains ahead of him). Larissa Davis broke 12:00 for the first time at the same distance, while Rebecca Asplund nudged closer to the magic barrier with a 12:04 PR. (Those two, plus Bowman and Tippets combined for the fastest four 3200 times King has ever run on one day!). Rebekah Fairly, Kaitlin Traver, Rebecca Trupp all had PR's there as well. Four more freshmen boys, Derek Nelson, Jarod Nocella, Sean Lee and Brad Sheets all dropped big seconds off of their 3200 PR's, with each guy going under 12:00 for the first time. Nash Gill and Alec Fillmore were well under 10:45, racing very solidly throughout. Wesley Watanabe impressed all with a 10:54 run, should the sophomore continue on this rate of improvement, it won't be long before the rookie is toeing a varsity starting line.
In the 1600, again, the King Kids bested their previous bests with some doing it by large margins. Jason Schupp ran a super effort to go sub-5:00 for the first time in his life. Matt Wolf ran 5:01, Rebecca Asplund 5:42, Danielle Fillmore 5:45, and Stacy Yarbrough 6:15. Wesley Watanabe picked up his second medal on the day at 5:11 and another PR as well. Tatianna Balcazar ran to a 4th place finish in her heat and a PR of 6:02. Dylan Gallagher earned a medal and a PR in the event as well. Andrew Huscher dropped a bunch with a 5:07.00 effort! Near the end of the evening, in a fun affair of hooping and hollering, the friends and fans of likable Jon Clem saw him not only achieve his goal of getting under 5:00 in the 1600 for the first time, but running 4:51 and finishing second in his heat!
Ryan Sheehan set the pace for King in the 800 with a PR at 2:10, but there was a group of girls clustered well in the low 2:30's. Sara Strasbaugh was at 2:33, just one second off of a lifetime PR, Danielle Fillmore was at 2:34, Brandi Rosenau ran 2:37, while Haley Hammar had a terrific second place finish and a big, big 2:37 personal best. Greg Romandetti PR'd at 2:13 in a frosh-soph heat.
It was an exciting day of racing, and those who missed it missed a bunch. This is what racing is all about -- time spent in preparation and hard work, culminating in big efforts and big drops in time while going head-to-head against others who have done the same.
RELAYS DO BATTLE AT RANCHO VERDE
The Rancho Verde Relays arrived on a significantly warmer and dryer day than the 2006 version and though the temps picked up beyond comfortable by the afternoon, the weather helped along a good meet with strong performances by a number of King athletes.
Despite missing a few key performers due to the SAT test, the girls still lurked in the top five team places throughout the day. They would eventually finish sixth, behind five very large, very successful programs. The meet had close to twenty schools entered. The 4x1600 race was the first off the line and the A team of Danielle Fillmore, Larissa Davis, Rebecca Asplund and Kelsi Tippets (3 ninth graders and a junior!) ran a great race to finish second. The B Team of Haley Hammar, Kaitlin Traver, Sara Strasbaugh and Brandi Rosenau finished fourth overall! The girls shuttle hurdles team placed second in their heat. The 4x100 team was second overall with a strong 51.50 mark. The foursome of Lambert, West, Schulte and Sanford broke a six year old School Record in the 4x200, running 1:49.44. It was one of the oldest records on the books! The distance medley team of Asplund, Anna Duffy, Fillmore and Tippets worked themselves from sixth to third, finishing at 13:28.
The guys found themselves looking at the backside of the field in many of the events, as some of the top programs in the county were on hand, loaded with speed and strength. Murrietta Valley, Rancho Cucamonga, Vista Murrietta, Great Oak and Rancho Verde are all "powerhouse" programs with great talent. Yearly, they combine for numerous athletes at the CIF Finals. It seemed at times that King was seriously disadvantaged in size. Still, the boys team put out quality efforts at nearly every turn. The 8x200 team of Washington, Taylor, Kanabolo, Thurman, Epps, Jackson, Nash and Smith set a new school record in the rarely-run event, going 3:29.74. Sprinkled throughout the day were solid personal results, even if the conjoined members of a relay grouping kept the squad from finishing high.
The girls discus team, (Hicks, Franklin and Loya) combined for a new school record in that event and a 4th place finish. They threw 253' 11", eclipsing the old mark by four feet. Brittani Ciupek, Brenda Hanrahan and Katie Coggins finished second the pole vault relay.The boys pole vault squad of Stark, Sibley and Nugent was a high point on the day, as they finished second overall with a combined height of 33'6".
So at the end of the day, the results were mixed for King. While the girls were able to battle for a sixth place team finish behind truly dominant Inland Empire programs, the boys were able to manage only 12 points and finished a very distant 9th place.
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF "BURY"
The Chino Hills Huskies traveled along with King to the foothills of the San Gabriels to contest a three-way meet with Los Osos. The Huskies' well coached, talented and balanced boys and girls programs were in complete control and buried their opposition in an avalanche of points. For King's boys, they lost to both Los Osos and Chino Hills, (98.5 - 38- 31.5) while the girls were nudged by the Bears (49-51) and lost by a larger margin to Chino Hills (71-49).
Across both track and field however, King's athletes did not let the lopsided scores keep them from competing with honor and effort. Carrington Mathews had a great day, leaping his way to a first in the high jump at 6-4 (a personal record and cause for a declaration that the school record would be his by the end of the season) and a second PR and place in the long jump. Ryan Sibley got a large applause with a series of close misses then a clearance of 12' 6" in the pole vault to claim second place. Danny Stark was third at 11'6". Sam Jeter and Chris Bellfield were strong in the short hurdles, winning and taking third respectively. Jeter and Mathews were the only two King athletes to win an event.
On the girls' side, things were a bit closer, thanks in part to some quality performances in several events. Carissa Bowman and Kelsi Tippets secured 13 points for the team between the two of them over the three miles they raced in two distance events. Tiffany West was third in the 400, and Anna Duffy went fourth in the 300 hurdles. Jazzmine Simpson jumped 4-8 to finish second in the high jump, while Brenda Hanrahan and Brittani Ciupek were second and third in the vault. Lacy Russell and Loto Franklin had great discus throws, both going beyond a century to take first and second. Franklin would double up in the shot, finishing second in that event.
Over 300 athletes competed on the afternoon, and the Huskies of Chino Hills proved themselves over both schools through superior strength and ability.
A SLOW START TO '07 SEASON
The Wolves stumbled a bit out of the gates against Chaparral High on Thursday, losing three of the four contests. Only the varsity girls were victorious, taking home a 56 point win over the Pumas.
Contested at King's temporary "home field" of Citrus Hill High's wonderful new all-weather facility, the sparkling setting served to provide some solid marks despite coming up short in the W-L columns. For the girls, the meet got off well with a 1-2 finish in the 3200 by Kelsi Tippets and Carissa Bowman. The two cross country All-Staters ran smart races to notch the 8 points and Kelsi's time of 12:19 was the sixth-fastest frosh time in school history. By the time the 400 relay team had sprinted around the track the Lady Wolves were up 13-1. Amber Sanford and Rachel Shulte ran 1-2 in the short hurdle race. Brenda Hanrahan, after missing all of last season to injury, came storming back with a win at 9 feet in the pole vault. The vertical jump event was won by Jazzmine Simpson at 4-10. The final score for the girls was 91-45.
On the boys' side, the two teams have made a history over the last five seasons of finishing the meet very closely matched. This was no different, as the Puma's pulled out a narrow victory, 72-64. Matt Cummins scored the first points for King in the second event (1600), running a well-timed attack in the last 300 meters to notch the victory. Sam Jeter and Chris Belfield, King's two most trusted hurdlers, got their season's off well with a 2-3 finish in the 110 Highs. Carrington Mathews made his return from a year off notable, skying 19'3/4" in the long jump to win and also winning the high jump. Colin Munro threw a top-five all time heave in the shot put to win that event, while also winning the discus. Danny Stark continued his fine vaulting career with a win over the high bar, upping his PR by an inch. Ryan Sibley was second. Cummins came back at the end of the afternoon to win his second event, the 3200. Pat Gonzalez came in third.
The JV squads had some holes in the lineup and fell to Chapparal by a large margin on the girls' side, while the boys missed the win by six points.
2008
MANNY'S RUN ENDS AT STATE PRELIMS
Manny Santiago's magical run toward the California State triple jump finals ended a step short last night at Cerritos College in the preliminary round. His emotion charged four weeks -performing clutch jump after clutch jump - and advancing on when no one thought he could, came to a halt in what is annually perhaps the toughest high school competition in the country.
Manny's three attempts featured a legal jump of 45-9 and two scratches-the last one well within range of qualifying into the finals. But since scratches are not measured, we'll never know exactly how close he was. It would have taken a jump of at least 47-1 to get that ninth place spot into Saturday's final. Manny was not the only casuality of the day in the triple jump. The state's top ranked jumper, Chris Bernard of Corona Santiago finished 10th and out of the money by a quarter inch. Vista Murrietta's Nick Ross, a top 5 performer in the state all year, would finish 12th. Manny would finish in 14th place out of the 30 competitors. As he realized he would not be going on, he gathered up his gear and headed out of the stadium to to be met by his coaches. His head hung low and with tears in his eyes he walked away from his final high school competition, disappointed in the final result but knowing that he had nothing to be ashamed of.
The State Meet can be a very unkind experience. It is the biggest track show in the state, as said before, perhaps the country. Along with the elation of victory comes the upsets, the surprises and the disappointtments. Evidence of this comes with dropped batons, pulled muscles, disrupted strategy or just plain being out talented. Coach Corona commented as he watched some great athletes not qualify or finish toward the back of the pack, "You know, a week ago all these kids were studs. Today, in light of what they're competing against, they're just another competitor. Somehow, that doesn't seem quite fair to what those kids have accomplished."
It would be easy to catergorize Manny's 14th place and say he was just another competitor, but nothing could be further from the truth. One has to consider the big picture in his accomplishments. He finished 14th in the STATE. Out of the 1500-some-odd schools in the state(460of which were represented yesterday) -- out of all the triple jumpers in California, he was the 14th best. He is the first King male track athlete to EVER get as far as he did. More than that, he has been an inspiration to his teamates and to his school as he went from the 13th ranked jumper in Divsion 1 Prelims to the Division 1 Finals to the Master's Meet and finally to the State Meet. For four weeks, he made us beleive that with hard work and a little bit of belief, anything is possible. Coach Corona asks the seniors every year "What will you leave behind?" What Manny Santiago did in 2008 ,and how he did it, will live on in King Track history, and be an inspiration, for a long time to come.
CINDERELLA MAN-NY
"It only takes one."
That is the mantra that King jump coach Zaza Ralph recites to his charges any time things aren't going well. An athlete might not have his/her step right, they may be struggling to get out into the sand pit. Sometimes frustration and anger begin to kick in and it seems like all is lost.Coach Ralph then recites his usual piece of advice. the inherent message is "Stay patient. Adjust where you have to. Stay calm and stay with it. Keep the faith."
It was this message that King triple jumper Manny Santiago heard from his coach as he struggled through his warmups and his intial jumps Friday night at the CIF(SS) Master's Meet at Cerritos College in Cerrittos. As the last qualifer from Division finals, Manny was attempting to qualify for the State Track and Field Championships to be held next week in this very same stadium. He had to finish in the top 5 or jump 46-3 to capture that dream. After four jumps, he had two scratches and a best jump of 45-0. He had not looked good since getting on the field and it was cold, windy, rainy and there had been several delays along the way. The end of his season seemed to be very near.
However, on his fifth attempt, Manny sailed to a PR-School Record 46-6.25. He would go 45-9 on his last attempt, but no matter. He had made the State Meet--the first King male athlete to ever do so and the first since Orlisha Henlon's high jump accomplishment in 2003.
With his performance Friday night, Manny continues his magical run through the post-season. One local coach called it a "Cinderella Story." Since May 1st when he won the Ivy League Championship with a 43-9, Manny has reached one benchmark after the other. He finished 6th in Division 1 prelims with a 45-0 jump which qualified him for CIF Division 1 Finals. At the Finals, he finished 6th with a jump of 46-4 which got him into the Masters Meet. Last night, his jump of 46-6 placed him 6th and qualified him for state. Coach Corona joked that after the meet, he was driving to Las Vegas, finding a roulette table and putting some money down on number 6.
This coming Friday, Manny will be attempting to become one of the nine who will qualify out of prelims into the finals on Saturday. He will be going against the very best in the state of California. Can he do it?? As Coach Ralph would say--"It only takes one."
MANNY IS MASTERFUL!
The CIF SS Track and Field Finals brings onto one stage the best and most talented prep athletes from across the region and from four CIF Divisions; divisions based on school enrollment. With well over 500 high schools playing a part in the Southern Section, just qualifying for the meet is a true accomplishment. The competition is stiff and deep. For some in every division, there are individual titles to be earned, medals to win and PR's to pursue. For the very best in Southern California however, the Finals holds out yet another opportunity. For a select number in each event, should all go well for them, the CIF Finals becomes not only a title quest, but also a chance to qualify for the CIF Masters meet. The Masters, held next week in Cerritos, brings together only the best of the best; the top 9-12 athletes per event from today's four divisional contests combined. The meet is referred to by some as the unofficial "Southern California Championship", but in reality, it's high-powered setting serves as a qualifying round for the right to compete the following week in the California State Championships. Call it what you will, Masters competitors are truly the masters of their specialities!
Today in the Division One boys triple jump, Manny Santiago was simply master-ful, and with a leap of 46' 4.25", he found himself taking the last spot into the Masters meet next week at Cerritos College. In doing so, furthered the school record he already held and became King's first ever male athlete to hold the title, "Masters qualifier."
His jumping had to wait longer than normal as the pace of the meet seemed to wilt under the triple-digit temperatures all day. The delay didn't seem to hurt the talented and motivated senior though, as all three of his jumps (he fouled on attempt #3) were progressively beyond the school record he set last week at the Preliminaries. His PR/SR mark of 46-4.25 is over five feet beyond his best of '07! Manny finished sixth overall in Division One, and when the results were combined from the previously held Divisional contests, his was the 12th best on the day (36 total jumpers, four divisions) and the final invitation to next week's prestigious affair!
Sophomore Amber Sanford made her debut at the CIF Finals, competing in the 200 meters. As the 9th place seed going in, she drew the unenviable position in lane one; the tightest curve to navigate. A seemingly quick gun caused her to get off a fraction too late and despite a valiant effort to make up ground on the straight, she finished 9th. Her time was just off her best-ever, so it was certainly a good first-go of it for the talented 10th grader who is sure to visit this ground again.
And so there is one left. The roster of King Track and Field last February was in excess of 300. By mid season it was hovering at 205. 100 qualified for the league championship week; 30 made it to CIF Prelims and two made it to the CIF Finals. He may be alone this week, but the "King" on Manny's chest represents us all, and should he compete as he did today, he will represent us all quite nicely!
SANFORD, SANTIAGO, FIND THEIR WAY TO FINALS
The Division One Track and Field Preliminaries of the CIF Southern Section can be a buzz saw or a buzz kill for many an athlete. The level of talent and depth of skill this section produces is unrivaled perhaps anywhere in the entire state. Regardless of individual performance, the experience can leave many athletes by meet's end wondering "what happened?" Solid efforts can somehow seem diminished in the shadow of statuary talent that the division yearly creates. Just qualifying for the Preliminaries is an accomplishment, performing well on this competitive stage is significant and finding one's way out of the Prelims and into the CIF Finals -- a Big Dance which limits its invitations to nine athletes per event -- is truly signficant. Except for the exceptional few, athletes who assemble at this venue must find a way to mentally and physically overcome the odds to compete at a high level. If "moving on" to Finals is the goal, an extra measure of drive and good fortune is required. On Saturday at Trabuco Hills High, Amber Sanford and Manny Santiago punched their ticket for the Finals (to be held May 17 at Mt.SAC) and led a whole host of Wolves who finished their seasons in fine fashion regardless of the temptation to let those marks pale in comparison to the stellar competition.
It took setting a school record for both of the King stars to make it happen. In Manny Santiago's first attempt at the triple jump, he hop-skipped-and-jumped to a PR and school record of 45-.75, taking down Rashad Bias' 3 year old standard. He proceed to scratch his next two attempts, but his first try was good enough for the sixth-seed going into the CIF Finals. Amber Sanford is making up for an injury-ended 2007 campaign with some superb efforts and performances over the last few weeks, starting in mid-April with her IE Championship dash in the 200. She started things off with a carry on the 4x100 relay team on Saturday, helping the group of Autumn White, Tiffany West and Juli Lambert to a school record of 49.08. That mark was the 14th fastest foursome of the entire division. Mid-meet, Amber ran another great race in the 100, just missing qualification in the 12th spot overall. But it was in her forte', the 200, that she came storming down the track in a new SR of 25.04 and snagged the 9th and final place into the prestigious Finals. The sophomore sensation has truly found her stride!
Beyond setting school records, there were solid performances and PR's across the day for King, helping to erase the memories of the 2007 debacle King held at this same meet. The sand-pit was a welcome place for the jumpers in Santiago's club, as both Tyree Taylor and Brandon Walker landed in PR's. Taylor went 43-4 in the triple for his best-ever, while Walker leaped 21-1 in the long jump for his best mark. A great way for the talented jumpers to end their season! Chris Belfield had his second-fastest time ever in the 300 hurdles at 31.33, Shari Haynes just missed improving her #5 all-time King mark with a 300 hurdle race of her own that finished under 50 seconds. Casey Candelaria ended her incredible season (and year) of growth with a fraction-of-a-second improvement in the 800 meters. She'd help the 4x400 team of Carrie Soholt, Kayla Cunningham and Tiffany West notch a 4:07 time, King's #3 all-time best.
Chantel Hicks finished high in the discus, also with a PR of 115-3, King's #2 all time. Kasey Tippets ran King's 5th-fastest freshman time in the 1600 with a fine 5:32 effort, Rebecca Asplund nearly matched her PR in the same event. Kelsi Tippets came oh-so-close in the 3200, finishing 12th overall in a great effort and her second-fastest time ever. She also pulled off a tough distance double, going 5:19 in the 1600 earlier in the day. Tiffany West ran her best time ever in the 400, another #2 all time mark for the day. She crossed the line in 1:00.04. Larissa Davis concluded her first-ever trip to the Preliminaries with a solid race in the 3200.
Each year brings better and faster athletes and the bar seems to be raised with each passing season. Proving their mettle and ability to bounce back, the 29 athletes in King's uniform showed that the past is indeed the past, and with a new year brings renewed commitment and improved accomplishment.
KING QUALIFIED
The competitors of the Ivy League Finals may have had many different motives and reasons for competing, but perhaps foremost in the minds of many was to earn a qualifying spot for the CIF Championships to begin next week. The CIF preliminaries and its subsequent Finals gathers the best track and field athletes from across the region for two weeks of incredibly exciting action and to have earned a spot in those meets is an ultimate accomplishment for most high school athletes. The door one must go through to get there is one's league finals.
On Thursday at Citrus Hill High School in Perris, the teams from Riverside traveled for that opportunity and for King, a sizable group went home having punched their ticket to compete at the next level.
In the dashes, it was Amber Sanford's turn to rise, having had to endure the Ivy Finals last year from the sidelines with injury. In a classic dual of the dash, she came up just a fraction short of her first league title in the 100, but later came back to dominate the 200 in her fastest time of the year. Her time in the 100 was 12.25 and a new school record! Tiffany West finished second in the 400 with her best mark this season. In the 800, freshman Carrie Soholt claimed her first league title with a trademarked come from behind race. In her draft was vastly improved Casey Candelaria who finished fifth last year at this meet in the 400, but since moving up another lap has found her groove and gift. Both girls grabbed another PR in the process.
The distance races in fact belonged to King this night, as in the 1600 King would cross the line in the top four places, (and six of the nine places!) with Kelsi Tippets winning for the second year in a row followed by Rebecca Asplund who PR'd at 5:28, Carissa Bowman and Kasey Tippets. Later in the 3200, Kelsi took home an easy victory again, but the story may have belonged to qualifier and third place finisher Larissa Davis. Having to overcome extreme disappointment last Fall in an injury-riddled cross country season, she made the decision to come back for one more go at it, and in her last season qualified for CIF for the first time. Remarkable perseverance! Danielle Fillmore finished fourth and with Asplund and Aubrey Bowman at 8th and 9th the girls in blue put together a collective effort worthy of praise.
Vivian Ibewiro and Shari Haynes both qualified out of the two hurdle races, with Vivian snatching a victory from the jaws of defeat with a victories 35-9 triple jump in her last attempt to win. Both relay squads moved on and Katie Coggins vaulted her best of the season at 10-0 to move to CIF as well. Loto Franklin and Chantel Hicks did the same in the two throwing events.
On the boys side, it was an equally impressive qualifying day, if not as numerous as the ladies. Manny Santiago won his first-ever league title in the triple jump, eclipsing 43-0, and was followed by Tyree Taylor in second. Chris Belfield added another impressive performance to his treasure chest of great races in the hurdles with a runners-up run in the 110 highs. He came back and finished third the the 300's. Charlie Alvarez had a very fine race in the 3200, going 10:03 and finishing second with his second-fastest time of the year. The 4x100 relay team had it's fastest time of the year at 43.77. (The 4x400 team did not qualify, but did run King's #4 time all-time). Much improved Jon Job and Trent Parrish vaulted into CIF with 2nd and 3rd place showings in that event. Brandon Walker and Brian Deslonde matched those places with a low-level leap in the long jump.
There were numerous solid performance at the JV level as well. Ariel Casco was beside herself with joy as she cleared the final hurdle in the lead of the 300's and could barely wait to cross the line before she sweetly celebrated her victory. It was a great sight to see! Rachel Webb took a victory in the 200, Kayla Cunningham was the winner in the 400. The two combined to help carry the stick in the two relays and again helped to bring home wins for King. Nina Green won both horizontal jumps and Casey Maphis won in the vault.
In the 100 dash, Rossi Hill had to lean at the line to win in a sliver of a second, he'd place second in the 200. Austin McKell tried to lean in Rossi Hill like fashion in his 800 race, and despite crashing to the track as his body hurdled past the camera, the photo finish gave him a scraped up and bruised second place. He was fine, especially after hearing the hard charging finish brought him a PR of 2:08 on the season! Brooke Yirgo won both hurdle events and Austin Anderson claimed the victory in the vault. Finally, Densel Moody was the JV champion in the triple jump.
So it was quite a day. For some it spelled a conclusion to a season, under the lights a chance to glitter one last time. For many others, it was not only a chance to shine, but shine bright enough to catch the attention of those at the CIF level, among whom they will be able to show their stuff, to jump higher, throw farther and run faster than they ever have before. That opportunity will come in about a week.
YOUNG ONES COMPETE LIKE VETERANS AT HEMET FROSH SOPH MEET
About 50 young Wolves headed out to Hemet High to participate in the West Valley Soph-Frosh meet on Saturday. For some it was a last opprotunity to get that PR for the 2008 season while for others it was a chance to refine things prior to Ivy League prelims and finals next week.
