7 local athletes qualify for state track and field championships
Newport Harbor’s Keaton Robar dropped two full seconds off her personal record in the 800 meters, her lifetime-best performance of two minutes 7.01 seconds giving her the win in the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet on Saturday at Moorpark High.
The junior mid-distance star produced the third-best time in the state this season, a time that also ranks fourth all-time in the event among Orange County athletes. The county record belongs to Mary Decker of Orange (2:02.29 in 1974), who is second only to Studio City Harvard-Westlake’s Amy Weissenbach (2:02.04 in 2011) in state history.
“I wanted to win, but I wanted top three at least here,” Robar said. “I just really wanted a [personal record] because it’s been a while since I’ve been in a competitive race. I’ve shown the strength for a [personal record], but I just hadn’t been able to execute it.”
Athletes who placed in the top six of the Masters Meet, as well as additional competitors who met the at-large standards for qualifying in their event, advanced on to the CIF State track and field championships. The state meet takes place Friday and Saturday at Clovis Buchanan High.
Robar had waited a long time for this, more than a year since running her previous best time in the Arcadia Invitational as a sophomore. She had almost no time to celebrate, as Robar was in a rush to make it to the prom.
Little did Robar know that her part in this play had yet to end. After she departed from the meet, Sailors senior Carlos Maradiaga was preparing to lace up his racing shoes, but they were nowhere to be found. Maradiaga said Robar had taken off with them by mistake.
Newport Harbor coaches and Maradiaga began pleading with other competing schools for a pair of racing spikes. When one obliged, Maradiaga made it count, running 9:02.64 in the 3,200 meters to dip under the at-large qualifying time by less than two seconds after placing seventh.
“I wore spikes that were a size too big and a jersey that was probably a size too small and I ran one second off the school record and qualified,” said Maradiaga, who borrowed a jersey from teammate Natalie McCarty for the race.
Newport Harbor coach Haley Bates jokingly credited Robar for providing the “adrenaline to lock back in” for the competition.
McCarty notched two state qualifications, placing fifth in 43.43 seconds in the 300 intermediate hurdles. She tied for fourth in the high jump with a clearance of 5 feet, 4 inches.
“I’m beyond excited,” McCarty said of heading to the state meet. “I mean, nervous, but it’s going to be just such a cool experience regardless of how I do. I want to see all the best athletes, how they do, and it’s over two days. That’s a new experience. I haven’t done a two-day track meet yet.”
Ocean View senior Isis Salazar, who signed with Cal State Bakersfield for women’s soccer, showed that she is good in the air in multiple sports. She tied for second with a personal-best clearance of 5-6 in the high jump.
“It’s very exciting,” said Salazar, who set a new personal record for the second consecutive week in qualifying for state. “I would never in a million years think that I would make it to Masters, let alone finals for our state. I was overwhelmed with joy because I was ... the last person to get 5-6 out of the three.”
Huntington Beach freshman Sydney Rubio advanced in the 3,200 (third, 10:20.89), as did Corona del Mar senior Melisse Djomby Enyawe in the 800 (fifth, 2:12.13).
Edison senior Alexa Sheldon, headed to Cal State Fullerton in the fall, qualified for state in both the shot put (fourth, 42-10) and the discus throw (fifth, 139-10).
“Honestly, it’s a very big relief,” Sheldon said of moving on to her first state meet. “This is my last chance to actually get up there, so it was a lot of pushing for it at practice. I didn’t do as good as I wanted to, but it was good to the point of what I needed.”
BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD
CIF Southern Section Masters Meet
At Moorpark High
State at-large standards in parentheses
100 (10.61) — 1. Dezeurn (Bishop Alemany) 10.36; 2. Harris (Long Beach Poly) 10.43; 3. Bragg (Los Alamitos) 10.47; 4. Bonner (Valencia) 10.48; 5. Harris (Roosevelt) 10.55; 6. Pizzella (Notre Dame/SO) 10.64
100 para — 1. Aleman (Rio Mesa) 13.80; 2. Card (Mission Viejo) 13.90; 3. Fox (Los Alamitos) 14.71; 4. Guzman (Rancho Verde) 21.43
200 (21.51) — 1. Harris (Roosevelt) 21.22; 2. Johnson (Long Beach Poly) 21.25; 3. Harris (Long Beach Poly) 21.27; 4. Bragg (Los Alamitos) 21.28; 5. Patel (Northwood) 21.31; 6. Reuben (Cathedral) 21.32; 7. Liu (Mark Keppel) 21.50
200 para — 1. Aleman (Rio Mesa) 28.05; 2. Card (Mission Viejo) 28.47; 3. Guzman (Rancho Verde) 41.27
400 (48.50) — 1. Ochoa (Northview) 47.01; 2. Mayrant (Culver City) 47.09; 3. Ricks (Long Beach Poly) 47.18; 4. Cooper (Portola) 47.79; 5. Smith (JW North) 47.86; 6. Reuben (Cathedral) 48.20; 7. Burroughs (Long Beach Wilson) 48.23
400 para — 1. Aleman (Rio Mesa) 1:02.22; 2. Card (Mission Viejo) 1:03.86; Guzman (Rancho Verde) DQ
800 (1:54.10) — 1. Ligons (Cathedral) 1:51.39; 2. Obando (Long Beach Wilson) 1:51.53; 3. Kraemer (Long Beach Wilson) 1:52.27; 4. Paradise (Great Oak) 1:52.43; 5. Snow (Santa Barbara) 1:52.73; 6. Clark (San Clemente) 1:52.81; 7. Juarez (Liberty) 1:52.96; 8. Murray (South Pasadena) 1:53.02; 9. Clark (San Clemente) 1:53.24; 10. Horrocks (Foothill) 1:53.34; 11. Naehu (Palos Verdes) 1:53.57; 12. Mejia (Godinez) 1:53.66
1,600 (4:13.24) — 1. Felix (Beckman) 4:09.77; 2. Fast Horse (Ventura) 4:09.78; 3. Parra (Millikan) 4:10.92; 4. Brown (Great Oak) 4:11.04; 5. Dybdahl (Santa Barbara) 4:11.67; 6. Ephraim (San Clemente) 4:11.74; 7. Grossman (Ventura) 4:11.93; 8. Rodriguez (Great Oak) 4:11.97; 9. Perez (Cathedral) 4:12.01; 10. Hernandez (Dana Hills) 4:12.21
3,200 (9:04.22) — 1. Noonan (Dana Hills) 8:48.56; 2. Parra (Millikan) 8:49.92; 3. Turk (Woodcrest Christian) 9:00.17; 4. Sion (Crescenta Valley) 9:00.55; 5. Franco (St. Francis) 9:02.39; 6. Zavaleta (King) 9:02.56; 7. Maradiaga (Newport Harbor) 9:02.64; 8. Stanley (Trabuco Hills) 9:03.57
110 HH (14.40) — 1. Bright (Murrieta Mesa) 13.92; 2. Paris (Notre Dame/SO) 13.96; 3. Gammage (Canyon/CC) 14.06; 4. Celestine (Murrieta Mesa) 14.12; 5. Wimbush (Rancho Cucamonga) 14.24; 6. Grier (Cathedral) 14.30
300IH (38.45) — 1. Agbelusi (Beaumont) 37.56; 2. Gammage (Canyon/CC) 37.81; 3. Grier (Cathedral) 38.00; 4. Mueller (Loyola) 38.13; 5. Bartee (Long Beach Wilson) 38.20; 6. Lamkin (Mira Costa) 38.53
400 relay (41.77) — 1. Notre Dame/SO 41.27; 2. Long Beach Poly 41.38; 3. Chaminade 41.46; 4. Murrieta Valley 41.56; 5. Great Oak 41.60; 6. Valencia 41.66
1,600 relay (3:19.91) — 1. Culver City 3:13.78; 2. Long Beach Poly 3:14.76; 3. Long Beach Wilson 3:15.90; 4. Cathedral 3:17.35; 5. Canyon/CC 3:18.88; 6. Los Alamitos 3:19.39; 7. Northwood 3:19.89
