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Spartans break two program records at WAC Championships
WAC track
With his coach and father Justin Miller looking on, Lathrop’s Gavin Miller is congratulated by teammate Alyvia Galano after setting the school record in the boys pole vault with a first-place finish at 15 feet, 3 inches. Galano won the girls pole vault at 9 feet, 0 inches. - photo by Dave Campbell

 MODESTO — There was a lot of hardware brought home by Lathrop High from the Western Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships at Johansen High’s Dan Gonsalves Stadium on Saturday, but none was more special than the gold-medal performance by Spartans pole vaulter Gavin Miller.

WAC track
Lathrop’s Gavin Miller eclipsed his school record in the boys pole vault with a first-place finish at 15 feet, 3 inches.
He not only beat his own boys school record at 15 feet, 3 inches — he beat the record of his father Justin Miller, a 1997 Manteca High graduate.

“I feel pretty happy because that was my dad’s old high school record and I used his pole,” Miller said. “I broke the school record as a sophomore at 13 feet, and since then, I have been progressively getting higher.”

Adonis Siga pocketed four medals — three golds and a silver. He won boys 110-meter (15.06 seconds) and 300 hurdles (40.63), was on the winning 4x100 relay (43.56) with Makoi Cagler, Jimari Dove and Charles Wright and he finished second in the 100 (11.10).

“The 4x100 and 100 were PRs (personal records),” Siga said. “It was a good day to run.”

Janessa Ward anchored the girls attack for Lathrop, with Ward winning the 100 (12.34), 200 (26.15) and joining Tatiana Lowery, Melia Lewis and Sierra Adams on the winning 4x100 relay (50.54)

“I feel pretty good,” Ward said. “A little tired, but pretty good.

“I felt confident coming in.”

WAC track
Lathrop’s Janessa Ward won the girls 100-meter dash in 12.34 seconds.

Pablo Pena won the boys shot put (43-4 1/2).

“I am excited and happy,” Pena said. “It was a PR for me.

“I put my all into my second-to-last throw. I was in first before that but I really wanted a PR.”

Dominic Corral’s throw of 155-2 ½ in the boys discus was good for first place and a new Lathrop record.

Everardo Gomez won the boys high jump (5-10) and was second in the pole vault (11-6).

“I feel pretty good about today,” Gomez said. “I was so close to getting 6 feet.”

Alyvia Galano won the girls pole vault (9-0), but fell short of her goal.

“I was going for the meet record,” Galano said. “I was under my PR, so I have some room for improvement.”

The top four finishers will advance to the two-day Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV-V championships beginning Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Riverbank High.

Other Spartans qualifiers for the boys were 4x400 relay (Jaren Holloway, Cagler, Wright, Dove) finishing first, Gomez (pole vault, 11-6) second, Charles Wright (200, 23.46) and Dove (400, 53.28) third and the 4x800 relay of Brandon Rodriguez, Oliver Hernandez, Andres Hurtado, Malachi Gonzales finishing fourth (9:26.30)

WAC track
Lathrop’s Jimari Dove takes the baton from Charles Wright for the anchor leg of the boys 4x400-meter relay won by the Spartans in 3 minutes, 33.48 seconds.

For the Lathrop girls, the 4x800 relay of Mackenzie Collins, Jacqueline Pena-Santillan, Ariana Matute, Eliza Alday finished first (10:39.68) as did Moira Ramones (triple jump, 34-5 ½). Finishing second were Collins (1,600, 5:52.52; 3.200 13:03.76), Riana De La Cruz (pole vault, 8-0), Ava Green (long jump, 15-7 ½), Sierra Adams (triple jump, 33-3), Jazmine Sorrell-Williams (shot put, 28-6) and the 4x400 relay of Aleena Basi, Green, Araya Carson and Melia Lewis (4:22.24).

Finishing third were Lewis (400, 1:02.56), Pena-Santillan (1,600 5:54.42), Green (100 hurdles, 17.71; 300 hurdles, 51.60), Suhani Banwait (high jump, 4-6) and Ramones (long jump, 15-4 ¾) with Pena-Santillan (3,200 13:37.88), Viola Olowofela (high jump, 4-6) and Banwait (long jump, 15-4 ¾).

This was the final meet of the year for the junior varsity. Riley Gier won the 800 (2:12.38), 1,600 (4:53.79) and the 3,200 (11:22.97) for the Spartans boys. Beau Grisham (discus, 107-3) and Maddox Ramos (pole vault, 8-0) also finished first.

Mariana Coon won the girls pole vault (7-6).