The Wolves represented themselves well in the 90 plus degree heat and despite the speedy way the meet was run (the meet was over at 11:30 am-just 31/2 hours from the start!) There was not a lot of rest to be had between events. The girls got solid performances throughout the meet led by a first place finish by Jenel Bloom in the pole vault at 8-0. Teamate Casey Maphis finished third at 7-6. Kasey Tippetts got PR in the 1600 with a 5:36 effort for second place and then doubled back with a 2:31 800 for third. Freshman Rachel Webb pulled out a PR effort in the 200 finishing fourth in 27.9. Jessica Wiese also got a fourth place in the discus.
The boys were able to secure a second place trophy behind the two first place finishes of Khyber White. Khyber, who made his breakthrough last year in this same meet, blew away the field with a 15.7(hand time) in the 110 hurdles and did the same in the 300 hurdles at 42.9. The 4 x 100 relay of Rossi Hill, Donte Franklin, Joh Hofilena and Marvin Epps finsihed second on the day in 45.13 and the 4 X400 of Hofilena,Nikko Valenzuela, Chris Miller and James Echavarria pulled out a third place in 3:43. Miller ALMOST ended his quest for a sub-2:10 800 as he ran to third in 2:10.02 and Brad Sheets collect two fourth place medals in the 1600 (4:55)and the 3200( 11:09). Jon Barnes cleared 9-0 to get fourth in the vault. Densel Moody had his best day of the year leaping to a PR 18-8 in the long jump for second place and a 36-10 in the triple.for fifth.
Almost the entire group ended the day with a PR or got close in their dash to the finish of the season. "I got my PR!" said Caine Jordon, as the team headed for the exit. "I'm excited!"
He wasn't alone on this day. Ariel Casco earned a PR in the 100 hurdles at 18.8 while hurdlemate Brooke Yirgu got a sixth overall in the 300's at 45.6. The boys 400 crew of Jon Paul, Echavarria and Valenzuela all went under 57 for the first time. Katrina Graham dropped two seconds to 1:08 in her 400.
GIRLS WIN FIRST AND LAST IVY LEAGUE TITLE
As the Ivy League prepares to disband with the six member schools moving on to two separate leagues in 2008-09 (the Big 8 and the Inland Valley Leagues) the girls from King High captured what may well be the last Ivy League title in the group's long and storied history. It was also the first title for King since joining the league back in 2005. Upon their arrival from the Sunkist League, the Lady Wolves were greeted by the State and CIF conquering Huskies from North and denied time and again the opportunity to finish on top. After three seasons of runners-up status, a thrilling two-point victory over North back in March set the table for an undefeated run to the title and then after dispatching Ramona and Arlington recently, only the Poly Bears had a chance for an upset. The topple didn't come though as the girls from King won handily on Wednesday to capture their first Ivy League title and 6th crown overall since opening in 2000.
It really wasn't much of a contest right from the start. Kelsi Tippets, Carissa Bowman and Larissa Davis swept easily the 3200 and by the time the 4x100 crew had carried the victory stick for their lap and the 100 hurdlers had swept their event, the Bears were heading for hibernation. Though Poly would be able to manage a few event victories, the windy afternoon belonged to King, with sweeps of the 800 (Candelaria, Soholt and Strasbaugh) and the discus (Franklin, Russell and Hicks). Katie Coggins and Brittani Ciupek finished 1 and 2 in the pole vault, Rebecca Asplund and Kasey Tippets did likewise in the 1600 meters. Shari Haynes and Taylor Scott combined for 6 points in the 300 hurdles. The final score ended at King 93, Poly 43.
"Runners-up" has been the story line of the varsity boys, as they've taken that spot in the league each of the last three seasons. La Sierra is the official winner in 2008, but that didn't keep the King boys from finishing the dual meet season in great fashion, winning easily by a score of 99-32. It didn't start smoothly though. After a bobble and botched exchange took King out of the running 100 meters into the 4x100 relay, they were saved by Poly's DQ in the second exchange. The next event was the 1600 and Poly took a close victory there despite good racing by Patrick Gonzalez (2nd) and a strong effort by Derek Nelson (3rd). But Khyber White, Chris Belfied and TonyRay Pacheco began to slam the door shut with a sweep of the 110 highs and from there the Wolves were able to pull away. Manny Santiago jumped into the all-time Long Jump list with the #2 AT leap at 21-8.5. Charlie Alvarez PR'd in the 800, his second-such effort in the last week at 2:05.84. Marques Lea took two seconds, in the 400 and the 200. Patrick Gonzalez came back at the end of the afternoon to win the 3200. Ryan Sibley had his best vault of the year to win at 13-0 as did Jon Job who finished second in 12-0. Dexter Jackson won the 100 in a headwind.
The JV teams also captured the titles with easy victories putting an exclamation mark on the sentence of this season. From the eurphoric victory the girls gained over North, to consistent diligence in the many dual meets held this season, to the incredible victories at Chet Nicholson and the Inland Empire Championships, it has been quite a year. The dual meet and team-centered emphasis will now give way to the more individualistic approach to the league championships and the attempt by many to qualify for CIF.
INLAND EMPIRE CHAMPIONSHIPS CROWN KING CHAMPIONS
The objective wasn't really to win. As with any big meet King enters, the athletes' charge is simply, "do your best!" The philosophy guides the program and over 9 years of competing it has brought forth great results for King Track and Field. Occassionally, when the talent has been coupled with purpose, it reaps victories.
In five seasons, the Inland Empire Championships has grown to become a marquee event on the calendar, in part due to the continuous growth of the IE and the subsequent quality of track and field athletes who populate the dusty terrain. With the growing powerhouse teams from the Temecula and Murrieta Valley area along with Rancho Verde Moreno Valley's sprint prowess, to qualify for a starting position let alone compete well is quite an accomplishment. Well, by the time the lights were turned off under a full moon at meet's end, the track was still aglow for the King girls as they came home with their first major invitational victory in six years.
The girls peppered the track and a few field events with point-scoring efforts all day, but heaps of their eventual 71 points came in four events. Amber Sanford sprinted to her fastest-ever 200 meter dash for victory, exclaiming after she picked up her medal and $140 Nike sport watch reward, "I had to sprint the whole way!" Given the stable of sprinters the host school Rancho Verde and Vista Murrieta possesses, it was a near-stunning victory. Kelsi Tippets doubled in the long distances and finished second and third in the 1600 and 3200 respectively. Carissa Bowman also scored in the 1600, helping the team cause. But it was in the 800 meters that an avalanche of points came across the line. A week ago in the afternoon sun of the Arcadia Invitational 4x800 King's top four two-lap-dashers were stymied by a dollop of anxiety and nerves that slowed each of their efforts to compete on the big stage. But the lights of Rancho Verde's stadium caught the glitter of these King High gems on this night and they were simply brilliant over two laps. Carrie Soholt, Casey Candelaria and Sara Strasbaugh all PR'd on the night and finished 3rd, 4th and 6th amidst a stellar field and after absorbing a prickly-sweet challenge that was laid down by Great Oak's great middle distance runners during the warmup. Sara's time of 2:22.38 surpassed her own PR by three seconds and eclipsed the once-held school record. Carrie lowered her own SR below 2:20, and Casey also dropped below the pre-2008 SR going 2:21.
In the glow of their accomplishments, Sara, acknowledging their afternoon meltdown at Arcadia, pointed to the lights and said, "See, when the lights come on the stars do come out!" In the frosh-soph heat of the same race, the fourth member of the quick quartet, Hannah Peterson challenged for the win before settling in fifth with a PR of 2:25 of her own.
Tiffany West PR'd and scored in the 400 meters at 60.65. Though she did not score, Larissa Davis had a fine day in the 3200, winning the day-meet open race in a season-best 12:06. She notched her first invitational victory of her fine four year campaign. MIT-bound Sheri Haynes ran 49.38 in the 300 hurdles, her fastest mark ever and the #5 mark in school history. The 4x100 team finished fourth, scoring; the 4x400 team matched the finish place. Jazzmine Simpson didn't clear 5-0 in the high jump but was able to score. Katie Coggins took third in the vault. Vivian Ibewiro was 5th and 6th in the two horizontal jumps.
There were some notable performances at the frosh-soph level beyond the effort of Hannah Peterson. Aubrey Bowman ran King's 7th fastest freshman mark ever in the 3200 at 12:18. Kelli Boyd was a two-time winner in the high jump at 5-0 and the long jump at 15-10. With both marks she leaped into King's record books, notching top five all time performances in both events. Jessica Weise finished fifth in the shot put.
Though the boys were not as successful in the scoring column as the girls were, they still were able to find within themselves the ability to compete well against some truly impressive programs from across both Inland Empire counties. As representative of the depth the IE offers in terms of quality, Jason Schupp had his finest and fastest race of the season in the 800, running 2:06, the #7 time ever at King. That was only good enough for 21st place however and it spelled out the story for the boys all evening; great personal performance, but not good enough to grab some hardware against the studs from the Murrieta and desert areas. Chris Belfield was one of the few to break through the wall of opposition with a near-best time in the 300 hurdles, his 41.67 would place him 5th on the day. Brian Deslonde didn't jump his best of 21-7 in the long jump, but a 21-6 took home fourth place for the senior. Manny Santiago went 43-9 (#2 all time) to finish third in the triple jump.
At the frosh-soph level, Rossi Hill had two sixth-place dashes in the century and deuce. Craig Aguilar and Daniel Balcazar both PR'd in the 800 but failed to score. Jarod Nocella picked up a PR in the 3200. The 4x100 team finished fourth overall, and like the varsity girls baton-squads matched it too with a fourth place finish in the 1600 relay. Khyber White had another typically great outing all afternoon, and Chris Jackson took home a fourth place vault.
One doesn't have to watch too many events in a meet that brings the IE's best to center stage to recognize that the talent level has risen dramatically over the last decade in a place once called by an LA disc jockey, "The Valley of the Dirt People." On this cool evening under a moon-cast Southern California sky, the athletes of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties rose to the occasion and made the dirt billow in dust stirred by great performances, just as they do in countless contests spread across the entire season and in a plethora of track and field venues. In this stadium, lit up for all to see, the girls of King High were leading the way.
LION TAMERS
The Arlington Lions came into the King Stadium Thursday to contest the second-to-last Ivy League meet of the season. As the Lady Wolves march ever so closer to their first Ivy League title, the Lions represented one of two remaining squads that could disrupt that parade. Undersized and outmatched, Arlington could not muster enough points to earn a victory and King's girls moved within one victory of the crown.
The Lions scored only 11 points to King's 125, and "King's Queens" won every event contested. Loto Franklin had a solid heave of 35-9 in the shot for a huge PR. Her toss was just 2 inches short of the school record! Chantel Hicks mimicked Loto's success with the number-2 throw All Time in the discus, flipping the plate 114-2, also a PR. Kayla Cunningham won the 400, Jazzmine Simpson cleared 5-feet in the high jump, and Katie Coggins continued her improvement in the vault with a strong 9-0 showing and win. Kellie Boyd got on the top-5 list for the triple jump with a mark of 33-9, good for #4 all time in school history. Kasey Tippets took home a victory in the 3200 at 13:00.
The boys had just as easy of an afternoon, scoring 105 points. Brian Deslonde continued his fine jumping going 21-7.5 in the long, a 6 inch improvement on the season and the number-2 mark in school history. Brian Malone threw beyond 43 feet in the shot and Jared Pico went PR in the discus, making it a good day in the field for the Wolves. Joe Gilliland gutted out a victory in the 400 meters, Ryan Sibley skyied 11-6 to win the vault. Charlie Alvarez dropped down to the 800 from his normal 3200 meters duty and performed exceptionally well with a lifetime PR of 2:07.74, and took over the season leader spot in the process. Ethan Park put together a great race in the 3200 to finish second, a come-from-behind effort that saw him in fourth after three laps of the eight. Dexter Jackson moved to #4 all time in the 100 meters with an 11.21 dash and win.
Only the Poly Bears remain in front of the Wolves in their quest to finish first (girls) and second (boys) in what is looking to be the final year of Ivy League existence. One week to go, stay tuned!
WHEN THE LIGHTS GO ON, THE STARS COME OUT
A weekend of ups and downs, lows and highs, disappointment and incredible elation, made the King Track story at the 41st running of the nationally acclaimed Arcadia Invitational. Arcadia, perhaps the largest mid-season stage for high school track and field in the country is where some young Wolves found out what being a true competitor was all about. Being invited to Arcadia is both an honor and and a challenge. The athletes that take the track and field each April in Arcadia are, without debate, among the best in the country. For King's ladies team, such an assemblage of talent was the reason for entering, for that congregation of skill exposes the weaknesses and strengths of every athlete. As Coach Corona explained, "that's why we bring them here."
Friday marked the first day of the meet and the early entrance for the King 4x800 team ranked, at the time, sixth in the state of California. Things did not go well, as Casey Candelaria, Sara Strasbaugh, Hannah Peterson and Carrie Soholt clocked a 9:49 time in the invitational heat(fastest heat of the two run on the day). It was a disappointment as the cumulative time was some 11 seconds off what they achieved at the Chet Nicholson Relays two weeks ago. The enormity of the meet, the thousands of spectators and thier own doubts as to whether they belonged on such a talented stage seemed to overwhelm them and the race was a struggle almost from the beginning. However, they were followed later in the evening by the 4xmile team which etched a new school record by two seconds going 21:49.95 . Bouyed by the lead-off leg of senior Carissa Bowman who ran a 5:14.5, the rest of the team, Danielle Fillmore (5:37)- Rebecca Asplund(5:37) and Kelsi Tippetts (5:20) were able to pull through for a 9th place finish in their heat of 30 teams.
On Saturday, the 4x100 team of Autumn White, Amber Sanford, Tiffany West and Juli Lambert clocked their second fastest time of the year in 50.16, finishing in the middle of the pack among 55 other teams. This group ran off at 10 AM, and no King team would be seen again until 8:10 that evening but it was well worth the wait. The Distance Medley (1200-400-800-1600) team of Carissa Bowman, Amber Sanford, Carrie Soholt and Kelsi Tippets DESTROYED the school record by 47 seconds as they finished 8th out of 17 teams in the Invitational portion of the meet with a 12:22.26. Three schools, Torrey Pines out of San Deigo, Davis High from Utah and Esperanza High of Anahiem, broke the meet record going under 12:14. It was called by the meet announcer as the fastest DMR race in the country to date. Arcadia's slogan is "When the lights go on the stars come out" and no words could have been more apropos for one of the final events of the evening, and for the Lady Wolves' brightest stars.
Carissa Bowman, making her way back from illness, ran her second impressive race of the weekend as she led off with a 3:52 1200. Amber Sanford broke off a 1:02 400 but had to run an extra 10-12 yeards because Carrie Soholt took off early. Amber had to catch her to get the baton to her. Now an "Arcadia veteran" after Friday night, Carrie ran around a 2:20 800 leg before giving off to Kelsi Tippets. Kelsi lost some ground along the way but ran extremely hard and put on a vicious kick in the final 100 meters, clocked a 5:08 1600 leg to rally the team to the finish line. The mark for Kelsi would stand as a school record if it were an open race. More significantly, the 12:22 team time was second ALL TIME for any girls team from Riverside County, with only the mighty Murrieta Valley squad of 2002 ahead of them. Surrounded on the track by some of the legendary distance programs in the state and from out of state, the girls from King held their own and showed that they not only deserved to be in the field, but could race well with the spotlight firmly pointed at them.
So, on a national stage the Queens of King showed they had room to grow yet also belonged right there next to some of the best track stars this nation has to offer.
VISTA MURRIETA WINS THE 2008 FROSH SOPH CLASSIC
The Vista Murrietta team carved off a chunk of their younger athletes from their 300+ member track program and brought to the 4th Annual King Frosh Soph Classic a view of the great program that the Mustangs are. With talent and depth spread throughout the field and across the track, the participation of Vista took the meet to another level unforeseen untill now. When the points were tallied, Vista Murrieta won both the boys and the girls contests handily.
Their victories were not unchallenged however. Orange Lutheran, who brought a small contingent of boys last year and did well, came back this year with the ladies who put up a run to take the crown from Vista before settling for second. The Mustangs of Rancho Verde saw their younger set of guys give chase, but that horserace fell a bit short for the Moreno Valley school who finished second, just 6.5 points short. San Jacinto's and Orange Lutheran's boys were both in the mix all day making it a four-team pullaway from the field. King would finish 6th. The girls of Poloma Valley and King finished in 3rd and 4th respectively, just two points apart.
The sprints were a showcase of talent. Ashley Marshell of Rancho Verde set a new meet record in the 100 meters, going 12.54. Deontae Cooper and Damanie Wilson (Citrus Hills and Orange Lutheran) did the favors in a photo finish of the 100, running 11.07 and 11.08. Wilson would come back in the 200 for another nail biter, this time over Anthony Crook of San Jacinto in a meet-record 22.90-22.94 advantage and victory. In the girls 200, all six medalists broke the three-year old meet record, with Marshell taking the victory again. Orange Lutheran's girls took gold in the 400 relay with an impressive 50.41.
The distances were equally strong with "varsity-like" times posted despite the relative youth of the competitors. Sciarra (no first name given) of Crean Lutheran sliced under 60 in the 400. (she also won the 300 hurdles in meet record time). Carrie Soholt of the host King, ran 2:23.93 in the 800, just holding off a hard-charging Tarra Rarick of Poloma Valley. King's strong distance crew showed their depth in the longer races, with Kelsi Tippets winning the 1600 in 5:22.66, towing two teammates in Hannah Peterson and Rebecca Asplund to 3rd and 5th place finishes. Danielle Fillmore of King led for all but 100 meters in the 3200 meters before relinquishing the top two places to Feuerstine of Serrano and Lauren Justus of Glendora. All three broke 12:00.
Out in the field, Vista Murrieta took first and second in the girls triple and won the pole vault. Britteny Dannewitz of San Jacinto swept the throws with a strong PR toss of 114-7.25 in the discus.
The boys 110 high hurdles took the timing operator several minutes to analyze the photo to discipher a clear winner, it was that close! Teammates Keele and Gomez of Vista Murrietta crashed through the line side by side at 16.11-16.12. Keele would win the 300's as well, challenged by Khyber White of King who had a breakthrough day of his own over the barriers. The 800 and 1600 were dominated by Ruben Danielson of Rancho Verde who's sub 2:00 and sub 4:30 credentials were not strong enough to get him on the trip with his older teammates to the Stanford Invitational! Broaching no complaint, he looked near-collegiate with and easy 2:03 and 4:29 victories.
With over 20 schools in attendance and some very strong showings by programs such as Vista, San Jacinto, Orange Lutheran and Rancho Verde, the King Classic made it's fourth showing in the Southern Section one with views of greatness.
EASY ROAD THROUGH RAMONA
If you've ever traveled by car to the town of Ramona, CA, located in the hills north-west of San Diego you know it's a winding, narrow canyon wall route you've got to take to get there. There is no "quick" nor easy way to get to Ramona. While on the road, you drively slowly, less you fly off the cliff.
The road to the Ivy League Championship for the girls passed through Ramona High School yesterday and the going was distinctly different than the road to the school's similarly-named city. This journey was smooth, lacking the thrills of precipitous treachery. No signs of "Danger!" were visible. From the opening gun to the final vault, the King girls cruised toward their first Ivy League crown by winning handily, 117-19. Kirsti Correa snagged her first event victory this season with a win in the 100 hurdles. Larissa Davis did as well in the 3200, leading a King sweep of that event. Loto Franklin won the shot at 31-4.5, and Kasey Tippets got in on the first-time-ever-winning-an-event action with a victory in the 1600. Katie Coggins, somewhat accustomed to winning in the vault made 8-0 for another win. Kelli Boyd had an incredible day, scoring in four events and winning two of them.
Ramona's boys added a couple of twists and speed bumps to King's journey to victory, but it wasn't enough to make it close, just closer than the girls. With a win of 93-42, King moved to 2-1 on the season in the Ivy League. Kyhber White took gold in the 110 hurdles and Chris Belfield did the honors in the 300 hurdles. Patrick Gonzalez won his first varsity race of the season and also finished third in the 1600. Brian Malone scored twice in the two throws. Dexter Jackson sprinted to a victory in the 100. Jon Job PR'd in the vault at 11-6, his first scoring effort of the season.
So a couple of easy wins were recorded, making the journey to a league title if not easier, at least a day shorter.
SECOND TEAMS COMPETE FIRST CLASS AT BEAUMONT
While part the Wolf track team battled it out for relay supremancy in Corona, another group of King athletes made the trek to Beaumont for the Cougar Classic. 18 teams of varying sizes competed under dark skies and cold conditons for the majority of the meet and while the King team finished in the middle of the team standings, there were numerous medal winners and PR's.
On the varsity side of things, Larissa Davis continued her surge forward as she earned a season best 5:43 in the 1600 for a third place medal and then came back with another season best 12:23 in the 3200 good for fourth place overall. Stacy Yarbrough put in a 6:03 in the 1600 for her season best. Ethan Park won his heat of the varsity 1600 with a fine time of 5:09 and just missed his PR in the 3200 with an 11:08 clocking. TonyRay Pacheco was a 7th place finisher in both hurdle races at 17.99 for the highs and he shaved two seconds off his 300 Hurdle mark with an impressive 45.9. Not bad for a guy who is in his first year of track and only been hurdling for four weeks!!!! Andrew Levine churned out a 57.0-a season best in the 400 and Michael Gardner dropped to 2:25 in the 800.
In the Soph/Frosh Divison, both the boys and girls fared well. Aubrey Bowman got two third place medals for her finishes int he 1600 and the 3200. Aubrey pushed herself to a new PR in the 1600 with a 5:49 and came in in 12:41 in the 3200.The 4X100 relay of Marvin Epps, Donte Franklin, Jonathan Watson and Rossi Hill turned in a 47.01 for third. Not to be outdone, the 4X400 team of James Echavarria, Nikko Valenzuela, Chris Miller and Jamie Moses got the baton around in 3:53-good for second place. Hill, a soph, also got fourth places in the 100 and the 200. Brad Sheets finished fourth in both the 1600( 5:02) and the 3200 (11:02). Not far behind was Sean Lee who tied his PR in the 1600 at 5:10 and earned a PR in the 3200 at 11:11. Ellyise Gamo finished second in the high jump leaping to 4-6 and came ever so close at 4-8. Jessica Wiese made a big push for a varsity spot with a second place shot put of 30-3. Jessica also finished fourth in the discus. Bianca Freeman showed how far she has come as she won her heat of the 200.
It was a long day..punctuated by Rebecca Fairley's question-"Why are they taking ten minutes between races?".....but a very successful one for the part of the team that went west (to Corona) and the one that went east (to Beaumont).
STICKIN' IT TO THE RECORD BOOKS
At the 41st annual Chet Nicholson Relays held at the incredible facilities of Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Eastvale, and with perfect, windless conditions, the record books for the relays looked more like a mis-matched and undersized prize fighter after the heavyweights of 2008 had their way for a few rounds. The girls led the way with 8 new school records, the boys notched three. Their efforts brought home a resounding team win for the girls, 124 to second-place Chaparral's 72, while the boys had a very respectable 5th place showing.
