OVERVIEW
Senior thrower Erica Grotegeer (Wheatland) was the most decorated of the athletes in the Northern Section. She is a four-time section champion in the discus throw and three-time State Meet qualifier who capped her amazing career with a CIF-State Meet title on June 2 at Clovis Buchanan High.
Her winning throw of 174-9 was one of the best in State Meet history, ranks No. 2 in the United States in 2018 and is top-15 all-time in California history.
Grotegeer, headed to San Diego State, placed 2nd at Stanford, 2nd at Arcadia, had the second-best throw in State prelims, and won every other competition she entered this past spring.
Other performances of note from the Northern Section:
- Sophomore Hana Hall (University Prep) won the section title in the 3200 (11:09.65) and went to State where she posted at PR of 10:54.24 for 22nd place in a 29-runner field, a 15-second PR! She was the No. 4 sophomore finisher and No. 10 among non-seniors at the State final.
- Junior Natalie Rogers (West Valley) took the shot put title away from Grotegeer with a best of 39-8 (Grotegeer, a former section champion in the shot put, was 2nd, 38-7).
- Senior Alyssa Burke (Enterprise) won the section title in the triple jump with a best of 36-7.
- Senior Brock Fischer (Enterprise) swept the hurdles at the section final, winning the 110s in 14.96 and the 300s in 40.04. Junior Dylan Northrup (Foothill Palo Cedro) was 2nd in both (15.36 and 40.99). Fischer went to State in both hurdles, running a PR 39.43 for 14th in prelims.
- Senior Jarrett Kingston (Anderson) swept the throws at the section final, winning the discus with a best of 153-08 and the shot put at 49-04.
- Senior Brian Hastings (Las Plumas) won his second consecutive section title in the 1600 (4:24.83) and went on to place 7th at the State final.
- Junior Charlie Giannini (Chico) won the section title in the 3200 (9:35.08) and ran a 9:24.50 PR at the State final.
- Junior Lauren Harper (Trinity) won both the 800m (2:23.78) and the 1600 (5:22.65 after running a PR of 5:14.12 the previous week to win the Division 3 title). She went to State in the 800, and popped a 2:13.23 PR in prelims to earn one of the 12 spots in the finals. There she ran 2:20.73 for 11th.
- Senior Savannah Bailey (Sutter) won both section titles in the 200m (25.97) and the 400m (58.33) and was 2nd in the 100m (12.75).
- Senior Christian Valles (Chico) won the NS triple jump title (43-0 after jumping a PR 44-02.50 to win the NS Division 1 title) and he was 3rd in the long jump with a PR 20-07.50.
