Track & Field: Local athletes shine at Laguna invite
Ocean View High’s boys’ cross-country team had a remarkable year.
The school’s distance running squad is predominantly made up of the same cast of characters.
Seahawks Coach Daniel Hurtado signed up his team for the Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational with high hopes that some of his runners would receive entry into the meet’s prestigious Eric Hulst 3,200-meter run.
The school that acted as though it had something to prove in cross-country continues to have a chip on its shoulder early in the track and field campaign.
In its battle to make itself relevant, Ocean View continues to fight those long odds. The Seahawks don’t seem so far away anymore.
Ryan St. Pierre and Edwin Montes set personal records in winning their 3,200 races at Laguna Beach High on Saturday morning.
St. Pierre ran 9:48, making a big move in the final lap to pick up several spots in taking the seeded race. The senior captain’s previous personal record came two years ago at the Orange County Championships (9:50).
“That was the whole point of running this race,” Hurtado said of their goal to enter the Eric Hulst Invitational heat. “[My runners] actually brought it up because they wanted to run in this race, because of the history, especially in the two-mile.
“They were hoping to get into the fastest two-mile race. With Ryan, his PR was from two years ago. We’re trying to get him into two-mile races where we know it’s going to be competitive.”
Montes put up highly-competitive marks in sweeping the frosh distance heats. His times of 4:35 (1,600) and 9:42 (3,200) were the fastest of any competitor in the division on the day.
The Seahawks sophomore can be likened to a race horse. Once he gets going, he does not want to be held back.
“I like being fast,” Montes said. “I’m really good at quickness, but I also have endurance. The 800 or the 1,600 is a better fit for me because I’m more of a mid-distance guy.
“I don’t like the endurance [races] because I have to sit. I’m not really good at pacing.”
Corona del Mar had three of the coastal cities’ four representatives in the Eric Hulst Invitational races. Leif Hellgren ran 9:34 for 14th in cooler conditions.
Based on last season’s marks, Sea Kings ace Raquel Powers entered as the top seed in the girls’ invitational 3,200. Her time did not reflect that ranking.
The senior got boxed in early, winding up with a time of 11:33 to place 16th.
“Before I knew it, the pack was in front of me, and I was falling behind,” Powers said. “That’s what I don’t really like about track. You get boxed in, and before you know it, the pack is gone.
“I thought that I was in a good position until I suddenly realized that the pack was leaving me.”
Powers’ teammate Bella Gerken finished 20th (11:50). Edison’s Hannah Gallegos ran 12:38.
All signs point to another big year for Costa Mesa’s Felicia Crenshaw in the discus. The junior unleashed a throw of 139 feet, 6 inches to win the event.
Her seasonal record came last week at the Irvine Invitational, where she posted a mark of 141 feet, 2 inches.
That gives Crenshaw two victories and a runner-up finish in the discus to begin the spring.
“I like how consistent I’ve been,” she said. “I would not have been able to do it without my coaches and my team. My sister has been pushing me a lot, too, to get to where I am.
“I think it’s really great because last year, I wished that I could hit this. I wished that I could be this consistent. Now, I’m staying in the high 130s or the 140s. I think that is just going to build me up to hit my PR or get over it.”
Crenshaw’s twin sister, Tayla, took third place in the shot put (35 feet, 1 1/2 inches) and the discus (118 feet, 7 inches).
Corona del Mar’s Mason Crane placed sixth in the boys’ shot put with a throw of 45 feet, 10 inches. He followed up with a second-place showing in the discus (148-4).
Sea Kings senior Amanda Cooper took fifth in the girls’ discus with a mark of 111 feet, 8 inches.
A volunteer was struck in the forehead by a discus during competition. The impact, which caused the discus to fall apart, left a laceration on the man’s head.
Fire department officials ran tests on the volunteer on the field. They recommended that the volunteer visit a hospital, and he declined to do so.
Edison’s boys’ 1,600 relay team won its heat in 3:33.07. Jack Carmichael, Max Harrigan, Connor Schwarz, and Davis Smith made up the legs.
The Chargers also scored multiple individual wins. Senior Amanda Herrington sprung past the competition in the 100 high hurdles (16.07).
Junior Avery Dorff was also victorious for Edison, taking her 1,600 heat in 5:27. Laguna Beach’s Evie Cant was third in the race, coming across the finish line in 5:29.
Corona del Mar’s girls’ 400 relay team placed fifth in 52.72 seconds.
Locals accounted for three of the top five performers in the boys’ pole vault. Marina’s Michael Magula matched the winning clearance of 14 feet, 7 inches, but Harvard-Westlake’s Tiber Seireeni won the jumps tiebreaker.