The meet got off on time and the first event of the day began the re-arrangement of King's record books. The girls 4x1600 team of Carissa Bowman, Danielle Fillmore, Rebecca Asplund and Kelsi Tippets ran 20:00, nudging the record by 5 seconds. Later in the day the distance medley record (1200, 400, 800, 1600) was also brought down by Asplund, Tippets, Kasey Tippets and Tiffany West. However, it was the third distance multi-lap affair that not only brought down the book, but the house as well. In the 4x800, the foursome of Casey Candelaria, Hannah Peterson, Sara Strasbaugh and Carrie Soholt carried the stick for 8 laps, and after Casey dispatched their nearest competitor at the end of leg 1, the remaining three girls were left to battle themselves, the track and the clock as they left 2nd place some 50 meters back and some within the field hoping to not get lapped. Despite the "solo" effort the last three girls had to run, Hannah and Sara both dropped their PR's for the race, while Carrie carried it home to a phenomenal 9:36 time! Their accomplishment broke the meet record of 9:51 set back in 1981, beat the school record by 1:15, and was the fourth fastest time in Riverside County history!
The sprint medley (200,200,400, 800) of Juli Lambert, Amber Sanford, Tiffany West and Hanna Peterson pulled away from their opponents within 30 minutes of the conclusion of the 4x800, and their winning mark of 4:22.30 was also a second school record, perhaps making Hannah first King athlete to rack up 2 school records in a half-hour! The shuttle hurdle team of Shari Haynes, Autumn White, Taylor Scott and Vivian Ibewiro got in on the SR action, as did the discus throwers (Chantel Hicks, Loto Franklin and Vanessa Loya) who combined wen 265' 1.5". Juli Lambert, Tiffany West, Sanford and Autumn White took their 4x100 time under 50 seconds for the first time this season.
In scoring 5th overall, the boys team could well have crawled off the track, licking their wounds, but none did. Instead, they allowed the competition to pull them to some quality performances and a couple of school records to match the ladies. The pole vault crew won their event (as did the girls), the shuttle hurdle group of Khyber White, Manny Santiago, Mark Belfield and Dalane Nash took home a bag of 1st place medals and a 1:10.28 time. An 8x100 is a rarely-run event, but when it is contested, it's lightening and thunder as the exchange zones tend to be hazardous zones of sticks and flying bodies. The King crew came out unscathed with a school record of 1:34.52. The distance medley team of Derek Nelson, Chris Hatzl, Daniel Balcazar and Charlie Alvarez finished fourth overall in 11:19.70, and the triple jump group set a school record at 122-7.
After 7 hours of racing, jumping and throwing, the day ended well for King. A box of medals, some PR's and a major revision in order for the King Track record book.
SUNSETS OVER NORTH
12 years. That's how long it's been since the JW North girls track team lost a dual meet or a league title. They have displayed over the last decade-plus a talent level that's been unmatched and has garnered the program an impressive string of league, CIF and State championships.
2 points. That's the number of points the Huskies from North came short yesterday in securing their 13th league title in a row. In a meet that was close from start to finish, the girls from King High beat their cross-town rivals by the narrowest of margins and in so-doing, ended the remarkable reign of North and put themselves on track to earn their first Ivy League title since entering the league. It was an historic and heroic win for King.
2 events. In any close track meet, every point and every event matters, but when the dust had settled it seemed like a couple of events jumped out as turning points and critically important. Amber Sanford usually finds herself looking down the track at 100 or 200 meters of speed, but in a move to counter North's traditional 400 meter strength, Amber was put into the 400 for the first time this season. Running abreast three talented Huskies through 250 meters, the surprise entry may have taken the steam out of the North girls' engine as they looked over into lane three and saw a King athlete still in it! Amber was able to come out of the final turn in the lead and hold on for the win. (Her time of 60.52 was the #3 AT mark at King) It was at least a 7-point swing as King has never been able to finish first in the 400 against North. Amber would later come back to win the 100 and the 200 to manufacture a big-meet performance. The other event was a thrilling, never-say-die race in the 800. King's 800 crew this season has some incredible depth and it came in handy yesterday. Carrie Soholt, Casey Candelaria and Sara Strasbaugh were given a pre-race strategy to take the race out hard and eliminate any type of kick the lone-North runner could muster. The race went to plan for 700 meters, when Soholt, Candelaria and North began to break away. Just as the three entered the final stretch however, the North runner faltered and began to slow dramatically. Sara Strasbaugh, who was by that point some 10 meters back in fourth, looked up and saw the wheels coming off her opponent and made a ferocious attempt to get back into third. 30 meters from the line, Sara passed the North runner who was by that point near-jogging. Another seemingly small 2-point swing was made. Small then, HUGE by the end of the meet, as the final score ended 69-67, King.
1 team. In any team contest, the heroics of a few are shared by all of course, and when the final score was announced, the Lady Wolves erupted in cheers and frankly, some understandable shock. With the dominance of North over the years, most have just never expected to beat them. But not today. 12 years was ended with 2 points and 2 highly significant events.
The boys continued their winning ways over North; the string of victories now goes out to three years. It was a close finish in 2007, but the gap was some 12 points this time and with characteristic dominance in a variety of events, King was able to even up their league record at 1-1. The victory ended under a setting sun, as the high jump went long and both squads gathered around the approach to watch and cheer on the final jumpers in an event that is often overlooked. Michael Albrecht ended up the victor with some fine leaping, clearing 6-2 for the second time this season.
The JV events were held, but in that North did not field a JV squad of either gender, scores and marks were not officially recorded.
THE SOUND OF FALLING RECORDS
Effort and attitude. They are the two pillars upon which any good athletic career is built on. Study the great athletes of our day and you will find, beyond talent, that every true athlete has a willingness to work and an attitude that is positive and believes in the world of possibility.
The distance runners of late have exemplified both characteristics and Saturday at Azusa Pacific University they showed the results that come from both. After patiently heeding the advice of the coaches all season to "pick their battles" and moderate their emotional and physical output in racing, their first all-out effort of the season at the famed Arroyo Distance Carnival could not have come sooner, and they wasted no time in getting down to business and making some truly remarkable things happen. In race after race, from under the morning sun till bathed in the stadium lights, the distance runners put on a show that was in every way remarkable. Personal records were not just adjusted but radically altered and two long-standing school records came crashing down.
The girls 800 meters has become a surprisingly strong event this season for the first time in school history. Where once King struggled to put one girl a season under 2:30, this year has seen an avalanche of times under 2:30, making history anew for the school. Hannah Peterson (FR), Casey Candelaria (JR) and Carrie Soholt (FR) toed the line early in the morning in the "invitational" heat of the 800, a line that was packed with some of the best two-lappers in the state. Off to a blistering start in the race, the three held their own, and at the finish line the effort showed with three new PR's. Casey matched the old school record (Kristin McHugh, 2:22 in 2003) and Carrie crushed the record with a 2:20.20 . Talented and giggling, the precocious 9th grader had a hard time containing her enthusiasm over the achievement. Sara Strasbaugh came in the next event and lowered her lifetime best at 2:26. So, in two heats spanning just five minutes, the girls from King had changed the landscape of half-milers wearing the blue and silver. Adding Kasey Tippets' 2:31 (a 10-second PR, #4 AT 9th grade) a few heats later, King placed five girls at 2:31 to 2:20, the first time such depth has ever been displayed at this event in our history. As stellar as Candelaria and Soholt's SR matching/breaking races were, they were matched by the unrivaled depth of the team behind them!
The 3200 meters school record fell at the end of the day; this one four years old, set by Megan Fairley at 11:05. Kelsi Tippets' highly competitive race habits were on full display with a hard charging, aggressive and tenacious race in the fastest heat of the day. Mixed in with All-Staters and All-Americans, the sophomore took her game to a new level, flirting with a sub 11:00 time for much of the race before finishing at 11:03.25. It eclipsed Fairley's record by two seconds and was 15 seconds in front of her own PR from a year ago. As of this writing, it is also the #7 time in Riverside County history!The two-time All State honoree in cross country proved again why she is one of the best sophomore distance runners in California.
Between the school record bookends that opened and closed the day, there were stories of achievement and personal success. Mark Jimenez and Alex Bruno, both 9th grade rookies to distance running put together PR's in the 800, with Mark winning his event. Dylan Gallagher dropped 10 seconds in the 800. Jason Schupp and Greg Bedell went "lifetime" with 2:08 and 2:09 finishes, the first time either had gone under 2:10. Daniel Balcazar did the same. Austin McKell (2:11) and Chris Miller also PR’d at 2:13. Craig Aguilar took 7 seconds off his LT best. With Haley Hammer’s 10 second seasonal best, it was quite a day for the half-milers!
In the 1600, Balcazar doubled back for a 4:51 finish that came with a furious kick. It's the number 3 freshman time in school history, so he now owns the #3 time in both the 16' and the 800. Soph Brad Sheets had a great day, going 5-flat in the 16' with another PR earlier in the 800. Hannah Peterson hung around after her great 800 to lay down an incredible 1600. The 9th grader who could not make the varsity cross country team last fall now has the #4 1600 time on the team at 5:36! Larissa Davis had a season's best at 5:51. Kasey Tippets doubled her PR total with a tremendous race to finish at 5:44. One of the girls who had an especially big day was Aubrey Bowman who ran two, wonderful races of great effort. She broke six in the 16' with a 5:51 time and also ran an incredible 12:38 in the 32' to medal in 6th place!
Jason Schupp, the "Tower of Power" as Coach Corona calls him, put together the most amazing 1600 of his life, devouring the track and running 4:47, a second faster than his stated goal. The "Big Man" (6'6" at least!) looked sharp and admitted after the race he felt "great" through the laps. It showed. Patrick Gonzalez won his heat at 4:51 and Ethan Park and Andrew Huscher both had PR's. Perhaps, though, the greatest single race of the entire day belonged to Michael Gardner. The senior who's been on and off the team for four years, took the lead at the gun and went on to hold it for all but 150 meters. Finishing second and medaling, he had his teammates and parents standing in awe and slapping high-fives all around over the kind-hearted and generous kid from King who in running 5:06, dropped his PR in the event some 24 seconds!!
Fitting of a “Distance Carnival,” the 3200 meters stands out as a marquee event, with the seeded invitational heats of the meet run under the lights at the end of the day. It was in this electric setting that Kelsi grabbed her SR, while Charlie Alvarez and Rebecca Asplund did their own PR dance in their heats on the same stage. With fans and spectators invited to ring the track, the crowds spilled out on the backstretch taking up lane four to form a gauntlet of screaming zaniness that the surging pack of racers split. It was quite a scene, and Rebecca Asplund took advantage of it to drop a full 25 seconds off her best at 3200, finishing at 11:40, the 6thfastest time in school history. Needless to say, the sophomore was beaming as bright as the stadium lights as she walked from the track. Charlie Alvarez has likewise been patiently training and waiting his opportunity to pounce on a great race, and pounce he did. Swept along in a huge pack, he executed a planned split at the mile at 4:49 and then hung on to a lifetime best of 9:44. (#2 AT).
Earlier in the day, Danielle Fillmore showed that she’s back from illness to post her best-ever time of . Rebecca Trupp, Rebekah Fairley also PR’d and Stacy Yarbrough’s long-awaited goal of breaking 13:00 came to pass with a gutsy 12:50 race. Derek Nelson ran 10:22, a half-minute below his best-ever; Jarod Nocella and Brandon Rogers both dropped PR’s under 11:00 for the first time. Sean Lee and Rafi Perez also went home with lifetime bests. Patrick Gonzalez paced out his fastest time of the season (10:17) by running almost even splits, and trailing in second-to-last at half way before moving on the fast starters and ultimately medaling. Ethan Park PR'd at 11:07.
We’re not sure exactly what sound a record makes when it falls, but based on the experiences of the Distance Carnival at APU, it’s accompanied by the rush of wind, the thunder of spike-clad feet skirting the track and concludes with great applause and shouts of joy from audiences and athletes alike. We do know that they fall only with effort and attitude. King had all of that and more throughout the meet.
What a day. What a sound.
THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT AGAINST LA SIERRA
The defending boys Ivy League Champions brought their road show to King High yesterday and ran into a King boys team that was intent on disrupting their corronation to the crown in 2008. The undefeated Eagles soared in with their usual dominating distance runners that have an uncanny ability to cross over to the sprints and score against full-time sprinters. The Knight twins devoured King's top brass the last two seasons, and on this day Steve Norton scored in all three distance events and then won the 400 for good measure. But perhaps the biggest surprise was an incredible King performance and utter dominance in the jumps. In the long jump, the Wolves were led by Brian Deslonde and together put 5 guys beyond 20'. Despite sweeping that event and the tirple jump, and scoring well in other places, King came up just short in the points, losing to La Sierra 64-72.
It was indeed a day for the long jumpers. Coach Corona commented after the meet that "he had never seen anything like it." With Deslonde leading at 21' 1/2" (#5 AT), Branden Walker (20-5), Manny Santiago (20-4) Tyson Thurman (20-0) and Tyree Taylor (20-0) all went long in truly impressive fashion. Had this been a three-man relay event (combined totals of all three jumpers) the SR that includes the individual school record holder in Jamie Jelks would have been surpassed by 2 feet! Taylor, Santiago and Thurman did the sweep-up duties in the triple. Those 18 points surprised coaches on both sides of the track and made King's cause even greater and the narrow gap to victory even more frustrating. Branden Walker's winning effort in the 100 was also King's #4 all time 100 mark at 11.28, but despite these great efforts, King fell short in points as La Sierra proved to be deeper and more talented in more events. La Sierra won both relays, took 27of the available 28 points in the distance events and split the throws.
Vivian Ibewiro continued her assault on the all time lists, with two, top 2 All Time performances in both the triple jump and the 100 hurdles. Given the stature of the school record in each of those events (see the school records link) coming up a bit short of the title is still quite an accomplishment for the vivacious senior leader. Her excellence not withstanding, it was, overall, and easy day for the ladies, who would take first place in every event but the two throws. Upon seeing the seemingly unending line of King athletes marching single file into the stadium, one of the young Eagle competitors remarked before the meet that "King would take all the lanes!" At times in the girls contest it really did go that way as King swept six events on the day and had two of the three scoring places in several others. Outside of the JV 800 meters in which La Sierra put 33(!) runners on the line, the track belonged to the Lady Wolves from start to finish. King won 110 to 25.
The JV teams had an equally easy time of it. The boys outscored their opponents by 70 ponts and the girls had a margin of 90 points.
A PREVIEW OF THINGS TO COME?
From Santiago a week ago, to Centennial this time, the last two meets have given the King Track and Field teams a preview of things to come, and the outcome is decidedly mixed. Where the Santiago Sharks boys team showed their mettle and skill last week, the Centennial program was a different story yesterday; a story penned with events dominated by King and only peppered with personal victories by Centennial. So, with two of next year's league opponents now contested in the span of one week, a peek into the future shows a league that could be well balanced between the powerful and the beatable. Only time will tell.
Omar Gonzalez, Centennial's talented distance runner was their lone bright spot, as he would crush the stadium record in the 3200, the meet's last event. His 9:57 mark was the first time any boy had broken 10:00 on King's track. He also won the 800, but skipped the 1600 which allowed King to sweep the second event of the day, led by Charlie Alvarez's solo effort at 4:47. Derek Nelson and Jarod Nocella followed. Chris Villanueva took home a victory in the 400 and Joe Gilliland and Andrew Levine helped sweep up all nine event points. Brian Deslonde, while being somewhat shutout in the sprints by the talented Centennial dashers, did find the win in the long jump, going 20-9. Ryan Sibley vaulted 12-0 to lead a sweep in that event, Kyle Nugent and Trent Parrish followed him. In the 800, two of King's fantastic freshmen got in the scoring behind Omar Gonzalez, as Daniel Balcazar went 2nd and Chris Miller notched the #6 all-time freshman mark in his first ever 800! With a group win in the final contest, the 4x400, the boys put up 93 points to Centennial's 43.
114-21. That was the varsity girls' winning margin. So with last week's victory over Santiago, this win now makes the Lady Wolves 2-0 against their future Big 8 League opponents. With such a lopsided outcome, the meet turned into a bit of workout for many of King's top performers. The only events Centennial was able to snag a victory in were the high jump and the 300 hurdles.
Chantell Hicks threw the discus beyond 106 feet to lead a sweep of that event, along with Lacy Russell and Loto Franklin at 2nd and 3rd. Vivian Ibewiro won the 100 hurdles and the triple jump with fine marks in the two diverse events. For good measure, she also won the long jump at 16-9, the #2 all time leap in King history! Carrie Soholt continued her sparkling beginning to the sport and the season with another incredible performance in the 800 meters. Running 2:24.92, she set a stadium record, notched a King Freshman record in the event and also posted the #2 all-time 800 for King! As of this writing, her mark is the fastest reported time for the 800 in all of Riverside County. The freshman is off to a great start!
The JV boys won by even more, 127-9. Centennial won only one event, while King swept 11 events and won both relays. The JV girls dominated a small contingent of Centennial ahtletes, winning 127-0.
So it was a big day of winning ways for the Wolves. While the girls continued their strong performances, the boys got back "on track" after falling to Santiago last week. Will this be what comes in '09? as all three schools join league together? Only time will tell.
KING KIDS GET A TASTE OF COLLEGE
When Derek Nelson, a sophomore and Charlie Alvarez, a junior, stepped to the starting line of the 5000 meter race Saturday night, they looked just a bit out of place. Standing amidst 30 college runners in the Cal State Fullerton "Ben Brown" invitational, their youth and years (15 and 16) were revealed and one of the elder competitors in college garb responded with a good natured, "Well, you're not allowed to beat us."
It was all in good spirit, but both Charlie and Derek proceeded after the start to go ahead and in fact, beat a sizeable number of current college distance runners, as they went on to notch some incredible performances for their first time at the 5K distance (12 1/2 laps). Charlie would finish sixth overall in an impressive time of 15:59.28, Derek followed him in at 17:04.04. Both guys expressed great satisfaction after the race and remarked, "That was fun!" Indeed! Great to see two guys who've worked exceptionally hard all winter see a breakthrough performance under the lights on Mt.SAC's storied track.
The girls got in on the action as well, as two more King sophomores stepped up to the challenge and met it head on and in great style! Rebecca Asplund, just turned 16, finished 7th overall in her heat at 19:22.58 and for a good distance of the race was lodged right in the middle of the lead pack! It was a great performance for the hardworking soph. Kelsi Tippets is another of King's talented underclass, and despite her youth and diminutive size, she ran like a seasoned veteran among the women, racing to 17th place at 18:28.16. Carissa Bowman, the only senior of the group showed why she's already signed a very sizable scholarship to run for Biola University next year, by running a smart, evenly paced race, ultimately crossing the line in 18:12, a full 58 seconds ahead of the time she recorded in the same event last year! Quite an improvement.
More King athletes were present this night than just these mentioned. The only difference was that they were under the colors and uniforms of area colleges and universities and they represented both their present schools and their alma mater in great style. Alec Fillmore (Class of 07) ran a very solid 5000 for the University of Redlands, and in his fashion we enjoyed during his four years at King, he gritted out every ounce of effort through every lap. Matt Cummins, (Class of '07 and King's 3200 meter school record holder) is now at Harvey Mudd University in Claremont, and contested the 5000 as well. His time of 15:44 wasn't to his liking, but injured legs were obviously part of his story during the event. In typical Matt fashion, he was his positive self after the race, despite a race he wished he could take back. Megan Fairley (Class of '04), looked good again as she finishes up her career at UC Irvine and ran the 5000 meters in 18:01. Earlier in the day, Daniel Beld (Class of '03 and still King's 800 record holder), is now ar RCC and won his heat of the 800 in 2:05, an impressive mark for the talented 24 year old who is just this year picking up his running after a lengthy time away. Terrance Kirby ('05) was fourth in the same heat at 2:07, he's now at Cal Poly Pomona.
So it was a very good night for King. Impressive in every manner, from the way they raced, to their composure among older and more experienced runners, these young stars of King Track held their own and proved that should time be good to them, it won't be too much longer before they will take their place on the starting line of some future track, wearing the colors of college themselves.
HIGH AND LOW AT HEMET HIGH
In the annual clash between Corona-Santiago, Hemet High and King, the varsity boys from King found themselves by meet's end on a singular high -- Ryan Sibley's 12-6 pole vault was the only event win for the Wolves. When all the points were counted they ended up the low guys on the totem pole, some 50 points behind the Santiago Sharks and just 15 points ahead of Hemet at Hemet High School. The girls on the other hand, were soaring on the winds of incredible highs thanks to great performances and by dominating event after event to a crushing 67 point margin over Hemet and a 70 point gap over Santiago. Both JV squads took home victories as well. With the arrival of Santiago next year in the same league with King, the matchup proved telling for both schools as a preview perhaps of things to come.
King's girl's 4x100 team got things rolling right away with a four-second win in the first event, then was followed up by a 2nd ,3rd and 4th place finish in the 1600 by Carissa Bowman, Rebecca Asplund and Carrie Soholt. Vivian Ibewiro continued the string, winning the 100 hurdles. But it was a dominating force in the 800 that shut the door on the competition. King's rising distance stars simply commanded the 800 -- a rare outcome for King in this event over the years -- as the two lappers put across all four placers under 2:32! Carrie Soholt led the way with an incredible kick that took her from fourth at one point, followed by Casey Candelaria and the incredibly improved freshman, Hanna Peterson who was contesting her first ever varsity race and notching the #7 King frosh time all time! Sara Strasbaugh completed the sweep. The meet concluded with even more King victories, as Hemet was able to win only one event of the last seven.
The boys were treated to three hours of sprinting, throwing, jumping and multi-lapping excellence, courtesy of the Sharks of Santiago. The impressive team performance sent a clear signal that the Big 8 league both schools will be a part of next year will be no cakewalk. King found itself 2 seconds behind in the opening 400 relay, shut out in the shot put, able to score only one point in the 100, and shut out again in the discus. Though King nabbed some second and third places throughout most of the afternoon, with only Sibley's aforementioned high mark in the vault, being squeezed consistently out of the first place column decimated the Wolves' ability to mount an attack. One performance worthy of listing, was Charlie Alvarez running the 1600 in 4:38.85, good for fourth on the all-time list for King. In that same race, all four of the King distance runners (Alvarez, Jared Nocella, Derek Nelson and Brandon Rogers) notched lifetime PR's, with Rogers dropping 40 seconds off his best from '07. Last season, the then-9th grader ran 5:43, this evening he finished in 5:02. Incredible! Tyree Taylor likewise had a strong outing in the triple jump, going beyond 42 feet from the board.
SOMETHING NEW UNDER THE '08 SUN
The ancient King Soloman of Biblical times observed a truth in life, that "there is nothing new under the sun." Well, on a sunny afternoon in Temecula, wearing new uniforms and fielding a ton of new athletes, the King Track team launched a new season and perhaps took some of the meaning away from Soloman's words. The final outcome was even "new" in a sense, as the traditionally close scores that Chaparral and King have battled to in years past failed to materialize this year as King won handily at the varsity level on both sides.
"New" could well have described the girls discus event. King has always had at least one solidly strong thrower over the years, but in this event on this day, for the first time in King's history, the throwers had a breakthrough day! Three girls eclipsed 100 feet for the throw, with Loto Franklin, Chantel Hicks and Lacey Russell sweeping with a combined total of nearly 320 feet!
