Lower Lake varsity boys, Middletown varsity girls claim team titles
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LOWER LAKE >> Lower Lake High School’s varsity and junior varsity boys track teams topped the competition Friday afternoon during the annual Lake County Meet on the all-weather track at Gordon Sadler Stadium in Lower Lake.
Middletown’s varsity girls, led by triple-event winner Makayla Mace, took top honors as well along with the Lower Lake JV girls.
“It’s always great to get a chance to compete with all the teams around the lake,” Middletown head coach Wyatt Hall said. “This year, it seems that everyone’s team is getting bigger and better, which is great for the sport. A lot of athletes from all teams were putting up their best performances and I think I speak for all the coaches when I say we are proud of them.”
Varsity boys
Lower Lake finished with 103 points to Middletown’s 78, Kelseyville’s 45, Upper Lake’s 40 and Clear Lake’s 24.
Lower Lake’s Jimmy Shankles and Jorge Carlos won two individual events apiece. Shankles topped the field in the long jump, clearing 18 feet, 10 inches to beat out teammate Ashton Hartmann (18-5), and Shankles also won the triple jump in 37-11, again beating out Hartmann (36-9).
Shankles also ran the opening leg on Lower Lake’s winning 4×100-meter relay team, joining teammates Hadley Mick, Christian Rodriguez and Jeremiah Lopez. The Trojans finished in 45.44 seconds.
Carlos had the winning tosses in both the shotput (36-1/2) and discus (122-3). Christopher DeMunk of Upper Lake was the runner-up in the shotput (35-10) and Middletown’s Seth Watson took second in the discus (119-6).
Lower Lake added another first in the 100 meters where Lopez finished in 11.69. Teammate Mick was second in 12.11.
Middletown picked up firsts in the 800 where Richard Ramos won in 2:24.40, beating out Upper Lake’s Aiden Dancer (2:25.31); in the 1,600 where Landon Pisaro won in 5 minutes, 21.40 seconds followed by teammate Ramos in 5:22.70; and in the pole vault where Bryan Sanchez cleared 10-0 followed by Lower Lake’s Daniel Garner (8-6).
Middletown also won the 4×400 relay in 4:12.60. Sanchez, Isaac Lozada, Ramos and Pisaro ran the four legs.
Kelseyville picked up four firsts. Yahir Rodriguez won the 200 in 23.76 followed by Clear Lake’s Nolan Ewing (24.37), and Rodriguez captured the 400 in 54.99 followed by Middletown’s Sanchez in 57.71. Alex Fordham added another first in the 300 hurdles in 54.08.
The 4×800 relay team of Salvador Ramirez, Austin Holmes, Fordham and Justice Thomas had the Knights’ other first in 12:35.74.
Varsity girls
Middletown dominated in team scoring with 129 points to Lower Lake’s 76, Kelseyville’s 68, Clear Lake’s 12 and Upper Lake’s 10.
Mace won the 100 meters in 13.22 with Lower Lake’s Mary Watson second (13.56), and Mace finished the 100 hurdles in 17.96 despite clipping the final hurdle and nearly losing her balance. Teammate Isa Barnes was second in 18.21.
In the pole vault, Mace cleared 8-6, the second-best mark in school history behind Meghan Carlisle 9-0 Middletown record in 2016.
The Mustangs also had a host of single-event winners. Bailey Smith won the 400 (1:06.42), finishing ahead of Kelseyville’s Arionna Sanderson (1:10.22); Cat Barriga won the 800 (2:36.14) in front of teammate Smith (2:57.88); Alivia Stark topped the field in the 1,600 (7:20.62), beating out Lily Duncan of Lower Lake (7:47.52); Sophie Yebra was first in the 3,200 (13:52.56); Barnes won the 300 hurdles (55.59); Krystal Ocken was first in the discus (82-3); and Mia Hoogendoorn tied Lower Lake’s Kaylee Case in the high jump, both clearing 4-3.
Lower Lake’s Case also won the triple jump (29-6).
Nyejzniya Krohn of Kelseyville won a bang-bang finish with Lower Lake’s Watson in the 200, Krohn finishing in 28.99 to Watson’s 29.00, and Krohn also won the long jump (15-1), beating Saphira Hughes of Upper Lake (14-8).
Clear Lake’s Kaylah Billig won the shotput in 32-2 ¼ followed by Ocken at 31-9 ¼.
In the relay races, Lower Lake’s 4×100 squad of Irianna Milano, Lynneah Daniels, Crystal Montanez and Watson crossed the line first in 53.82.
Kelseyville won both the 4×400 and 4×800 relays. The 4×400 team of Krohn, Mikaela Rico, Grace Hobbs and Sanderson finished in 4:45.88 while the 4×800 team of Aylin Aguilar, Sanderson, Estefany Munos and Rico finished in 12:48.0.
JV boys
Lower Lake finished first in team scoring with 121.5 points to Middletown’s 89.5. Kelseyville was next with 29 and Upper Lake had 6.
Tyler Galamay and Isael Haro were double-event winners for Middletown. Galamay was first in the 100 (11.98) and 200 (26.76) while Haro won the 1,600 (5:40.70) and 3,200 (12:18.26). Dylan Caviness won the pole vault (8-6).
Lower Lake received firsts from Emliano Rivera in the 800 (2:37.48), Kody Ranous in the shotput (36-9), Alfonso Rones in the discus (102-6), Raijhier McKneely in the high jump (5-5), Hector Murillo in the long jump (16-7 ½), and Anthony Russell in the triple jump (30-11).
Maverick Watson of Kelseyville won the 400 (1:06.68).
In the team relays, Middletown’s Zachary Norris, Jose Ramirez, Caviness and Jamisen Jackson won the 4×100 in 56.65 while Middletown’s Galamay, Norris, Haro and Jackson teamed up for the win in the 4×400 (4:24.58).
JV girls
Lower Lake finished with 105 points to Middletown’s 87, Kelseyville’s 56 and Clear Lake’s 17.
Double-event winners for the JV girls were Lower Lake’s Stella Aleman in the 100 (14.19) and 200 (30.13), Middletown’s Cora Krick in the 100 hurdles (19.73) and 300 hurdles (58.77), and Middletown’s Crystal Duval in the shotput (20-8 ¼) and shotput (69-8).
Also for the team-champion Lower Lake squad, Cheyenne Grabach won the high jump (3-8 ½) while Riley Givens was first in the triple jump (28-6).
For Middletown, Lupita Cabrera won the 1,600 (7:03.97), Ally Cherry was first in the pole vault (6-0), and Jadyn Owens won the long jump (12-6).
Kelseyville winners were Mikaela Rico in the 800 (3:03.99) and Aylin Aguilar in the 3,200 (16:44.42).
Clear Lake’s Aleeya Bondi won the 400 (1:18.99).
In the relay events, Lower Lake won both the 4×100 (57.56) and 4×800 (15:38.70). The 4×100 team featured Aleman, Vanessa Martinez, Elena McTeague and Givens. The 4×800 team consisted of Angela Martin, Lorena Inong, Trinity Easton and Lola Meyer.