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The Northern Section saw the graduation of many top track and field athletes last spring, but more than a handful of section champions and State Meet qualifiers were scheduled to return for the 2023 outdoor season. This is a focus on individuals but we want to note that Pleasant Valley sent both of its boys' 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams to State, Shasta's girls 4x100 team and Chico's 4x400m relay team also competed at the State Meet last May.
Below is a look at some of the top returning girls and boys track and field athletes in the Northern Section.
NORTHERN SECTION BOYS AND GIRLS RETURNING RANKINGS
GIRLS
Pleasant Valley, Sr.
Distance
Chloe placed third in both the 1600m (5:32.91) and the 3200m (12:20.26) at the NS Finals. She is the No. 2 returning in the 1600 and the top returner in the 3200. She ran her 1600m PR (5:22.79) at the NS Division 1 final. She placed fifth overall at the all-division cross country championship race in November.
Las Plumas, Jr.
Sprints, Jumps
Kylie won the 100m (12.66), 200m 26.93) and the long jump (16-01.25) at the Northern Section Finals. She needed every bit of her 100m PR to hold off Foothill's Kyra Jones (now a sophomore) win the NS 100m title by 0.01 seconds.
Shasta, So.
400m
Talyn won the 400m title at the NS Finals, running 60.79 PR to edge by less than a second, two other returners, Emma Gaddy, a senior from University Prep, and Aralynn Winstead-Stroing, a sophomore from Red Bluff. She went on to run in a 400m heat at State Prelims.
Shasta, So.
Jumps
Jaiden placed third in the high jump at the NS Final but had the same height, 4-10, as the two girls - both seniors - who placed ahead of her. Her PR is 5 feet and she had four meets last spring where she cleared 4-10.
Shasta, So.
Distance
Elizabeth placed second behind seniors in both the 800m (2:27.32) and the 1600m (5:17.14). Merrill, a NS cross country champion who ran her 5K PR of 19:32.21 at the CIF-State Finals (where she is a two-time qualifier), ran her 800m PR on the track at the NS Finals to earn a spot in the two-lap race at State Prelims last May.
Fall River, Sr.
Hurdles
Giselle swept the hurdles at the Northern Section finals, winning the 100m race in 17.36 and the 300m race in 48.97. She also competed in the triple jump, placing fourth (32-02.25) and is the No. 3 returner in that event. She ran her 100mH PR of 16.76, and had her triple jump PR of 32-2.25 at State Prelims after running her 300mH PR at section finals.
Live Oak, Sr.
Jumps
Emma won the Northern Section title in the triple jump last May with a 33-04 PR, earning a spot at State Prelims. She won the NS Division 3 title in the triple jump. She also competes in the 100m dash and the long jump.
Orland, Sr.
Throws
Angela, who has committed to Cal, won the shot put (37-11.75) and placed second in the discus throw (107-05) at the NS Finals. She has PRs of 39-4 in the shot, 115-11 in the discus throw.
West Valley, So.
Sprints
Nicole is the No. 2 returner in the 100m (13.17 PR) and the No. 3 returning sprinter in the 200m (27.23) from the NS Finals. She won the NAL title in both sprints and placed second there in the pole vault.
Foothill, Jr.
Jumps
Kasey is the No. 2 returner in the long jump (16-00.50). She won the event at five meets last spring, including the Northern Section Division 1 title. Her PR in the long jump is 16-11.75.