Kiasa Salgado seems to have a flair for the dramatic at the Santa Barbara County Track and Field Championships.
The Santa Barbara High hurdler recovered from a fall to capture last year’s 300-meter hurdles race. On Saturday, he was in third place before making a late surge after the last hurdle and jettisoned himself over the finish line to edge two competitors and repeat as county champion at Carpinteria Valley Memorial Stadium.
“He’s got a nose for the finish line,” Santa Barbara coach Olivia Perdices said of Salgado. “He just wanted that race. He’s won this race twice but he’s never done it the way he’s meant to or wanted to.”
Salgado ran 40.84 and nipped friend Davis Mullin of San Marcos by one-tenth of a second and Johny Diaz of Pioneer Valley.
“I knew (Davis) was quick but I was surprised,” Salgado said. “I saw him going and I was like, ‘I’m not going to let my buddy beat me. I went for it.”
On his unorthodox ballet-like leap to the finish, Salgado said, “You do what you got to do in the moment. It’s like when someone throws a ball at you, you catch it.”
Salgado’s performance was one of the many highlights on a warm, sunny day.
It was a brilliant day for the San Marcos girls as they won every race from the 100 to the 1600 plus both relays en route to the team championship. Overall, they claimed 12 county titles and scored 199 points. The Royals boys also took top honors with 91 points. Combined with their success at the frosh-soph levels, the Royals won the grand sweepstakes championship with 467 points. Second-place Cabrillo had 265 points and Dos Pueblos 262 ½.
Erica Schroeder of San Marcos continued her success in the demanding 1600-800 double, winning both events in meet record times: 4:57.19 in the 1600 and 2:16.25 in the 800.
The reigning CIF State Meet 800-meter champion said her plan in the 1600 on Saturday was to run 75-second laps for the first three and then go for it in the final 400. Her strategy, however, didn’t go according to plan because she’s just so fast.
“I went out in a 72 so I was already a little bit fast, so I tried to ease off the next two laps,” Schroeder said. “I definitely had to change my game plan after the first lap, but I’m happy with the time. It’s definitely a meet that I’m trying to train through and peak at the right time.”
Coach Marilyn Hantgin said the meet gave Schroeder the opportunity to experiment with things like her pacing before the stiffer postseason competition.
“She’s got to be ready for everything,” Hantgin said. “(The meet) just gives her time to work on race strategy in the end. Any time she runs she wants to race and wants to race her best, no matter where she is and what she does.”
Schroeder was still excited to be a county champion and to be part of a county championship team.
“It’s awesome,” she said. “We have a really strong team this year all throughout the different events. It’s really awesome to get the title.”
Will she pursue the 1600-800 double in the postseason?
“I took it to CIF Prelims last year, so I’m definitely going to take it to CIF Prelims again. I’m kind of undecided after that, but I’m definitely trying to go fast in the 800 and it’s going to be hard to do if I have the mile in front of me.”
Hantgin said Schroeder expressed an interest the running the 400 on Saturday to work on her speed.
“I want to work on my speed work because that is something that I started earlier last year,” Schroeder said. “The 400 time is not what I want right now but it will come with the speed work.”
Delaney Werner won the 400 for the Royals.
Speed isn’t a problem for Royals sophomore Jenny Nnoli. She captured the varsity 100 (12.42) and 200 (26.65) for her first county titles and was part of San Marcos’ winning 4×100 relay team.
“It feels really good. All the hard work paid off,” she said of winning the county titles. “I was weightlifting over the summer and now I’m training really hard because I have a better coach. I’ve gotten a lot better.”
Nnoli said she came out for track from a physical education class as a freshman, “and it’s turned out to be pretty good.”
San Marcos scored wins in field events, too. Alana Ochoa gave San Marcos first-place points in the shot put (36-0) and discus (108-03) and Carolyn Weisman won the triple jump (36-03 ½).
Back on the track, Devon Block-Funkhouser led a Royals sweep in the 300 hurdles with a time of 45.89. Natalie Widmer was second and Abbey Willett third.
“I tried to go harder,’ Block-Funkhouser said of her race. I felt good; it was good weather. Last year, it was pouring rain, so it was nice to have sun and no wind.”
She was excited to stand on the podium with her teammates.
“I love it. I’m really close with everyone and we support each other,” she said. “Obviously, it’s good emotional support because the 300 is a hard race. It’s good to have teammates I’m close with.”
Santa Barbara’s multi-events standout Natasha Feshbach finished with two meet records in her final county championships before she heads off to Yale. Feshbach was the class of the field in the 100 hurdles with a time of 14.40. She later pulled off a season best of 18-04 to take the long jump.
Hunter Clark of Dos Pueblos ruled the boys distance races, winning the 1600 in 4:24.70 and pulling away to take the 3200 in 9:40.78. Clark didn’t have any time to rest and celebrate after the 3200 as he joined his teammates in the 4×400 relay. He anchored the team to first place in 3:30.90.
For Clark, winning his races was all about scoring points for his team.
“I’m working through county because the goal is at the end of the season,” he said. “I’m still doing hard workouts and stuff. This kind of served as a good workout. That’s why I’m doing the 4 by 4, for points and speed work, too.”
Righetti’s Angel Plascenia won both varsity boys sprints. He was timed at 11.09 in the 100 and 22.62 in the 200. Bishop Diego’s AV Bennett finished second in the 100 in 11.24.
Cate’s Joel Serugo earned county titles in the long jump (20-07) and triple jump (43-02 ¼.
Chance Wright gave host Carpinteria a victory in the 110 high hurdles in a time of 15.20.
Dos Pueblos high jumper Chris Jones broke a 33-year-old school record in the high jump by clearing 6-5 1/4 on his final attempt. Teammate Spencer Kemmerer was second at 6-2.
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.