East County student-athletes turned in a blockbuster performance at Saturday’s San Diego Section track and field championship meet at Mt. Carmel High School.
Helix High School won the boys section team title after repeating as Division I champions the prior weekend while Steele Canyon won the girls section team championship also after repeating as Division I champions the week before.
Mixed in were 10 gold medals — five for Helix, three for Mt. Miguel and one each for El Capitan and Steele Canyon — along with 23 automatic qualifying slots for this weekend’s state championship meet in Clovis.
It was a meet for the ages for the region overall.
“We had another excellent year,” Steele Canyon coach Charles Tyler said. “We still have another meet to go. We’re going phenomenally well. The girls came back with a strong year. Everybody has picked it up. We had an early season injury but overcame it. We won league, CIF. Our 4×800 relay ran a personal record, our 4×400 relay set a school record.”
“We looked good, obviously,” Helix head coach Rodney Van added. “We had some kids who had a taste of the state meet last year who came back and worked hard to better themselves. Everybody bought in last week and this week.
“The administration and the parents have all been supportive. We have something like 15 of 16 kids in multiple events. We are losing Shon Martin and Anthony Gash to graduation, two very big losses, but we bring back a lot, we’re actually pretty young.”
Names of the game
The top nine place-winners in each event were eligible to receive medals, which were awarded to both able-bodied athletes as well in ambulatory, unified or wheelchair classifications.
Those making a statement included Helix senior Anthony Gash and Mt. Miguel sophomore Brandon Arrington Jr. with individual doubles in the boys half of the meet and Steele Canyon seniors Nicoletta Burkhardt and Lillian Cook and freshman Devyn Harper with second-place finishes on the girls side.
Gash, who is bound for UC Santa Barbara at the next level, won the boys shot put with a top mark of 55-9 and came back with a mark of 155-9 to win the discus throw. Arrington doubled in winning the 100-meter dash (10.50) and 200-meter dash (20.40) while running a leg on the Matadors’ third place 4×100 relay team (42.20). His time in the 200 dash leads the nation.
Arrington could very well be on the path to be a future Olympian.
“I feel great,” he said after completing the sprint double. “It’s a personal record, a school record. To lead the United States is an accomplishment, amazing.
“I got on the curve (in the 200) and I could see the finish line. I saw what I had been working hard for — what I had to do to get to state.
“I didn’t know if I could do it, but I did my best. It motivated me. I know I can go faster at state. I need to stay focused.”
“I’m thrilled — It feels pretty good,” Gash noted. “I went against a lot of competition. It took a lot of practice. Everyone doesn’t throw their best in practice. I owe everything to my teammates. I want to improve in my craft.
“It definitely doesn’t come easy. It definitely took a lot of work, a lot of people encouraging me along the way.”
He said he’s looking forward to his next journey up the coast.
“I’m really excited to go out there and meet new people,” he said. “I’m really excited about everything.”
Senior Davian McGowan, sophomore Kevin Shields and senior Vincent Jones joined Arrington on the bronze-medal-winning (and state-qualifying) 4×100 relay unit.
“It feels great,” Jones said. “Mt. Miguel is turning it around. We won CIF in football and basketball and now in track (boys Division II champions). We’re making this a better place.”
Additionally, Jones placed second in the boys 400-meter dash (48.50). He also placed eighth in the 200 meters (22.09).
“The 400 was tough,” he admitted. “You don’t get much rest between events.”
Looking for another Superman-type performance?
Helix senior Shon Martin captured the gold medals in the boys 110-meter high hurdles (14.05) and 4×400 relay (3:18.60); he was second in the long jump (23-2.5) and was third in the 300 intermediate hurdles (38.26).
He’s a man for all events.
“I consider myself a 110-high hurdler,” he said. “I like running the 4×400 relay. My strongest field events are the long jump and high jump. I haven’t done the triple jump yet.”
He credits experience for excelling in all of the events he has come to master. “I’ve competed in in four events for a long time. I’ve learned to manage it. You’ve got to stay mentally strong, be consistent to be successful.”
Girls power
Steele Canyon’s top performers included senior Nicoletta Burkhardt (second in the girls 400 dash in 54.38), senior Lillian Cook (second in the girls 100 low hurdles in 14.29 and third in the 300 hurdles in 43.27), freshman Devyn Harper (second in the long jump at 17-10.25) and sophomore Ily Barcaly (third in the girls 200 dash in 24.43 and fourth in the girls 100 dash in 12.04),
The Steele Canyon quartet of sophomore Kailey Fuller and Barclay and seniors Brionna Dickens and Burkhardt won the 4×100 relay in 47.09. The Lady Cougars placed third in the 4×400 relay as Dickens, freshman Devyn Harper, Burkhardt and Barclay combined to clock 3:55.31.
Cook is making her second trip to the state meet by qualifying in each of the hurdles events over the past two years.
“It’s incredible,” said Cook, who also placed sixth in the triple jump (37-0.5) at Saturday’s finals. “I love making friends. But in the heat of the moment, I run my hardest because I know everyone is running their hardest to beat me.”
Grossmont sophomore Gabrielle Thomas (14.79) was among those pushing Cook in the 100 hurdles in fourth place.
Burkhardt is another Lady Cougar making a return to the state meet after earning a seventh-place medal last year.
“It feels really great,” she said. “I wanted to go under 55, which I did. I’m excited about that.”
Burkhardt also was 10th in the 200 dash (25.21).
