SGV/WHITTIER PREP SPORTS ZONE TRACK AND FIELD ROUNDUP, APRIL 29, 2022
Area elite athletes make statement performances at the Rio Hondo and Palomares League finals.
It was the final day of league champions in the area with the two big events being the Rio Hondo League finals at South Pasadena High School and the Palomares League finals at Ayala High School.
Here is how it all played out.
RIO HONDO LEAGUE
Yesterday, the Pacific League was in the spotlight and made the most of it with top-class performances. The Rio Hondo League took up a notch on Friday with several big performances.
One of the elite performances of the day came in the boys shot put where Nicholas Iwankiw hit a new lifetime mark of 62 feet, 7.5 inches in earning a league title. The mark further enhances his hold as the top mark in the area and for all throwers in CIF-SS Div.3 and put him fifth-best in the state. The senior also won the discus with a throw of 182-5.
He wasn’t the only Tiger that delivered an elite performance. Sophomore Keeran Murray dominated the competition in the boys 800 and stopped the timer in a lifetime best time of 1:57.87. It was the third-fastest time in the area and is also the seventh-fastest time for all sophomores in the state of California.
La Canada’s Arielle McKenzie showed that she was back in top form after a disappointing event at the Arcadia Invitational as she repeated as league champion in the 800 (2:15.69) and 1600 (5:02.94). South Pasadena’s Abigail Errington sizzled in the girls 3200 as she trimmed seven seconds off her lifetime best in the event, winning the league title in 11:03.14, which is the third-fastest time for area runners at the distance.
La Canada’s Arielle McKenzie won the 800 and 1600 at the Rio Hondo League finals at South Pasadena HS (Escarcega).
San Marino’s Benjamin Hughes came out of nowhere to win 1600 in 4:20.15 which was the second-fastest time for area runners that the distance. The standing only lasted for a few hours before John Sesteaga’s performance at the Palomares League finals. Brady Nakamura took top honors in the 3200 with a time of 9:55.59.
Monrovia’s Carlos Hernandez won the 100 and 200 events at the Rio Hondo League finals. (Escarcega)
In the sprint events, Monrovia’s Carlos Hernandez, one of the area’s elite wide receivers, took the 100 (10.96) and 200 (22.39) meter events. His time in the 200 was a lifetime best and keep him firmly ensconced in the second position in the area, behind Covina’s Kerry Smith. In the 400, La Canada’s Mentoa McKenzie just missed moving into the area’s top-5 as he secure the league title with a time of 50.87 seconds.
In the girls division, South Pasadena runners took two of three events with Annalea Pearson winning the 100 in 12.48 seconds and moving into the top five sprinters in the area at the distance. Teammate Lyla Keller just missed achieving her lifetime best time in capturing the 200 in 25.97 – just .02 seconds off her best time.
In the boys hurdles races, Nasir Samuels of Monrovia swept both races as he won the league title in the 110 (15.54) and 300 (40.35). In the girls division, Madeline Conte, one of the area’s best chances to qualify at state, crushed her opposition by winning the 100 (15.00) and 300 (44.77).
In the field events in the girls division, South Pasadena’s Zoe Tibbo won the long jump (17-1.50) with Mia Holden turning in an outstanding effort in the triple jump, putting up a mark of 38-0.5 which is the second-best mark in the area behind Glendora’s Kennedy Johnson (39-0.5). Teammate Peyton Washington-Gauzer won the high jump (4-7) and Madison Spitzer had no trouble winning the pole vault (10-0).
South Pasadena’s Violet Main won the girls shot put (31-4) and the discus (92-11).
In the boys division, Niko Lawrence of South Pasadena won the gold medal in the long jump (21-0), triple jump (41-0), and high jump (6-0). Teammate Averell Chen secured top honors in the pole vault (12-6).
PALOMARES LEAGUE
The main storyline for area track fans at Ayala High School was Glendora’s talented junior sprinter Maya Shinnick. A winner at the Arcadia Invitational and the Mt. SAC Relays earlier this year, Shinnick didn’t disappoint any fans as she won the 200 (24.95) and the 400 (56.71).
Kennedy Johnson, one of the elite girls jumpers in the area, had no trouble winning the long jump with a lifetime best mark of 18-03, which is second-best in the area, and the triple jump (38-06). Teammate Elenore Nguyen secured the league title in the girls high jump (5-02) with Rebecca Zweerink sweeping the throwing events (shot put: 32-04, discus: 114-05). Zweerink’s mark in the discus moved her into second place in the area for all throwers in the event.
In the boys division, one of the top performances of the meet came from Glendora’s John Sesteaga. The senior improved his time by three seconds to win the league title in 1600 with a lifetime best time of 4:18.46. He is second in the area behind Pasadena’s Isaiah Givens (4:16.52). Sesteaga also won the gold medal in the 3200 (9:34.03).
In the field events, Glendora’s Ayden Green won two league crowns in the triple jump (43-02.5) and high jump (6-01). His mark in the triple jump moved him into second place in the area’s best behind Arcadia’s Matthew Le (43-6.5).