Lake County track and field teams compete at CMC Championships in St. Helena
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Editor’s note: A full list of Lake County varsity boys and girls advancing to the North Coast Section Class A Championships and Redwood Empire 2A Championships will appear in the near future.
ST. HELENA >> Only one Lake County track and field team came away with a pennant from the Coastal Mountain Conference Championships on Wednesday in St. Helena, but many county athletes qualified for the North Coast Section A Championships or Redwood Empire 2A Championships on May 16.
Clear Lake, Kelseyville, Upper Lake and Middletown athletes who placed in the top eight of any individual event or top four in any relay event (except the 4×800, top two) at St. Helena are eligible to compete in the Class A Championships at Montgomery High School. Lower Lake athletes V in the top four at St. Helena are eligible to take part in the Redwood Empire 2A Championships at Santa Rosa Junior College.
Only varsity boys and girls advance to the Class A and Redwood Empire 2A meets.
Varsity boys
Middletown’s Hayden Xavier, Lower Lake’s Alfonso Rones and the Middletown 4×100-meter relay team all posted first-place finishes at the CMC Championships. Xavier was the only multiple-event winner as he topped the field in the 100 (10.81 seconds) and 200 (22.34). He also anchored the Mustangs’ winning 4×100 relay team, which broke the school record at 43.94. Running the first three legs were Esteban Muniz, Jamisen Jackson and Luke Mace.
“These guys keep getting faster and faster,” Middletown head coach Wyatt Hall said. “All four members of the relay team will be competing at the Class A meet in multiple events.”
Rones won the discus with a toss of 144 feet, 10 inches, more than 10 feet ahead of his nearest competitor. Teammate Joseph Trongo came in fourth (118-10) and also qualified for the Redwood Empire 2A Championships.
“Alfonso has shown some incredible improvement year to year,” Lower Lake head coach Bobby Landgraf said. “From being a good JV thrower to an excellent varsity thrower ranked top 10 in the section.”
Lower Lake’s 4×100 relay team of Christian Rincon, Raijhier McKneel, Jeremiah Lopez and Roy Percoats placed second behind Middletown at 44:47. Percoats also came in fourth in the 100 (11.37), punching his ticket for the 2A meet in both events.
“I’m happy that they got second and were able to qualify for the NCS Redwood Empire area meet here in a week and a half, but we have some things to tweak and work on,” Landgraf said of the 4×100 team.
Among third-place finishers at St. Helena were Rones in the shotput at 43-1 followed by teammate Steven Rich (42-6) in fourth place.
Lower Lake’s 4×400 relay team of Percoats, Lopez, Hadley Mick and Vincent Linton also came in third (3 minutes, 49.94 seconds.).
Another third-place finish went to Middletown’s Dylan Caviness in the pole vault. He cleared 12 feet even, matching his season best.
Middletown’s 4×400 relay team of Ryder Roudebush, Gavin Elliott, Zach Norris and Ryan Halverson placed fourth at 3:51.19.
Varsity girls
Lake County’s lone event winner among varsity girls was Upper Lake’s Angelina Bendure in the shotput (28-11).
Seconds went to Middletown’s Avery Peterson in the 400 (1:02.54), Middletown’s Jolene Holley in the high jump (4-10), Middletown’s Crystal Duval in the discus (85-10), the Lower Lake 4×100 relay team of Cristal Castro-Luna, Irianna Milano, Crystal Montanez and Mary Watson (53.17), and the Middletown 4×800 relay team of Stark, Bailey Smith, Lupita Cabrera and Ally Cherry (12:39.47).
“St. Helena got us right at the line,” Landgraf said of the 4×100 relay. “It was super close, and they have some incredibly talented young ladies on their sprint squad too.”
Middletown’s Isa Barnes checked in with third-place finishes in the 100 hurdles (19.22) and triple jump (29-4 ½).
Other thirds went to the Middletown 4×100 relay team of Holley, Thira Hoage, Tina Lopez and Casi Padilla (53.30), and the Lower Lake 4×400 relay team of Milano, Castro-Luna, Montanez and Watson (4:34.81).
Coming in fourth were Lower Lake’s Kaylee Case in the jump (29-1 ½) and the Kelseyville 4×400 relay team of Arionna Sanderson, Kylee Denham, Estefany Munoz and Elizabeth Erlandson (4:41.51).
Middletown’s Jordan Stark added another fourth in the pole vault (7-6).
Middletown’s Alivia Stark added another third in the discus (82-3).
“Avery Peterson did amazing at this meet,” Hall said. “She set new PRs in the 400 and 800. She’s now improved her times week after week, at multiple meets in a row, and we will try to build off that momentum moving forward.”
Added Hall, “Isa Barnes returned to the track after missing out the last few meets due to illness. Even not at 100 percent, she was able to medal in both of her events.
“One of my seniors, Alivia Stark, made me proud. We have been working on her throws, and she was able to hit a big PR in the discus to medal, just behind teammate Crystal Duval. Stark is my only thrower, male or female, advancing to the Class A in both throwing events.”
JV girls
Lower Lake’s JV girls squad won the CMC team pennant for the second straight year.
“I’m so proud of these young ladies,” Landgraf said. “They battled through adversity time and time again.”
Stella Aleman won the 100 (13.91) and 200 (29.24), anchored Lower Lake’s winning 4×100 relay team (55.75), which included Samira Mendez, Layla Naredo and Riley Givens, and anchored the second-place 4×400 relay team (4:58.30), which included Mendez, Naredo and Brittany Zaragoza.
“Stella left it all on the track at the meet,” Landgraf said.
Givens won the 100 hurdles (17.58), the 300 hurdles (53.86) and triple jump (29-8 ¼). She also ran the third leg of the 4×100.
“Riley had a heck of a day,” Landgraf said.
Yamilet Villaruell finished second in the 3,200 (18:39.67) while Neveah Myer won the discus (76-6) and was third in the shotput (22-0).
“Neveah Myer has come a long way and I’m incredibly happy on how she ended the season with two big PRs,” Landgraf said.
Dakotah Burton had a big meet for Kelseyville, winning the 400 (1:07.39) and taking second in the 200 (29.33). She also ran a leg on the Knights’ winning 4×400 relay team (4:46.17), which included Ximena Herren, Alexandra Garcia and Aubrey Wiser, as well as a leg on the second-place 4×100 relay team (56.36), joining teammates Garcia, Herren and Kyia Gregorie.
Other Kelseyville firsts went to Herren in the 800 (2:50.73) and Garcia in the 1,600 (6:13.12).
Upper Lake won the 4×800 relay in 13:47.89. Team members were Rylee Zimmerschied, Alison Espinoza, Kenzie Foley and Aubree Sperber.
Upper Lake’s Kaylin Smith added a second in the 300 hurdles (53.86), Sperber came in third in the 3,200 (19:11.02), and teammate Alexis Robbins was third in the long jump (12-2 ½).
JV boys
Emiliano Rivera of Lower Lake took home three medals in distance events, winning the 1,600 (5:09.33) and 3,200 (12:03.54) while also taking second in the 800 (2:20.11).
“It was quiet day for our JV boys, but Milly was probably the highlight,” Landgraf said. “Milly is one of those kids that will find a way to win regardless of how deep he has to dig. Just when you think he doesn’t have another gear, he finds another mode to shift to.”
Clear Lake’s Colin Ingram won the long jump (17-11 ½) while Kelseyville’s Angel Ruiz topped the field in the discus (106-3).
