M-A sweeps PAL track championships

The M-A boys returned to the top of the pack after a disappointing second-place finish last year. The Gentleman Bears also scored 114 points, holding off Carlmont’s second-place total of 95. In 2018, M-A was overtaken by first-place Sequoia by one point 84-83.

“Another emphatic end to the PALs,” M-A head coach Alan Perry said.

Eagle soars to four titles

Eagle continues to prove the pride of the Bears. After winning three PAL titles last season, the senior repeated in the girls’ 100-meter and 200-meter dash and in the 4x100 relay. She added a fourth gold medal this year as M-A won the girls’ 4x400 relay.

With the Central Coast Section trials being held this coming Saturday at Gilroy High School, and the CCS finals at the same location Friday, May 17, Eagle figures to be a contender in both her individual events. She was the CCS champion in the girls’ 100 last season and took third in the 200.

“She’s really running well,” Perry said. “And the competition hasn’t been as stiff as it was last year. She’s strong. She’s motivated. And as the competition gets better, I think it’s just going to help her more and more.”

Her first-place time Saturday in the 100 of 12.26 seconds was a tick below her season best, set March 16 at the St. Francis Invitational of 12.20. That is the second-best time in the event for any CCS runner this year. Only Soquel sophomore Sarah Canavan is better at 12.14.

Eagle’s best time in the 200 is even closer to the top spot. She took the PAL title Saturday in 25.07, her personal record in the event. That ties her for second best in the CCS this season with Jessica Swalve, and is just off the top time of 25.02 set by San Lorenzo Valley senior Camryn Crouch.

Perry said she can absolutely contend for multiple CCS titles this year.

“I think so,” Perry said. “She’s got big-meet experience … so she knows what to expect and how to prepare herself for big competition. So, she’s risen to the occasion.”

M-A swept the top three spots in each the 100 and 200.

Autriyana Hardy took second place in the 100 at 12.85, and also claimed third place in the 200 at 26.23. Lauren Collinsworth took third place in the 100 at 12.95. In the 200, Malia Latu took second place at 26.03.

Latu also took the championship in the girls’ 400 with the only sub-one-minute time at 59.36.

Sanchez a difference maker

After last season when the M-A boys settled for second place by the slimmest of margins, senior Francisco Sanchez proved the difference Saturday. A transfer from Aragon, Sanchez took two gold medals, winning the boys’ 100 in 10.95, and the 200 in 22.29.

Senior distance runner Cole Mediratta was also a two-time winner, taking gold in the 1,600 in 4 minutes, 23.87 seconds to claim his first-ever PAL title. He later took first place in the 3,200 in 9:50.18.

“Cole’s really improved a lot,” Perry said. “He had a great cross-country season and he’s dropped a lot in the 16 and 3,200s. … He’s worked really hard and he’s really getting the tactical side of it down.”

The M-A boys also enjoyed a strong showing the field events. Andrew Scott won the triple jump with a top distance of 42 feet, 3.25 inches. In the throwing disciplines, held the previous weekend at M-A, Songi Eke took first place in the boys’ discus at 148-10, while M-A senior Noah Ngalu took second at 138-9.

Carlmont’s Gescuk goes the distance

After taking the PAL championship in the girls’ 3,200 last season, Gescuk not only won a repeat title in the event this year, she doubled down to take the crown in the 1,600 as well.

That doesn’t mean the senior was entirely happy with her performance.

In the girls’ 1,600, Gescuk dominated with a time of 5:01.63. She missed her personal record of 5:00.51 set at M-A in a dual meet March 27. More importantly, she just missed running the event in under five minutes.

“I think I definitely felt a burst of emotion,” Gescuk said. “Just kind of disbelief. But it just made me want it more.”

Gescuk’s tenacity may now cause her to alter her strategy in the CCS championships, where the original plan was for her to only run one of the events, according to Carlmont head coach John Lilygren.

“The original plan was to skip her in the 16 and run her only in the 3,200,” Lilygren said. “But I think she wants to have one more shot at breaking five minutes.”

Gescuk was far off her personal record in the 3,200, though her time of 11:02.63 was still enough to take gold. At the Arcadia Invitational April 6, she PRed at 10:32.95, the best time in CCS this season by over 11 seconds.

This marks the first year Gescuk has fully dedicated herself to track season. An ont-of-state transfer from Oregon, she joined the track team last year right at the start of the season. Training around the calendar year has made a major difference in 2019, she said.

“An unbelievable amount of difference,” Gescuk said. “My whole scope and mindset, it just feels like it’s so much different from last year. I can’t believe it’s only been one year. It feels like five years.”

M-A senior Sara Osterberg was is certainly impressed with Gescuk. Osterberg took third place in the 3,200 at 11:21.93, and fourth in the 1,600 at 5:10.45.

“Definitely intimidating,” Osterberg said. “But it’s good competition … for both races I run. So, I always know I have someone to go up against.”

Osterberg was all smiles after Saturday’s meet after advancing to the CCS championships for the first time in her varsity career.

“Really excited,” Osterberg said. “I don’t know what to expect … but it should be fun.”

Other girls’ results

Terra Nova senior Carly Watts continued to dominate in the throwing disciplines. The reigning champ in girls’ discus and shot put, she again went double gold. In the shot put, she topped the podium with a throw on 44-01.5, In the discus, she won with throw of 152-10, over 28 feet better than the second-place distance.

In the girls’ 800, Half Moon Bay’s Kendall Mansukhani won in 2:18.55; in the 100 hurdles, Hillsdale’s Elise Raphael won in 16.86; in the 300 hurdles, Terra Nova’s Elizabeth Demafeliz won in 49.54; in the high jump, Hillsdale’s Bianca Belforte won at 4-08; in the pole vault, Sequoia’s Julie Trundle won at 9-06; in the long jump, Sequoia’s Savanna Newton won at 14-11.5; and in the triple jump, San Mateo’s Evelyn Contreras won at 32-11.25.

Other boys’ results

In the boys’ 400, Aragon sophomore Ian Koe won in 50.20; in the 800, El Camino’s Yutaka Roberts won in 1:58.38; in the 110 hurdles, Capuchino’s Jonathan Natividad won in 15.60, out-legging Mills’ Enrico Cruz who took second in 15.64; and in the 300 hurdles, Burlingame’s Cooper Glavin won in 42.16.

In the boys’ relays, Carlmont won the boys’ 4x100 in 43.58, and also the 4x400 in 3:31.86.

In the boys’ high jump, Sequoia’s John Utecht won at 6-00; In the long jump, Utecht took gold as well at 20-09.5; in the pole vault, Sequoia’s John Horan won at 14-07; and in the shot put, Aragon’s Liam Laughlin won at 47-05.

Final team scores

For the girls, M-A won with 114 points, followed by Carlmont at 70; Terra Nova at 56; Sequoia at 48; Woodside at 34; Mills at 31; Hillsdale at 24; Capuchino and San Mateo at 22 (tie for eighth); Half Moon Bay at 19; Westmoor at 17; Aragon at 16; Burlingame at 14; and El Camino at 9.

For the boys, M-A won with 114 points, followed by Carlmont at 95; Aragon at 65; Sequoia at 51; Hillsdale at 33; Mills and Westmoor at 21 (tie for sixth); Burlingame, Capuchino and Terra Nova at 17 (tie for eighth); El Camino at 16; San Mateo at 11l Half Moon Bay at 9; Woodside at 8; and Jefferson at 1.