DIVISION 3 at YORBA LINDA HS
A week from Saturday, the boys and girls track and field programs at JSerra will be looking for a team sweep of both titles in Division 3. And why not? The Lions are loaded, especially on the girl's side with six qualifiers each in the 800 meters and the 1600 meter events. No program took advantage of meeting the 'at-large' standard more than the JSerra program as Division 3 witnessed 39% of all at-large bids in the Southern Section as a whole. JSerra boosted that cause by also qualifying SEVEN girls in the Pole Vault alone.
With only heat winners and the next fastest to total only nine who advance in the track events, the JSerra ladies are undoubtedly aiming for maximum domination.
Leading that pack are juniors Georgia Jeanneret and Brooke O'Brien, and sophomores Brynn Garcia and Anne Elise Packard. Not among the half-dozen qualifiers in the 1600m is returning division champion Anastasia Snodgrass. Fear not, the Cal Berkeley signee is listed among those in the 800m and the 4x400m relay, and undoubtedly will be a key to the 4x800m lineup that won't run again until CIF-SS Masters on May 20th seeking one of four qualifying spots into the State Meet Finals.
Among others figuring to move on this week and score points next week for the JSerra girls are freshman long-sprinter Maya Woolforde, senior hurdler/jumper Hanna Barmettler, and senior thrower Siena Lambert.
Returning division champions among girls include Laguna Hills sophomore Holly Barker (3200), Harvard-Westlake senior Jessica Thompson (pole vault), and Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks senior April Fontenette (discus throw). Also, Mission Viejo senior Jada Gatlin won the triple jump title in D-2 last year.
Other girls to watch include Castaic junior Meagan Humphries in the 200m, long jump and high jump (she was a D-2 runner-up in the jumps last year at Golden Valley HS); South Pasadena junior Mia Holden is the top returner in both hurdles and the triple jump; Calabasas junior Zoe Ray in the long sprints and relays; Notre Dame sophomores Aja Johnson in the throws and Sofia Martinez in the hurdles; Oak Park senior Kymara Brodie in the sprints; Santa Margarita senior Lidia Major in the hurdles and sophomore Sophie Polay in the distances; Harvard-Westlake junior Gisele Thompson in the sprints, and Chaminade junior Amia Witt in the high jump. Also, Mission Viejo senior Emily Psarras will be looking to qualify in both short sprints and the long jump.
JSerra's road to a division title on the boy's side is led by senior thrower Brendon See, the returning State Meet champion in the discus and current CA leader in both the discus (197-8) and shot put (65-10). Classmate Jake Stafford ranks No. 2 in CA in the discus throw after his 183-8 at the OC Championships. Also, senior Josh Jornadal is the top qualifier and top returner in the long jump.
Cathedral looms as the largest threat to JSerra's team sweep threat led by the 'Mannys' distance stars Emmanuel Perez and Emmanuel Hernandez, both still juniors. So too is mid-distance standout Ambodai Ligons, runner-up for the 800m division title last year as a sophomore.
Returning division champions include Santa Margarita senior Roman Mendoza, who will be looking to add a 110m hurdles title to a 300m hurdles championship repeat. St. Francis senior Clint Geryak is the top qualifier looking to defend his title in the pole vault. Moorpark senior Victor Ezike is the returning champion in the high jump and a top qualifier in the triple jump. Burroughs-Ridgecrest Hunter Shroeder is the top qualifier in the high jump and figures to battle Ezike, as well as Monrovia senior Devin Paton, in the triple jump.
Palos Verdes junior Alex Naehu is one to watch in the distances, as is Servite senior Alex Skalmowski and Burroughs senior Romello Jenkins in the sprints, as well as sophomores Seth Shigg of Chaminade in the 400m, and Miles Paris of Notre Dame in the 110m hurdles.