The Peninsula Athletic League track and field championships mean different things to different levels of athletes.
For some, just participating during Day 1 and putting on their best performance of the season is a victory in and of itself. For others, making it out Day 1 qualifying for Saturday’s Day 2 championships is considered a success. And for that small group who considers themselves contenders, now is the time to start letting out some leash in anticipation of the Central Coast Section championships and beyond.
Regardless of what level a track athlete is, it’s a coach’s duty to make sure that athlete is ready to go.
“From a coaching staff perspective, you’re always looking for people ready to perform, whether it’s week one or week five,” said Chris Lucey, Hillsdale head coach and the PAL director of track and field. “A great performance shouldn’t be a great surprise.”
Day 2 and the final day of the PAL championships are Saturday at Sequoia High School, with field events beginning at 10 a.m. and track events starting at 11 a.m. And there should be plenty of intrigue.
“The Carlmont girls are probably one of the strongest teams in recent history,” Lucey said. “M-A is poised (to make noise). They’re very strong across the board. San Mateo is atop the leaderboard right now, so it’ll be interesting to see how that fills out.
“There are all kinds of scenarios that can play out.”
Lucey highlighted the boys’ 100-meter sprint, which features the top six qualifiers all having a shot at running sub-11 seconds. Then there is the boys’ 800, which has three of the top-five times in CCS this season. The Carlmont girls will look to dominate the middle- and long-distance races, while the shot put and discus could see the same athletes win both events.
“The great thing about the PAL the last couple of years, we have gotten strong across the board, across the league,” Lucey said. “If you’re a track aficionado, the PAL championships are a great meet to watch.”
100
Boys
M-A’s Jacob Roeder leads pack of qualifiers who are trying to join the list of runners breaking 11 seconds. Roeder qualified first with a time right on 11.0 seconds. The top six qualifiers all finished within two-tenths of a second of each other.
The PAL record was set last year by Hillsdale’s Sineth Andrbadu, who ran a 10.67.
Girls
Woodside’s Evelyn Tolver ran a personal record of 12.36 to claim the top qualifying spot, beating her previous best of 12.49. Menlo-Atherton’s Diya Mahadevan also ran her fastest time of the season, 12.57, to qualify third. Aragon’s Amelia Hayden Gephart, who had the fastest time in the PAL this season at 12.45 during a tri-meet April 15, qualified second with a time of 12.56.
The PAL record of 12.14 was set by M-A’s Jessica Eagle in 2018.
200
Boys
Roeder, who has the sixth-fastest time in CCS at 21.85, qualified comfortably in second with a time of 22.47. That was behind El Camino’s Nathan Nand, who posted a new personal best in taking the top qualifying spot with a time of 22.27.
Charles Harger and Aragon and Hillsdale’s Salamanca, qualifying in third and fourth, are within shouting distance of the top spot with times of 22.50 and 22.51, a new PR for Salamanca.
The PAL record was set last year by Woodside’s Mattheo Lacasia in a time of 21.59.
Girls
Aragon’s Hayden Gephart was the fastest qualifier in the 200, posting a 25.79. Tolver, who appears to be peaking at the right time, ran another personal best, his her 25.95 good for second.
Mahadevan, Capuchino’s Star Gutierrez and Aragon’s Madison Ketcham all ran personal bests, as well, to qualify in third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
M-A’s Eagle also owns the PAL record in the 200 with a time of 25.07, set in 2019.
400
Boys
Aragon’s Charles Harger, who has the fastest time in the PAL this season at 49.21, was the top qualifier by nearly a second at 49.84. Carlmont’s Simon Gehrke was the only other qualifier to run under 51 seconds, qualifying second in a time of 50.72.
Woodside’s Lacasia also owns this PAL record, a 45.57 run last year.
Girls
The top five qualifiers all posted times of under a minute, led by Carlmont freshman Vivian Ivanov, who ran 58.60 to be the only runner under 59 seconds. Her teammate, Isabella Schuett, another freshman, qualified third.