Over in the 800 meters, two new runners to the event -- the veteran Casey Candelaria who ran the 400 last season and the rookie Carrie Soholt -- put on a dazzling performance taking 1-2. Carrie's time of 2:30 was the second-fastest freshman time in school history! Amber Sanford won the 100 and the 200 dashes, and Tiffany West and Taylor Scott went 2-3 in the 400. The girls won by 22 points, 79-57.
88-51 was the lopsided conclusion for the boys as they avenged a loss to the Pumas in 2007. Brian Malone had a top-five shot put throw to win at 42-5.5. Chris Villanueva moved well in the closing 150 meters of the 400 to win that event. He'd return later in the evening to anchor the 4x400 team that closed the meet with another event victory for King. Ryan Sibley returned to his winning ways from '07 in the pole vault. Michael Albrecht was the first of King's jumpers to benefit from the Olympian coaching of Coach Brown, as the soft-spoken junior went 6-2 to match the 3rd-best jump in school history! A fine start to the new season! Diboro Kanabolo won the 200 with a strong effort at 24.2.
The girls JV lost by a fairly large margin (60-79), but were able to put some good marks in the book nonetheless. Sara Strasbaugh won the 800 with her lifetime best, and she was followed by Hannah Peterson in third with an impressive 2:36 opening performance for the 9th grader! Lauren Hall won the high jump and pole vault, whiel Jessice Wiese took home the honors in the shot put at 27-7. On the boys' side, it was a lopsided win for the Wolves, with a final score of 91-45. From the opening relay to the final relay, King was well in command of most events, scoring at least 3 points each time. Conner Neuhoff took gold in the discus, Chris Long took the triple and Austin McKell won the 800.
So it was a great beginning to a new season. Looking good in the new duds, sporting the talent of new athletes, the King Track and Field program took a good step forward into the 2008 season.
2009
A QUARTER INCH FROM THE STATE MEET
One of the great things about track and field is that is extremely objective. The clock doesn't lie and the measuring tape is a sharp reality. Because of that there is often a fine line between victory and defeat, qualifying to move on or not, success and failure. Evidence King sophomore Todd Handley who missed qualifying for CIF at the Big VIII Finals in the 100 meters by 13 one thousands of a second. Sometimes the Track gods are smiling and sometimes they are not.The road to the California State Meet is full of "almosts", "not quites" and "if onlys".
"If only" King high jumper Mike Albrecht had been able to get those calves of his a quarter inch higher in his attempts at 6-6, he'd be on his way to the State Meet next week in Fresno. He was that close. In many ways, the luck that had been riding with him the past two weeks simply ran out. The competition started at 6-2 and though Mike cleared that height easily, he struggled at 6-4, making it on his last jump. His first attempt at 6-6 was not good at all but his final two jumps were great, save for the skimming of those calves on the bar, knocking it down. As 6-6 was the qualifying standard to get to the state meet, his season was over. The objectivity of track and field had kicked in.
The last two weeks at CIF prelims and finals, Mike had to win dramatic jump offs to continue on and even last night, his last clutch jump at 6-4 seemed to indicate that his luck was holding. But that luck abandoned him at 6-6. He left the field with tears welling up in his eyes and with disappointment....and that will be with him for a few days. However, when he takes the time to look at the bigger picture, that disappointment will subside.
Mike leaves King as the record holder in the high jump at 6-8, a sixth place finisher in CIF Divison 1 and only the second male and only the fourth King track athlete EVER to attain Masters Meet status. That makes him one of the top 12 high jumpers in the CIF (SS) which is the home of over 500 schools. He is a two time Most Outstanding Field Event Award winner and a team captain and his trail of accomplishments over his four years will not soon be repeated. Like the majority of his senior compatriots, he leaves behind a legacy of excellence for younger King athletes to aspire to.
Come to think of it when you consider those accomplishments, there's nothing that could be more objective than the quality and success of Mike Albrecht's career in King Track and Field.
MANNY MAGIC MAKES MIKE A MASTER
In 2008, King Track senior Manny Santiago made an improbable and dramatic run to the California State Track Championships. For three weeks, he eeked out one big triple jump after another, barely qualifying himself to the next round. He qualified for the Division Finals on one legal jump out of three. The next week he took the final qualifying spot for the Masters Meet and then he made the state meet on his second to last jump of the night at Masters. It was high drama. Coach Corona always asks the seniors. "What do yo want to leave behind?" Apparently, Manny left behind some his "last minute magic" because 2009 senior Mike Albrecht is somehow supplying his own kind of drama that hopefully will land him in the same place it did Manny a year ago.
At the CIF Division Track and Field Finals held over the weekend at Cerritos College, Mike finished 6th in the Division 1 high jump competiton, clearing 6-5 and barely missing at 6-7. However, he also found himself tied for the final qualifying spot to move on to the Masters. Once all the other competitors had finished the competition, Mike and the young man he was tied with went out for a jump off. They both missed at 6-7. The bar was moved down to 6-6. Mike's opponent missed and then Mike sailed over, bouncing out of the pit with his hands raised over his head. With that jump-off victory, he has become only the second King Male track athlete to qualify for the Masters Meet, which brings together only the top 12 in each event from throughout the entire CIF Southern Section (four divisions, over 500 schools) next Friday at the same venue.
"Jump off's" seem to be Mike's preferred method in making the next round. Last week at the Divison One Prelims Mike had to win a jump-off against two other individuals to even be able to compete at Finals. When infomed that there would be a jump-off King high jump coach Reynaldo Brown remarked. "Well, it's not like he hasn't done it before."
Mike's fellow King qualifers did not fare as well as he did on this day. The buzz among coaches in the stands both at last week's prelims and yesterday's finals was, "I don't think I've seen it EVER this fast or performances so good." Case in point: Ashley Perkins, the Big 8 100 champion, clocked an 11.88 100 meters which in years past was a shoe-in to move on. This year, it kept her home, at least in that event. You had to really bring your "A" game and then some, if you were going to qualify for the 2009 Master's Meet. Unfortunately, the rest of the King entrants at the Division One Southern Section Finals either weren't quite up to the task, ran into some GREAT performances by their competitors or just had bad luck. Katie Coggins did improve from the ninth seed to 8th place as she cleared 10-0 in the pole vault despite spiking herself on one of her attempts. The boys 4x100 relay of Rossi Hill, Todd Handley, Stevie Will and Justin DeCoud also nabbed an 8th place running in a 43.35 which was almost a full second off their school record performance at League Finals. Amber Sanford finished 9th in the long jump while trying to jump on a bad ankle. Kelli Boyd gave game performances in the HJ, barely missing at 5-3 and in the triple jump as well, finishing at 36-10. She would finish 7th in the former and 8th in the latter.The effort was certainly there but that is the buzzsaw that has become CIF Divison Finals. Nothing is given to you.
As for Mike Albrecht, next Friday he will travel back to Cerritos College and try to punch his ticket to the State Meet which will be held in Fresno this year. Will it take another jump off to meet the mark? Will the drama continue? Will the "Manny Magic" continue to help him along his way or will it wear off? Stay tuned.
KELSI TIPPETS HONORED AT RIVERSIDE SPORT HALL OF FAME
On Monday night, Kelsi Tippets became King's second track athlete to be honored in Riverside's annual Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
The ceremony centers around six or seven accomplished athletes or coaches from Riverside's history. They honor athletes who accomplished great things "before 1960" and "since 1960". This year there were seven Inductees, among which were NBA star Reggie Miller and Major League Baseball star Greg Myers both of whom played for Poly High back in the 1980's.
Part of the ceremony includes honoring a male and female athlete from each of the city's high schools. These athletes are selected by their school as one of the top athletes from that particular school year.
Martin Luther King HS selected Kawhi Leonard of the basketball team and Kelsi Tippets of both cross country and track to be recognized as King's honorees for 2008-2009.
Kelsi has excelled in running and soccer for her three and two years respectively. She's a seven-time letter winner and a three time All State Selection in cross country. She has won two league MVP honors in cross country, including capturing the first such title for the Big 8 league last Fall. She has also been undefeated in the 1600 and 3200 at the track league finals in each of her three seasons of competing in track.
This past Fall, she was selected as Riverside County's "Runner of the Year" as well as The Press Enterprise Runner of the Year.
On top of her athletic accomplishments, she maintains a GPA in excess of 4.0.
Following in the footsteps of Megan Fairley (2004) who was given the same honor, Kelsi represented King well at the ceremony.
Congratulation Kelsi Tippets!
LIFE IN THE PITS, KING'S FIELD EVENTS FIND A WAY TO FINALS
In the sport of Track and Field, it is usually the "track" that grabs the headlines over the "field". Perhaps it's the speed, the distance and the electricity that comes from head-to-head competition on the oval that does it, but there's no denying it, Track and Field is normally the track's domain.
At the CIF Division One Preliminaries yesterday, it was the King Field Events corp that grabbed the spotlight and pushed the track stars to the sidelines. All told, King took six qualifying spots (in all events, 9 athletes from the preliminaries move on to Finals) from the array of field events into the CIF Division One Finals. It was quite a day out in the pits, the sand and the field.
Michael Albrecht was the first to punch his ticket with a 6-5 high jump into the elite nine. Short 3 inches of his personal best, he had to battle against a strong group to secure his spot. Over in the pole vault, it was even more touch-and-go for Katie Coggins. After the initial rounds, she found herself in a three-way tie at 10-6 for the final spot. Her lifetime best already in the bag, the senior had to work her way through a jump off first at 10-3, in which one girl cleared, then at 10-0 and then back up to 10-3 to eliminate the final hopeful. It's her first trip to the Finals. Kelli Boyd had her best jump of her short career with a 5-4 high jump, good for 7th on the day, and tieing the school's 3rd best jump in our ten year history.
From landing pads of foam to pits of sand, the King Field Day continued. Boyd juggled the high jump and the triple, both staged at opposite ends of the stadium, and had an even finer performance in the triple, taking 4th overall. Amber Sanford finished 5th in the long jump with a 17-9.75 leap to finish out the contigent of field event stars that King will send next weekend to Cerritos.
There was only one track event that worked their way into that elite group, and it was the boys 4x100 relay team that squeeked in at 9th place with a great time of 42.89 -- just 4/100th's off the school record set last week. This will be the first time we've sent a 400 meter relay team to the CIF Finals, and only the second time a relay has made it; the first being the 4x400 team in 2004 while King competed in Division Two.
With a combined total of 8 athletes punching their tickets to The Big Dance, it will be the largest group ever that King has ushered into Finals.
The absence of even more qualifiers was not a statement that King did not compete well, rather it's more of an acknowledgement that CIF Southern Section Division One is one of the toughest levels of competition anywhere in the state. There were actually some other very solid performances on the day. Casey Candelaria ran the equal of her lifetime PR in the 800, avenging in a way, a bad race at the Big 8 Finals a week ago. She finished 17th overall. Carrie Soholt ran King's #5 all time best mark in the 3200 (11:26.01) and finished 12th overall. Hanna Peterson ran a perfectly paced effort in the 1600, splitting each 200 meter segment in almost identical 40-seconds. finishing 17th overall at 5:20. Noelle Abboud, the talented freshman who has had quite a year, handled the pressure of her first ever CIF contest in great form, running 58.13 in the 400 and finishing 13th. She was the second-fastest 9th grader on the day. Though the 4x400 team of Abboud, Tiffany West, Casey Candelaria and Kayla Cunningham finished well behind the leaders, their time of 4:06 was the fourth fastest time in school history!
In a way, then, it was life in the pits for the Wolves. Such experiences normally relegate the field events to the second-round of acclaim. That wasn't the case today, as the group leaped to the front of the story with gritty, hard-won accomplishments that will make them THE center of attention for King High next week in Cerritos.
BIG 8 FINALS SETS BAR HIGH IN THE SEASON'S FIRST FINAL
A blazing sun followed by a full moon shined down on the first-ever Big 8 League Finals on Thursday and illuminated incredible competition across both track and field. It was a stunning display of talent and depth and set the bar high for future seasons of the Big 8 league.
King was among the stars throughout the afternoon and made a haul of personal records, league records (with no prior seasons, event winners were treated to league records) and school records. 31 athletes punched their tickets to the Division One CIF Preliminaries.
The 4x100 relays kicked things off in electric fashion. The girls team of Noelle Abboud, Amber Sanford, Cyndie Jones and Abigail Creel challenged the favorites from Roosevelt, and held on to a second place finish behind Creel's super anchor. Their time of 48.64 was a school record by over a second! The boys, seemingly inspired by the ladies, followed suit with perfect exchanges and a first-ever sub 43-second effort to finish runners up to Roosevelt. Kelsi Tippets followed that with her third-straight league title in the 1600, leading a King sweep in that event as Hanna Peterson and Kasey Tippets followed her across the line. (Kelsi finished the night with her third-straight league title in the 3200, a great accomplishment and a testimony to consistency).
Kelsi was one of a number of King athletes crowned on the day. Michael Albrecht predictably took the title in the high jump with a 4-inch advantage over second place. Brandon Walker won the long jump and Stevie Will took the triple jump title and Chantel Hicks was victorious in the discus.
Amidst those who finished outside the first-place championship were some truly stellar performances that might have been lost in the crowd of accomplishments. The boys 100 meter dash was exactly that, a dash, as Todd Handley and Justin Decoud went 4-5, but had to be photofinished down to the thousandth of a second to separate them from the top three. Both sprinters went below 11-seconds, the first time King has ever accomplished such a feat. They ran 10.98 and 10.99. Handley missed third place by this margin: 10.9792 to Corona's Jordan James who finished in 10.9779!
In the 200 it was Decoud who set a school record at 22.40 despite finishing 5th overall. In the 800, Austin McKell's 4th place finish was overshadowed by the leaders who were at 1:53 and 1:54, but his 1:59.57 took him out of the school record tie that he shared with Daniel Beld from 2003. Daniel Balcazar was right behind him at 2:02 and Jason Schupp and Craig Aguilar ran well in the same race. Derek Nelson ran strong in the 1600 and marked King's 5th fastest time ever at 4:34. 78 while finishing 5th. Another school record that got "lost" a little bit was Noelle Abboud's amazing 400 meter, 3rd place finish. She shattered one of the oldest records by running an exciting 57.63. She'd run another 57 leg in the girls' 2nd place 4x400, which at 4:04 stands as the #2 all time best in King history. Amber Sanford improved her long jump best to 17-11.50, still the number 2 time ever. Kelli Boyd was the winner in the high jump and second in the triple jump. Perhaps the shocker of the night was Andre McCullough's HUGE breakthrough in the 300 hurdles, as he finished second but with a near-3 second drop in his personal best, setting a new school record at 38.79! It was a stunning performance by the senior.
There were some solid performances at the JV level as well. Alicia Miller medaled twice in the distances, winning the 3200 and taking second in the 1600. Marvin Epps wond the 200 meter dash. Aaron Youngren had a great race in the 1600, taking second at 4:52.69, he was followed by Brad Sheets and Adam Schupp, both of whom dropped below 5:00 minutes. Jesse Cazares won the high jump, Mason Minini the vault, and Densel Moody took home JV titles in both the long and triple jump. King was victorious in both hurdle races, as Josh Jeter took the 110's and Jacob Porter the 300's. Shaquanna Mustafa and Kasey Knight went 1-2 in the 100, Courtney Girard won the 400.
Though the meet is not scored, had it been scored as an invitational, King's boys would have won the meet, beating runner-up Roosevelt 109-95. The girls, the official League Champions, would have added to that dominance in "winning" this meet 161 to North's 68. So it was a very, very good day for King.
It was a good day for he Big 8 as well. The league proved itself to be the toughest league King has competed in during its decade of existence, and could quite well become one of the toughest leagues in the Inland Empire should the level of competition shown Thursday continue to grow.
BEARS AND A TITLE IN THE BAG
The girls bagged their 7th League Championship in 10 seasons on Wednesday with a resounding victory over the Poly Bears. The string of success has been impressive and consistent. In 79 contests, the girls have lost only 7 meets. The titles span three different leagues and two head coaches. The only team that really ever had their number was JW North; that is until last season and this, when the Wolves were able to slip by the Huskies in the upset of 2008 and by a large margin four weeks ago. On Wednesday at home against Poly, the Queens of King looked comfortable again wearing the crown.
Perhaps what is most impressive about this team -- not to mention the last nine -- is their breadth and depth. There is hardly an event category that stands out as a glaring weakness. From the throwing rings to the pits, to the distances and the sprints, the girls' attack this season has been incessant and consistently good, leaving little daylight for their opponents to wiggle through. The Bears felt that same squeeze, as the 3200 started things off with a sweep, and the 4x400 closed off the 109-25 victory with an exclamation mark.
Jumping off the track among many solid marks was Noelle Abboud's impressive win in the 400. Winning races has become second nature to the freshman, as "The First Noelle" executed a sound strategy and a big surge at 200 meters, to become only the second girl in King history to crack 60 seconds with the #2 all time mark. Her time of 58.87 is only 3/10's off the school record which has held since 2003. Her face lit up on hearing the news. Casey Candelaria continued her truly incredible senior season with another wire-to-wire win in the 800, at 2:24.84, a new Stadium Record! Hanna Peterson was first in the 1600, Juli Lambert took a victory in the 100, Noelle came back for another first in the 200. In the field, the girls were just as impressive. Kelli Boyd continued her winning ways with wins in the high jump and triple. Jessica Weise won the discus at 109' 8" (#3 all time) and the shot at 32' 11.5", Katie Coggins the vault at 10' 0".
The boys missed out on the league title by one loss, their only defeat of the season absorbed way back in early March against the eventual league champs, Roosevelt. But from that setback in the first meet of the season, the boys have improved steadily and made the 110-26 victory over the Bears look easy. Michael Albrecht won again in the high jump at 6-4. Daniel Balcazar and Austin McKell were nearly side-by-side for first and second in the 800 at 2:03. Brian Malone improved again in the discus with his second 50-foot-plus heave, winning there and notching the #2 all time throw. Justin DeCoud took the century and the deuce with impressive 11.24 and 22.74 marks. Jarod Nocella, Derek Nelson and Charlie Alvarez swept the 3200 with their fastest times o f the season. Jon Job just missed a school record in the vault with a great effort at 13' 6". Trent Parrish and Chris Jackson added the brooming of that event. Tony Ray Pacheco was victorious in the 300 hurdles with the #5 all time mark at 42.36 and third in the 110 highs.
Both JV teams won as well, making both of the lower squads undefeated on the season. Combined, all four levels earned 33 victories to one defeat, and that defeat by only 20 points. The boys varsity scored 760.5 points in all meets combined, to their opponents' combined points of 318.5. The girls amassed 743 to their opponents' 339.
VICTORIES AND VICTIMS
Though there were some encouraging marks and times scattered throughout the contest with Norco on Wednesday and enough points to pull out four victories, the Wolves fell victim once again to the temptation of apathy when opposed by a weaker team. Collectively, King showed little spark or motivation in muddling through the second-to-final dual of the season. It has become a somewhat disappointing trend, that when an opponent enters the stadium without the credentials to really put up a challenge, some within the program hit "cruise control" and let the expectations of "the three C's" coast a bit.
Such was the case Wednesday, and with the Big 8 League Finals approaching in just two weeks, the lack of enthusiasm and drive was disappointing. Victories are always nice, but when achieved with only talent and no purpose, the lustre of the win is significantly dulled.
Perhaps the group that had the best day of it were the pole vaulters who put four guys over 12 feet, something King has never done in our 10 year history. Kyle Nugent, Chris Jackson, Trent Parrish and Jon Job all cleared a dozen. Katie Coggins, Jenel Bloom and Stephanie Maphis swept the girls' side of the ledger for good measure.
Carrie Soholt took home a victory in the 3200 meters with a solo effort of 12:26, she was followed by Danielle Fillmore and Aubrey Bowman. Kasey Tippets won the 1600, Noelle Abboud the 400, and MeriRose Winsor the 300 hurdles in a time of 51.54, King's fastest mark in that event all season. Amber Sanford long jumped 17'- 1/2" to win there. Alicia Miller had a good performance in the 1600 to finish second at 5:52. Jessica Weise threw the shot over 33 feet, the number 4 mark in school history.
Nick Rini won the boys 3200 with another fine effort by the sophmore at 10:36. Stevie Will went 1-2 in the triple and long jump. Brandon Walker won the long with a mark of 20' 8.5". Though King was swept in the discus, Travis Jones and Isaac Moody both had lifetime best throws. King was well represented in the scoring of most events and won 102-34. The girls won 88-58.
Despite the resounding victories, they were not pretty wins, leaving much to be desired in terms of motivation, teamwork and the relentless pursuit of excellence. One more dual awaits before such characteristics will really be demanded, on the big stage of the Big 8 League Finals.
DANCING WITH THE STARS MATCHED BY COMPETITION UNDER THEM
The IE championships yearly tries to bring the best of San Bernardino and Riverside counties to the same track and field to duke it out and crown the best in the area. Last season, King's girls were able to earn the team title. This year, a scenario of "defending IE Champions" went out the window and on to the the dance floor as the King High prom fell on the same night, taking with it many of the top juniors and seniors on the team. 77 athletes were able to make the fairly rigorous qualifying standards the meet imposes, and over the two frosh soph and varsity levels the teams were still able to capture fifth place "victories" behind the traditional Inland Empire track powers of Vista Murrieta, Great Oak, Murrieta Valley and Rancho Verde.
There are two portions of the meet, an "open" session during the day, then the "elite" session under the lights. King was well represented in both. Danielle Fillmore ran a very smartly paced race under hot conditions to finish 2nd in varsity 3200. Jason Schupp, fresh off his school record setting leg in the 4x1600 set the night before at Mt.SAC, ran the #7 all time 800 at 2:04.89. Khyber White PR'd in the 300 hurdles and finished in 4th. His time of 41.67 ranks now #3 all time at King. Chris Villanueva went 52.85 in the 400 and then went to prom. Rossi Hill was 4th at 11.49 in the 100 dash. Jessica Sarawasee PR'd and finished 4th in the 100 hurdles, Courtney Girard ran aggressively in the 400 and finished 5th, Adam Schupp ran King's 6th fastest freshman time ever in the 800 at 2:13.73. Jamal Ellis won the FS triple jump with a 41-0 PR and then went 2nd in the long jump, nearly hitting 20'. Jessica Weise was second in the discuss with a throw of 108'. Chris Miller and
During the night portion of the meet, there were some really good things happening for the Wolves. Amber Sanford ran her season's best mark in the 200, while Kellie Boyd continued her incredible jump from obscure freshman to one of the state's best in the jumps. She won the triple jump and finished second in the high jump at 5-1, a PR and #5 all time. Michael Albrecht was 4th in the high jump, behind a couple of leapers who have cleared 7-0 this season already. Lane Werley medaled in the 3200 with a good effort at 9:34. Brian Malone became the third King thrower all-time to throw the shot past 50'. His brother Robert owns the school record, but perhaps the better story was watching Brian run from the ring to his waiting limo to get to prom on time.
