County track and field stars have good day at North Coast Section A, 2A championships
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SANTA ROSA >> Middletown High School’s Hayden Xavier, Crystal Duval and Dylan Caviness, Upper Lake’s Angelina Bendure and Lower Lake’s Alfonso Rones will join the Middletown boys 4×100 relay team, which includes Xavier, next weekend at the Meet of Champions following their strong performances Saturday during the North Coast Section Class A and Redwood Empire 2A track and field championships in Santa Rosa.
The Meet of Champions, the qualifier for the CIF State Championships, takes place next Friday and Saturday in Dublin. A top-three finish there means advancement to the state championships May 29-30 at Buchanan High School in Clovis, an event few Lake County athletes have ever reached.
Just reaching the Meet of Champions is a feat in itself, and Middletown standout Xavier, a senior, qualified in three events, all of them with first-place finishes. He again broke school records in the 100 meters (10.68 seconds) and 200 (21.74), both personal-best times. He also anchored the Mustangs’ winning 4×100 team, with Esteban Muniz, Luke Mace and Jamisen Jackson running the first three legs. Their winning time was 44 seconds flat.
“I am so proud of all of my athletes,” Middletown head coach Wyatt Hall said of the Mustangs, both MOC qualifiers and non-qualifiers alike. “They had a great season and each of them improved throughout the year.”
Added Hall, “Many of the Mustangs ended their seasons with PRs. Whether they are returning near year or graduating, they can be proud of their performance.”
Xavier has a chance to make some Lake County history next week at the MOC, according to Hall.
“We are excited to see what he can do,” Hall said. “Xavier will have some good competition next week and I think it could help motivate him even more.”
Upper Lake’s Bendure, only a junior, joined Xavier as the only other Lake County athlete to win an individual event. Her best throw cleared 31 feet, 6 inches, nearly a half foot longer than that of Sonoma Academy’s Siena Jasper, the runner-up at 31 feet, ½ inch.
A trio of county athletes placed third in their respective events. Middletown’s Duval had a toss of 89-10 in the discus while pole vaulter Caviness cleared 11 feet even in the pole vault. Rones of Lower Lake had a best throw of 143-8 in the discus at the Redwood Empire 2A Championships at Santa Rosa Junior College, the county’s only MOC qualifier to come out of the 2A meet (Middletown and Upper Lake athletes competed at the Class A meet at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa).
“Dylan Caviness, Ryan Halverson and Sean Torres all had good days at the pole vault, finishing third, fourth and fifth,” Hall said. “Halverson and Torres both had PRs (personal bests) to end a great season.”
Added Hall, “This will be Caviness’ second year at MOC, and he has improved so much since then.
“Crystal Duval will have another week of throwing discus,” Hall said. “Her technique gets better each week, and she is so close to throwing a big PR.”
Hall also praised the efforts of Charlize Hill and Alivia Stark although they fell short of qualifying for the MOC.
“Charlize Hill had a great day,” Hall said. “She set new PRs in both the 1,600 meter and 3,200 meters. Her 3,200 time improved her PR by over 30 seconds.
“Alivia Stark placed seventh in both shotput and discus,” Hall said. “She ends her track career by throwing a shotput PR and tying her discus PR. Stark has been a leader for the female throwers all season.”