The road to this year’s high school state track and field championships stepped off with last weekend’s San Diego Section divisional finals. Student-athletes across the three divisional meets advanced to this Saturday’s sectional state qualifying meet at Mt. Carmel High School by hitting predetermined time and distance standards.
East County looks to have another blockbuster showing at the state meet if last weekend’s results are any indicator.
Helix finished runner-up in the Division I championship meet at Del Norte High School while Steele Canyon was fourth. In the Division I girls field, Steele Canyon was third.
“We had a lot of improvement over the course of the season on the boys team — the girls team is young but fast,” Steele Canyon coach Charles Tyler said.
The Division I championship meet was top heavy with East County medalists, especially with individual and relay event champions.
Grossmont High School sophomore Torin Sotelo cleared 15 feet, 2 inches to win the boys pole vault by six inches over three other challengers: Torrey Pines junior Tyler Suhar, Poway senior Hunter Thomson and Otay Ranch junior Dane von Guenthner, all of whom tied for second place at 14-8.
Sotelo’s personal best is 15-6, set Feb. 27 at the Grossmont-El Cajon Valley dual meet. He ranks tied for sixth in the section. University City senior Kai Anderson tops the section leaderboard at 17-1.
The top three place-finishers in each event at the section finals (top two only in the 4×800 relay) qualify for the state meet, plus those who meet at-large qualifying standards. The state qualifying standard in the boys pole vault is 15-2 — 12-3 for girls.
“I feel really good,” Sotelo beamed after the awards ceremony while holding his gold medal. “Even with the bad weather (cloudy, cool and windy), I toughed it out with a really small pole. I feel if I can get on a bigger pole that I can clear 16-0.”
He won this year’s Grossmont Conference championship at 15-0, so consistency is prime heading into more challenging competition.
A total of 18 athletes in each event from the divisional championships qualified for the section championship meet.
The top six place-winners in each event at the divisional finals received medals.
Besides Sotelo, East County individual champions from the Division I finals included Helix senior Spencer Gray in the boys 200-meter dash (21.41), Helix junior Jackson Ellis in the boys 400 dash (48.30), Helix junior Aiden de Hoyos in the boys 300 intermediate hurdles (38.67) and Helix senior Shani Ford in the girls shot put (37-6.5).
Gray sped up from the middle of the pack in the last quarter of the 200, blazing like a rocket, to eclipse teammate Laurence Burston by 0.001 second.
It was probably the most dramatic finish on the day.
“I was coming around the turn and I saw Laurence out in front,” said Gray, who finished runner-up by 0.14 seconds to teammate Ellis in the 400 dash. “We have a friendly rivalry on the team and no way I wanted him to win. I ran out of gas at just the right time.”
Burston placed runner-up in the boys 100 dash in 10.75. East County made its presence felt with three runners from the Grossmont Conference among the top six finishers. Steele Canyon junior Nico Jara was fourth in 10.82 while Helix senior Harlem Harris was sixth in 10.87.
“My goal was 10.5,” Burston said. “I PR’d, so I’m not complaining.”
Ford nearly scored an individual double with a second-place finish in the girls discus throw (120-11).
Relay event champions included Helix in both the boys 4×100 (41.95) and 4×400 (3:19.24) while Steele Canyon finished runner-up in both events — 42.26 in the 4×100 and 3:23.97 in the 4×400.
Gray and Burston picked up two relay gold medals.
Steele Canyon finished runner-up in the girls 4×100 relay (46.79).
Top-level finishes appeared the norm for East County athletes.
Grossmont junior Gabrielle Thomas engineered a second-place finish in the girls 100 low hurdles (14.13) and third place finish in the 300 low hurdles (44.86). Steele Canyon sophomore Evie Allison was fourth in the 100 low hurdles in 14.45.
Steele Canyon sophomore Devyn Harper recorded a runner-up finish in the girls triple jump (36-6) while placing fifth in the long jump (17-3.5).
Steele Canyon freshman Aniya Scott (second, 11.82) and junior Ilay Barclay (fourth, 12.22) powered to top-flight finishes in the girls 100 dash. Scott (24.68) and Lady Cougar freshman Daylani Daniels (24.92) finished second and fourth, respectively, in the 200 dash. Daniels was fourth in the 400 dash (56.83)
Grossmont junior Taim Alobaidi placed third in the boys 300 intermediate hurdles with a personal record 39.19 time to make his day.
“I didn’t even qualify for league last year and to get a medal at CIF this year is a blessing,” the Foothiller hurdler said.
Steele Canyon senior Micah Senn represented himself quite well at the Division I finals with a third-place finish in the boys 800 run (1:58.40) and fourth place finishes in both the 1600 (4:19.52) and 3200 (9:41.58) distances.
“I’m just getting back, it’s been a slow start to the season,” Senn noted. “It’s been a slow progression, though I’m hoping to make a run at state.”
Steele Canyon freshman Adrian Campbell was fourth in the boys 200 dash (21.62).
Granite Hills sophomore Jack Digenan notched a 1:58.67 personal record time in placing fourth in the boys 800 run to advance to Saturday’s section final.
Grossmont freshman Miley Christensen placed fifth in both the girls shot put (34-2) and discus throw (111-2.5).
Medalists also included Helix freshman Dwayne Pemberton (tied for third in the boys high jump, 6-0) and Steele Canyon senior Da’Shaud Adair (sixth in the boys shot put, 46-8.25).
It was a fast field in the boys 3200 with 19 of the 27 entrants dipping under 10 minutes. Helix senior Stone Arellano was ninth in 9:50.53 while Grossmont’s Luis Naranjo was 10th in 9:51.75.
Helix junior Tyus Joseph placed sixth in the boys 1600 (4:19.92) and 13th (9:56.39) in the 3200.
Helix senior Joel Nickerson was ninth in both the boys 800 (2:00.72) and 1600 (4:24.20), fast enough to qualify for the section final in the 1600 distance.
Also in the distances, Helix sophomore Kate Weaver finished seventh in both the girls 800 (2:20.12) and 1600 (5:03.79) while Steele Canyon senior Dania Lopez was ninth in the girls 1600 (5:13.16).
Granite Hills junior Jaslynn Harris was 13th in the girls 3200 (11:46.07).