Even the frosh-soph kids had their moment under the lights, and King's future stars shined brightly. Noelle Abboud ran a fever and the 400! It was a photo finish that gave her second place and the #6 all time mark in King's history at 60.93. She'd come back to help the 4x400 team go 4th at 4:14. Kayla Cunningham and Cailyn Brewster ran solidly in the 400 as well, both under 63.2. Aubrey Bowman PR'd in the 3200 and medaled. Abigail Creel and Cyndie Jones had great performances in the sprints. Jon Barnes finished 4th in the pole vault, Chris Miller was 3rd in the 400 and Daniel Balcazar placed in the 800. Nick Rini ran a 15 second PR in the 3200 going 10:20.
So while many King athletes were "dancing with the stars", many others were competing under them and showing that regardless of the numbers of track and field athletes King could field, the ones they did could certainly hold their own among the region's best.
EXTRA EFFORT BRINGS BIG REWARDS
Six of King's distance crew made the extra effort Friday night to drive an hour to the Mt.SAC relays. Their purpose was singular and simple. Make the effort, come home with a couple of school records. They were not disappointed.
Kelsi Tippets has been gunning for the 1600 school record for two seasons. She's been close a time or two, but has never had the perfect opportunity to take down the 4-year-old mark of 5:10. Until Friday night. The pace went out quickly at 73 seconds for the first lap and the talented junior went with it and held on for a 5:08.63 clocking and that previously illusive SR. It's been a record setting week for Kelsi as she helped set the 4xmile record last week at Arcadia and then notched the 3200 King Stadium record on Wednesday. Hanna Peterson, who didn't hold any SR goals but did want to lower her own 5:18 PR, was disappointed with her 5:23, despite a very solid and determined effort by the sophomore. There will be more good races to come from Hanna in the weeks ahead!
The boys 4x1600 record had stood for four seasons, in part due to a lack of depth and that the event is rarely contested. Either way, this group was intent on bringing home a SR for themselves in the last relay opportunity of 2009. Jason Schupp, who was filling in for Lane Werley who will run Saturday in the IE Championships instead, did an incredible job in the opening leg, gritting his teeth and gettin' after it in his typical fashion. He PR'd at 4:37 and handed it to Jarod Nocella (4:42) who gave to Derek Nelson. Nelson caught a couple of places while running a 4:35 and then handed the stick to Charlie Alvarez who ran his best race of the season, moving up 4 places and running a lifetime PR of 4:34.2. Their time was 18:29.21, 20 seconds better than the previous school-best.
With smiles all around the group was reminded of a valuable lesson; sometimes an extra effort is required to enjoy extra rewards. In two races at the Mt.SAC relays, that truth was proven once again.
VALLEY VIEW RELAYS BRINGS MIXED RESULTS
This past Saturday an array of King youngsters, with cameo appearances by some of our regular varsity athletes, made the short trip down the 60 Freeway to the 18th annual Valley View Palomino Relays. Traditional strong programs like San Gorgoino, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Cajon Canyon Springs and Valley View ruled the the day but the younger, less experienced Wolves accorded themselves well.
The girls had an outstanding day finishing fifth in the race for the invitational team title. This was accomplished without fielding any of the distance relays. High point of the day came in the 4X100 relay when Abigail Creel reeled in the anchor leg from Vista Del Lago and along with Rachel Webb, Noelle Abboud and Cyndie Jones recorded a fine 52.1 time.
The Discus relay of Chantel Hicks, Vanessa Loya and Jessica Wiese finished second with Jessica throwing a PR-109-7. The Lady Wolves were in first and HAD broken the meet record until San G came along in the next flight and beat them. Hicks, Wiese and Ashley Antonnison also finished second in the Shot Put. The relays that feature 8 runners are always a circus of flying batons, feet, spikes and elbows but the team of Destiny Britton, Taylor Scott, Reina Hutton, Kasey Knight, Kayla Cunningham, Courtney Girard, Cailyn Brewster and Cyndie Jones survived finishing second in the 8 X 200 in 3:52.6. The 4 X 200 of Abboud, Creel, Webb and senior Julie Lambert also survived some bumps and bruises to finished third in 1:51.0
For the boys the meet wasn't quite as successful in terms of medals or points but the effort and determination were there throughout the day. The shuttle hurdle team of Kyber White, Brooke Yirgu, Jacob Porter and Keston Roach finished fourth in 1:06.9 and the 8X 200 team was also fourth for the highest finishes of the day. Members of that team were Kendall Latta, Donte Franklin, White, Yirgu, John Hofilena, Jon Paul, Jamie Moses and Justin Andrusak.
All in all, a looong day but one that gave the young King athletes big invitational expereience and gave the coaching staff a glimpse into he future.
BIG SEASON IN THE BIG 8 ROLLS ON
With the advent of the Big 8 League this year, the strong Corona schools, formerly of the Mountain View league, combining with three of the better powers in the Ivy League left many to wonder how the drama would play out. As King slipped past the half-way mark against the Corona Panthers yesterday, answers were beginning to form. As expected, the Roosevelt boys have shown themselves to be the talent of the league, yet King finds themselves in second after handily dispatching the last remaining undefeated squad, Corona. On the girls' side, King is firmly in the driver's seat, remaining undefeated and notching the program's 70th victory over only 7 losses.
Corona has some talent in a number of events on both sides, but they could not match the balanced attack King was able to muster. For the girls, the meet was never close, as King won 106-30. Kelsi Tippets and Kellie Boyd have emerged as two of the Wolves top athletes and again put that talent and drive on display with Stadium Records notched with their names. Kelsi got things rolling with a wire-to-wire win in the 3200 meters, running a controlled effort of 11:32.95 to drop the track's best-ever by 19 seconds. Kellie Boyd erased one of the oldest Stadium Records, the triple jump, set way back in 2001. Her personal best leap of 38' 3" was almost a foot farther than her previous best set just last weekend at the Arcadia Invitational. She moves a bit closer to the school record, also set back in 2001 by one of the most talented athletes to ever wear the King uniform.
Noelle Aboud continued to impress with another first in the 400 at 61 seconds. Taylor Scott won a see-saw battle in the 100 hurdles, while Julie Lambert took home a victory in the 200. Casey Candelaria showed again what can happen to a senior year when one is motivated and disciplined. She won a challenging 800 and then jumped in the 1600 for the first time about 40 minutes later and won that race with King's #7 mark all time (5:31.75). Katie Coggins won again in the pole vault followed up by Bloom and Maphes for the sweep.
The strength of the Corona boys' team is in the distances. Their well-coached stable of thoroughbreds is a formidable opponent and held out for the Panthers their best chance of blunting the King attack. Such was not the case this afternoon however, as the King distance crew, which would like to assume its own presence in the league, snagged the 1 and 3 places in the early-meet 1600 and with it watched some of the air let out of Corona's wheels. Lane Werley and Derek Nelson did the honors there, then watch as Austin McKell, Jason Schupp and Chris Miller swept the 800 during the middle of the meet. Corona's best attack came in the throws as they were able to sweep the discus take 2nd and 3rd in the shot. Brian Malone had a PR in the shot to win for King at 49' 11.25"; more than 2 feet past his previous best! Jon Job had a great day in the vault with a near-school and stadium record at 13-8 before settling for the win at 13-0. Andre McCullough won the 300 hurdles and took second in the high jump (at 6-0), while Todd Handley and Justin Decoud went 1-2 in the 100 and 2-3 in the 200.
As the meet approached it's final events, Corona's knowledgeable and likable head coach Mark Gardner said "Never before in my coaching career has a boys team scored 100 points against us." When the books were settled, he grinned good-naturedly and said, "my streak is still alive!" as King amassed only 98 points to Corona's 38. 60 points may have separated the two teams on this day, but rest assured, by the Big 8 League Finals, those individually talented Corona athletes will assume their places among the league's best.
Until then, the big season King has put together in this first of the Big 8's history, rolled on.
HALF-POINT NAIL BITER AT 2009 FROSH SOPH CLASSIC
The impressively large and talented Vista Murrieta Mustangs swept up both sides of the competition in the 2008 running of the King High Frosh Soph Classic and came into this year's affair with perhaps the same intentions. With similarly large numbers spread over the spectrum of events, it was perhaps a foregone conclusion to some that the results of '09 would mirror those of '08. Though their boys took a lead early and never relinquished it to their closest rivals (Riverside-King and Moreno Valley Rancho Verde), it was in the girls' contest that drama arose, keeping those preconceived notions from fruition ... by a slim half-point.
It was the host school, Riverside King, that shadowed the 'Stangs by 5-8 points for most of the girls meet. But in the lengthening afternoon shadows the Wolves were able to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat as King's 2nd place showing in the 4x400 relay to Vista's fourth, flipped the trend and put King in front at the finish. It was quite a day!
It was a great day for more than just those two squads, however. In the distances, there were several meet records that fell to great efforts and great weather. The girls 800 had Erika Reddish of Vista Murrieta set a new meet mark at 2:20.89, followed by Hanna Peterson of King who also won the 1600 in a meet record time of 5:18.73. Hesperia Sultana showed dominance in that distance event with three 9th/10th graders in the top four, each one under 5:29. They placed two more multi-lappers in the top group of the 800, all under 2:32 as well. Coach Mahr continues to work his magic! Reddish doubled back seemingly for points in the 3200, as she ran a tactical effort to win, well off her PR of 10:49, but still fast enough at 11:32 to set a new meet record. Hannah Munyan of Sultana was second and Carrie Soholt of King was third.
Gabby Estell of Rancho Verde set a new meet mark in the 300 hurdles at 45.46, and her short-sprint teammates set the meet mark in the 400 relay at 49.10. Cajon was a close second at 50.86. Rancho took both relays, winning handily the 1600 version at 4:14.03, two seconds up from their own meet record set last season. Sophia Ederaine of Canyon Springs took home a meet record high jump win at 5-4, and Kelli Boyd of King surpassed the meet's best in the long by going 16-10, winning by 14 inches! Almost 2 feet separated her from #2 in the triple as she won at 36-8, followed by Ayana Gales of Cajone and ERica Enoex of Vista Murrieta who both surpassed the old meet-best as well. Tiffany gray of El Dorado won the shot and discus, but it was in that last event that Lauren Escudero of King earned a half-point in tieing with Suzie Cubias of La Sierra for fifth that made the difference in the team score.
Vista's boys were humming along all meet, with wins in both sprints. Bellflower's Reggie Randdle took second in the deuce. Rancho Verde's Vadal Brooks took down the 400 meet record by going 51.96. In the 800, the top three finishers broke the respectable meet record of 2:02.86. Kevin Vega of San Jacinto took top honors at 2:00.57, with Daniel Balcazar of King and Edgar Cobain of La Sierra in tow. Trevor Henson (Paloma Valley) and King's Lane Werley came in with sub-4:30 credentials in the 1600 and immediately established a four lap dual that Henson would win, 4:28.61 - 4:29.58. Both marks were under the meet record. Tommie Poston made it a good day for El Dorado with a win in the 3200 at 10:22.
Terance Narvaez of Canyon Springs had a fine performance in the high jump, winning at 5-10. Mitch Langer of Patriot took the vault and Trevon Webb won the long and triple jumps with a meet record in both at 20-5 and 42-5. Shawn Mack of Paloma Valley took home the final meet record of the day in the discus, flinging it 138-02.
So it was a fine 5th annual event, with a number of new meet records etched into the books, 25 teams represented and a half-point victory for King in the girls.
KING KIDS DO WELL ON A NATIONAL STAGE
In the PGA, they have the Masters Tournament. In Major League Baseball, it's the All Star Game. In high school track and field, there's the Arcadia Invitational.
None are championships in their own right, but they all have some things in common. They are mid-season classics full of tradition, the "cut" to gain entry is high, the competition is of national proportions and simply "being there" is often reward enough for the competitors.
The 42nd running of the Arcadia Invitational laid claim once again to being the most prestigious mid-season high school track and field invitational in the country. Athletes from 24 states and three countries were represented, and in many of the elite heats on Saturday night, the fields boasted the many of the top athletes in the country. It was a spectacular night of track and field, and for the first time in our history, King was represented by more than a simple handful of athletes.
Kellie Boyd is fast becoming one of the Wolves' more accomplished field event athletes in our short history. On Friday she won her qualifying heat of the triple jump, earning herself the right to come back on Saturday and jump again amid an even more talented group. She did just that and PR'd at 37'-5.75" ultimately finishing 3rd overall. Quite a day!
Chantel Hicks qualified in the discus and finished 12th overall. Brandon Walker and Stevie Will were both just off their best in the long and triple jumps but still managed to finish well in the standings. Michael Albrecht made a very rigorous qualification in the high jump at 6-8 but did not have his best night on the big stage, and no-heighted. Rebecca Asplund also made the cut in the 3200 meters.
King's distance runners have made the trip to Arcadia nearly every year for the last five, competing in the seeded relays on Friday night. They did so again, with the girls and boys both fielding 4xmile teams that both raced to school records. The girls, made up of Rebecca Asplund, Carrie Soholt, Hanna Peterson and Kelsi Tippets sliced four seconds off the old mark and finished 12th of 19 teams. The boys knocked almost a half minute off the old mark in the rarely run distance. Jarod Nocella, Charlie Alvarez, Derek Nelson and Lane Werley finished 17th of 30 teams.
On Saturday, the girls Distance Medley Team of Peterson, Tippets, Tiffany West and Casey Candelaria had a strong enough qualifing mark to be entered in the loaded "Invitational" portion of the elite night meet and truly held their own amidst a stellar field. The finished a half-second off the SR set in the same meet last year. Even better handled the pressure of the race with poise and maturity. The boys also put together a DMR on Saturday afternoon made up of Jarod Nocella, Air Force Academy-bound Chris Villanueva, Austin McKell and Lane Werley. They finished at 10:53.05, about 8 seconds off the quality SR of 10:46.
There aren't any bigger stages than the Arcadia Invitational and King was represented by it's largest contingent of athletes ever. Such a solid showing is encouraging and makes the prospects for the remaining weeks of the season even better.
SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS
From the Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" to classic movies like "Jaws", the mythology of sharks is made clear in the popular culture: Stay out of the water! Well, the Corona-Santiago Sharks came to King on Wednesday and proved to be quite the opposite of dangerous. During the 2008 season, King's boys were devoured by Santiago, losing by 50 points. At the time it seemed as if a warning sign was posted on the beach as the two teams were headed toward being league-mates in 2009. It all proved to be a false alarm of sorts, as the results were reversed this time around with King winning by 49.
A few outstanding performances came through despite the gap between the two teams. Lane Werley put his talent on display once again and just hammered the 1600 meters right from the gun, dropping his nearest opponent in the third lap and finishing with a 10 second PR and a breaking the Stadium Record by 7 seconds! His time of 4:29.78 was only a second off the school record! Austin McKell and Daniel Balcazar had great races in the half-mile, with tremendous dirt-track performances. Balcazar's 2:03.78 was the #6 time in school history and a big PR. The King jumpers continued their hot leaping, as Tyree Taylor, Tyson Thurman and Brandon Walker swept the triple, and Walker and Thurman took 1-2 in the long. It's been a great season in the pits for the Wolves!
Michael Albrecht won the high jump at 6-2, his fourth-straight victory in that event. Chris Villanueva, Chris Miller and TJ Hickman swept the 400.
On the girls' side, the road to victory was just as easy, with 60 points between the schools by the end of the meet. Santiago was able to win only four events. Amber Sanford, King's talented junior, put that talent into the long jump for the first time this season and simply went about snagging King's #2 mark in history, going 17' 7.5". She had a busy day in victory circle, winning the two sprints as well. Remarkable! Noelle Aboud showed again that she's a true star, winning the 400 at 61 seconds. Katie Weisse took victory in the shot and discus. Katie Coggins matched her PR in the vault going 10-0.
Both JV teams won, completing a full sweep of the Sharks, and thereby, after last season's loss, proved it's once again safe to go into the water.
BROKEN RECORDS SET IN BOTH NIGHT AND DAY AT AZUSA AND CHINO
It became somewhat of repetitive question throughout the long day and into the night: "Coach, did that break a record?" That question was asked in two cities, Chino and Walnut, as the team made their traditional mid-season split with the distance squad traveling to the Arroyo Distance Carnival Meet of Champions (held at Mt.SAC) while the field eventers and sprinters made their way to the Chino High Relays. Breaking records seemed to be the theme of the day at both venues. In all, the teams minted 14 new school records (SR) and set countless personal records (PR) on what turned out to be quite an eventful day for King Track and Field.
For the distance runners, the day couldn't have come soon enough. Mired it seemed, in a bit of a funk or slump, the group of multi-lappers hadn't yet "popped" this season despite weeks of great training. Well, they did more than pop in their 14 hour marathon meet, they exploded. Every top five list that is kept was altered, the oldest distance SR was equaled and a new 3200 SR was achieved.
Austin McKell's name was not even among the top 7 King 800 runners all time prior to Saturday morning. That is not to say he was slouching, just that a 2:06 PR wasn't quite there. What a difference one day can make! His name appears now at the top of the list along with Daniel Beld (class of '03) as he shares the school record at 2:00.10. It was another super effort by the speedy kicker who ran even splits en route. Lane Werley, a rookie soph, made his 3200 meter "Invitational heat" (the fastest seeds overall) look like he'd been doing the race for years rather than weeks, as he matched a torrid pace set by Corona's Michael Gauger and three others; then pounced when the moment was right. He moved into the lead with 600 to go and never looked back, winning the elite frosh soph heat and setting a new SR at 9:34.87, an 18 second improvement off his best from two weeks ago.
From out of the shadows of those spotlights emerged a number of truly remarkable efforts. The boys' 1600 heats turned out to be a coming out party of sort for a group of guys that has been diligently working hard on their craft for 18 months. Charlie Alvarez ran a PR at 4:38, then was followed by Jarod Nocella and Derek Nelson in the following heat who had the guts to go to the lead for much of the race. They settled for top-half finishes and HUGE PR's, Nocella's 4:34 is the number 2 mark in school history. Nelson's 4:37 the number 4 all time. Jason Schupp, King's "Big Man" showed big drive and big heart with his 4:40 1600. (It's the first time King has ever had 4 guys under 4:40 in the same season, Lane Werley's PR stands at 4:39). Brad Sheets followed the leading cues of Nelson and Nocella in his race and ran a 4:47 PR. Brandon Rogers broke 5:00 for the first time ever, as did freshman Adam Schupp and soph Nick Rini. Sophomores Aaron Youngren and Marc Jimenez continued their dazzling improvement over last year with 5:00 and 5:01 PRs respectively. Others who joined in on the PR parade were Rafi Perez, Ethan McAbee, Mitchel Cleland and Joey Tompkins who broke 6:00 for the first time ever.
Adam Schupp and Andre Balcazar showed their potential to be the next very good 800 runners, as the two freshmen went 2:14 and 2:17. Harrison McMillen PR'd at 2:21. Craig Aguilar had his best race of the season with a 2:10 PR. In the lone sprint event, the 400, Chris Miller ran 52.22, King's number 5 all time mark. Very nice!
The girls also were full of good runs! Danielle Fillmore was the first race of the day (3200) and had a strong showing after a horrendous last three weeks battling the flu. Rebecca Asplund ran King's #4 all time 3200 with a 15 second improvement at 11:25! Carrie Soholt, still a bit hobbled by injury was able to run 11:36 in the 3200, King's #7 all time mark. Impressive, considering she's done most of her training all alone on an elyptical trainer for the last month.
Hanna Peterson had a terrific double, improving on her 800 time and then coming back in the afternoon with an exclamation mark! She ran 5:19.30 in the 1600, the number 5 time in school history! Casey Candelaria nudged down her PR in the 800 with a fine 2:20. In the 1600, King had four girls under 5:40, with Aubrey Bowman, Kasey Tippets and Katrina Graham getting it done along with Hanna. Alica Miller broke 6:00 and both Rebecca Trupp and Courtney Mort PR'd. Kelsi Tippets was the last racer for King on the day, competing in the loaded "Invitational" heat of the 3200. The pace was fast and furious, and despite not having her "A Game" with her, she was still motivated and tough enough to grit out an impressive 11:05 time, just two seconds off her best ever!
About 20 minutes down the road from MtSAC, the remainder fo the Wolves track team assaulted the school record book as well at King's first ever visit to the Chino Relays. When we had gone to the Rancho Bernardo Invitational in Poway back on march 14th, a common question at the end of the day was "Where's King?" On this day, the statement scattered through the stands was "King is good!!"
Operating in Division 1 -- the toughest of the three divisions competing on the day, the Wolves sprinted, hurdled, jumped and threw their way to new heights. Of the 24 events King was scheduled to compete in, 12 records were broken, 14 relay teams came in first and only three teams finished lower than third. Every King relay team scored points and when the dust had settled at the end, the King Girls had come in first beating out, Serrano High 104-96.
The boys came in second to perennial Baseline League power Upland High 107-91. The two teams combined scores earned King the Sweepstake Trophy who out-pointed Upland 195-177.
School records were established on the boys side were the shuttle hurdles: the 4X200; the 8 x 200: the 8 X100; the long jujmp, high jump and triple jump relays. Outstanding individual performances within each relay included Stevie Wills' 44-11 leap in the triple and Brandon Walker's 22-0 leap in the long jump. Brian Malone got a PR of 130-0 in the discus relay leading his team to third place while senior Chris Villanueva churned out a 51.9 third leg of the 4 X400 helping the team capture third place in 3:31.9; their best time fo the year and the number two mark in school history. Andre McCullough volunteered to help with the high jump relay when the two scheduled particpants did not show up and he went 5-10. Nothing like seizing one's opportunities!
The girls were certainly not to be outdone. School records were established in the 4 X 200, 8 X 100, 8 X 200, the triple jump relay and the long jump relay. Kelli Boyd continued her great triple jumping with a leap of 36-0 and also went 5-0 in the high jump. Katie Coggins got a season PR in the pole vault (10-0) leading her team to a first place finish.
King Track caught a glimspe of the soon to be past and of the future as in the 4 X 400, Senior Tiffany West ran a 61 third leg keeping her team in contention until she got the stick to freshman Noelle Abboud who peeled off a 59.8 anchor leg, overtaking Chino in the final 100 meters to record a time 4:10.9, their fastest of the season.
Momentum built so quickly and confidence began to soar so high that the relay teams began to ask Coach Corona-"what's the school record?" before they went off to warmup.Though not every race was a record setter-the King athletes competed and as the coaching staff has often commented-"Just go and compete-when you do that the winning and losing will take care of itself." In both places today, Walnut and Chino, it did.
ALBRECHT RISES, OLDEST RECORD FALLS
With glee and joy, the team sang "Happy Birthday" to Michael Albrecht as he arrived in the bleachers of Centennial High School's stadium after his record setting leap. He deserved it and picked a good time to open his present: A broken record. More significantly, it was the oldest record in the books, and as Michael Albrecht rose, the high jump record -- set way back in May of 2001 -- fell to the pit, crushed beneath the it's elated conquerer. Old things had passed away. One thing was new, and the high jump record had a new birthday.
With the track portion of the meet against Centennial progressing at record speed, the 4x400 was concluded before most of the field events were. That left a lot of athletes with nothing to do but saunter over to the pit where Albrecht had already separated himself from his opponents and was competing against time and gravity alone. A cheer from both Wolves and Huskies went up and over the stadium as he cleared 6-7 to make the record he tied last week his and his alone, and draw an even bigger crowd. Two attempts later he cleared 6-8 and that enthusiastic audience went wild. With High Fives and an embrace from his coach, it was a celebratory ending to an otherwise mundane meet.
