2022 Central Coast Section Track and Field - Top Girls To Watch
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To the credit of the Central Coast Section office, individuals and teams were able to participate in two section meets in the spring of 2021 which included a section final in late June at Soquel HS (above photo). As we look ahead to the upcoming season, we wanted to highlight some of the top returning athletes which you can check out below. Included are their personal records in their main events as well as their place at the section final. We will continue to update this list as the season gets underway.
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Jessi Barry (Valley Christian/Sr.) Long Jump/Triple Jump
PRs: Long Jump 17-11.5, Triple Jump 38-1
At the 2021 CCS Finals, Barry placed second in the long jump (17-4.25) and won in the triple jump with her 38-1 her PR. She placed second in both events at the WBAL finals and will be one of the top returning jumpers in the section.
Ashlyn Boothby (Scotts Valley/So.) 1600/3200PRs: 1600 4:59.74, 3200 11:03.20
Boothby primarily competed in 1600 in the 2021 season. She placed third in the 1600 at the CCS Finals and ran her PR in the same event at the Dublin Distance Fiesta. Boothby had a spectacular fall in cross country with a nearly undefeated season and third place finish at the CIF-State Meet in Division IV.
Elizabeth Churchill (Aptos/Sr.) 100 Hurdles/High Jump
PRs: 100 Hurdles 16.09, High Jump 5-6, Long Jump 16-8.25
Churchill was one of the most versatile competitors in the section with quality marks in multiple events. She qualified for the CCS Finals in three events and went on to win the high jump and place second in the 100 hurdles.
Lillian Kaelber (St. Francis/So.) 400/800
PRs: 400 meters 58.46, 800 meters 2:19.89
Last season, St. Francis won the section team title with an outstanding group of runners. One of those runners was their talented freshman, Lillian Kaelber who placed second in the 400 meters and ran a leg on the winning 1600-meter relay.
Samira Kennedy (Castilleja/Jr.) 400/800
PRs: 400 meters 58.74, 800 meters 2:11.51
Kennedy had an outstanding sophomore season on the track with her best race coming at the CCS Finals as she raced to second place in the 800 meters with a PR of 2:11.51. Kennedy also had an outstanding cross country season this past fall and will be favored the two-lap event in the upcoming season.
Juliette Kosmont (Santa Catalina/Jr.) 100 meters/Long Jump
PRs: 100 meters 12.17, Long Jump 16-3
Kosmont is the top returning short sprinter in the section as she finished in second place in the 100 meters behind multi-section champion, Kaley Peterson of St. Francis. She was also the PCAL champion in the long jump and qualified for the CCS Finals where she placed ninth.
Chika Nwachukwu (Silver Creek/Sr.) 100 hurdles/300 hurdlesPRs: 100 hurdles 15.24, 300 hurdles 46.95
Nwachukwu (Jose Carlos Fajardo photo to the right)
was by far the best short hurdler in the section as she lowered her PR to 15.24 to win the 100-meter hurdles race. She was the only competitor to finish under 16 seconds. In the 300-meter hurdle race, Nwachukwu finished in fourth place at the same meet. She recorded her PR of 46.95 while winning the BVAL finals.
Ningning O'Brien (Homestead/Jr.) Shot Put/Discus
PRs: Shot Put 32-6, Discus 126-7
PRs: Shot Put 32-6, Discus 126-7
O'Brien qualified to the CCS Finals in both throwing events. She finished in 7th place in the shot put with a near PR. In the discus, she placed second with a throw of 121-3 behind San Benito senior, Julia Hicks. She will be the section's favorite to win that event this season.
Allison Tjoe (Lynbrook/Sr.) 100 hurdles/300 Hurdles
PRs: 100 hurdles 16.09, 300 hurdles 45.04
Tjoe was one of the best combination hurdlers in the section last year. She placed fourth in the short hurdles with a time of 16.25. In the 300 hurdles, Tjoe won what was to be a very competitive race very comfortably as she established her new PR of 45.04.
Albert Caruana is a Bay Area-based coach and a regular contributor to MileSplitCA