MODESTO – Manteca High swept the inaugural Carl L. Chandler V Track and Field Invitational on Saturday at Modesto Junior College, winning the boys and girls championships as well as earning the boys and girls outstanding athlete awards.
Sienna Jones and Alyson Schneider were co-outstanding female athletes.
Jones won the 800 meters (2 minutes, 25.91 seconds), anchored the winning 4x400 relay team with Aleah Melendez, Carly Spohn and Camrenne Genilla (4:21.47) and finished second in the 1600 (5:25.74)
“I was one second off the school record,” Jones said of her 800. “I had a good second lap, I just think I need to pick it up on my first lap a little bit.
“The wind was a little bit of a factor, but that’s just how track is. You can’t blame the wind.”
Schneider was on the first place 4x100 relay team with Taylor Thomas, Caitlynn Wong and Genilla (51.86), was first in the long jump (15 feet, 7 inches) and second in the 100 (13.48).
“I felt really good,” Schneider said. “The weather really threw all of us off but we still came out strong and that’s how we ended up.”
Allen earned co-outstanding male athlete honors with Monterey Trail’s Lamont Dunn.
Allen won the 200 with a personal best of 22.16, the 100 (11.17) and anchored the first-place 4x400 relay with Ramon Arechiga, Evani Gaeta, Julian Moncada (3:48.43) and was on the second-place 4x100 relay with Eduardo Zambrano, Arechiga and Moncada (52.25).
“I got out of the blocks pretty good,” Allen said of his 200. “Coach and I have been working on my curve run.”
Manteca’s Dario Rodriguez won both the 800 (2:14.37) and 1600 (5:03.21).
“This is my first year of doing track,” the Buffaloes sophomore said. “I tore my hip flexor last year. This is a really great experience as I have never gotten medals at an invitational like this before.
“I am glad I got to do it. I am grateful for the runners that were here to give me competition and I hope to do it again next year.”
Other multiple medalists for the Buffaloes boys included Ryan Inderbitzin (high jump, first, 5-10; long jump, second, 19-7), Blake Gross (110 hurdles, second, 17.54; 300 hurdles, second, 44.78), Jesus Valencia-Almeda (800, third, 2:16.21; 1600, third, 5:04.19), and to go with his first in the 4x400 relay Julian Moncado (200, third, 23.98).
Other multiple medalists for the Manteca girls were Izabella Sanchez (first, triple jump, 31-8; first, long jump), Karina Beck (shot put, first, 35-6 ½; discus, second, 97-8) and along with their winning relay teams Spohn (300 hurdles, first, 50.7; 100 hurdles, third, 20.37), Genilla (high jump, second; long jump, third, 14-7), Melendez (400, second, 1:06.07), Wong (200, second, 27.97) and Thomas (200, third, 28.07).
“This race felt way better than the 100 hurdles,” Spohn said of her 300. “I like this one a lot more.”
Finishing second for the Manteca girls were Jessica Perea (long jump, 14-10) and Rylan Steckler (pole vault, 7-6). Jose Rios (shot put, 40-1), Joshua Marlin (pole vault, 10-0) and Alexander Chatham (discus, 110-1) finished third for the Buffaloes boys.
Ripon’s Anthony Sausedo and Annie Wild both earned a pair of gold medals.
Wild shattered previous personal bests in the 3200 and 1600, eclipsing her 12-minute goal in the 3200 by more than 10 seconds (11:49.99) and her 5:18.13 in the 1600 was five seconds better than she had run on Friday. In fact, in three meets last week Wild beat her previous personal bests in every meet.
“I went into this meet not knowing if I could break 12 minute in the 3200,” Wild said. “Because I competed Friday and Wednesday as well.
“And I really pushed myself. I knew I could reach my goals as soon as that gun went off. And in the 1600 I PRd by five seconds.”
While the rain went around MJC all day, the wind was a constant companion. Sausedo battled that wind and notched a personal best in the 300 hurdles (38.69) and won the 110 hurdles (16.31).
“That was a PR in the 300s by about a second,” Sausedo said. “I didn’t expect this. This is my first race with a wind like this – it really messed me up, but I kept pushing through it. Again, I didn’t expect this, but I am really pleased with myself.”
The Indians won both pole vaults with Jaden Hamilton taking the boys (12-0) and Katie Martin the girls (7-6). Teammate Maddison Lopez was third in the triple jump (28-6 ¾).
East Union’s Gerardo Cleto-Herrera was the lone gold-medal winner for the Lancers (400, 54.20). April Duarte was second in the 800 (2:28.64) and third in the 1600 (5:39.99). Teammate Linda Medrano was second in the 3200 (12:56.20).