Mundane in the sense that some 70 or more points separated King from Centennial in three of the four contests, JV's and Varsity girls. The boys varsity won by 50. On the track it appeared as if the King sprinters and runners had shown up with an aire of inevitability at best, or nonchalance at worst. The field events therefore shined brightly not only because of a beneficial prevailing tail wind. Brandon Walker, a long jump school record holder in his own right, PR'd in the triple at a wind-aided 43-1 and upped his best in the long with a 22-2, also wind aided. Tyree Taylor and Tyson Thurman had PR's in the triple as well, going beyond 42 feet. Stevie Will went 45-2, his best ever, in the triple, while launching off the wrong foot according to master coach Ralph Zaza. Imagine the possiblities there! King throwers scored 13 of the 18 available points to nail down a true "field day" for King. It was a good thing, as Centennial was able to hang around long enough and in enough events on the track to keep that portion of the meet close. In the end however, King was able to pull out the victory 90-46.
The girls won by 70 points, and there was little drama on neither track nor field. Kellie Boyd continued to dominate in the jumps, with a 36-9 triple win, a 5-0 high jump win and a 14-11 long jump win. Kellie is quietly becoming one of this season's dominant team performers! Kelsi Tippets also won twice, in the 3200 and 1600.
But the day belonged to birthday boy, Michael Albrecht. The soft-spoken senior smiled broadly in the clattering applause. And rightly so. The 6' 6" high jump record had begun to grow dusty there on the books, faded a bit in comparison to the freshly printed marks of it's neighboring events, set in more recent seasons.
Not anymore though. A new bar has been set. A new mark has been etched: Michael Albrecht. High Jump. 6' 8". March 25, 2009.
We'll see how long this one lasts. With the way Michael's jumping, it just may be his birthday again next week.
NO BIG UPSET THIS TIME
Last season the dual meet of the year was the between the girls of North and the girls of King. North had a 10 year win streak on the line and the contest was a see-saw affair with the score changing sides throughout. King pulled out a huge upset victory by two points, a thrilling victory for the newest dogs in town.
This year's version lacked much of the drama and theatrics of last year. Though North handled their traditional events with command and poise and was therefore able to "hang around" the lead for half of the meet, it was the depth of King's squad that ruled the day and after a Wolves' sweep of the 800 -- which was the turning point in 2008 -- there was no turning back the school on Riverside's south-side, and King won going away 78-57.
The meet had solid performances sprinkled throughout. Kelli Boyd won a spirited contest in the high jump, besting 5-0 for the first time this year. She also had the fourth best long jump in school history and the third-best triple jump in school history. What a day!!
Katie Coggins and Jenel Bloom went 2-3 in the vault. The distance crew had an easy go of it, finding little to no competition and sweeping up all 27 points in their three events. Amber Sanford ran on a healing injured foot and won both short sprints. There had been, perhaps, some anticipation for a repeat of the '08 affair, but the meet fell short of that. Drama or no, a victory is a victory, and King took it nicely to move to 2-0 on the league season.
The boys contest was starkly different than the ladies' as North never put up much of a challenge and the meet was well in hand from very early on. Despite a loss in the relay and losing an expected place in the 1600, the Wolves regained command and were never challenged. Michael Albrecht had one of the more exciting high jump contests in quite awhile during the 2008 meet, as the event turned into a dual under the setting sun long after the final relay was done. This time around, he was truly a Lone Wolf, with no one to beat or be beaten by. No matter, he came with a heal of setting a new SR in the event (at 6-7) but had to settle for 6-4. Justin Decoud had a great outing, winning the 100 and seconding the 200. Brian Malone continued to shine in the shot with another PR at 47-5.5; good for the #5 all time King throw. Jon Job, Trent Parrish and Jackson swept the pole vaulting points. In the end, King won with over 110 points.
Perhaps there's a turning of the tide in Riverside Track and Field after so many years of JW North brilliance and dominance. Perhaps too, it is too early to tell. Either way, King will take it and moves with the win, a step closer to the Big VIII's inaugural season title.
SMALL SQUAD MAKES BIG SPLASH
King traveled for the first time to the Rancho Bernardo Invitational, located in the community of Poway, just north of San Diego. Beset by injuries, the SAT test that many were taking and an invitational format of "by invite only" the King squad was depleted of most of it's athletes and many of it's top-flight talent. That bare-bones squad didn't let its depleted numbers keep them back though, and by the end of the meet had many in the stands asking, "where's King from?"
The attack was a balanced one, as the Wolves performed well on both track and field. The field events went off first and were punctuated by Stevie Will's jumping -- both the long and the triple. He went 20-7 to win the "open" division of the long, then came back to take 2nd in the triple with a PR of 44-4. Brandon Walker won the long with a 21-6 leap. Tyson Thurman was 4th in the open TJ with a PR. Candyce Matthews won the long jump at 16-3.25, finishing 5th overall when both divisions were combined. Brian Malone PR'd in the shot and won the open division there, and threw a PR in the discus. Isaac Moody and Travis Jones did as well in the same event. Jessica Wiese finished 2nd in the shot and 1st in the open division of the discus! Katie Coggins was 6th in the vault at 9-1 and Jon Job PR'd at 12-7, the number 5 mark in school history. The field event success was capped off late in the day when Michael Albrecht matched the oldest school record in the books, the high jump at 6-6. He now shares the top mark with Marvin Lea who set it way back in 2001!
On the track, it was just as successful, as the PA announcer was compelled to state several times throughout the day the location of King for the San Diego crowd. With King runners placing in just about every race, the Wolves gave him few other choices! The boys 4x800 team of Jason Schupp, Austin McKell, Chris Miller and Daniel Balcazar challenged for the lead through all 8 laps, ultimately settling for second. Their effort brought down the school record by 11 seconds however . Lane Werley nudged himself onto the all-time Top 5 list in the 3200 with his first-ever sub 10:00 effort at 9:52.00. He ran smartly, going by the first lap near the back of the large field, and ultimately finishing 5th overall. Kelsi Tippets was 5th as well in the 1600, running a very impressive 5:20.70. She then anchored the winning distance medley relay for Casey Candelaria, Tiffany West and Hannah Peterson who led the entire way after the first exchange. Devin Becerra PR'd in the 1600 with a 5th place finish in the boys freshman 1600, going 4:49 and the third-fastest frosh time in King history. The sprinters had a fine day as well, with the boys 4x100 team (Andre McCullough, Todd Handley, Stevie Will and Justin Decoud) winning their heat and finishing 6th overall at 43.85; the #3 mark in school history. The girls relay team matched that finish with a very solid 51.56 team effort. In the 1600 relay, the girls went 4:15 to finish 4th and the boys ran 3:33.90 to notch the #4 all time mark at King.
So despite the questions that lingered going into the meet over how such a small squad would do in a competitive meet, those doubts were put to rest with a resounding answer: Big team or small, King can compete. And for those who wondered where King is from, that answer is Riverside.
ROAD SHOW OPENS TO MIXED RESULTS
King Track and Field traveled to Eleanor Roosevelt HS in Eastvale on Wednesday for the first road-trip of the season. Welcomed by the sight of the magnificent campus and facilities at the three-year-old school, the teams got down to business and found by meet's end that the results were decidely mixed on several fronts.
On paper, Roosevelt has perhaps the best boys team in the Big VIII. Of couse, in the first meet of the season it's a bit premature to tell with certainty, but what they put forth on a windy afternoon helps to make their case. The Mustangs literally ran away with the track events, taking first in every single event and sweeping a good deal more. It was an impressive show, and it obscured the fact that the King boys actually performed quite well. Justin Decoud ran a wind-aided 11.3 in the 100 to finish third, taking 1 of the eventual 11 points King would snag in the running events all day. Lane Werley ran a very intelligent race in the 3200 to work his way into the scoring set and notch a very nice early-season 10:06. Devin Becerra didn't score in that event, but did nudge a bit closer to the all-time Freshman record which has held since King's first season back in 2000. Four more seconds to go for the talent rookie! King's best event came in the 110 high hurdles, with White and Pacheco taking home 2nd and 3rd place efforts.
If there is a weakness in the Roosevelt lineup it was exposed in the field events, as the two teams flipped the results that were taking place on the track. In the field, the Mustangs only nibbled at points, eventually gaining a grand total of 11; eight of which came in the high jump. A weakness perhaps, but King proved it to be a strength for the Wolves. Brandon Walker broke the school record with a 22-0 leap in the long jump, Stevie Will PR'd in the triple at 44-3. He would also go 20-3 in the long, finishing behind Brandon. Michael Albrecht took first in the high jump, matching his best ever at 6-4. King swept up the throwing rings, led by Brian Malone who PR'd in the shot. Job, Nugent and Jackson swept the pole vault.
Spectators focusing on the track undoubtably went home thinking it was a Roosevelt blowout. But thanks to the fine field events for King, the score was much closer than it would have appeared, with Roosevelt winning 78-57.
For the girls, the Mustangs were not bucking quite as ferociously and a relatively easy win came for the Lady Wolves. It started with a clean sweep of the 3200 by Kelsi Tippets, Rebecca Asplund and Carrie Soholt who cruised in at 12:19 each. King then took the 400 relay and Taylor Scott split the 100 hurdles, making the score 17-6 after three events. But a Roosevelt sweep of the 400 and a win in the 800 and 100 turned things around, knotting both teams at 25 mid way. But like the boys out in the field, things were looking up for King. All nine points were earned in the shot and discus, (Chantel Hicks PR'd and set the new school record in the discus at 121'6 to win), Kelli Boyd won the high jump and she and Candace Matthews went 3rd and 2nd respectively in the long jump. Kelli's 35'2" triple was the #3 leap in school history and Candace' 16' 1" long jump mark was good for #4 on the all-time list. Katie Coggins won the vault at 9-0. In the 1600 meters, the results matched the 3200, as King took all three spots, with Hanna Peterson, Aubrey Bowman and Katrina Graham doing the honors; all three with very solid times under 5:50.
By meet's end there were a lot of positives for the Wolves, despite the mixed results in the ledger.
10TH SEASON GETS OFF TO A GOOD START
The long-running series with the Chaparral Pumas came to town and opened up King Track and Field's 10th season. As always the Temecula program provided large numbers and ample opportunities for solid, early season competition. In the end, the outcome matched the 2008 version with the Wolves winning at all four levels.
On the girls' side, the Pumas pounced to an immediate 18-1 margin after two events, as they took 1-2 in the 3200 and snatched victory from the mouth of defeat in the 400 relay after the girls from King botched the exchange -- while leading -- in the final zone. Coach Corona remarked later that "never have we been put in that big of a hole, that early." But the Lady Wolves clawed their way back, with the momentum seeming to turn King's way in the 400 as Tiffany West led a King sweep of the one-lap-dash. Amber Sanford took second in the next event (100 meters) and then the distance crew threw down all 9 points in the 800 with a Casey Candelaria, Kelsi Tippets and Hanna Peterson combo-sweep. In the field, the girls had a fine day as well, with three putters beyond 30' (a rare achievement in past seasons) and Chantel Hicks flung the disc one foot shy of her personal best to win that event. Candace Matthews had a great first-ever meet with scoring places in both jumps. Kelsi Tippets doubled back in the 1600 to win in 5:34, but it was Rebecca Asplund, who Coach Corona described as "the one who saved us." She ran two very, very solid races in the 3200 and 1600, both very near her lifetime bests. They were rewarding for King not just in terms of point totals, but they marked a special comeback for the dedicated runner who is embarking on a great return from a very tough Cross Country campaign. Coming back was not in the cards for Chaparral as the waning events proved to be fruitless for them, allowing King to win 72-64.
The score was not ever close on the boys' side, as King dominated almost every event and won 110-24. King opened with a relay win of 44.43, and then Lane Werley made his track debut an impressive one after coming to the sport from baseball. He won the 1600 in 4:48 with little apparent effort and would also win the 3200 at the end of the day. It was quite a splash for the talented sophomore! Brian Malone had a PR in the shot, heaving it 45'5", and also took home a victory in the discus. Daniel Balcazar, Chris Miller and Austin McKell swept the 800 in fine fashion, each running near or better than their lifetime PR's. Balcazar's 2:06 1st place clocking matched the fastest 800 any King runner notched in all of last season, so certainly his and this group's performance bodes well for the long sprint! Chris Villanueva won the 400 and Jon Job had a lifetime best in vault going 12-6. Stevie Will had a tremendous leap in the Triple, going beyond 44 feet to win! It's the number-two leap in King history. The talented senior finished second in the long jump behind Brandon Walker. Devin Becerra capped off the successful afternoon by running King's #4 All Time frosh time in the 3200 at 10:48.61
2010
School Records Set in 2010
400 Meters - Noelle Abboud 57.53
800 Meters - Austin McKell, 1:57.22
1600 Meters - Rebecca Asplund 5:01.44 (#7 time in Riverside County History!)
1600 Meters - Jarod Nocella 4:27.57
3200 Meters - Hanna Peterson 10:55.84
3200 Meters - Lane Werley 9:02.44
300 Meter Hurdles - Tayler Fleming 47.32
5000 Meters - Lane Werley 14:52.11 (Riverside County Record)
5000 meters - Kelsi Tippets, 17:58.79
Shot Put - Jessica Weise 36' 4"
~~~
Distance Medley Relay - Rebecca Asplund, Noelle Abboud, Hanna Peterson, Kelsi Tippets 12:19.26 (#2 time in Riverside County History!)
Distance Medley Relay - Jarod Nocella, Chris Miller, Austin McKell, Lane Werley 10:32.46
4xMile Relay - Kelsi Tippets, Carrie Soholt, Hanna Peterson, Rebecca Asplund 21:03.53
(#8 time in the nation to that point in the season and #2 time in Riverside County History)
Shuttle Hurdles - Josh Jeter, Khyber White, Roach, Ryan Reeves 1:01.42
(#1 time in the State this season!)
Triple Jump Relay - Kelli Boyd, Amber Sanford, Candyce Matthews 100' 8.25"
Long Jump Relay - Kelli Boyd, Amber Sanford, Candyce Matthews 47' 9"
4x200 Relay - Abby Creel, Cyndie Jones, Kelli Boyd, Amber Sanford 1:45.64
Sprint Medley - Epps, Hill, Hickman, Miller 3:43.71
Pole Vault Relay - Chris Jackson, Mason Minini, Jonny Barnes 35' 0"
AN ALL-AMERICAN ENDING TO LANE WERLEY'S SEASON
Lane Werley's season has been everything but predictable. After an incredible cross country campaign that ran extended out like a laser beam and ended in Portland at the Nike Cross Country Nationals, the spring season was anything but certain after an early season injury sidelined him for a full month. The trajectory of the track season started slow but built to a crescendo and ended in Greensboro, North Carolina on Thursday night with an effort over 5,000 meters that garnered Lane "All American" honors.
Even this last race was anything but certain, as travel plans called for a red-eye cross country flight and the threat of humidity, typical to the South in the summer months. Thankfully the humidity stayed comfortably low and the lack of sleep didn't seem to manifest itself on race day.
The New Balance Nationals is the full treatment of track and field and contests every event on the sport's menu, including the javelin, steeple chase and the full contingent of relays. The 5,000 meters is one of those rarely run events at the high school level during mid-season, but the field included 10 guys who had sub 9:10 3200 credentials. At the gun, the whole field got busy with an honest pace that would bring satisfying results.
Lane's strategy was to run with the leaders and see where it took him, and as the field reeled off 70 and 71 second splits over the first mile, he clocked 4:42 at the 1600 and then decided it was time to lead, which he did. The group jockeyed positions over the next mile, still clicking in unison that brought them through 3200 at 9:30. Lane was still able to roll at 71 second laps for two more but then the effort became more grinding and laps 10 and 11 slowed just slightly and moved him back to seventh position with 400 to go.
A determined last lap netted Lane the 6th place finish and put him on the stand as one of the medal winners and earning All-American honors. It was quite a race (it set the Riverside County Record for the distance) and it brought to a stirring close a season that was anything but certain.
Click here for a video of the whole race
Photo Gallery (of both the race and the area sightseeing Lane did.)
Boys 5000 Meter Run Championship
=======================================================================
National: N 13:37.91 7/31/2004 Galen Rupp, Cent Cath,Portland,OR
Meet: M 14:32.36 6/18/2009 Solomon Haile, Sherwood, Sil Spr, MD
Freshman: F 15:05.60 1981 Jeff Cannada, Greenway, Phoenix, AZ
Sophomore: O 14:27.14 2001 Yong-Sung Leal, Arroyo, San Leandro,CA
Junior: J 14:11.20 1979 John Zishka, Lancaster, OH
Senior: S 13:37.91 7/31/2004 Galen Rupp, Cent Cath, Portland, OR
Name Year School Finals Points
=======================================================================
1 1897 Matt Mizereck 10 Una-Fl-Talla 14:37.19F 10
2 4 Mohamed Abushouk 10 Achilles TC 14:41.47F 8
3 312 Neal Smith 10 Carroll XC C 14:42.35F 6
4 1270 Ty McCormack 10 North Hall T 14:47.01F 5
5 1958 Andrew Palmer 10 Una-Md-Bethe 14:49.97F 4
6 1870 Lane Werley 11 Una-Ca-River 14:52.11F 3
7 2167 Michael Mansy 10 Una-Tn-Johns 14:55.35F 2
8 2435 Chris Bendtsen 10 Wolcott TC 15:02.59F 1
9 362 Dustin Wilson 12 Chestnut Hil 15:15.40
10 1739 Chase Caulkins 10 Team High Al 15:23.79
11 2206 Dayton McVicker 11 Una-Wv-Fairm 15:26.90
12 1346 Reece Ayers 11 Ogtc 15:27.39
13 2284 Martin Hehir 11 Washingtonvi 15:41.04
14 1924 James Martin 11 Una-In-Fort_ 15:47.84
WERLEY NIBBLES AT SUB-9:00, FINISHES 9TH AT STATE FINALS
Lane Werley's season of great achievement continued on Saturday night under the lights at Buchanan High School's amazing track and football complex at the running of the 2010 State Track and Field Finals.
Having spent a portion of the season injured and then rehabbing from that injury, the fact that Lane was even at the meet, let alone considered one of the top entrants in the field of 31, was a testimony to his talent, patience and discipline over the last few months.
With gusty and cooling conditions by the 9:03 PM start time, combined with the stellar field and the school's new track surface, the setting was right for a great effort. The pace went out well and Lane took up position in the top 6 spots through the first mile, which he split in 4:31.4. Eventual winner and Samuel Pons pushed the pace and the lead on lap five, pulling those who dared through 2000 meters right at 9:00 pace. Lane hung on well through the next two laps before crossing at the bell lap at 7:57. A 64-second last lap concluded a 9th place finish, (and a second mile at 4:31!), another PR and the third high-level performance in three weeks.
His 9:02.44 finishing time held some significance. It was an improvement on his own school record and the last in a string of consistent efforts; 9:04 at CIF SS Finals and 9:05 at CIF Masters, both of the last two weekends. The mark is also the third-fastest time in Riverside County history, and the fastest time for the distance since 1977 by any Riverside County runner.
Lane's season is not quite done yet, as he's committed to compete in the 5,000 Meters at the New Balanace Nationals on June 17 in Greensboro, North Carolina. But for now, his race was a terrific conclusion to a magical State run.
Event 18 Boys 3200 Meter Run
==============================================
National: * 8:34.23 5/31/2008 German Fernandez (Riverbank)
State Meet: & 8:34.23 5/31/2008 German Fernandez (Riverbank)
Name Year School Finals Points
==============================================
Finals
1 Sam Pons 11 S Pasadena 8:55.40 10
2 Weston Strum 12 Pioneer/ cc 8:56.42 8
3 Amar Moussa 11 Arcadia/ss 8:57.82 6
4 Elias Gedyon 11 Loyola/ss 8:59.09 5
5 Erik Olson 12 Novato/nc 8:59.17 4
6 Blake Ahrold 12 Dana Hlls/ss 8:59.29 3
7 Heath Reedy 12 Buchanan/ce 8:59.58 2
8 Darren Fahy 10 La Costa/sd 8:59.88 1
9 Lane Werley 11 King, ML /ss 9:02.44
10 Pablo Rosales 12 San Pedro/la 9:04.27
11 Dustin Fay 12 Rim/World/ss 9:04.67
12 Paul Summers 12 Gunn/cc 9:06.29
13 Sean Davidson 12 Royal/ss 9:08.51
14 Reesey Byers 12 Santa Rsa/nc 9:11.24
15 Kurt Ruegg 12 Napa/ sj 9:11.92
16 Kellen Levy 12 Clovis W/Ce 9:16.58
17 Chris Kigar 11 El Camino/sj 9:17.88
18 Grayson Hough 12 Davis /sj 9:18.79
19 Zach Kaylor 12 Enterpris/no 9:19.13
20 Kevin Joerger 12 Thsnd Oak/ss 9:23.10
21 Daniel Rosales 12 Apple Vl/ss 9:27.21
22 Javert Solorzano 12 Granada H/La 9:28.72
23 Omar Cortes 11 Santee 9:28.86
24 Justin Vilhauer 11 Redwood/ce 9:32.05
25 Luis Luna 10 Piner/nc 9:33.61
26 Garrett Rowe 12 MountainV/cc 9:33.69
27 Mike Goodger 12 Carlsbad/sd 9:39.56
28 Jacob Wood 12 Mt Carmel/sd 9:43.22
29 Ben Eversole 11 Castro Vy/nc 9:44.65
30 Cameron Trinh 11 Skyline/ok 10:16.40
31 Casey Lee 12 Lowell/sf 10:33.16
LANE ONE PROVES TO BE FASTEST WAY TO FRESNO
In the sprint events, lane four and five are the prescribed "power lanes." Their gentle arcs allow the sprinter the "straightest" race possible for a turn or two. Drawing lane one is not what a sprinter wants to see on the heat sheet; it's a lesson in physics that's an almost gaurantee of slower times.
Not so for the distances. In the multi-lap races, lane one is the best lane, the shortest and hence the fastest route possible to the finish line. Or, in the case of Lane Werley's 3200 meter race on Saturday night, the fastest lane to Fresno.
The State Championships awaits the fleet-footed distance star next weekend as Lane masterfully used the inside lane (and a great season of preparation) to advance to what Dyestatcal.com is already billing "the deepest 3200 meter State Final in a long time." Friday night's Masters meet served as a prelude of things to come, as 9 of the twelve starters all crossed the finish line ahead of the 9:10.47 minimum standard.
Lane ran one second above his lifetime best of 9:04 (set last week) but did so in an unusual manner. After getting on pace with a perfect first lap, the field slowed considerably to the half mile, endangering the desired finish time should it continue. It didn't as Dustin Fay of Rim of the World hammered lap three, towing the field through at 66 seconds for the third lap. From there the race was on. Lane managed to stay in contact with the group while three others broke away, but he was able to throw down a big last lap and finish fourth overall. The three in front of him all dropped below 9:00, setting up what should indeed be a terrific 3200 State Final next Saturday night in Fresno.