Helix had the market cornered in the girls shot put as junior Shani Ford took first place with a put of 42-0 that elicited cheers from both spectators and competitors alike while senior Hailey Lauifi was third at 39-8 and senior Leilah Lauifi was fourth at 39-3.5.
Hailey Lauifi later placed seventh in the discus throw (116-3) while Ford was 10th (112-10).
Steele Canyon sophomore Kailani Ewing placed sixth in the long jump (17-2.25).
In other relay events:
Helix finished third in the girls 4×100 relay in 48.64. Runners included sophomores Aaliyah Payne and Asia Broussard, junior Shaelynne Swift and senior Chanel Burton.
Steele Canyon was sixth in the girls 4×800 relay in 9:46.50 compliments of the talents of junior Shelby Coleman, sophomore Kylie Coleman, sophomore Danica Ferrez and junior Diana Lopez.
In the spotlight
El Capitan senior Jonathan Tseko-Biffle won the boys 300 intermediate hurdles (37.46) after finishing runner-up to Martin in the high hurdles to earn state qualifying berths in two events. Tseko-Biffle came up a scant 0.06 seconds short to Martin in the high hurdles and held off Cathedral Catholic senior Vincent Atikabno by 0.22 seconds (and Martin by 0.41 seconds) to claim supremacy in the intermediate event.
“I feel pretty good, a little tired,” the Vaquero hurdler said. “I’ve been practicing, and it paid off. Last year was my first year. I picked it up and I got the form. Now I’m one of the top guys in the state. In only one year, that’s fast growth.”
Steele Canyon junior Micah Senn finished second in the boys 1600 run (4:18.40) and 10th in the 3200 run (9:40.60). The 3200 race was fast with 17 runners dipping under the 10-minute mark. Senn has now qualified for the state meet in both cross country and track and field.
“It’s really awesome,” he said. “I couldn’t be able to do it without my parents and supporters. I’m really excited. I started the year with an injury. I wasn’t able to run for the first month. It was challenging mentally. But I worked my way back and it couldn’t have turned out better.”
Speaking of East County dominance, Helix and Mt. Miguel finished first and second, respectively,
in the meet-closing boys 4×400 relay.
The Highlanders’ quartet of sophomore Jackson Ellis, Martin and juniors Laurence Burston and Spencer Gray timed 3:18.60 while the Matadors foursome of sophomores James Gross and Arrington and seniors Garrett Cloyd and Jones timed 3:19.31 to secure a berth in Friday’s state prelims.
Cloyd was fourth in the boys 1600 run (4:18.79) and ninth in the boys 800 run (1:58.43) in individual events. He led the field after the first lap in the 1600.
“It feels good, but I was hoping for that win in the 1600,” he said. “I gave it everything I had.”
There’s more to the show. Gray finished runner-up in the boys 200 meters (21.57).
The Highlanders placed fourth in the boys 4×100 relay (junior Harlem Harris, sophomore Joshua Ballesteros and juniors Laurence Burston and Gray) with a time of 42.27. The Helix quartet of junior Joel Nickerson and seniors Alex Freshley, Dylan Towne and Adam Freshley finished fifth in the meet-opening 4×800 boys relay (8:08.81).
Steele Canyon senior Josiah Wilson placed fourth in the boys long jump (22-8.25) while Valhalla senior Brandon Doctor placed fourth in the boys high jump by clearing 6-4.
Also for the Scotties, senior Alex Freshley was sixth in the boys 800-meter run (1:57.74).
Helix sophomore Jackson Ellis finished sixth in the boys 400 dash (49.77) while Santana senior Mike Valenzuela placed seventh in 49.81.
Liberty Charter senor Ivan Guzman placed sixth in the boys 3200 run with a personal best time of 9:29.39. The Lions opened the finals with a sixth-place finish in the boys 4×800 relay (8:12.84) courtesy of legs from senior Joel Bray, junior Aiden Burr, senior Samuel Morales and sophomore Caleb Acosta.
The relay time was a school record.
Most events featured 18 qualifiers from the preceding three section championships, paring it down to a final heat or flight of nine following two heats on Saturday.
On the boys side:
•The Santana quartet of sophomore Maddox Esoo, senior O’Neil Cruz, junior Kaedyn Hallman and senior Mike Valenzuela placed seventh in the boys 4×100 relay in 42.73.
•Monte Vista senior Deonte Sharp finished ninth in the boys 300 intermediate hurdles (39.26).
•The El Capitan quartet of seniors Shamarion Uden and Logan Henry, sophomore Spencer Chastang and Tseko-Biffle combined for a 3:26.99 time to finish ninth in the boys 4×400 relay. Unden cleared 6-0 to tie for 10th place in the boys high jump.
•Granite Hills junior Jason Polak was 10th in the boys shot put (45-11).
•Of exceptional note, nine section pole vaulters cleared 15-0 to all qualify for the state meet. Torrey Pines senior Joey Weisman cleared a lofty 16-0 to emerge on top. Valhalla senior Gian Casanova and Santana senior Tyler Thomas both cleared 14-0.
On the girls side:
•Steele Canyon’s Brionna Dickens placed eighth in both the girls 100 dash (12.27) and 200 dash (25.14).
•Santana freshman Harper Diaz placed eighth in the 800 run (2:14.65)
•Liberty Charter junior Haley Svendsen placed 11th in the 300 low hurdles (46.97) and 15th in the 100 low hurdles (16.19).
