Several local track & field squads traveled down to Moorpark to compete in the Don Green Invitational on Friday and Saturday in rainy conditions.
“The rainy conditions meant everyone was doing their best to stay warm and do their best in adverse conditions,” Dos Pueblos coach David Jackson said.
Santa Barbara High
The Dons’ girls team was led by freshman Elina Stump, who placed first in the triple jump (33-3), tied for second in the long jump (15-7) and ended in fourth place for the 100-meter race (12.67 seconds).
“It was just a great performance (by Elina), especially with the challenging weather and it being her first big meet experience,” Santa Barbara coach Olivia Perdices said.
The Santa Barbara High 4×400-meter relay team came away with the first-place finish with a time of 4:20.92. The team was made up of Addie Hoke, Julianna Aviani, Jasmyn Dennis and Mackenna Show.
Individually, Aviani (31-0) and Hoke (30-4.5) finished third and fifth in the triple jump, respectively. Meanwhile, Dennis placed second and registered a personal-best height of 4-10 in the high jump.
“Our jump crew has some really versatile kids who love competing anywhere we put them,” Perdices said.
The boys side was highlighted by a first-place finish for Blaise Snow in the 800-meter race at 1:58 while teammate Magne Henriques was not far behind in third with a time of 2:04.83.
“That’s Magne’s first time running an 800 and it was great to see Blaise running smoothly at the front from wire to wire,” Perdices said.
On the first day of competition, Andreas Dybdahl earned a personal best in the 3,200-meter race at 9:16.92.
“The 3200 is a little outside Andreas’ comfort zone,” Perdices said. “He took the lead on the 3rd lap and ran with a lot of confidence in some pretty miserable conditions. He’s a kid with a lot of range and we’ve stretched it in both directions the last couple of weeks.”
The Dons will compete in the Ventura Distance Carnival and Spartan Relays next weekend.
Dos Pueblos
Cate Bishop headlined the Chargers girls by running a lifetime-best 5:46.29 in the 1,600-meter race, which was good for first place in Heat 2. Then, teammate Vienza Machuca set a personal record of 5:43.72 in Heat 3.
“The training partners drew different heat assignments, and still managed to finish within a few seconds of each other,” Jackson said. “This was Cate’s first track race ever, after missing last season due to injury.”
The boys 4×800-meter relay team of Connor Gates, Andrew Gentry, Finn Wright and Dominic Corral finished in 8:38.84 to claim second place just behind Camarillo, who set a new meet record at 8:15.12.
The Chargers’ frosh/soph 4×800-meter team, which consists of Ashton Smedley, Oliver Saleh, Linus Martin and Owen Abbott, set a meet record for that level with a time of 8:56.20
Myles Shaddix earned a personal-best long jump of 19-2.50 to capture fourth place and Andrew Southar tied his personal record with a discus throw of 104 feet.
Dos Pueblos will also look forward to the Ventura Distance Carnival and Spartan Relays next weekend.
San Marcos
With the majority of the team running at the frosh/soph level, the Royals put together some strong performances.
Ava Carter picked up a pair of third-place finishes, running the 400-meter in 60.59 seconds and ending in 26.12 seconds for the 200-meter.
“This is a great start for Ava,” San Marcos coach Marilyn Hantgin said. “She is healthy and looking to have another great year.”
The Royals’ girls 4×100 relay team of Carter, Ava Arriaga, Lucia Wolf and Nicolly Ho placed sixth.
“This was our girls’ first race of the season,” Hantgin said. “It was a good start for the girls. “We have not had a lot of practice with relays due to weather, but I’m super happy with their results.”
For the boys, Ethan Ball’s time of 42.38 seconds was good for third in the 300-meter hurdles while Charlie Angeles was fourth in the 110-meter hurdles at 17.45 seconds.
“Ethan is a junior who will make a big impact on our team this year,” Hantgin said. “This was Charlie’s first race of the year on high hurdles. This was an impressive race for Charlie. The weather conditions were difficult, but he stayed focused and ran well.”
Finally, the San Marcos boys DMR relay team earned a second-place finish with a time of 11:39. The team includes Ashton Johnsen, Ben Callanan, Josh Duncan and Gage Minne.
“They all have been working really hard,” Hantgin said. “Their dedication is impressive and are great examples for all others on the team. “
Like Dos Pueblos and Santa Barbara, the Royals will be at the Ventura Distance Carnival and Spartan Relays next weekend.
