Kenny Wooten was not going to let a sore ankle slow him down.
The Manteca junior fought through the pain Saturday to bring home gold medals in the high jump (6-foot-6), triple jump (44-7 ¼) and was on the winning 1600-meter relay team in the Valley Oak League track and field championships at Daniel Teicheira Memorial Stadium.
“Honestly, it feels great,” Wooten said of his three gold medals. “I went into the high jump knowing I was going to get at least 6 feet, and my coach talked me through the pain and I sucked it up and got 6-6.
“In the triple jump I only did one or two jumps because my ankle was hurting and in I had never run the relay before. It was exhausting and I need to start running more.”
Wooten led a sweep in the triple jump with Buffaloes teammates Carl Chandler taking second (42-4 ½) and Lechi Nkwocha third (41-6 ½) and was joined by Brando Craighead, Mahir Pepic and Juan Gomez on the 1600 relay (3 minutes, 28.72 seconds).
Pepic and Craighead each brought home another gold medal with Pepic winning the 1600 (4:37.10) and Craighead the 800 (2:00.33)
“I went in to the race blank-minded and relaxed,” Pepic said. “I put in more training than most of these guys and I thought I could outlast them. I am not worried about my time, I just have the mentality that nobody is going to beat me.
Craighead shot to the lead near the end of the first 400 meters and never lost the lead.
“I wasn’t expecting to pick it up until into the second 400,” Craighead said. “But I got in front and took the lead. It was a PR for me by more than two seconds.”
Gomez was the fourth member of the winning 1600 relay team to pick another gold, taking first in the 400 (50.33).
“I just wanted to come out here and do my best, doing what I have been training for all year,” Gomez said.
Manteca’s Raygan Both also picked up a pair of gold medals – one in the 400 (59.06) and the other with Summer Kirby, Ariana Avina and Jade Griffin in the 1600 relay (4:10.17). Raygan finished second in the 200 (26.18).
Both came into the day with her sights set on beating Oakdale’s Sara Stevens in the 400, and Stevens finished second (59.62).
“It felt wonderful,” Both said of her 400 win. “I came in thinking that I wanted all-league so bad.
“I wanted to beat Sara Stevens so bad and I finally achieved it.”
Griffin picked up a second gold medal in the 200 (25.98), just nipping Both (26.18).
“It felt good coming out of the turn,” Griffin said. “And then onto the straightaway where I saw the line and I knew I wouldn’t go away without the win.”
Loretta Kakala picked up a gold for the Buffaloes in the shot put (37-6 ½) and was second in discus (115-6). Kakala had lost to Kai Tanner of Oakdale the previous week in the shot put and wanted some revenge.
“I was really nervous on the first two,” Kakala said of her shot put. “Because they were not as far as hers (Tanner’s).
“But then coach was talking to me and had me lift my leg instead of dragging it and that made a difference.”
Lancers strong
in boys 100
East Union went 1-2-4 in the boys 100 with Darian Joseph finishing first (10.98), Cody Keener second (11.14) and Taariq Davis fourth (11.23). Joseph was second in the 200 (22.70) as was Keener in the high jump (6-0). Keener finished third in the 200 (22.88).
“I came into today feeling good,” Joseph said. “I just thought I could win it, I believed it, and it happened.
“I had a really good start. I am one of the fastest starters in the league and it was awesome.”
Jordan McNeal brought home gold medals for the Lancers in the 100 (12.35) and on the 400 relay along with Katelyn Allen, Alyssa Drew and Sophie Williams (49.65).
“This feels great,” McNeal said. “I am glad I was able to come out here and accomplish most of my goals.
Weston Ranch’s Iris Carillo won the two longest races of the day, taking the 1600 (5:22.85) and 3200 (11:59.46).
“It was tough,” Carillo said after her 3200 win. “But my coach motivated me and pushed me all the way.
“Overall it was a good day.”
Terrina Phillips of Lathrop took the lead in the final 50 meters to win the 800 (2:25.92)
“I wish I would have had a bigger lead at the end,” Phillips said. “But I normally race with the boys and they motivate me to get faster, so I think I had a little more energy left at the end than I normally do.”
Lathrop’s Sophia Serrano expected a close race in the 100 hurdles, and her first-place time of 16.85 seconds just edged Oakdale’s Melody Johnson (16.87) and Kimball’s Andrea Gallegos (16.99).
“I knew it was going to be really, really close,” Serrano said. “We were all like milliseconds off of each other.
“I stuttered a bit at the start but recovered.”
Thetop four finishers will participate in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II-III championships at Bella Vista-Fair Oaks with the trials and selected field trials on Wednesday, May 20 and the finals on Friday, May 22.
Qualifying with first-place finishes from East Union were Allen (300 hurdles, 47.81); Lathrop – Lathrop Sophia Serrano (100 hurdles, 16.85); Weston Ranch – Tomas Huerta (3200, 10:06.66) and Sierra – Anthony Santiago (shot put, 54-7).
Second through
fourth finishers
Second-place finishers include from Manteca – Emma Holbrook (1600, 5:37.53); Ariana Avina (800, 2:29.30); Carl Chandler (long jump, 21-0) and Eddie Santos (shot put, 45-3 ½); Lathrop – Sophia Serrano (300 hurdles, 49.07); Laury Diboki and Danya Phillips (high jump, tie, 4-8) and the boys 400 relay (Michael Ramos, Jacari Thompson, Tremayne Willis, Horatio Venable, 44.33); Sierra – Haley Silva (3200, 12:23.07); Garet Stone (3200, 10:08.18); Jojo Macias (pole vault, 12-7); Anthony Santiago (discus, 136-10) and the girls 1600 relay (Jasmin Correa, Mariajose Correa, Diana Cruz, Ruth Esparza, 4:17.97.
Finishing third from Sierra were Bikram Thiara (110 hurdles, 15.60); Jasmin Correa (400, 1:00.9); Diana Cruz (800, 2:32.07), Candice Lao (3200, 12:59.76) and the girls 400 relay (Jasmin Correa, Jaidalee Franklin, Mariajose Correa, Chabryel Snear, 50.20); from Lathrop – Marisol Balatazar (1600, 5:39.12); Isais Hunter (high jump, 6-0) and Horatio Venable (long jump, 20-9) and from Weston Ranch – Thomas Huerta (1600 4:38.92) and the boys 1600 relay (Andrew Phann, Jordell Burks, Malik Vegatatum, Zach Sims, 3:32.96) and from East East Union – Patricia Tajii (300 hurdles, 50.00) and Maliah Watson (shot put, 34-11).
Fourth-place finishers from Manteca – Blake Lamoreaux (1600, 5:43.43); Teresa Morales (pole vault, 7-6), Jade Griffin (400, 1:00.95); Marcus Montano (high jump, 6-0 and long jump, 20-8) and Marcus Huerta (pole vault, 12-7); Sierra – Snear (100, 13.09); Jasmin Correa (200, 26.54); Rumnick Cheema (shot put, 43-10 ½ and discus, 132-5); from Lathrop – Felician Crisostomo (110 hurdles, 15.88); Marisol Baltazar (3200, 13:05.85);
Tarik Steen (3200, 10:21.65); Jacari Thompson (triple jump, 41-3 ¼); the girls 1600 relay (Phillips, Phillips, Zakiyaa Nelson, Kira Booth, 4:29.41) and boys 1600 relay (Wills, Ramos, Galven Munoz, Zack Ormonde, 3:33.88) and East Union – Patricia Tajii (100 hurdles, 17.17) and Brandie Mack (triple jump, 31-5).
WOOTEN IS GOLDEN
MHS junior claims three gold medals at VOL meet

