Surprisingly, Royal Tracks Down Marmonte Title

This was not the way it was supposed to happen.

Newbury Park High was supposed to be challenged by Thousand Oaks for the Marmonte League boys’ dual meet track and field title.

Little did anyone suspect Royal would walk away with the title.

The Highlanders won their first dual meet title since 1988 with a one-point victory Thursday in a triangular meet against Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks at Thousand Oaks High.

Royal (6-0 in league meets) had 62 points, Thousand Oaks had 61 and Newbury Park had 47.

“We just kind of sneaked up on Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park,” Royal Coach Don Reyes said. “A lot of our kids just had great efforts.”

The Highlanders won as expected behind senior Oliver Jackson, who won the long jump at 21-8 3/4 and the triple jump 43-5 1/4, and finished second in the 120- and 330-yard hurdles.

The surprise was in the 880, where Royal went one-two-three, led by Tim Ramirez in 2:05.2. The Highlanders took first and second in the 440 as Anthony Ramirez won at 54.0.

Thousand Oaks received impressive performances by Dusty Gould, who won the 120 high hurdles in 14.5 and the 330 intermediate hurdles in 38.7, and Seth Neumuller, who doubled in the mile at 4:38.7 and the two-mile at 10:10.2.

Marcus Crawford won the 100 in 10.8 and 220 in 22.9, and Will Svitek took the shotput at 54-7 1/2 and discus at 149-1 for Newbury Park.

Thousand Oaks won the Marmonte League girls’ dual meet title for the seventh consecutive year. The Lancers (6-0) had 85 1/2 points, followed by Newbury Park at 43 1/2 and Royal with 38.