Like Lane,Kelli Boyd was in her first-ever Master's meet experience, but didn't fare as well as the high jump competition surged from where it was last week. Kelli cleared 5-3 early, but the bar was quickly raised to 5-5, the minimum standard for State entry. There she struggled on her first two attempts before almost clearing it on her third. Her calf grazed and dislodged the bar on her way down. She left diappointed, but not defeated as she will return in 2011 better than ever from the experience!
So it's on to Fresno and the California State Championships for the second time this year for Lane Werley. He finished third in Division One of the Cross Country State Finals last November and with a loaded field awaiting him seven days hence, lane one will sure to be crowded, full of talented racers vying for the same result.
Just the kind of race Lane likes.
FOUR FINALISTS, THREE ALL-CIF HONORS, TWO BOUND FOR MASTERS: ONE FINE DAY
Three months ago, Lane Werley's season was seriously in doubt. Suffering through a freak muscle injury that made it difficult to walk for a week, he was out of training for a full four weeks just as the season was beginning. The frustration of those weeks though was erased on Saturday night as Lane put together his best race of the season and finished the Runner Up in the 3200 meter Division One Final.
In an event that competitors measure how much and how often they go "all out", the Finals was really the first time all season the talented junior put the hammer down and went for it. Throughout the season, he either skipped the race in order to train, or did enough to snag a victory or points. Even last week at the prelims, while a quality effort, he finished with more in the tank. "It burned" Lane said of the last, 62-second lap on Saturday, describing the pain of full speed. His 9:04.93 was the third fastest mark of all four divisions combined and will send him on to Masters next weekend. That last all-out lap (and a 2:09 last half mile!) put an exclamation mark on what was a truly fine performance over 8 full laps.
Kelli Boyd has been enjoying a great last few weeks, with each week seemingly bringing better efforts and correspondingly higher marks in the high jump. It was no different at the Finals, as she got pulled along by some stellar competition and hauled in a PR of 5-6! For comparison, this Finals was the complete opposite of what Kelli experienced at the same meet in 2009. Last year Kelli just sort of imploded under the pressure of CIF finals. But, with a year of experience, she did not lose her poise or her grit. She had misses on her first HJ attempts at 5-0 and 5-2 which in a competition like this puts you behind the eight-ball right away. She rallied and cleared 5-4 on her first attempt and then on her second attempt made 5-6-for her PR. Her last attempt at 5-8 was "right there" according to Coach Rey Brown. The mark puts her alongside the very talented Orlisha Henlon from 7 years ago as the #2 high jumper in school history. Orlisha won the CIF Title that year in the high jump.
The school record of 5-8 looks to be in her sights with another year to go under the superb coaching of Rey Brown! Kelli and Amber Sanford would come back later in the afternoon to compete in the triple jump, and while both girls looked a bit flat in that event and struggled to get clean takeoffs, Kelli was still able to go far enough to finish 6th at 36-8.5 and earn an alternate's spot for next week's Masters meet. Amber's best leap was 35-11.75 and good for 8th place overall. Kelli's high jump did qualify her for the next round, so she will compete along with Lane.
Lane's and Hanna Peterson's seasons have been oddly similar. Though less severe, Hanna too was injured for a time in the preseason and lost valuable training. They both sacrificed early season races to instead profit from an added training session. They both ran on Sundays to make up for lost days. They both practiced patience. They both chose to take the long view rather than the short. They both were confident of their goal.
Well, all of that patience paid off handsomely for both of them in the 3200 meters at the CIF Finals. For Hanna, her race could not have gone much better. The pace of the leaders was quick and even, bringing the talented junior through the half-way mark at 5:25. She hung on well, ultimately catching a couple of racers who faded and finished 6th in Division One. Her strong effort brought her across the line in 10:55.84, setting the school record, making her the first girl to eclipse 11:00 in the 3200 meters in school history and earning her All CIF honors in the process. Wow, what an ending!
So for Lane and Kelli, the meet this Friday night will take the top athletes in all of the Southern Section -- a region the size of Rhode Island that includes thousands of track and field athletes. Within their chosen events, only the top 12 high jumpers and best-12 3200 meter runners will compete. On the line is an invitation to travel to the California State Championships the next week in Clovis.
It's quite a journey to get this far, and these special athletes have made it an exciting one! Four finalists, three going home with All-CIF honors, two on their way to the Masters Meet, indeed, one fine day for King Track and Field
A QUALITY DAY FOR KING AT D1 PRELIMS
Twenty-some athletes wearing the King uniform took part in the CIF preliminary rounds on Saturday at Trabuco Hills High School. Representing the program's "Three C's" admirably, it was quite a day for class, character and courage, and in the end it netted PR's and the largest contingent of Finals Qualifiers for King Track and Field in a half-decade.
The squad was well-represented in the field events. Jessica Weise had a solid day in the throws, even if it wasn't exactly what she was hoping for. She threw close to her best-ever in both tosses and finished 12th overall in the discus. Kelli Boyd made her high-jump best of 5-4 look effortlessly, and then qualified again in the triple jump. Amber Sanford make the next leap to Finals as well in the triple.
Tayler Fleming set a new school record in the 300 hurdles. She finished 22nd overall, but was the fastest 9th grader on the day, but bigger yet was she took down one of the oldest school records on the books, a mark set by Gayle Hunter way back in 2002. Gayle by far was the most naturally talented track and field athlete to ever wear the King uniform, so this was quite a grab by the young star.
The distances were well covered by King, as a the school was represented in all three events. Austin McKell broke his own SR for the fourth time this season with another fine performance. He finished in the top 15 overall with a 1:57.2 mark. He concludes an extremely successful season and three years of success at King and will compete at Utah Vally University next year. Carrie Soholt took part in the 1600 meters, the third distance in three years for the junior! She competed well and will move on to CIF Finals as the first alternate after going 5:11. Kelsi Tippets will do the same in the 3200 meters, after crossing the line with the 11th best mark on the day. Hanna Peterson ran a PR to finish 8th overall and will be racing on the blue track of Cerritos College next week. Lane Werley led for seven of the 8 laps of his 3200 meters and will move as well with a 9:17 mark. He's the first male distance runner in the school's history to qualify for the Finals.
Though the 4x400 squads were resembling a bit of a patchwork quilt, quit wasn't part of their vocabulary and the ran with great poise and drive despite having to use a few distance runners to field a team. The girls - Noelle Abboud, Fleming, Soholt and Tippets - ran a very respectable 4:08 race, while the boys team of TJ Hickman, Chris Miller, Daniel Balcazar and Khyber White came through with a 3:26 clocking.
Class, Character and Courage are the words that define what King Track and Field are all about, and all three were on strong display throughout the meet, reaping a harvest of six Finalists and numerous top-15 finishers.
A BLUR OF TALENT AT BIG 8 FINALS
The 2nd Big 8 League Championship, held at Norco’s new and beautiful facility was a showcase of talent. The strength of the Inland Empire in track and field has been evident in recent years, and the newest league to form in the area brought together some of finest athletes in all of the IE, among which are a number of King’s own.With over 90 athletes qualified to compete in the Finals, King was able to showcase it’s own talent, which was spread evenly over both field and track.
Jessica Weise can aptly be name the “King of the Ring” (or maybe, Queen), as she was the league champion in both the shot and the disc. In winning the shot put she also notched her name at the top of the all-time list with a SR of 36-4. Her toss in the discus ring was also a PR and #2 all time! It was quite a day for the senior. Amber Sanford was the winner in the long jump, her second title in four years, and her first in the field events. Jonny Barnes and Chris Jackson finished in a virtual tie in the pole vault, with both guys clearing 12-3 to finish 1st and 2nd. Jonny got the nod for the title however with fewer misses. Mason Manini had another fine outing as well finishing a close 4th place, while Anthony Verstappe concluded his four years of vaulting in an impressive 5th place. Kelli Boyd added another high jump title, going 5 feet, and then proceeded to take the triple jump crown as well!
On the track there were league champions crowned as well. Noelle Abboud won the title in the 400. The 800 meters was a thrilling race as a large pack of boys held together through 550 meters before four, including Austin McKell, broke free. Executing to perfection a pre-race strategy of allowing the 1-2 seeds to set pace, McKell bided his time until the top of the final curve and then got into a stride-for-stride sprint with Corona’s Fernando Cerda that took the two literally to the finish line together. A dive and a tumble by Austin at the line snagged him a hard-fought win, three-hundredths of a second ahead!
Lane Werley ran only his second hard-effort of the season in the 3200 meters, leading wire-to-wire and making an improvement on his own SR by 7 seconds look easy. His time of 9:16.70 eclipsed the league record by 14 seconds and emphasized the reality that his return from an early-season injury is now complete.
Outside of the championship performances, King had quite a day, and in many respects it seemed as if “CIF started at the league finals” as Coach Corona quipped. The boys 4x100 relay was exhibit A for such an argument, as the boys team finished 4th – missing qualification for CIF – despite running 43.61, the #2 mark in school history. In the girls 1600 meters, King put 6 of the 9 racers on the track, showing off the depth of the group that was 12th in the State Finals last fall in cross country. Hanna Peterson and Carrie Soholt had great races, finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively, both notching their second PR in as many days and moving to #2 and #4 on the All Time list at 5:08 and 5:10. Rebecca Asplund who set the school record earlier in the season at 5:01.44 endured an off day and finished 5th, while Raelyn Werley – who set the freshman school record for the event during Tuesday’s preliminaries – finished 7th and Kasey Tippets 8th.
Tayler Fleming concluded her great freshman campaign with solid mid-field finishes in the two hurdle events. In the 3200 meters, Kelsi Tippets regained her fine form to run a super 2nd place effort, qualifying for CIF as did Hanna Peterson who doubled back from the mile to go third. Carrie Soholt finished 6th with a lifetime best of 11:24. The 4x400 team, somewhat cobbled together due to a spate of injuries, put together a terrific effort and notched the number 3 all time mark at 4:05.35, taking third and moving on to CIF as well. Meagan Melton took home third place in the pole vault, while Candyce Matthews did the same in the long jump.
For the boys, the story was much the same. After the bittersweet 400 relay, the meet just got sweeter as it aged. Derek Nelson capped off his amazing four-year career of improvement with an absolutely gutty race in the 1600. His heir apparent, freshman Nathan Torres showed the future is bright with a 9th place finish and an improvement on his own 9th grade school record at 4:36. He was the only freshman in the field of 11 runners. Ryan Reeves, Khyber White and Keston Roach took up a third of the lanes in the 110 high hurdles, showing the speed and depth the hurdle crew has had going on all season. With White, Reeves and Jacob Porter taking spots in the finals of the 300’s it was a great day for the barrier racers! Jordan Williams finished a respectable 4th in the discus, throwing it beyond 132’. The meet was capped off with a 2nd place finish by the 4x400, moving the team on to the next level.
There were some fine performances and league titles at the JV level as well. Tyler Parrish was the champion in the 800 meters at 2:11. Mason Hilua won the 110 high hurdles, Gaberial Mataramos the pole vault. Lisa Garside was a repeat winner, taking a victory in both the 1600 and the 800, a tough leg-burning double. Rebecca Trupp put the finishing touches on her wonderful four-year tenure at King, with a victory in the 3200. Garside came back to take home her third medal on the day, helping the 4x400 team of Annie McKell, Kaitlyn Fatten and Megan Varner to victory.Together with the Southwestern League in the Temecula/Murrieta area, the Big 8 – while only in its second season – has already established itself as a magnet for high-level track and field performances. With the CIF championships on the near horizon, that talent will be on display for an even larger audience to witness.
Big 8 League Finals Results Photo gallery
THREE STRAIGHT TITLES FOR GIRLS, BOYS FINISH WELL
Perhaps it came down to “saving the best for last.” The long dual meet season came to an end with a bang, an exclamation mark on a 10 week sentence that had many commas and questions. From the girls losing only for the 8th time in 11 seasons in the opener against Chaparral, to the boys’ anemic loss to North to open league, it all ended with a great meet on both sides and another league title for the girls.
Roosevelt’s squads were undefeated in league, setting up a battle of unbeatens on the girls. True to form on the girls’ side, the two teams got locked in a see-saw battle that took almost the whole meet to tilt King’s way. Kelsi Tippets, Raelyn Werley and Rebecca Asplund made an easy sweep of 3200 to get it going, but Roosevelt took the relay and then a first and third in the 100 hurdles despite Tayler Fleming’s fine effort. Noelle Abboud won the 400, but the ‘Stangs stayed close by going 2 and 3. Just two points separated the two teams by that point, but when Roosevelt nearly swept the 100, suddenly King found themselves down and looking up. Hanna Peterson, Carrie Soholt and Rebecca Asplund had a great challenge in the 800 as Roosevelt’s best distance runner challenged all the way to the line. Peterson prevailed and Soholt went across in third, bringing the Wolves back to within two.
It was in the field events mid-meet that King would help it’s cause. Amber Sanford, Candace Matthews, Kellie Boyd, and Sara Abouzara all had terrific outings in the jumps, with Sanford, Boyd and Matthews sweeping the triple at the end of the day. Jessica Weise contributed in a huge way in the throws winning both with near PR tosses. When Peterson, Tippets and Soholt came back to sweep the 1600 in strong fashion, the Lady Wolves locked up their 8th league title, and the third in-a-row, winning 79-59.
For the boys, the meet was billed as a foregone conclusion by some that Roosevelt would simply overpower and dominate from start to finish. So it came as some surprise that though Roosevelt led from the first event onward, pesky 2nd and 3rd place finishes by King throughout kept the Wolves in the game and made the meet interesting. Lane Werley and Austin McKell took victories in the 1600 and 800 respectively, while Ryan Reeves and Khyber White took 2nd and 3rd in the 110 hurdles in really nice, but wind-aided times. White came back to take second in the 300 hurdles, running King’s #3 all time mark at 40.02. A sweep of the discus by Alcantar, Williams and Paul gave King a nice 9 point padding, and Chris Jackson’s and Mason Minini’s 1-2 finish in the vault was another high point for King. Though the guys would put up a spirited contest and make the meet certainly something to watch, in the end, the undefeated Roosevelt Mustangs proved to be too much and took home an 83-53 win.
Both JV squads won for King, securing unofficial “league titles” at the lower levels.
SUBDUED RIVALRY SETS UP THE WEEK'S MAIN EVENT
Rivalries are usually invitations to warfare. Or at least they can be built up to be that. Nothing about Monday’s meet between King and Poly came close to a battle however. It resembled a low-key pre-season affair, where athletes did their business without hype and hyperbole. The two teams meandered their way through the events, amicably chatting with each other along the way as friends. King would ultimately come away with the victories on every level, sans the punctuation of an exclamation mark. Maybe it was a case of the Monday’s; the meet having to be made up on this blue day after being rained out last week. Maybe it was the expectation that the undefeated Roosevelt Mustangs arrive in town on Thursday. Maybe it’s the class with which both programs aim to operate. Whatever the explanation, the penultimate meet of the 2010 season left the girls from King with just one victory left to win for another league title and preserved the boys a winning season.
The Lady Wolves would sweep the first three events and win the 400 relay before relinquishing one point to the Bears in the 100 meter dash and were up 40-1 before anyone could blink. Jessica Weise split the two best throwers from Poly in the shot (throwing 34-2) while also taking third in the discus. Kelsi Tippets won the 1600 while Carrie Soholt took third. Alisia Gamo finished third in the high jump and Amber Sanford and Candace Matthews went 1-2 in the long and triple jumps. The team won ultimately 105-31.
Only 20 points separated the boys varsity contest, but in earning the win, King never let on a sense of pressure. Poly had enough event wins to hang around, (seven total, including a sweep of the 200) but it was the depth of the Wolves that kept them in check. Marvin Epps and TJ Hickman provided that back up in the 400, going 2-3. Jonny Barnes and Mason Minnini both PR’d in the vault at 12-6 and 12-0 respectively to take 1st and 2nd. Derek Nelson had a career best in the 800, going 2:01.94, good for #5 on the all time list. Not bad for a guy who considers himself normally a mile/two mile guy! Jovaun Moody won the triple jump with a leap of 40’ 10.5”.
Like an afternoon in the park, the meet seemed to end when it seemed a good enough time to go home. No fireworks, no dance of celebration, no exhuberant cheers. Absent the trappings of rivalry, the meet for King at least, served as a tune-up for the real battle to come on Thursday.
KING ROLLS THROUGH REBUILDING NORCO
As Norco High School begins a rebuilding process, the King Wolves were able to cruise through the dual meet to an easy win at all four levels. Resting some of the top athletes or using the events to “work through” some conditioning aspects of the season allowed a number of athletes who don’t normally enjoy the spotlight to bask in it’s glow.
Carrie Soholt, Raelyn Werley and Emma Jaramillo got things going with a sweep of the 3200 meters and were quickly followed by a victory in the 4x100 relay. Abbi Creel won in the 400, her first victory of the year, while the normal Ace of the Lap, Noelle Abboud was taking home a victory in the 800 meters at 2:30.4. Amber Sanford, Abigail Creel and Kelli Boyd took 1-3 in the 200, and Kasey Tippets won the 1600 in a solid time of 5:38.7 In the field events, Meagan Melton took a first place in the vault at 9-0, a PR for the season, while Jenel Bloom and Casey Maphis followed to sweep.
The boys won every event on the track, while a sole Norco star captured victory in the jumps and throws. Devin Becerra won in the 1600 with a fine 4:39.6 and Nathan Torres ran the #2 AT frosh time in the 800 at 2:04.16 to win the race. Derek Nelson ran the #7 AT mark in the 3200, going solo for 8 laps and the victory. All seven of the best marks in King history are now sub-10:00. Chris Jackson won again in the vault, while Jacob Porter led the way for a sweep of the 300 hurdles in a PR of 41.46. Marvin Epps put together the fastest 400 time of the season at 50.99.
THE CITY MEET ROARS BACK TO LIFE
"Track Town USA" is the slogan of Eugene, Oregon -- home of Steve Prefontaine, the birthplace of Nike and site of the famed Hayward Field and the University of Oregon's famed stable of track and field's famous athletes and competitions. While Riverside, California can't call itself by the same name, it can lay claim to the fact that numerous high level track and field athletes hail from the town made famous for being carpeted at one time by orange groves. With the likes of Olympians Noredine Morceli, Rosie Bonds, Joanna Hayes and Chaunte Howard along with the historic and great track programs of JW North, Arlington, Rubidoux and La Sierra - not to mention Riverside City College's past and present greatness - the city has produced enough CIF, State, and National champions as well as some of the World's elites to make it's own claim to track and field lore.
"City Champion" was once a title many could hold as well. From 1968 to the late 1980's "The City Meet" -- as it was called -- crowned many young track and field athletes on an annual basis. With an absence of leadership to host the competition, the meet expired in 1986.
It would be Riverside-proper's newest high school, Martin Luther King established in 1999, that would "renew the tradition" here in 2010. On a splendid Spring afternoon and evening and with almost every school owning a Riverside address in attendance, the meet came roaring back. Along with hundreds of fans and athletes in the stands were notable track figures with Riverside connections: Jim McCarron and Mike Barbee, coaches of the two-time State Champion Riverside Community College program, 1968 Mexico City Olympian Reynald Brown - now coaching at King, 1977 and reigning prep Riverside Country record holder for 3200 meters Steve Alvarez - now coaching at North, and World Indoor Champion Tyree Washington, who hails from La Sierra High School. Judging by these alone, one could have called the meet a success.
There were two levels of competition for both large schools and the city's smaller private institutions. No team scores were accumulated, allowing the meet to highlight the individual achievements of many. A 5-place victory stand at the 50-yard lined allowing the medal winners to take in their moment while their names were announced proved to be a highlight for many. Will Jacobsmeyer, the long-time coach of La Sierra who has been around long enough to remember when the meet was once held, said "I've been looking forward to this meet all year long!" Jacobsmeyer lent that enthusiasm along with his extensive track knowledge to calling the meet, adding a great professional tone to the affair.
On the girls side, there were ample highlights to spread around. Taylor Coffelt of Jurupa Valley, won both the 100 and 200 meter dashes, while Noelle Abboud of King won the 400 with the only time to slip under the benchmark 60 seconds. The 1600 would set up a terrific battle between Mariel Mendoza of North and Hanna Peterson and Carrie Soholt of King. The three would run in unison for three laps before Mendoza and Peterson stepped up to a 200 meter, side-by-side sprint for the title. Peterson would prevail in 5:14, while Mendoza was informed a uniform violation had led to her disqualification despite her terrific race. The second place medal was then awarded to Soholt who, in a tremendous show of compassion and sportsmanship, proceeded to give it to Mariel, proclaiming a desire "to show God's love to people" and because "the medal didn't belong to me." The two would dual honorably and competitively later in the evening in the 3200 this time with Mendoza, after a uniform change, taking the title with a strong 11:15.87 time. Soholt would end up keeping her second place medal for her effort in that race. (Click here to read The Press Enterprise's article about the exchange and the meet.)
Ariel Collins of Arlington was the standout hurdler on the day, showing speed and technique over the low hurdles. Freshman Tayler Fleming of King gave chase in the shorter hurdle race, finishing second, but would return to win the 300's in 49 seconds. The King Wolves would win both relays and dominate the jumps, with Candyce Matthews taking victory in the long and triple jumps, Meagan Melton the vault and Kelli Boyd the high jump. La Sierra's strength in the throws has been on display in recent years, and even with their top thrower competing in the Mt.SAC Relays, they still had enough in the tank to take 1st and 3rd in the shot as Tanya Sapa and Cici Senio took the honors respectively. Elyna Partida and Faye Tu ufili went 2-3 in the discus. The JW North program has been the dominant program for most of the last 10 years and they've done it not just on the track, but also on the field. They had a strong showing in the shot with Deja Watkins and Mele Tupou finishing well.
Riverside Christian had a string of successes across the "Small Schools" level, winning the 100, 200, high jump, long jump and both hurdle events. Melissa Gamble of Riverside Christian had some fine marks in the jumps, going over 14 and 34 feet.
Edgar Cobian appears to be the "next" great distance runner to come out of La Sierra, as the talented and hard working sophomore ran away with titles in the 800 and 1600. He ran seemingly unchallenged in the 800 and was still able to go 1:56; this after out-sprinting Tyler Huntly of North in the 1600 and going sub 4:30! Quite a double. JR Reid of Arlington dominated the 100 with a pumped fist and shout of exhultation passing the line in a wind-aided 10.95 seconds. EJ Shexnayder of North was equally gleeful in the deuce as Marvin Epps pushed him hard all the way to the line, taking both guys across at 22.44 and 22.92. Troy Cannon of Poly was 2-hundreths away in third. Kenny Brown (Poly) and Dino Sloan (La Sierra) matched that dual in the full lap, and both guys wowed the crowd with 50-second marks.
King's hurdlers are a dominant force this season, as Coach Ken Bracey has put together the State-leading shuttle hurdle group. While Ryan Reeves, Khyber White and Josh Jeter all medaled in both races, Jahari Selmon of North wasn't intimidated by the hurdling croud from King and took victories in both the 110 High's and the 300's.
Henry Vidosola of Woodcrest Christian is good enough in the high jump to compete with any large school he might attend, but he had to demonstrate that capability head-to-head with "The Big Boys". Which he did. Really well. Henry won the high jump at 6 feet while also dominating the triple jump with a very impressive leap beyond 45 feet, a full four feet ahead of second! In teh pole vault, Francisco Aguilar of Patriot took the victory in a tight battle at 13-0.