Edison’s Michael Chadwick was fourth (14-1) and Sage Hill’s Alex Escalera placed fifth (13-7).
BOYS’ TRACK
Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational
At Laguna Beach High
Individual Results
100 – 1. Guidry (Vista Murrieta) 10.56; 2. Harris (Basic) 10.97; 3. Baker (University) 11.0; 4. Glover (Harvard-Westlake) 11.26; 5. Evans (Corona Centennial) 11.32
200 – 1. Julius Irvin (Servite) 22.73; 2. Baker (University) 22.93; 3. Delgado (Laguna Hills) 23.13; 4. Stephens (JSerra) 23.14; 5. Scoville (Desert Oasis) 23.17
400 – 1. Samaniego (Vista Murrieta) 49.66; 2. Johnson (Roosevelt) 50.33; 3. Lapit (Corona Centennial) 50.41; 4. Rodriguez (Harvard-Westlake) 51.44; 5. Delgado (Laguna Hills) 51.53
800 – 1. Robles (Roosevelt) 1:59.31; 2. Miller (Vista Murrieta) 2:00.36; 3. Blackwell (Basic) 2:00.25; 4. Ophsal (Redlands East Valley) 2:00.51; 5. Smith (St. Margaret’s) 2:00.67
1,600 – 1. Smith (Pacifica) 4:20.72; 2. Villa (Vista Murrieta) 4:20.77; 3. Madrigal (Roosevelt) 4:21.86; 4. Hollander (Harvard-Westlake) 4:25; 5. Suarez (Santa Ana) 4:26
3,200 Eric Hulst Invitational – 1. Ornelas (Roosevelt) 9:08.79; 2. Wilfert (Dana Hills) 9:11.23; 3. Landgraf (Dana Hills) 9:13.18; 4. Suarez (Santa Ana) 9:15.77; 5. Spencer (Roosevelt) 9:16.77
3,200 seeded – 1. R. St. Pierre (Ocean View) 9:48.20; 2. Rubio (Green Valley) 9:49.20; 3. Wacker (Mater Dei) 9:50.36; 4. Avila (Santa Ana) 9:51.67; 5. Shibuya (Harvard-Westlake) 9:54.07
110HH – 1. Sandoval (Servite) 15.09; 2. Wang (Harvard-Westlake) 15.30; 3. Moreno (Anaheim) 15.53; 4. Hepner (El Modena) 15.71; 5. Robbins (Tesoro) 15.90
300 IH – 1. Ward (Servite) 39.17; 2. Sandoval (Servite) 39.64; 3. Moreno (Anaheim) 39.69; 4. Anotado (Roosevelt) 41.52; 5. Lopez (El Modena) 41.76
400 relay – 1. Vista Murrieta 42.19; 2. Servite 42.65; 3. University 44.08; 4. Mater Dei 44.12; 5. Basic 44.41
1,600 relay – 1. Vista Murrieta 3:25.24; 2. Servite 3:26.76; 3. Redlands East Valley 3:28.47; 4. Tesoro 3:32.19; 5. Green Valley 3:32.84
HJ – 1. Harris (Basic) 7-0; 2. McCarter (Bonanza) 6-4; 3. Wesley (Santa Ana Valley) 6-2; 4. Steward (Vista Murrieta) 6-2; 5. Butler (Green Valley) 5-10
LJ – 1. White (Vista Murrieta) 23-10; 2. Harris (Basic) 22-7.5; 3. Wesley (Santa Ana Valley) 22-1.5; 4. Olubi (Corona Centennial) 21-7; 5. Sanchez (Green Valley) 21-5.5
TJ – 1. White (Vista Murrieta) 44-5; 2. Wesley (Santa Ana Valley) 44-0; 3T. Olubi (Corona Centennial) 43-0; 3T. Butler (Green Valley) 43-0; 3T. Olalerre (Green Valley) 43-0
PV – 1. Seireeni (Harvard-Westlake) 14-7; 2. Metzdorff (Trabuco Hills) 14-7J; 3. Magula (Marina) 14-7J; 4. Chadwick (Edison) 14-1; 5. Escalera (Sage Hill) 13-7
SP – 1. Benham (Desert Oasis) 55-6.5; 2. Gonter (Vista Murrieta) 52-4.75; 3. Murray (St. John Bosco) 50-5; 4. Rager (Dana Hills) 47-4.5; 5. Valencia (Warren) 46-4.5
DT – 1. Gonter (Vista Murrieta) 149-6; 2. Crane (Corona del Mar) 148-4; 3. Togafau (Warren) 146-2; 4. Christensen (Servite) 141-4; 5. Valencia (Warren) 139-3
