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BUFFS ON THE MOVE
Manteca boys take 3rd in SJS Division III meet
SJS Division III track finals
Manteca's Zion Allen won the 200 in 21.70 seconds. - photo by DAVE CAMPBELL/The Bulletin

STOCKTON — Led by Zion Allen’s three first-place finishes, Manteca High placed third in the boys Sac-Joaquin Section Division III Track and Field Championships on Thursday at Weston Ranch High School.

The top six finishers advance to the two-day SJS Masters Championships next Friday and Saturday at Davis High school.

“We are out-performing every expectation I had when I took over as head coach last year,” Manteca coach P.J. Lyons said. “This is my first year with no COVID and a postseason.

“Having a 4x100 relay coming in sixth and finishing first, moving two dudes on in the 100 with guys going on in track and field events and girls in the field events is great.

“I am super happy with how much progress we have made especially considering we are doing it all on a dirt track. I have told the underclassmen to think about what it will be like when we have decent facilities to work with. I think this is a good sign for us and the future. 

Allen was on the first-place (43.73 seconds) 4x100-meter relay team with Jesus Lopez, Julian Moncada and Ramon Arechiga and won the 100 (10.80) and 200 (21.70). Moncada was fifth in the 100 (11.41).

“This was some good competition,” Allen said. “Coach has been working with me on my block get off. I had some pretty good starts.” 

Manteca’s Alyson Schneider wont the long jump at 17 feet, 3 inches.

“I could have maybe popped up a little bit more,” Schneider said. “It feels really cool to bring home something for Manteca High.”

After winning the shot put Tuesday, Weston Ranch’s Galadriel Mellon racked up another gold, winning the discus with a throw of 127-6.

Sierra’s Jeontay Berry won the long jump at 22-½.

“I feel good getting to 22,” Berry said. “I almost PR’d.

“I am getting better every day and my next goal is 22-7 and get past Masters. Everything has been going the way I want it to.”

Manteca’s Justice Chase qualified for the Masters in three events: high jump, third, 5-9; long jump, sixth, 20-2 and on Tuesday, triple jump, fourth, 41-3.

“I feel like I could have got 21 in the long jump,” Chase said. “But I still qualified for Masters.”

When asked how he felt about qualifying in three events, Chase said, “I like it. I’m ready for it.”

East Union’s Evan Cooper was second in the 800 (2:00.37) and anchored the 4x400 relay with Gerardo Cleto-Herrera, Cesar Salinas and Kainoa Ontai to a second-place finish in 3:24.30.

“I had a bad race in the 800,” Cooper said. “I just ran it wrong.

“I closed it a little bit in the 4x400 relay and my split ended up being a 48.”

East Union’s Taylor Snaer was second in the 400 (57.47) and fourth in the 200 (25.32).

“I am excited to move on,” Snaer said. “Really excited to get to Masters.”

Cooper Freeman was third in a very tight 3,200 (9:29.82) with the difference between first and fourth being less than two seconds.

“The reason I finished third is I ran too slow in the first mile,” Freeman said. “I was trying to stay with the pack the best that I could but the pack ended up going too slow for me.

“I plan on setting my own pace at Masters.”

Manteca’s Camrenne Genilla was fourth in the high jump at 4-10 and Sierra’s Shomari McKnight was sixth in the shot put at 45-5 ½.