Las Plumas junior Kylie Atteberry, Orland sophomore Logan Meredith, Shasta sophomore Elizabeth Merrill, Foothill-Palo Cedro senior Caden Rowe, Fall River senior Giselle Rodriguez, and Orland senior Angela Schykerynec secured return trips to the CIF-State Track and Field Championships with winning performances at the CIF-Northern Section Finals on Friday at West Valley HS in Cottonwood.
Event champions at the Northern Section Finals automatically qualify to compete at the State Meet this Friday and Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis.
Atteberry, a triple winner here last year, will head to Clovis in just the 100-meter dash this spring following her winning 12.65 (0.8) performance on Friday. She also placed second in the long jump (16-11/nwi), and third in the 200m (26.25/0.7).
Meredith improved his section-best pole vault mark with a 14-2 clearance to earn his second consecutive trip to State. Junior teammate Austin Lawrence placed second at 11-6.
Rowe swept the hurdles titles, defending his title in the 110m event in 15.41 (1.0), and winning the 300s in 39.66 after placing fifth last spring.
Rodriguez, who swept the hurdles last spring, won the 100m hurdles (16.40/0.9) and placed second in the 300mH (47.62), behind Gridley junior AnaGloria Estrella Lueva (47.60).
Schykerynec defended her title in the shot put with a PR throw of 39-07.50.
Merrill will make her return trip to Clovis in the 1600m after running 5:18.14 to defend her NS title. She placed third in the 3200m (11:54.05). Her classmate, Talyn Hanly, placed second in both the 400 (58.75) and 800m (2:22.28). She missed a return trip to State in the 400 by .02 seconds behind winner Emma Gaddy.
Gaddy, a senior at University Prep, won the 200m (26.01/0.7) and the 400m (58.73). Trinity senior Sara Keating placed second in both short sprints, running a 12.82 PR in the 100m and 26.23 in the 200m.
Pleasant Valley junior Kayla Johnson was another double-champion after she swept the horizontal jumps, with a 17-5.75 PR in the long jump and a 35-2 PR in the triple.
Pleasant Valley demonstrated its depth by sweeping all three of the girls relays, winning the 4x1 in 50.13, the 4x4 in 4:05.34, and the 4x8 in 10:04.73. Sophomore Holly Alchin, a member on the winning 4x4 and 4x8 teams, also won the 800m title in 2:22.14.
Also among the girls competition, Corning junior Elise Toste won the pole vault with a PR of 9-3, Shasta sophomore Jaedyn Lynn was the winner in the high jump at 4-10, and West Valley junior Shelbie Rogers hit a PR discus throw of 138-0.
On the boys side, West Valley senior Ian Reynolds won the 100m (10.91/1.0) and placed second in the 200m (22.37/0.8) behind Pleasant Valley senior Parker Williams (22.23/0.8).
Pleasant Valley sophomore Jackson Hein won the 800m (1:56.80) with Foothill junior Logan Borg second (2:03.20). Borg won the 400m (50.29).
Chico picked up event wins in both the 1600m with sophomore Carter Murphy (4:28.92) and in the 3200m where juniors Charles Brennen got the win in 9:27.10 and Matt Anderson placed third (9:57.25). Yreka junior Henry Baun placed second in the eight-lap challenge in 9:31.30.
Foothill won the 4x1 at 42.91, and the 4x4 in 3:27.26 with Trinty claiming the title in the initial 4x8 (8:10.54).
In the field events, Shasta junior Emmanuel Limon won the shot put (47-7) and Durham senior Matt Larsen won the discus throw (153-0).
West Valley senior Owen Evans cleared a high jump PR of 6-2 to win that event. Foothill junior Chris Hall swept the horizontal jumps, hitting a PR of 43-6 in the triple jump, and a winning leap of 22-2.75 in the long jump.
Event photos courtesy of Andrew Meredith
File photos by Dan Tyree