PAL track and field championships don’t disappoint

The field events began at 10 a.m., the girls’ 4x100 relay kicked off the running events at 11 a.m. and the boys’ 4x400 relay capped the day at about 2:20 p.m. Saturday.

Aragon’s Mina Hwang was the day’s only three-time winner, as the sophomore sprinter captured the 100 meter, 200 meter and ran the anchor on the Dons’ 4x100 relay-winning team.

The relay victory, which saw the Hwang finish off a 49.37 with Stela Pisaro, Madison Ketcham, Amelia Hayden beating Woodside by half a second, as the Bears finished with a 50.73.

That was the easiest race of the day for Hwang, who won her other two races by an eyelash. In the 100 final, Hwang looked to be even with Woodside’s Evelyn Tolver at the 75-meter mark and it was essentially a photo finish at the line, with Hwang eking out the victory — 12.68 to 12.69.

“I didn’t know (if I won or not),” Hwang said. “Honestly, I felt my hip flexor strain a little bit.”

It didn’t prevent Hwang from adding the 200-meter title to her resume later in the program, as she held off teammate Hayden 26.11 to 26.16 to give Hwang two PAL sprint titles by a total of six one hundredths of a second.

The boys’ discus final was just as dramatic as 24 throwers started the morning, but it wasn’t until the final two throws of the competition that the championship was decided.

Woodside’s Evan Usher, the top qualifier and the Central Coast Section leader with a throw of 172 feet, 1 inch during a tri-meet in April, was staring at 6-foot deficit as he took the ring for his final throw — and launched the third-best throw in the CCS this season, hitting 167-1/2.

San Mateo’s Emmanuel Fitzgerald, the top qualifier into the final round and was leading with a toss of 166-1, had one last chance to catch Usher, but his final throw ended up in the safety net, clanging off one of the safety net support posts to give Usher the discus title to go with the shot put crown he won last week.

“Feels good,’ Usher said of being a double champion. “Honestly, it wasn’t my best day … but I got the job done.”

Menlo-Atherton hurdler Sara Nordlund was also a two-time winner, winning both the 100 and 300 hurdles races, holding off Carlmont’s Kiana Chen in both. Nordlund won by about a hurdle in the 100 hurdles, posting a time of 12.62 to Chen’s 16.58.

The 300 hurdles was much closer, with Nordlund holding off Chen at the line for the win — 45.16 to 45.27.

Not bad for a hurdler who is just rounding back into form.

“This meet was a lot of competition. Kiana is really good,” Nordlund said. “I’ve been really sick the last week, so I was just trying to make it into the finals (during the trials last week).

“I feel a little bit better.”

Thrill of victory ... and the agony of defeat

Hillsdale sprinter Sineth Andrabadu had the most star-crossed day as he reveled in a win and sat in agony in with a loss.

The senior sprinter won his second straight PAL title in the 100 meters, cruising in with a 10.91. Already the second-fastest runner in the CCS after posting a 10.65 at the Top 8 meet, he was looking to add a second-straight 200-meter title when disaster struck.

As he came off the turn, he pulled up, clutching his left hamstring. He came to a stop and crumpled to the track as Woodside’s Mattheo LaCasia went on to win the race in a time of 21.59, easily out-distancing M-A’s Alexander Petty, who finished with a 22.45.

Record-setting day

A couple of PAL records were set, with the Hillsdale 4x100 boys’ relay team breaking the school and PAL record. The quartet of Noah Nues, Sineth Andrabadu, Kingston Hua and Jonas Bell made the one-lap run around the track in a time of 42.12, breaking the 42.86 set by Menlo-Atherton in 1999.

Carlmont, which finished second, also eclipsed that 1999 relay time, clocking a 42.51. Third-place Westmoor was just off, finishing third in a time of 42.96.

In girls’ pole vault, Burlingame’s Avery Boyse set a new PAL record and did so in a smashing performance. She became the first female pole vaulter to not only clear 12 feet but she cleared 13 feet, smashing the previous record of 11-7 set by Sequoia’s Abigail Goetz just last year.