Woodcrest Christian would show well on the boys' side in the Small Schools division, winning numerous events including the distances where they boast of 5 straight State titles in cross country.
So the renewal of a great tradition went well. With enthusiasm in the crowds, talent on the track and in the field, it's no telling where the meet might head in the years to come. Given the city's past, The City Meet just may be the stage on which future Olympians find their start.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED AT MT.SAC
While most of the King athletes were in Riverside at the renewal of “The City Meet” a number of the Wolves’ college-bound athletes were at the famous Mt.SAC Relays in Walnut, looking for the opportunity to compete well in front of potential college coaches and with perhaps a greater level of competition.
Austin McKell competed in the 800 meters and despite “feeling tired” he was still able to muster up a good race, leading for part of it before settling in the middle of the field. His time of 1:57.31 was the fastest of his career and lowered his own school record in the process. Rebecca Asplund, who has been enjoying a season like none other, running while oozing confidence, dropped another gem in the 1600, taking third in the top heat of the day, but better, dropping her own school record in the distance by another 5 seconds. She has now taken 24 seconds off her PR from a year ago! Kelsi Tippets competed in the same race and came home with a 5:14, 13th place finish. Amber Sanford, who is multi-talented and capable of doing both “track” and “field” well, took to the field on Saturday and competed in the long jump. On her last attempt, she rocketed an 18-8.5 leap, winning the event and notching her best ever leap.
KING STARS SPARKLE ON THE ARCADIA STAGE
8000 student-athletes were entered into the 2010 Arcadia Invitational, 3800 made the cut. The meet promoters say it is the toughest and the most prestigious high school invitational west of the Mississippi, maybe the entire country. With athletes from 25 states and three nations, they may have an argument. For the 17 or so King High Wolves that earned their way into the meet, they found out that all the hype is true and they made the most of their opportunities on the biggest stage of the season.
Junior Kelli Boyd started things off by competing in the "Rising Star" high jump competition on Friday afternoon. She had one of most consistent efforts of the year so far clearing 5-3 to finish in second place. Kelli's efforts were followed by the outstanding performance of the 110 Shuttle team. Going in with the number one time in the state, the quartet of Ryan Reeves, Keston Roach, Josh Jeter and Khyber White bettered themselves by 2 seconds finishing in 1:01.4, an average time of 15.3 This was accomplished despite the fact that two of the four got to Arcadia late and had very little time to properly warm up. Not only did their time solidify the number one time in California but it is the ninth fastest all-time at the Arcadia Invite which is now in it's 43rd year. The boys got watches, medals and shirts proclaiming them Arcadia champions, and they celebrated both on the field and off for a good half hour afterward. Meet director Rich Gonzalez, a friend of King High track and cross country, exclaimed on Saturday the "beaming faces" of the quartet was one of his highlights. A number of coaches too, would remark to Coach Corona later how great it was to see their effort and their reaction to victory. They are the first Arcadia champions ever in King history.
Also competing Friday night were the distance runners in the 4xmile relay. The girls squad of Kelsi Tippets, Carrie Soholt, Hanna Peterson and Rebecca Asplund - all members of the cross country team that finished 12th in the State Cross Country Championship last November, took the line against many of the same teams they faced 5 months ago. After a great winter of training, this crew was poised for a breakthrough and they got it under the lights of Arcadia! They crushed their own school record from last season by 42 seconds (about 10 seconds per girl, per mile) and missed setting the Riverside County record by 1 second! They finished third overall with an average of 5:15.5 per girl!
On Saturday, the second full day of the meet, King competed well. Kelli Boyd returned to compete in the triple jump and though she came through with a respectable 36-0, she finished out of the money as several of her opponets racked up jumps over 39 feet! Amber Sanford ran a 25.75 in her heat of the 200 for a fourth place finish and though she made it into the finals of the long jump, she struggled with gaining any height on her jumps and finished with a best jump of 17-8. Austin McKell ran in the open, "day meet" portion of the invitational in the 800 meters and ran well. With an errant elbow thrown in his gut at about 200 meters in, he managed to recover and finished 5th with a 1:59 time.
The distance crew came back for the nex day as well, this time competing in the Distance Medley Relay (DMR), a unique and exciting race of varying distances and speeds. 1200 meters is followed by 400, 800 and then the anchor is a full 1600 meters. Asplund, Peterson, Tippets and Noelle Abboud had another tremendous team effort and broke the school record by three seconds. King girls now own the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fastest DMR times in county history. The boys fielded their own DMR squad of Jarod Nocella, Chris Miller, McKell and Lane Werley. After a disappointing race on Friday in the 4xMile, the team sensed a need to redeem themselves and they came through with a terrific race. On the books sat the oldest boys school record, a quality mark set by a team back in 2003. In the stands watching the relay on this night was the anchor of that team, Brian Brierly (class of '03) and now coaching at Edison HS in Huntington Beach. He saw the group essentially match the splits of the '03 record until Lane Werley took the baton and proceeded to tear up the track, bringing it home with a 4:19.9 1600 meter leg. They set the school record at 10:32.46, 14 seconds ahead of the old mark.
With as many Arcadia hopefuls as there are every year, invitation to compete is honor enough. To compete well among many of the state's and the nation's best is even sweeter. For the King athletes, the opportunity was seized and they came through well.
Saturday Results Friday Results Photo Gallery
A "STATE MEET" FOR THE YOUNGER SET
The sixth-annual King High Frosh Soph Classic seemed to cast a wider net than ever, as 29 teams descended on the meet from places like South Orange County, San Diego, Los Angeles and even San Francisco! If there were such a thing as a "State Meet" for the younger set, the meet may claim it's title! With such a wide array of talent and over 1900 separate entries on the day, the meet took on a festive, energetic flavor, complete with novice youngsters still trying to "figure things out" and others who showed high quality talent and broke meet records.
Lincoln High of San Francisco brought a couple handfuls of talented kids and dominated the scoring in the field events. Narbonne, of Harbor City in Los Angeles, seemed to rule many of the sprints. But in the end it was the depth of the large programs, Murrieta Valley and host-school King who came away with the victories.
Narbonne's Taje Davis scored 20 all by himself in the century and deuce and with Elisha Toler winning the 400, there were thirty points of their eventual 60 all by themselves! Their relay squads took third and second in the 400 and 1600 relays respectively, and along with Marquis Lomax winning 10 points in the shot, there were ample digits to give the group a shot at winning the meet. But the depth for the boys from King was the difference maker in a close, one-point victory for the Wolves. Josh Jeter and Jacob Porter were dominant in both hurdle races, with both of the guys going 1-2 in the hurdle events and scoring 36 points combined. Josh helps anchor the #1 ranked shuttle hurdle team in the state as of this date! Talented sophomore Devin Becerra scored 14 points by himself placing 2nd and 3rd in both distance races.
Outstanding marks were set in the vault and high jump, as Miles Poullard of Cajon went 6-2 to best Murrieta Valley's Brandon Moore who went 6-0 for second. At the other end of the stadium, Murrieta Valley's Peter Chapman was a one-man show in the vault, taking first by over two feet and setting a new meet record at 12-6. Coach Matt Farmer is at it again with the field eventers in Murrieta Valley! First-year school Mesa Murrieta had a fine day with a sprinkling of solid marks that must give the program encouragement for the years to come. Craig Mauldin and Shane Murray-Stanton went 41' and 39'+ in the triple, great marks for neophytes! Lutheran of Orange was dominant in the relays and Edgar Cobian of La Sierra broke both meet records in the 800 and 1600 with two terrific runs, going 1:57.10 and 4:24.27.
On the girls side, the Murrieta Valley team was balanced and talented and bested their nearest opponent by 10 points. Katie Clark and Tatiana Martinez dominated the 100 hurdles, going first and second, Rachel Strohmeyer and teammate Carrie Withers scored highly in the 800 with sub 2:31 marks. The Nighthawks were strong in the high jump and long jump as well. While a look at the results doesn't display an overwhelming number of powerhouse performances in multiple events, their attack was constant enough to make the difference over King. King was led by a couple of distance runners, Raelyn Werley and Emma Jaramillo who had great runs in the 16 and 32. In both events, the two finished 2nd and 4th, collecting 24 points for the team all by themselves! Noelle Abboud went second in the 400 and freshman Taylor Fleming won 12 points in the hurdles while running a couple of the fastest times in those events in school history at any level! King's vaulters did well following Meagen Melton's victory at 9 feet, scoring in three of the six available point-getters.
GIRLS POLISH THEIR TITLE RUN
Traveling to Corona for the first time in program history, the Wolves met up with the Corona High Panthers and enjoyed a well-run dual meet complete with auto-timing on a great surface. By the meet's end, the girls from King continued unabated toward their second-consecutive league title and could well be in the driver's seat for the crown with only three dual meets remaining on the schedule.
Rebecca Asplund and Kelsi Tippets got things going with a 1-2 finish in the 3200 meters, but the advantage was diminished a bit as the relay group had an uncharacteristic DQ after a false start. The two teams would share event-wins over the rest of the meet, but it wouldn't be enough for the Panthers. With Coach Gardner claiming early "we're hoping to score 50 points today" they came away with only a pyrrhic victory, as King would score 84. Noelle Abboud continued her great sophomore season with another sub 60 400, but was ably followed by Abby Creel with a strong 61 second and Kayla Cunningham who also ran 61 seconds. Teamed with Cailyn Brewster at the end of the day, the foursome would run 4:06 for the #4 All Time 4x400 mark in school history! Amber Sanford was bested by Corona's fleet-footed best sprinter, but stil managed to rake in some solid points in the 100, 200 and long jump. Carrie Soholt ran a strong 5:28 to win the 1600 and Bloom, Melton and Maphis swept the pole vault. Kelli Boyd continues to be a point gatherer as well, on this day she won both the high jump and the triple jump, while Hanna Peterson, Carrie Soholt and Rebecca Asplund swept the 800. Jessica Weise had a fine toss of 102-4 in the discus to earn second place.
On the boys’ side, the drubbing from Corona came quickly and then constantly. The Panthers, a "turn around story" in 2010 if there ever was one, handed the boys varsity team the worst numerical defeat in a very long time, winning easily 100-39. (Turnabout is fair play as they say, as the reversal from a year ago was almost a mirror, with King winning 98-38 in 2009!)
The shellacking wasn’t for lack of effort though, at least in most events. Corona is just that good. With Justin DeCoud sidelined with a hamstring injury, Rossi Hill and others have stood in ably and given an honest effort to hold the line. Corona’s talent and depth was too much though, as they took event victories in all but three events. Chris Jackson (along with Mason Minini and Jonny Barnes) won the pole vault in spring-cleaning fashion. Marvin Epps who is blooming here in the spring as well, won a hard-fought victory in the 400 at 51.24, an identical mark to his season’s best thus far. Ryan Reeves ran the #2 110 hurdle time in school history if one overlooks the gale at his back (which we do!) Lane Werley, making steady progress coming off an injury, ran a 4:30.07 1600 for third against Corona’s power-packed distance crew and then doubled back for a nonchalant 10:02 mark in the 3200, finishing second.
HISTORY MARINATES THE MEET FOR THE DISTANCE CREW
Henry Ford once famously said "History is bunk." Not sure what he was thinking, for history serves well to bring meaning and signficance to the moment. As the distance runners made their yearly trek to Azusa for the Arroyo Meet of Champions,(MOC) the "moment" was full of joyful displays of athleticism, fitness, victory and record-breaking races. In and of themselves, such developments were worthy of celebration, but for many of these multi-lappers, a peak back into history just added a flavorful perspective that made the day all the sweeter.
King distance running is enjoying the twilight of what has been one of the most energetic, devoted and improved classes in school history. They came into the program back in 2006-07 a bit wide-eyed and perhaps a bit overwhelmed, but they dug their heels in, gritted their teeth and set about the task of getting better. They did so with character, integrity, friendship and humor, and in the process developed a bond that should last for some time. Oh, and they also got better ... a lot better.
That growth was on display Saturday night as they made the past look more distant than it is. Rebecca Asplund, who is enjoying by far the best year of her career, set the school record in the 1600 meters (1 mile) at 5:06.34. As a 9th grader four seasons ago, she managed 5:41 on the same track. Austin McKell, who was playing golf that freshman year, broke his own SR in the 800 with a super 1:57.57. Jarod Nocella and Derek Nelson were amazing in the 1600 meters, both challenging at the front of their heat, ultimately going side-by-side for most of the last lap before Nocella pulled away a bit to break a four-year-old school record at 4:27.57. Derek was at 4:29, the third fastest in school history. Again a glance back at history shows these two who now rank among King's best ever, ran 5:29 and 5:28 respectively in MOC four years ago! Wow! In the 3200, Rebecca Trupp broke 13:00 for the first time, running a full minute faster than '07. Sean Lee, who ran 5:41 as a freshman, went 4:53. Brad Sheets ran a lifetime best of 4:40, 53 seconds faster than his 9th grade go. Perhaps one of the most improved of all was Brandon Rogers who ran 2:24 in the 800 back then, but slammed down another PR of 2:06.60. Craig Aguilar notched the #7 800 time in school history at 2:04.
As this class has modeled the behavior of champion-level athletes, notes have been taken by those who follow them, and that too was on display Saturday. Lane Werley, rehabbing from an injury that took him out of training for a full month, ran in the seeded 3200 at the end of the day and put down a patient strategy in his "rehab-debut", running 70 seconds per lap and quietly improving on his own school record by 11 seconds. Hanna Peterson, also a junior and coming off an injury, doubled well with a 5:20 1600 and then the #4 all time 3200 mark with an 11:21.93 PR! Carrie Soholt ran her best ever 1600 at 5:20, winning her heat. Aubrey Bowman ran 5:40 for her best-ever mark in the 1600. Aaron Youngren ran, plain and simple, the best race of his life in the 1600, breaking 4:40!
Courtney Mort had a great, aggressive race in the 800, leading for a time before finishing with a lifetime best of 2:42 and a big smile. Monique Carrasco PR'd as well in the same event. Adam Schupp was simply brilliant in both the 800 and 1600, running two PR's at 2:06 and 4:45! Tyler Parrish, who is enjoying a fantastic sophomore season, did likewise, going 5:00 flat in the 1600 and 2:06 in the 800. His hard work in the winter off-season is paying off! Jordan Goldie PR'd in the 800, as did Nathan Meier and Mitchel Cleland in the 3200.
Finally, if this senior class is the standard, the freshman class just may change it all by 2013! This group is having a great season, and comparing their marks to those of 2007, they are well ahead of the pace already! Raelyn Werley ran the #3 all time frosh 1600 at 5:27, and the #2 frosh mark ever in the 3200 with a fine 11:42. Emma Jaramillo won her heat of the 3200 with a 12:00 PR. Lauren Soholt and Lisa Garside PR'd in the 800 and 1600 respectively. Nathan Torres improved his own SR for freshmen milers at 4:38.80. Vincent Hernandez won his heat of the 800 at 2:17 and Ryan Gibeault had a personal best of 11:31 in the 3200 meters.
So it was quite a day, both for looking back and for looking forward. A lot of good has taken place over the last 4 seasons, and by the scene witnessed in Azusa on Saturday, things are looking good for the next four as well.
Distance Records Photo Gallery (includes Team Photo Day) (in process) Full Results
SPRINTERS AND FIELD EVENTS HOLD THEIR OWN IN CHINO RELAYS
As the Distance crew headed off to the Meet of Champions in Azusa the rest of the King track team headed off to the 61st running of the Chino Relays. It was an afternoon that saw intense back and forth competition in what is considered one of the "grand daddy's of invitationals" of the CIF-Southern Section. The Wolves were right in the middle of the fracas for most of the afternoon but ultimately, on the boys side, Diamond Bar High would win Division 1 with 81 points followed by Elsinore's 78, Upland High's 75 and King's 64.The meet directors said it was perhaps the closest meet in it's long history. Upland won the girls title with 112 points followed by King's 87in second place.
The Wolves got off to a great start as the boys shuttle hurdle team of Khyber White, Keston Roach, Josh Jeter and Ryan Reeves raced to a new SR in 1:03.23 eclipsing the record set a year ago at the same venue. The patched up 4x100 team of Rossi Hill, Kenyon Threat, John Hofilena and Marvin Epps raced to a 44.13 second place. The Sprint Medley of Epps, Hill, TJ Hickman and Chris Miller broke the school record in 3:43.71 taking third place. The high jump team of White, Jesse Cazares and Justin Andrusak finished second in the high jump relay as well.
The girls were no less prolific in what is becoming their annual battle with Upland High at this meet. A year ago, the Wolves beat the Highlanders by a similar score and the two teams battled each other until the final few events as UHS stretched out their lead.The 8x200 team of Racheal Webb, Reina Hutton, Raquel Gardner, Kaityln Fatten, Megan Varner, Clarisa Trimble, Kayla Cunningham and Kasey Knight clocked a first place early and the battle was joined. Abby Creel, Cydnie Jones, Kelli Boyd and Amber Sanford set a school record in the 4x200 clocking a 1:45.64. Both horizontal jump relays featured Boyd, Sanford and Candyce Matthews. The LJ relay went out to a new mark of 47-9, three feet better than the previous record. The girls also recorded a 100-8.25 mark in the TJ, shattering the old record by 8 feet!! The Pole Vault relay of Casey Maphis, Jenel Bloom and Megan Melton won first place as well. King coaches got a glimpse of the future as the shuttle hurdle team of Taylor Fleming ((9), Reina Hutton (10), Kiazha Ginwright (9) and sneior Ariel Casco raced to a third place finish.
The races of the day though came with the 4x400. As the announcer told the crowd to watch the three top contenders for the boys invitational title, King stole the show with a first place finish of 3:26.78, the second fastest time in school history.Led by the sensational opening leg of 49.99 by Marvin Epps and the patient measured kick of TJ Hickman, the Wolves won going away. Chris Miller and Khyber White rounded out that team.
The girls gave the crowd the same type of show in thier race. Despite impressive opening legs by Cunningham, Creel and Fatten, Noelle Abboud found herself trailing some 20 yards on the anchor leg. Despite the fatigue of having run her first 800 ever in the Sprint Medley (in an impressive 2:30 by the way!), Noelle moved up and made her move out of the turn recording a 59.6 leg carrying the Wolves to victory.
On the weekend when the team annually splits and goes in different directions to compete, they came home stonger and more conifdent in the direction they are going together.
TEAMS FIND A GROOVE AGAINST SANTIAGO
After the girls lost in the season opener and the boys lost against North in the league opener, it made some wonder if there were storm clouds gathering on the season's horizon. If so, bright rays of sunshine broke through on Thursday against the Santiago, as both squads -- and the JV teams too -- handled the Sharks with relative ease and cruised home with resounding victories.
The girls notched their 75th victory in the program's 11 year history (against only 8 losses!) by scoring 104 points to Santiago's 32. The points came often and from every corner of the track and field. Jenel Bloom, Melton and Lomhein competed in unopposed in the Pole Vault as Santiago failed to host the event, grabbing 9 easy points there, and Bloom snagging a season's best of 9-0. Hanna Peterson, Carrie Soholt and Raelyn Werley swept the 3200, and the 4x100 team took a victory in the relay and suddenly the route was on. The Sharks had individual challenges in the short and long sprints. Noelle Abboud had to battle side-by-side with their best one-lapper in the 400 to earn the win, and Taylor Fleming was the only hurdler to score in the 300 LH at a strong 50.23 time. The hurdles were the one bright spot in the Shark's scorebook as they would sweep the 100's and go 2-3 in the 300's. Kelli Boyd had a season-best 5-4 jump in the high jump. Candace Matthews won the triple jump at over 31 feet, but had to out-leap two of the Shark's best jumpers to do it. Amber Sanford had a fine day with two wins in the 100 and 200 meters.
Where last week the boys surpassed 100 points, they came three shy of the dominating barrier this week, but still finished well ahead of Santiago's 35 points. The highlight of the day was a terrific 800 meters where Austin McKell broke his own school record in thrilling fashion. Leading for 500 meters, he relinquished it to Massey of Santiago untill the last 100 where the two went in tandom until the line where McKell got the win. In the 1600, 8 of the 13 King runners entered ran their season's best marks, with senior Derek Nelson taking the race out well and pulling everyone along. He'd ultimately finish second. Lost in the crowd of fast times was Nathan Torres' 4:39.55, simply the fastest freshman mark in school history, taking down a 6 year old record. Khyber White and his fellow hurdlers continued their torrid pace this season, showing great speed and skill over both the 110's and 300's. Jarod Nocella had an amazing life-time best in the 3200, running a strong and smart effort over 8 laps. His time of 9:54 was good for second, but even more signficant was that it was the fastest dual-meet mark in school history and the 6th fastest time ever recorded at King!
So it was a very good day for the Wolves, a day in which the rays of sunshine broke through the darker clouds that were gathered three weeks ago. The true tests still wait out there on the horizon however, as the dual with Corona High arrives next week and the resurgent Poly Bears are looming come mid-April. Should be an exciting finish to the dual meet season!
VAULTERS GO IT ALONE IN CHET NICHOLSEN RELAYS
The King Pole Vaulters traveled to the Chet Nicholson Relays at the brand new facility at Norco High School. It was the 36th running of the event begun by King Assistant Coach Erin Gonzlaez father-in-law Ben Gonzalez back in 1974. King vaulters have always had a good day at this particular invitational and yesterday was no different.
Chris Jackson matched his PR jump yesterday going 12-6. That mark gave him the best jump of the day in an event that included 27 schools. The big jump of the day though was junior Mason Minnini's 11-6 leap which gave him second place in the competiton. It was a full foot higher than he had ever jumped before. Jonny Barnes finished at 11-0 for third place. As a team, they had a combined 35 feet in jumps and won the large school division by a wide margin.
On the girls side, King finished in fourth place, a spot lower than accostumed but Jenel Bloom won the large school division with another leap over 8-6.
WOLVES PASS THE CENTURY MARK AGAINST CENTENNIAL
After a close loss and at times a frustrating performance against the boys from JW North, the King boys varsity team got off the mat and stormed through the meet against Centennial, leading the way with over 100 points scored and pulling the other three teams - JV boys and both girls' squads - to easy wins.
It was 32-0 after four events were in the books and the team was in control from there on out. The relay squad opened with a 43.2 clocking and the distance team, led by the precocious Nathan Torres who photo-finished a second-place finish with Jarod Nocella swept the 1600. Daniel Balcazar, normally an 800 meter specialist, put his sprinting chops to the test and came away with a victory in the 400 at 51.49. The hurdle events are experiencing abit of a resurgence this year, the first since Long Beach State star, Sam Jeter left town. Khyber White, Porter and Yirgu swept the 300's while White, Reeves and Jeter's younger brother did the sweeping duties in the 110's TJ Hickman and another 800 runner, Austin McKell provided the rest of the sweep. Justin DeCoud surpassed 20-feet in the long jump, and then Derek Nelson stepped to the line in the 800. Nelson, a four year runner and self-made varsity runner, had never won a race in his entire running career, not at any level. He led from wire-to-wire and couldn't hold back the grin after the victory and