3,200 relay — 1. Cathedral 7:42.19; 2. San Clemente 7:43.92; 3. Santa Barbara 7:44.99; 4. Great Oak 7:45.70; 5. Ventura 7:46.29; 6. Loyola 7:48.40
HJ (6-6) — 1. Harel (Notre Dame/SO) 6-10; 2. Gorski (Mater Dei) 6-8; 3. Benson (Moorpark) 6-8J; 4. Knowles (Rio Mesa) 6-6; 5T. Oliver (Grand Terrace) 6-4; 5T. Cox (Villa Park) 6-4
LJ (22-8) — 1. Alexis (Great Oak) 23-1; 2. Gorski (Mater Dei) 22-11¾; 3. Reed (Santiago/C) 22-5; 4. Murguia (Beaumont) 22-4; 5. Ma’at (Golden Valley) 22-3; 6. Francis (Santa Margarita) 22-2¾
TJ (45-7¾) — 1. Dahl (Villa Park) 46-8½; 2. Carter (Vista del Lago) 46-6; 3. Smith (Quartz Hill) 46-5½; 4T. Alexis (Great Oak) 46-2½; 4T. Robinson (Great Oak) 46-2½; 6. Nwafor (Vista Murrieta) 46-1½
PV (15-0) — 1. McKee (King) 16-6; 2. Sommers (Westlake) 16-0; 3. Brice (San Clemente) 16-0J; 4. Cullen (Redlands) 16-0J; 5. Lucsik (Burbank) 16-0J; 6. Leuenberger (Capistrano Valley) 15-0; 7. Furr (Santa Margarita) 15-0J; 8. Gandara (Los Alamitos) 15-0
SP (55-11½) — 1. Lewis (Pacifica) 62-½; 2. Marmarian (Marshall) 59-9; 3. Goodloe (Warren) 56-5½; 4. Lingenfelter (Yucaipa) 55-2½; 5. Harisay (Etiwanda) 55-2; 6. Cash (San Bernardino) 54-10½
SP para — 1. Martinez (Pomona) 39-6½; 2. Fox (Los Alamitos) 37-10
DT (171-6) — 1. Lewis (Pacifica) 180-0; 2. Lingenfelter (Yucaipa) 176-10; 3. Epps (Paloma Valley) 175-9; 4T. Nuechterlein (Vista Murrieta) 167-5; 4T. Stansell (Canyon/CC) 167-5; 6. Emmerling (Murrieta Valley) 165-11
GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD
100 (11.94) — 1. Flowers (Serra) 11.46; 2. Kirk (Royal) 11.54; 3. Warr (Canyon/CC) 11.54; 4. Wright (Chaparral) 11.56; 5. Clayton (Oaks Christian) 11.59; 6. Scoggins (Calabasas) 11.62; 7. Holland (Long Beach Poly) 11.68; 8. Cigar-Dingle (St. Mary’s) 11.89; 9. Easter (Buena) 11.89
100 para — 1. Ashley-Castillo (Woodbridge) 20.48; Ihly (Flintridge Sacred Heart) 22.44
200 (24.62) — 1. Wright (Chaparral) 23.48; 2. Kirk (Royal) 23.72; 3. McBride (Ayala) 23.72; 4. Maddox (Culver City) 23.76; 5. Warr (Canyon/CC) 23.85; 6. Flowers (Serra) 23.94; 7. Wilson (Rosary) 24.08; 8. Nelson (St. Pius X) 24.12; 9. Cigar-Dingle (St. Mary’s) 24.58
200 para — 1. Ashley-Castillo (Woodbridge) 39.64
400 (56.22) — 1. Mosby (St. Mary’s) 53.17; 2. Maddox (Culver City) 53.73; 3. Vanardo (Long Beach Wilson) 54.43; 4. Blue (Long Beach Wilson) 54.91; 5. Wilson (Rosary) 55.14; 6. Z. Ray (Calabasas) 55.34; 7. L. Ray (Calabasas) 55.75; 8. Woolforde (JSerra) 55.77
800 (2:13.79) — 1. Robar (Newport Harbor) 2:07.01; 2. Edwards (Claremont) 2:07.11; 3. Jeanneret (JSerra) 2:10.50; 4. Matarese (La Cañada) 2:11.98; 5. Djomby Enyawe (Corona del Mar) 2:12.13; 6. Scheer (Dana Hills) 2:12.27; 7. Esponda (South Torrance) 2:12.60; 8. McKenzie (Calabasas) 2:12.71; 9. Williams (El Toro) 2:12.82; 10. Wroblewski (Yorba Linda) 2:13.01; 11. Keeton (Calabasas) 2:13.41
