Dos Pueblos’ Kellan Cotter and the Charger boys 4×800 relay team captured CIF-SS Div. 2 titles to headline local student-athletes competing in the CIF-SS Track & Field Finals on Saturday in Moorpark.
The Chargers turned in the best overall team showing of any local school at the CIF-SS Finals, as their boys team placed third in D2 with 37 points. Murrieta Valley (51) and Thousand Oaks (46) took first and second, respectively.
A large reason for that was the CIF-SS championship performance of the 4×800 relay team that consisted of seniors Ashton Smedley, Owen Abbott, Cullen Gully and Oliver Saleh.
The tandem crossed the finish line in 7:49.32, seven seconds ahead of second-place Murrieta Valley, to claim the CIF-SS D2 title.
Cotter also continued his stellar season for the Chargers by earning an individual CIF-SS Div. 2 title in the 400-meter race, finishing in 48.09 seconds to win the championship. He also took ninth in the 200-meter at 21.89 seconds.
“This is such a dedicated group of athletes, and I am proud of how hard they have worked to get to this point,” Dos Pueblos head coach Rosina Garcia said. To compete at this level in such a competitive section is remarkable.”
Gully turned in a standout individual performance as well, taking second place in the 1,600-meter race with a time of 4:12.18 and securing third place in the 800-meter race at 1:54.84.
The duo of Abbott and Smedley each competed in the 1,600-meter race as well, with Abbott’s time of 4:15.35 good for sixth place and Smedley taking ninth in 4:24.28.
Cotter, Gully and Abbott will continue their seasons at the CIF Masters Meet next week, back in Moorpark.
Phil Contakes rounded out the Dos Pueblos boys individuals with a time of 9:52.67 in the 3,200-meter race to place ninth overall.
On the girls side, Dos Pueblos was represented by the duo of Hazel Burgess and Alix Hollingsworth.
Burgess came in sixth in the 200-meter race by crossing the finish line in 25.04 seconds, and Hollingsworth capped off her season with a discus throw of 104-07 to come in ninth place.
Santa Barbara High (Div. 2)
A trio of Dons competed in the CIF-SS Finals on Saturday, with multi-event standout Elina Stump leading the charge.
Stump secured lifetime best marks and finished as runner-up in both the triple jump (38-3) and 100 hurdles (14.29) to qualify for the Masters Meet.
She also placed seventh in the long jump and will compete in that event in the Masters Meet as well. She is seeded fifth for the triple jump, eighth in the 100 hurdles and 16th in the long jump for next week.
“Really impressive day for Elina to underperform at the event where she was the defending champion and still find a way to qualify, then go out and get two lifetime bests in her other events,” Santa Barbara High head coach Olivia Perdices said. “The triple jump was especially impressive with three consecutive jumps over 38 feet.”
Malachi Johnston also punched his ticket to the Masters Meet, throwing a lifetime-best mark of 57-0.5 in the shot put to place second. He is the No. 5 seed for the Masters Meet.
“Malachi also had a great series battling eventual winner, Grason Rivera of Hart, with both pulling out lifetime bests on each of their last two throws. He’s in a great spot going into next week,” Perdices said.
Meanwhile, Shea Gannon wrapped up her season with an eighth-place mark of 35-2 in the triple jump.
“To come out and compete in the CIF Finals in your first year at the sport is pretty awesome,” Perdices said of Gannon.
San Marcos (Div. 2)
The Royals had a pair of individuals punch their ticket to next week’s Masters Meet and a relay team round out their season at the CIF-SS Div. 2 Finals on Saturday.
Dalton Shupe took third in the pole vault with a personal-best clearing of 13-11, and Logan Patterson Deakyne will continue his season in the 300 hurdles after crossing the finish line in 38.92 seconds.
“Dalton jumped great today. He has been battling a sickness, but he really stepped up today,” Hantgin said. “Logan did what he needed to do to move on to next week. He struggled with a few hurdles, but overall a good performance by him.
“Logan has had such an amazing season. It’s been exciting to watch him grow and improve throughout our time together.”
The San Marcos girls 4×800 relay squad of Autumn Richardson, Sofi Hernandez, Layla Llewellyn and Elsie Tuttle brought its season to an end by taking ninth place in their race at 9:47.38.
“These are just some of the amazing girls in our program,” Hantgin said of the 4×800 team. “They are kind, hard-working, and supportive. I couldn’t ask for better girls to coach.
“I am extremely proud of their efforts this season and look forward to having two of them return to cross country this summer.”
Carpinteria High (Div. 4)
The Warriors competed in four different events in the Div. 4 Finals on Saturday as three individuals and a relay team made the trip to Moorpark.
Marely Avalos was the highest finisher for Carpinteria, taking fifth in the discus with a throw of 99-10.
“It was a come-through performance for Marely,” Carpinteria High head coach Van Latham said. “She had a difficult week of practice because of oral surgery earlier in the week. She really rose to the occasion.”
Meanwhile, Eli Perez claimed sixth place in the shot put at 47-9, and Caroline Cooney finished in eighth in the triple jump with a mark of 32-2.5
“It was a great way for Eli to cap off his senior year,” Latham said. “The improvement he made through the end of the season was tremendous. He has improved his PR by seven feet since the middle of April.
“Caroline didn’t have her best day but today doesn’t diminish the great accomplishments she achieved this season. It was a valuable experience for the freshman to be in the CIF Finals. She has a bright future in the event.”
The Carpinteria 4×800 girls relay team of Mila Martins, Cailyn Gillen, Jaqueline Guadian and Kiana Kiah rounded out the team’s performance by taking sixth place with a season-best time of 10:25.46.
“The team improved their time by four seconds from the Prelims a week earlier,” Latham said. “The team ran a gritty race and were pleasantly surprised when a disqualification moved them into medal position.”