SGV/WHITTIER PREP SPORTS ZONE TRACK AND FIELD ROUNDUP, APRIL 27, 2022
Covina's Kerry Smith and West Covina McKenna Venegas win multiple events at the Valle Vista League championships.
Wednesday was the first big day of league track finals in the area. Runners were aiming for league titles and finishing under the qualifying time set by the CIF Southern Section to participate in next week’s preliminaries.
Here is a look at what occurred on Wednesday.
VALLE VISTA
At the Valle Vista League finals, which were conducted at Covina District Field, several top performances headlined an outstanding day of competition.
In the boys division, all eyes were on Covina senior Kerry Smith as he participated in the 200 and 400-meter events. The senior didn’t disappoint as he looked thoroughly professional in winning both events. 400 in 49.42 seconds and 200 in 21.61 seconds. His team in the 200 was just off his personal best mark of 21.44 which he established earlier in the season.
Covina’s Kerry Smith winning the 200 meters at the Valle Vista League Track and Field Finals at Covina District Field. (Escarcega)
He was also on the team’s 4x100 (43.92) and 4x400 (3:39.39) relay teams that also won league titles.
West Covina also had a solid day on the track with several league champions. Senior Maximiliano Lorea easily captured the 1600 (4:31.83) and junior Youssef Salama won the gold medal in the 110 (16.03) and 300 (44.54) hurdles while establishing a new personal best in the 300.
West Covina’s Youssef Salama (pictured winning the 100 hurdles) won both hurdle races at the Valle Vista League Track Finals at Covina District Field. (Escarcega)
Northview’s Jesse Diaz turned in one of the more impressive efforts of the day in winning the 100 meters in 11.07 seconds.
Northview’s Jesse Diaz wins the 100 meters at the Valle Vista League finals at Covina District Field. (Escarcega)
In one of the more thrilling races of the day, Charter Oak’s Derek Ynfante (2:07.59) narrowly held off Reisz Brillante in the 800. Race officials disqualified Brillante for interference in the stretch and Covina’s Christian Rodriguez was awarded second place.
Charter Oak’s Derek Ynfante (inside) narrowly wins the 800 meters at the Valle Vista League Track Finals at Covina District Field. (Escarcega)
Diamond Ranch did have a winner in the track events as Steven Ochotorena held off Loera to win the 3200 (10:01.04).
In the field events, Covina’s Estevan Brown improved on his third-place effort in last year’s finals by winning the event with a mark of 20-6.5. Charter Oak junior Isaiah Duerksen captured the Triple Jump (37-5.5), and Noah Cuellar (Covina) established a new personal best mark of 5-10 in winning the high jump with teammate Noah Sinpoonpak clearing 13-0 to win the pole vault.
Jason Nwaka of Covina easily took the Shot Put (46-10) with teammate Cory Gamero winning the boys discus with a mark of 149-10, the second-best throw in the SGV this season.
In the girls division, West Covina won two of the three sprint races with Mckenna Venegas establishing a new personal best time of 12.80 seconds in winning the 100. The senior also won the long jump (17-6) and the triple jump (34-4.5).
Teammate Emily De La Torre improved on his third-place effort in the 400 last year as she took top honors this season with a final time of 1:02.08. Diamond Ranch’s Layla Johnson easily won the 200 with a personal best time of 27.01.
In the distance races, Covina’s Miranda Palacios looked sensational as she trimmed four seconds off her lifetime best effort as she won the 1600 meters in 5:24.39 with teammate Alexis Fallejo winning the 800 (2:32.74). Diamond Ranch’s Ingrid Tamayo narrowly captured the 3200 (11:51.12) with teammate Christina Harvey finishing first in the 100 hurdles (17.49) and Jordyn Seales made it a sweep for the Panthers in the hurdle events as she won the 300 (51.72).
Covina’s Miranda Palacios won the girls 1600 with a lifetime best time of 5:24.39 at the Valle Vista League Track Finals at Covina District Field. (Escarcega)
In the field events, Mila Brown and Milana Gatfield of Covina, along with San Dimas’ Allison McGill won the high jump (4-9). Maya Godinez of Covina took first place in the pole vault (9-6), area best thrower Devin Jackson of West Covina won the shot put (36-6.5) and Northview’s Phoenix Raso won the discus with a throw of 101-8, which is the fourth-best mark in the area.