A third-first year athlete, Capuchino sophomore Gutierrez, qualified second in a time of 59.15.
Carlmont’s Justine Fredonic holds the PAL record, posting a 55.94 in 2007.
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800
Boys
This will be one of the highlight races of the day with some of the top runners in the section, led by M-A Evan Chopra, who qualified eighth with a pedestrian time of 2:00.56. But he has the fastest time in CCS this season with a 1:52.23 at the Arcadia Invitational April 11.
He’ll be pushed by Carlmont’s Gerhke. He qualified fifth with a run just over two minutes, but has the third-fastest time in CCS with a 1:53.79. Gerhke’s Carlmont teammate, Landon Schaefer, has the fifth-fastest time in CCS this with a 1:54.07 and qualified sixth.
El Camino’s Yutaka Roberts holds the PAL record of 1:55.74 set in 2021.
Girls
Schuett, who has already won a title as part of Carlmont’s 4x800 relay team, was the top qualifier in the 800 with a time of 2:19.91. She was a second faster than her teammate Alexandra Farrell, who qualified with a 2:20.91.
Schuett has the fifth-fastest time in CCS this season with a 2:13.45.
The PAL record was set in 2002 by Menlo’s Libby Jenke, with a time of 2:15.88.
1,600
Boys
M-A’s Aidan Sharp may have the third-fastest time in CCS this season with a 4:14.24, but he qualified seventh with a time of 4:28.23. Its teammate Evan Chopra that set a new PAL record in qualifying, posting a 4:15.00 to bury the former record of 4:17.10, set by El Camino’s Gerardo Castro in 2014.
Sequoia’s Matthew Macedo qualified second. He was also second-fastest in the 800.
Girls
Carlmont’s Daneila Cuadros is a heavy favorite to add the 1,600 title to go along with championship as part of the 4x800 relay team, along with teammate Katelyn Elliott, who qualified second. Cuardos will look to go under five minutes for the second time season after posting a 5:04.00 in qualifying, well ahead of Elliott’s 5:11.56.
M-A’s Tatum Olesen set the PAL record of 4:51.35 in 2023.
100/110 hurdles
110 hurdles boys
The top-four qualifiers all ran races under 16 seconds, led by the 1-2 qualifying finish from Mills’ Jerry Chen, who qualified first with a 15.96, and Danael Na, who was one-hundredth of a second slower, qualifying with a 15.97. Jefferson’s Antonio Martinez and Half Moon Bay’s Dylan Loof were both right there, as well, coming in with times of 15.99.
Westmoor’s John Paul Williams holds the PAL record of 14.90, set in 2010.
100 hurdles girls
Carlmont’s Kiana Chen is looking to take the next step to PAL champ after finishing second in this race last year. She and Sequoia’s Oceane Lacasse were the only two qualifier to post sub-16 second races, with Chen clocking a 15.51 and Lacasse a 15.87.
Chen has the sixth-best time in CCS this season, running a 15.45 at the De Anza/Wilcox Invitational March 28.
The PAL record was set in 2002, 14.91 by Carlmont’s Mary Meyman.
300 hurdles
Boys
The top three qualifiers cracked 42 seconds, led by HMB’s Loof, who qualified first with a 41.24. Jefferson’s Martinez was second with 41.75 and Hillsdale’s Austin O’Meara third in a time of 41.94.
The PAL record is 39.30, set by Carlmont’ Erik Michon in 2002.
Girls
Chen is going for the hurdles double, after finishing second in this event last year, as well. This looks to be a two-person match race between top qualifier Chen, who posted a 46.77, and Woodside’s Tindra Eckstein, who qualified second with a 46.98 — the only two sub-49 qualifiers.
Chen’s best this season is a 44.96, while Eckstein clocks in with a 46.18 as her best effort.
Burlingame’s Mackenzie Schoustra set the PAL record of 45.10 in 2016.
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