Manteca High sophomore sprinter Julian Moncada earned four first-place medals Thursday to lead area athletes in the Valley Oak League Championships at Sierra’s Daniel Teicheira Memorial Stadium.
The top four placers in all varsity events qualify for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III meet. Competitors who finish outside the top four but match or surpass at-large standards also advance.
League champion Oakdale was the top scorer in all four levels — varsity boys, varsity girls, frosh-soph boys, frosh-soph girls.
Moncada captured gold in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, clocking times off 11.07 and 22.55 seconds, respectively. He was also part of the winning 4x100 and 4x400 relays. Joining him on the 4x100 (43.59) are Ramon Areciga, Roberto Facundo and Kaden MacDannald. The mile relay also consisted of Ramon Arechiga, Isaiah Arechiga and Dario Rodriguez.
MacDannald earned an individual title in the long jump with a mark of 20 feet, 1 inch. Fellow Buffalo Christopher King took the shot put crown with a personal record of 46-10 ½.
East Union’s Ian Metcalf set a PR in winning the triple jump (41-8), edging out Sierra’s Anthony Grady, who also improved his best mark, by 3 inches.
Lancer sophomore Cesar Salinas was the 400 winner with a new personal best time of 51.02.
Sierra’s lone first-place finish for varsity boys came from the 4x800 relay of Brendan Alson, Omar Ayala, Tristan Crowe and Jovan Sangha, who finished in 8:38.82.
In varsity girls, East Union standout Taylor Snaer cruised to wins in the 100 (12.27) and 200 (25.81). Her personal record of 11.98 is the fourth fastest 100 time produced in the Section this season.
East Union’s Mariela Navarro was one of the surprise performers of the meet, as she won the high jump with a new personal record of 4-09. Freshman Caliyah Lopez took first in the long jump (15-5 ½). Jarely Ortiz took second in the 800 but PR’d at 2:31.95 with a late kick that threatened Oakdale’s Kassidy Fmura (2:31.82).
Manteca had two varsity girls gold medalists, as Rylan Steckler took the pole vault (9-0) and Jada Iharo won the triple jump (34-9) with a new PR.
The SJS Division III meet is on May 9 and 11 at Lincoln High of Placer County.
Western Athletic Conference
On Wednesday at Pacheco High of Los Banos, Lathrop’s Janessa Ward garnered three first-place medals with wins in the 100 (13.00), 200 (26.97) and 4x100 (52.18).
Adonis Siga was another multi-event winner for the Spartans, as he repeated as conference champ in the 110 hurdles (15.39) and 300 hurdles (39.73). He also qualified for the SJS Division IV meet in the 100 and 4x100.
Taimane Lowery improved her personal record in the 3,200 by a whopping 22 seconds, winning in 12:31.02. Riana De La Cruz spearheaded an all-Spartans field in the pole vault (9-0). Alaba Olaleye took first in the triple jump (33-11 ½) and third in the long.
Lathrop’s top male performers in field events include Wesley Reyes and Gavin Miller, who share the pole vault crown with mirroring 13-0 marks. Raymond Carson is a co-titlist in the high jump (6-0), and Jeremiah Green garnered gold in the triple jump (41-2 ½).
Lathrop also won the boys 4x400 (3:35.68) and 4x800 (8:50.00) relays.
The top four and at-large qualifiers in each event move on to the SJS Division IV meet set for May 9 and 11 at Weston Ranch High.
Trans-Valley League
Ripon’s varsity girls secured their second straight league championship Thursday at Hughson. The boys team ends as the runner-up after it was narrowly outpointed by host Hughson, 153-149.5.
Gabby Delgado successfully defended her titles in the throwing events. She won the shot put with a personal record 37-02, which ranks her seventh in the Section. She also won the discus (122-08), where she is No. 5 in the Section with a PR of 125-10 ½).
Sophomore Starla Skiles is also Section ranked. She claimed the 300 hurdles league title in 46.29 seconds, which is seventh best in the SJS.
Annie Wild and Stiles each won three events. Wild doubled in the 1,600 (5:11.97) and 3,200 (11:54.43). They were also part of the winning 4x400 relay (4:07.54) along with Jenna Skavdahl and Emily Paxton.
Rylee Agbayani-Duenas joined Maragos, Paxton and Skiles on the first-place 4x100 (50.19). Skavdahl took first in the 400 (1:00.34) and second in the 800.
Ripon’s boys were highlighted by sophomore Brett Shaw, who won the 300 hurdles with a PR of 42.17. He was also on the winning 4x400 (3:34.06) with Devin Fitzpatrick, Eric Guevara and Tristan Nelson.
Ripon also won the 4x100 (44.38) with the quartet of Jacob Allen, Nathan Gaines, Dru Orlando and Anden Ries.
The top three placers and at-large qualifiers will next compete in the SJS Division V meet at Weston Ranch on May 9 and 11.
