OAKLAND -- Sean Morello, a sophomore at Albany High School (NC), said that he was aiming for a personal-best in the boys 1600 meters at the Clash of the Titans on Saturday, June 5 at Skyline High School. But Morello didn't stick to his original plan.
"I was a little worried because I was feeling pretty fatigued yesterday," Morello said. "This was going to be my final meet of the season. So I came out in the 16 planning to run about a 64-second first lap. But some days, you're just feeling it. I took it out real fast in 61 and just hung on as long as I can and it turned out alright.
"I was real pleased. It was basically as good as I could ask for."
It did indeed. Morello broke his PR with a time of four minutes, 16.47 seconds, breaking his old mark by four seconds. It was a meet record as well. In fact, Morello set two meet records when he came back to win the 3200 in 9:33.42.
"I ran my PR at Dublin and I was pretty tired after the (1600) today, so I figured I would just go for the win," he said.
Morello had two of the 12 meet records set on the day -- plus one that was tied. For several athletes -- including Morello -- it was the final competition of this very hurried high school season.
Morello played football, soccer, and other sports as a kid. He started cross country in seventh grade.
"I just kind of stuck with it because it was what I was good at," he said.
Morello's dad ran track in college and his younger brother has taken up the sport. They are a track family. Morello is looking forward to getting better over the offseason and jumping into cross country in the fall.
Morello was one of several double-winners.
Junior standout Jadyn Marshall of Stockton St. Mary's (SJ) swept the hurdles in a pair of meet records. Marshall, who won both events at the Arcadia Invitational last month, had an easy time. He won the 110 hurdles in 14.40 and the 300 hurdles in 38.10.
Toby Tan, a senior at Fremont American (NC), swept the weight events in a pair of meet records as well. He won the shot put at 54 feet, 11 inches, and took the discus at 150-5.
Jonathan Simmons, a Navy-bound senior at meet host Skyline (OK), also had a double, setting a meet record of 48.75 in the 400 and winning the 200 in 22.39.
Yutaka Roberts, a junior at South San Francisco El Camino (CC), set a meet record in winning the 800 in 1:53.42. Luke Appleby, a junior at Turlock (SJ), set a new mark in the pole vault at 13-1.
In girls' competition, Turlock junior Kylee Redman swept the 100 and 200 in 12.31 and 25.49, respectively. Ellianna Shapiro, a junior at American, set a meet record in winning the 3200 in 11:10.77. Desie Armstrong, a junior at Martinez Alhambra (NC), also set a meet record in the long jump at 18-1.50. As did St. Mary's junior Cameron Fields in the triple jump at 35-7.50.
Skyline's Jane Heida tied the meet record in the high jump at 5-0.
Renae Searls, a freshman at Alhambra, won the 1600 in 5:19.50.