CAMINO REAL
St. Paul was the site of the league finals and many of the top athletes performed very well.
In the 100, the Swordsmen swept all three of the top spots with Jordyn Williams narrowly prevailing in 11.33. Williams also took top honors in the high jump (5-10). Orlando Zepeda won a very hotly contested long jump (20-7) and Jacob Ramos took the triple jump (39-6.5). Isreal Gallardo, one of the top throwers in the area, took home two gold medals in the discus (122-6) and shot put (49-1.5)
Bosco Tech’s Christian Perez was sensational all day long as he won three league titles in the 800 (2:09.37), 1600 (4:45.35), and 3200 (10:34.56). Cantwell Sacred Heart’s Daniel Torres took both to the hurdle races (110 – 19.59, 300 - 48.32).
In the girls division, Jazmin Zambrano won two league titles in 1600 (5:54.98) and 3200 (12:38.21). In the throwing events, Rae-Ashley Egans narrowly captured the shot put (29-2) with teammate Keiki Luli (32-6.5) won the triple jump.
FREEWAY LEAGUE
One of the top leagues in track and field held its finals at Fullerton High School.
In the boys division, the action heated up right away was the La Habra 4x100 boys relay team won a league title in 43.87 seconds, which ties Arcadia for the fifth-best time in the area.
It was a big day for Sonora High School as they took home many individual league titles. Elizabeth Stetina, one of the elite distance runners in the Whittier area, captured three league crowns in the 800 (2:23.93), 1600 (5:13.31), and 3200 (11.37.40). Nicholas Geringer, one of the premier distance runners in the Whittier area, took home two league titles in the 800 (2:00.11) and 1600 (4:32.21).
The Raiders also dominated in the field events with Josef Oborny taking the shot put (44-3), and Joshua Isip taking top honors in the discus (129-8).
One of the standout efforts of the day came in the boys 100 where sophomore Bryce Whitley took first place in the 100 with a time of 10.90 seconds, which is the 2nd best time in the area behind Kerry Smith of Covina. Mia Chavarin (4-8) took the girls side of the high jump with Oluwayanmife Oke (5-10) taking the boys high jump.
MONTVIEW
It was all about Sierra Vista at the Montview League championships as the Dons captured both the boys and girls team points championships.
Eric Terrazas of Sierra Vista dominated the sprint races as he captured the 100 (11.53) and the 200 (23.44) with Azusa’s Alex Munoz easily taking the 400 (55.55). In the hurdle races, Nogales’ Brandon Johnson had no trouble taking top honors in the 110 (17.47) and 300 (44.36).
In the distance races. Sierra Vista’s Guillermo Montoya took the gold medal in the 800 (2:11.14) and 1600 (4:50.09) with Nogales taking the top two spots in the 3200 with Kevin Pedroza (11:17) finishing first and Steven Gutierrez checking in second.
In the field events, Azusa’s Alexis Sanchez won the shot put (40-10) with teammate Isaac Casteneda capturing the Discus (104-3). Sierra Vista’s Diego Rico took top honors in the long jump (17-3) and teammate Alexis Alonso won the triple jump (36-3.5) and Reggie Recio took top honors in the high jump (5-4).
In the sprint races in the girls division, Duarte had a trio of league champions in Autumn Shepard (100 – 13.88), Francesca Vasquez (200 – 28.65), and Jaeda Spencer (400 – 1:10.42). Gladstone’s Ryleigh Larue won two league titles in the 800 (2:41.80) and 1600 (5:38.41) with Natalie Pelaez of Nogales winning the 3200 (12:56.61)
Sierra Vista’s Ashley Garcia won both hurdle races (100 – 21.39, 300 – 1:05.48). In the field events, Sheperd won her second gold medal in the long jump (13-11.5) with Sierra Vista’s Elizabeth Vasquez taking the triple jump (27-2). Duarte’s Jaleesa Sheroo took the shot put (24-2) with Azusa’s Hannah Hamilton narrowly winning the discus (71-0).