1,600 (4:51.10) — 1. Engelhardt (Ventura) 4:45.05; 2. Combe (Santiago/C) 4:46.66; 3. Ivarsson (Dana Hills) 4:47.21; 4. Packard (JSerra) 4:49.12; 5. S. Lieberman (Murrieta Valley) 4:50.01; 6. Crum (Temescal Canyon) 4:50.28; 7. Sax (Ventura) 4:50.87; 8. Hsieh (Arcadia) 4:50.94; 9. J. Lieberman (Murrieta Valley) 4:52.35
3,200 (10:32.50) — 1. Blade (Santiago/C) 10:15.00; 2. Errington (South Pasadena) 10:20.36; 3. Rubio (Huntington Beach) 10:20.89; 4. De Brouwer (La Cañada) 10:23.19; 5. Wilson (JSerra) 10:27.86; 6. Foody (Aliso Niguel) 10:29.12; 7. Barker (Trabuco Hills) 10:29.33; 8. McCullough (Newport Harbor) 10:33.17; 9. McRae (Huntington Beach) 10:49.38
110 HH (14.48) — 1. Gowans (Marlborough) 14.02; 2. Edwards (Long Beach Wilson) 14.11; 3. Becker (Long Beach Poly) 14.29; 4. Gaines (Riverside Poly) 14.32; 5. Hervey (St. Bernard) 14.42; 6. Holden (South Pasadena) 14.46
300IH (43.77) — 1. Edwards (Long Beach Wilson) 42.03; 2. Holden (South Pasadena) 43.07; 3. Becker (Long Beach Poly) 43.28; 4. Vanardo (Long Beach Wilson) 43.31; 5. McCarty (Newport Harbor) 43.43; 6. Griffin (Da Vinci) 43.52
400 relay (48.11) — 1. Calabasas 45.71; 2. Long Beach Poly 45.95; 3. Oaks Christian 46.33; 4. Ayala 46.44; 5. Long Beach Wilson 46.62; 6. St. Mary’s 46.69; 7. Canyon/CC 46.90; 8. Serra 47.26; 9. Culver City 47.98
1,600 relay (3:53.70) — 1. Long Beach Wilson 3:43.72; 2. Calabasas 3:43.93; 3. St. Mary’s 3:47.40; 4. Long Beach Poly 3:48.15; 5. Ayala 3:49.24; 6T. Canyon/CC 3:51.47; 6T. La Cañada 3:51.47; 8. JSerra 3:51.67
3,200 relay — 1. Ventura 9:02.57; 2. Claremont 9:13.10; 3. Santiago/C 9:13.97; 4. Long Beach Wilson 9:17.01; 5. King 9:29.55; 6. Santa Monica 9:30.85
HJ (5-6) — 1. Fakrogha (Ventura) 5-8; 2T. Salazar (Ocean View) 5-6; 2T. Teven (Brea Olinda) 5-6; 4T. McCarty (Newport Harbor) 5-4; 4T. Witt (Notre Dame/SO) 5-4; 6. Anderson (Long Beach Poly) 5-4J
LJ (18-5) — 1. Webster (Long Beach Wilson) 19-3¼; 2. Alumbres (Vista Murrieta) 19-1¼; 3. Hernandez (Jurupa Valley) 18-10¾; 4. Best (Norco) 18-10½; 5. Humphries (Castaic) 18-6; 6. McGuinness (La Cañada) 18-4¼
TJ (38-¼) — 1. Alumbres (Vista Murrieta) 40-4; 2. Richards (Royal) 40-3½; 3. Humphries (Castaic) 39-5¼; 4. Meyer (Dana Hills) 38-11½; 5. Best (Norco) 38-6½; 6. Strange (Xavier) 38-5¼; 7. Hernandez (Jurupa Valley) 38-5; 8. Robinson (Etiwanda) 38-1½
PV (12-3) — 1. Fears (Vista Murrieta) 13-3; 2. Coates (Great Oak) 12-9; 3. Makhanian (La Cañada) 12-3; 4. Turner (Westlake) 12-3J; 5. Bettinger (Los Alamitos) 12-3J; 6. Rakfeldt (Harvard-Westlake) 11-9; 12T. Abrahams (Fountain Valley) 11-3
SP (40-5) — 1. Johnson (Notre Dame/SO) 46-10; 2. Massey (Aliso Niguel) 46-0; 3. Ricks (Long Beach Poly) 42-10½; 4. Sheldon (Edison) 42-10; 5. Williams (Redlands) 42-8; 6. Donovan (Golden Valley) 42-0; 7. Ortiz (Heritage) 40-11; 8. Tipton (Camarillo) 40-6
SP para — Montejano (Foothill Tech) 30-11½
DT (142-11) — 1. Johnson (Notre Dame/SO) 145-6; 2. Tipton (Camarillo) 145-4; 3. Wilson (Paraclete) 141-11; 4. Williams (Redlands) 140-0; 5. Sheldon (Edison) 139-10; 6. Ortiz (Heritage) 139-1
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