MOORPARK – The dangerous thing about track and field’s postseason is that one misstep can end it all.
That is especially true in the sprints, where a couple tenths of a second can be the difference between finishing first and not qualifying at all.
Woodbridge, the county’s top-ranked boys team, survived the qualifying stage in the CIF-SS Division 2 Preliminaries at Moorpark High on Saturday, The Warriors advanced in six of the 10 track events at the meet.
Athletes had to place in the top nine (including all heat winners) of their event to continue on to next week’s CIF-SS Finals at Cerritos College.
Scott Patton, Gabe Warner, and Alex Young qualified as sprinters, while Daniel Sun and Jalen Gill will compete in the 300-meter hurdles. The Warriors will also send both of their relay teams to the sectional championships, giving Woodbridge nine chances to contribute toward their goal of a team title next week.
“Sprints are very unpredictable. When you can consistently qualify in them, that means the guys are disciplined and they’ve been focusing on what they need to do,” Warriors coach Aaron Craver said. “The margin is a couple tenths, or even hundredths of a second between first and eighth or ninth place. For the guys to continue to qualify, it’s a tribute to them and their focus.”
The county showed its mettle in the hurdles, with a trio of athletes sweeping their high and intermediate hurdles heats to advance. San Juan Hills’ Connor Meech did so in the boys meet, while the Newport Harbor duo of Hope Bender and Emma Kratzberg accomplished the feat on the girls’ side.
Alexis Turley-Young (Canyon) advanced in the 100 hurdles, while Mission Viejo’s Olivia Teegarden moved on in both hurdles races.
It’s great with three or four Orange County girls in both hurdles events,” said Bender, noting that the Southern Section is the largest in the state. “It’s really awesome to see such a close group of people in distance be so close in time.”
Mater Dei’s Malik McMorris is the defending champion in the discus. The senior received a wake-up call when he was challenged by Westlake’s Kyle Carrillo. McMorris topped Carrillo, 187-07 to 185-03 in the event.
“I’ve been thinking about it right now,” McMorris said after the close win. “I knew going in he was a good thrower. He’s a good competitor. It seems like he likes the challenge.”
“Next week will be good, and I think we will have a good showcase out there.”
Tesoro’s Amanda Gehrich had the top time in the 3,200 (10:38.11). She also won her heat in the 1,600.
Capistrano Valley’s Haley Herberg posted the top county time of 5:01.29 in the 1,600, which was second overall at the meet.
Fullerton’s Ceili Tuttle posted the top time in the girls 400 (56.57).
Mater Dei’s Jazmin Moss qualified in the long jump and the triple jump.
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CIF-SS DIVISION 2 PRELIMS
At Moorpark High
BOYS
100 – 1. Patton (Woodbridge) 10.72; 2. Wedlow (Murrieta Mesa) 10.76; 3. Wade (Murrieta Mesa) 10.88