Boyse’s vault is also the best in the CCS this season, more than a foot better than the second-best height of 11-7 1/2 by Leigh’s Quinlyn Abel.

Surprising wins

Woodside’s Mattheo LaCasia was a heavy favorite to win the PAL 400-meter title. He already had the fastest time in the CCS and he cruised to the PAL crown with a time of 45.57, beating Aragon’s Charles Harger by nearly a second.

But it was LaCasia’s win in the 200 that was the surprise. Despite qualifying first, he was a serious underdog to Hillsdale’s Andrabadu, who is one of the fastest sprinters in the CCS.

But when Andrabadu pulled up lame with a hamstring injury halfway through the race, it opened the door and LaCasia walked through, winning with a time of 21.59.

In the boys’ high jump, San Mateo’s James Ely pulled off the upset. His teammate, Luka Sebisanovic was the overwhelming favorite. In nine meets this season, Sebisanovic had cleared 6-0 eight times and had a season-best 6-4 3/4 at the Stanford Invitational in early April.

Sebisanovic was the top qualifier, but Ely usurped him in the finals, setting a PR with a height of 6-4, beating Sebisanovic’s top height of 6-0. It was the first time Ely had gone high than six feet in his career.

Carlmont sweeps team titles

The Carlmont Lady Scots added the PAL championship team title to go along with an undefeated dual- and tri-meet regular season. Mills led the team standings early, but midway through Saturday’s event, pulled ahead of Mills. By the end, Carlmont had surged into the team lead and ended up amassing 94 points. Aragon finished second with 86 points and Mills was third with 65.

The Gentlemen Scots finished second during the regular season and held off M-A Saturday to claim the championship team crown. Carlmont led the team score early and never really gave it back. It looked like the Scots were cruising to the team win. Through 15 of events, Carlmont had 78 points. San Mateo was second with 71 and M-A third with 70.

But after those final two events, the Scots held on to beat M-A 84-80, with San Mateo finishing third with 73 points.

For complete results, go to www.rt.trackscoreboard.com and click on the “Peninsula Athletic League championships” link.

Serra sending four to CCS, along with relays

Serra sprinter Jeovanni Henley qualified the CCS trials in four events, Nate Coughlin, another sprinter, advanced in three events, Luke Lewis moved on in both the shot put and discus, and the Padres’ two relay teams also qualified out of the West Catholic Athletic League championships Friday night at St. Francis High School in Mountain View.

Coughlin, the Daily Journal’s reigning Soccer Player of the Year and participating in track at Serra for the first time, finished fifth in both the 100 and long jump. He ran a 10.93, with St. Ignatius’ Prince Buchango-Babalola winning the title in a time of 10.69.

In the long jump, Coughlin posted a leap of 21-3 1/2, good for fifth place behind St. Ignatius’ Noah Gonzalez, who jumped 22-7.

Coughlin then teamed with Henley and Aidan Labrador and Jusiah Vinson to finish second in the 4x100 relay in a time of 41.94, just off the winning time of 41.68, run by St. Ignatius.

Henley also qualified in the 200, 400 and the 4x400 relay. He was second, behind Buchango-Babalola, with a time of 21.92 to 21.40 in the 200. Henley was also second in the 400, finishing with a 47.82. Sean Walsh of St. Francis won with a time of 47.77.

Henley then joined Aidan Buret, Labrador and Vinson to take second in 4x400 relay with a time of 3:19.26, just behind St. Francis’ time of 3:19.19.

Lewis easily won the shot put with a throw of 61-3 1/2, nearly 5 feet farther than the throw of St. Francis’ Case Jacobson, who posted a 56-6 3/4. Lewis then finished third in the discus with a toss to 158-4. Bellarmine’s Jimmy Campagna won with a throw of 163-1.

In the triple jump, Serra’s Michael McGee qualified for CCS in third with a jump of 45-2 1/2. St. Ignatius’ Gonzalez won with a mark of 46-7 1/2.

AJ Ennis, a native of Burlingame and a junior at St. Ignatius, qualified for CCS in the high jump, clearing 6-2 and finishing second behind Bellarmine’s Joshua Haven, who went 6-6.