GIRLS’ TRACK
Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational
At Laguna Beach High
Individual Results
100 – 1. Hopkins (Mater Dei) 12.43; 2. Grant (Green Valley) 12.59; 3. Carr (El Modena) 12.61; 4. Moeller (Trabuco Hills) 12.77; 5. Davis (Vista Murrieta) 12.86
200 – 1. Grant (Green Valley) 25.98; 2. Harris (Vista Murrieta) 27.08; 3. Davis (Vista Murrieta) 27.11; 4. Wilson (St. Margaret’s) 27.36; 5. Taylor (Mater Dei) 27.49
400 – 1. Bustos (Dana Hills) 58.82; 2. Rind (Dana Hills) 58.89; 3. Stamps (Roosevelt) 59.74; 4. Amos (Roosevelt) 1:00.07; 5. Gibson (Desert Oasis) 1:00.17
800 – 1. Daly (Dana Hills) 2:14.72; 2. Jacobs (Tesoro) 2:17.22; 3. Ford (Roosevelt) 2:17.46; 4. Dubon (Vista Murrieta) 2:22.60; 5. Marshall (Mater Dei) 2:23.63
1,600 – 1. Haynes (Vista Murrieta) 5:05; 2. Turner (Laguna Hills) 5:08; 3. Candaele (Vista Murrieta) 5:09; 4. Werner (Vista Murrieta) 5:11; 5. Marrero (Roosevelt) 5:13
3,200 Eric Hulst Invitational – 1. Tabrizi (JSerra) 11:05.84; 2. McGettigan (Tesoro) 11:15.25; 3. Vincent (El Dorado) 11:15.67; 4. Meade (Tesoro) 11:16.27; 5. Reece (Murrieta Valley) 11:17.13
3,200 seeded – 1. Watts (Trabuco Hills) 11:44.58; 2. Smith (Green Valley) 11:45.41; 3. Amezcua (Green Valley) 11:55.20; 4. Garcia (Corona Centennial) 11:56.36; 5. Camacho (Roosevelt) 11:58.14
100HH – 1. Herrington (Edison) 16.07; 2. Meeder (El Modena) 16.09; 3. Hale (Dana Hills) 16.90; 4. Ebert (Murrieta Valley) 16.92; 5. Bailey (Boulder City) 17.77
300IH – 1. Otterbein (St. Margaret’s) 49.12; 2. Meeder (El Modena) 49.95; 3. Fetter (Rosary) 51.25; 4. Schofield (Tesoro) 51.51; 5. Kowalske (St. Margaret’s) 51.74
400 relay – 1. Mater Dei 49.01; 2. Vista Murrieta 50.18; 3. Trabuco Hills 50.85; 4. University 52.25; 5. Corona del Mar 52.72
1,600 relay – 1. Dana Hills 3:56.04; 2. Tesoro 4:14.89; 3. Desert Oasis 4:15.52; 4. Mater Dei 4:17.21; 5. Rosary 4:30.71
HJ – 1. Kaufman (Harvard-Westlake) 5-4; 2. Sun (St. Margaret’s) 5-2; 3. Chiaramonte (Mater Dei) 5-2; 4. Newling (Desert Oasis) 5-0; 5. Olson (Dana Hills) 5-0
LJ – 1. Chiaramonte (Mater Dei) 18-0.5; 2. James (Mater Dei) 17-7; 3. Faris (Dana Hills) 16-6.75; 4. Bailey (Boulder City) 16-3.25; 5. Ayala (JSerra) 16-2.5
TJ – 1. James (Mater Dei) 36-5.25; 2. Chiaramonte (Mater Dei) 35-8.75; 3. Munoz (Trabuco Hills) 34-9; 4. Maglione (Mater Dei) 34-6; 5. Jimerson (Vista Murrieta) 34-5.5
PV – 1. Caskey (Mater Dei) 12-9; 2. Meier (Vista Murrieta) 11-0; 3. Roberts (Trabuco Hills) 10-6; 4. Kast (Murrieta Valley) 10-6; 5. Boyer (Mater Dei) 10-6
SP – 1. Mounga (Vista Murrieta) 40-10.75; 2. Reyes (Warren) 38-2; 3. T. Crenshaw (Costa Mesa) 35-1.5; 4. Chavers (Warren) 34-4.25; 5. Manuma (Bonanza) 33-10.5
DT – 1. F. Crenshaw (Costa Mesa) 139-6; 2. Mounga (Vista Murrieta) 118-8; 3. T. Crenshaw 118-7; 4. Wilkerson (Trabuco Hills) 118-4; 5. Cooper (Corona del Mar) 111-8
Twitter: @ProfessorTurner