200 – 1. Warner (Woodbridge) 21.64; 2. Vann (Rio Mesa) 21.79; 3. Young (Woodbridge) 21.96
400 – 1. Warner (Woodbridge) 48.08; 2. Hernandez (Thousand Oaks) 48.71; 3. Carter (Lynwood) 49.22
800 – 1. Chavez (Temescal Canyon) 1:54.10; 2. Brown (Redlands) 1:55.87; 3. Finch (Westlake) 1:55.89
1,600m – 1. Liebmann (Hart) 4:18.30; 2. Ross (Agoura) 4:20.23; 3. Walsh (Canyon) 4:21.63
3,200m – 1. Zabilski (Saugus) 9:09.49; 2. Teran-Solano (Jurupa Hills) 9:15.39; 3. Reed (Jurupa Hills) 9:10.06
110HH – 1. Billing (Simi Valley) 14.08; 2. Dorsey (Colony) 14.51; 3. Meech (San Juan Hills) 14.79
300IH – 1. Meech (San Juan Hills) 37.63; 2. Paton (Mission Viejo) 38.05; 3. Sun (Woodbridge) 38.97
400m relay – 1. Woodbridge 41.83; 2. Murrieta Mesa 42.22; 3. Canyon/Canyon Country 42.79
1,600m relay – 1. Woodbridge 3:21.81; 2. Rio Mesa 3:22.11; 3. Westlake 3:22.47
LJ – 1. Vann (Rio Mesa) 22-10.5; 2. Mitchell (Tesoro) 22-06; 3. Robinson (Kennedy) 21-07
HJ – T1. Rennick (Murrieta Mesa) 6-01; T1. Fausset (Ventura) 6-01; T1. Coffey (Palm Desert) 6-01
TJ – 1. Berry (Perris) 45-11.5; 2. Robinson (Kennedy) 45-06.5; Rennick (Murrieta Mesa) 45-03.25
PV – T1. Hamilton (Golden Valley) 13-03; T1. Gordon (Marina) 13-03; T1. Peterson (Moorpark) 13-03; T1. Fry (Dos Pueblos) 13-03; T1. Gallardo (Torrance) 13-03
SP – 1. Jenkins (San Gorgonio) 56-05.25; 2. McMorris (Mater Dei) 56-03; 3. Sanchez (Arroyo) 53-01.25
DT – 1. McMorris (Mater Dei) 187-07; 2. Carrillo (Westlake) 185-03; 3. Davis (Elsinore) 173-06
GIRLS
100 – 1. Francis (Rio Mesa) 11.62; 2. Bradford (Elsinore) 11.77; 3. Bowens (Redlands East Valley) 11.94
200 – 1. Francis (Rio Mesa) 24.29; 2. Bowens (Redlands East Valley) 24.63; 3. Daily (Culver City) 24.86
400 – 1. Tuttle (Fullerton) 56.57; 2. Merriweather (Golden Valley) 57.89; 3. Gillian (Mission Viejo) 58.33
800 – 1. Tinoco (Golden Valley) 2:12.19; 2. Magnani (Moorpark) 2:13.79; 3. Crowley (Redlands) 2:14.77
1,600m – 1. Ortega (Saugus) 4:59.36; 2. Herberg (Capistrano Valley) 5:02.29; 3. Gehrich (Tesoro) 5:01.78
3,200m – 1. Gehrich (Tesoro) 10:38.11; 2. Ortega (Saugus) 10:39.46; 3. Coscia (South Torrance) 10:39.72
100HH – 1. Davis (Agoura) 13.89; 2. Webster (Redlands) 14.45; 3. Brandon (JW North) 14.46
300IH – 1. Webster (Redlands) 43.14; 2. Bender (Newport Harbor) 44.04; 3. Walker (La Sierra) 44.36
400m relay – 1. Mater Dei 47.55; 2. Rio Mesa 47.68; 3. Redlands East Valley 48.07
1,600m relay – 1. Mission Viejo 3:54.46; 2. JW North 3:55.92; 3. Newport Harbor 3:56.45
LJ – 1. Davis (Agoura) 19-01.75; 2. Schiller (Westlake) 19-0.75; 3. Jones (Redlands) 18-0.25
HJ – T1. Beattie (Buena) 5-03; T1. Edwards (Redlands) 5-03; 3. Palmer (JW North) 5-03
TJ – 1. Davis (Agoura) 38-03.50; 2. Cooke (Silverado) 37-11.75; 3. Webster (Redlands) 37-08
PV – 1. Baxter (Canyon) 11-0; T2. Caskey (Mater Dei) 11-0; T2. Scharmann (Tesoro) 11-0
SP – 1. Harris (Golden Valley) 40-08.5; 2. Crockem (Chino) 40-07.25; 3. Henkel (Arroyo Grande) 40-03
DT – 1. Coubal (Thousand Oaks) 134-03; 2. DeSilva (Mission Viejo) 130-08; 3. Harris (Golden Valley) 127-09
