Middletown teams dominate in all divisions with multiple first-place finishes
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MIDDLETOWN >> The Middletown Mustangs honored their senior athletes during the final track and field home meet of the season Wednesday at Middletown High School.
The Mustangs hosted Calistoga, Sonoma Academy and St. Helena in a Coastal Mountain Conference meet that they thoroughly dominated, winning all four divisions – varsity boys, varsity girls, frosh-soph boys and frosh-soph girls. Kelseyville also was scheduled to compete but could not attend because of the Every 15 Minutes program taking place Wednesday at Kelseyville High School.
“We were celebrating senior night, which is always fun to highlight the athletes,” Middletown head coach Wyatt Hall said. “This year I have 18 seniors on the team. Three of my senior 1,600-meter runners all ran the entire race together. Two of my senior pole vaulters got to 10 feet before they agreed to end in a tie as the meet was wrapping up and the wind was picking up.”
With Kelseyville unable to participate, Middletown had more entries than all the other teams combined, according to Hall. That fact was certainly demonstrated in team scoring as the Middletown varsity boys finished with 207 points to Calistoga’s 77, the varsity girls with 204 points to Sonoma Academy’s 106, the frosh-soph boys with 109 points to Sonoma Academy’s 87, and the frosh-soph girls with 144 points to St. Helena’s 40.
Varsity boys
Bryan Sanchez, one of the senior captains for the Middletown varsity boys, won three individual events and also ran a leg on the Mustangs’ winning 4×100-meter relay team, replacing one of the team’s regular runners who was unable to compete.
Sanchez’s individual wins came in the 400 (58.9 seconds), the 300 hurdles (47.0) and the pole vault where he tied teammate Bryton Caviness at 10 feet even. He joined Caviness, Seth Watson and Esteban Muniz on the 4×100 team (52.3).
“He and senior Quinn Murray decided to run the 300-meter hurdles for fun,” Hall said. “Along with Sanchez, each other member of the 4×11 team were multiple-event winners, all with at least one field event.”
Muniz added wins in the high jump (4-10) and long jump (17-2) where he tied Calistoga’s Julian Montanez for first. Caviness tied Sanchez in the pole vault while Watson also won the discus (117-1).
“It was great to see the relay team (members) show how well rounded they are as athletes,” Hall said.
Varsity girls
“It was a smaller meet for the girls, so we had a lot of event winners,” Hall said. “I could probably mention each girl on my team and talk about how well they did. We had many top-event finishers, led by Isa Barnes with three first-place finishes.”
Barnes won the 100 hurdles (17.7) and 300 hurdles (52.3) as well as the long jump (13-10). She also finished second in the high jump (4-0) behind winner Mia Hoogendoorn (4-2).
“Many girls set new PRs at the meet, but two of the biggest came in the throws,” Hall said.
Krystal Ocken won the shotput with a personal-best throw of 33-10 ½ while Taylor Thompson won the discus with a personal-best throw of 93-2.
“Krystal Ocken improved in the shotput, continuing a multi-meet streak of improving and now moving within 15 inches of the school record,” Hall said. “Taylor Thompson broke into the 90s with a big throw in the discus. That throw was more than a 15-foot improvement (for her).”
Middletown’s other event winners were Thira Hoage in the 100 (13.7), Sophie Yebra in the 1,600 (6 minutes, 38.0 seconds), Cat Barriga in the pole vault (7-0) and the 4×100 relay team of Hoage, Hoogendoorn, Yebra and Casandra Padilla (59.1).
Frosh-soph boys
Dylan Caviness won the pole vault (9-0) and ran a leg on Middletown’s winning 4×100 relay team (53.0) to help lead the Mustangs’ frosh-soph boys squad.
“Dylan Caviness followed in his brother Bryton’s footsteps winning the pole vault and running a leg on the 4×100 relay team,” Hall said. (They Dylan and Bryton) both run the same leg, the third.”
Jamieson Jackson added firsts in the 100 (12.2) and 200 (26.5) while Deangelo Yee won the discus (76-6) and Cale McLean won the high jump (5-0).
Frosh-soph girls
Middletown’s frosh-soph girls team had three double-event winners. Ally Cherry’s firsts came in the 100 (20.2) and pole vault (5-6), Cora Krick topped the field in the 100 hurdles (20.2) and 300 hurdles (54.7), and Crystal Duval won the shotput (27-10 ¼) and discus (63-2).
Middletown’s other firsts went to Jolene Holley in the high jump (4-2) and Jadyn Owens in the long jump (11-11).
Schedule
Middletown takes next week off before returning to action April 30 in St. Helena.
