Local track & field squads competed in the highly competitive Mt. SAC Invitational this weekend at Mt. San Antonio College.
The San Marcos Royals, Santa Barbara High Dons and Dos Pueblos Chargers each sent several athletes to Walnut, and many came back with standout performances.
San Marcos
Avery Leck led the way for the Royals, winning the 300 hurdles with a personal-best time of 43.03 seconds, taking second in the 100 hurdles at 14.44 seconds and jumping 5-3 in the high jump.
Leck’s time in the 300 hurdles slotted her second all-time in program history, behind only Lyndsay Pearson from 2007.
“Avery had another great day against some very tough competition,” San Marcos head coach Marilyn Hantgin said.
Meanwhile, the girls 4×1,600-meter squad set a new program record with their time of 21:59. The team was made up of Elsie Tuttle, Sofi Hernandez, Melia Vela and Autumn Richardson.
Logan Patterson Deakyne had a strong individual performance as well, taking third place in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 56.08 seconds.
The girls 4×800-meter relay team of Tuttle, Richardson, Vela and Layla Llewllyn earned a ninth-place finish.
Santa Barbara High
The Dons’ Carter Battle made Mt. SAC Invitational history on Saturday, winning the seeded high jump with a mark of 6-6, the highest in his division at the meet.
“Carter is getting consistently good looks at high bars,” Santa Barbara High head coach Olivia Perdices said. “He’s won two big meets in a row and his season is on a great trajectory right now.”
Meanwhile, Malachi Johnston threw a lifetime-best 51-6 in the seeded shot put to take third. He also placed third in the seeded discus with a throw of 151-1.
“That’s the first time Malachi has thrown in a meet like this,” Perdices said. “To make the finals in both events and walk away with a PR is awesome.”
On Friday night, Nico Tassos ran a strong time of 4:21.68 in the Invitational Mile to finish in seventh place.
“Nico keeps showing up, running fast and putting himself in positions to challenge quality fields,” Perdices said.
Dos Pueblos
The Chargers began the weekend with a stellar performance from the boys 4×1,600-meter relay team of Cullen Gully, Owen Abbott, Oliver Saleh and Phillip Contakes.
The squad came in third place amidst a stacked field with a time of 17:46.97, which was good for 20th in the nation and 10th in California this season.
“The guys executed clean handoffs and positioned themselves well throughout the race,” Dos Pueblos head coach David Jackson said. “They were competitive from start to finish. There’s something special about this group of juniors. Moments like this at Mt. SAC will stay with them.”
Earlier on Friday, Gordon represented the Chargers with a ninth-place finish in the Invitational 3,200-meter race with a time of 9:15.90.
“Eamon did more than just run from gun to tape. He raced,” Jackson said. “He made moves from the very start, taking the lead in the opening minutes and keeping himself in the thick of the action throughout.
“Never shy about going to the front, he raced with confidence and intent, using his position to stay out of traffic and control his rhythm. It was a bold and savvy effort that showed both poise and grit.”