LC impressive at RHL finals

With 22 top-five finishes in 32 varsity events at the Rio Hondo league track and field finals, La Cañada has a lot to be proud of.

Spartans boys’ track and field coach Steve Zimmerman expected this much.

“Our performance did not exceed my expectations,” Zimmerman said, “because it was clear from the beginning that these kids were here to take care of business and that’s what they did.”

Courtney Schulte finished first in the girls’ varsity 100-meter dash, 13.15 seconds.

Austin Fullmer won the boys’ 800-meter, with 2 minutes, 1.50 seconds, and Kevin Hoffman finished a close second (2:02.84).

Shannon Denny took first in the girls’ shot put, 32 feet, 11.5 inches.

Jonathan Sparks tied for first in the high jump, with six feet flat.

Even more surprising, aside from Fullmer (who’s a senior), none of the first-place finishers have two more years of high school eligibility. Schulte and Denny are both freshmen. Hoffman, Sparks and Fullmer are all sophomores.

“All I can say is look out for next year, La Cañada track and field is back on top,” Zimmerman said.

Indeed.

Throughout the La Cañada track and field teams, a dearth of young talent is rising and a lot of the players from this year will be a part of next year’s team.

In addition to the athletes mentioned above, junior Sean Sherma, who placed second in the 1600-meter (4:41.37) and 3200-meter (10:12.85), and junior Peyton Collins, who placed no lower than fifth in the 4x100 meter relay, 100 meter hurdles (17.61), 300 meter hurdles (49.68) and 4x400 meter relay, will be back next year.

With Collins in the 4x100 meter relay that finished in fourth place was Schulte, junior Megan Edwards and sophomore Caitlyn Davidson. All four should return next year.

Schulte also placed fifth in the girls’ 200-meter dash (27.83).

Sophomores Megan Martin and Gabrielle Badie represented La Cañada well with fourth and fifth place finishes, respectively, in the girls’ 800 meter race.

Track showed up equally impressive.

Outside of Sparks’ and Denny’s victories, third place showings by sophomore Taylor Thompson in the girls’ high jump (4’08.00) and freshman Amer Khan in the boys’ high jump (5’10.00) proved that La Cañada can jump with the rest of the league.

Senior Rahi Sahai had a fifth-place showing in the boys’ long jump (19’11.00)

The freshman-sophomore teams also had a strong showing, with freshman Jake Dorfman taking first in boys’ high jump (5’04.00).

In frosh-soph pole vaulters, sophomore Austin Sosa (9’06.00) and freshman Jack Hale (9’00.00), finished in fourth and fifth respectively.