Oakland Section Track and Field Season in Review

The Oakland Section sent four individuals in five events and two relay teams to the CIF-State Championships in Clovis.

Oakland Tech was represented by senior Jala Williams in the girls 100m for the second year in a row,  junior Alexi Leduc in the boys 1600m, sophomore Eliza Ayres in both the girls 100m hurdles and long jump, the boys 4x800m relay team, and the girls 4x100m relay team. 

Skyline was represented by senior Andy Ixtabalan Argueta in the 3200m, where he ran a season-best 9:50.25 in the Saturday night final. 

The Oakland Tech girls 4x100m team of senior Inelaboh Ajayi, Jala Williams, Ayres, and senior Jada Williams, placed third in their qualifying heat in a season-best of 47.85. They placed 13th overall at prelims out of 28 total qualifiers and 26 that posted times. A year ago they ran 49.13 at State prelims.

Ayres, competing at State for the second year in a row, ran 15.36 (1.4) in 100m hurdles prelims, and 16-6.50 (0.0) in the long jump. 

Leduc ran 4:31.84 in his qualifying heat, and Williams went 12.49 (1.0) in her 100m qualifier. 

Tech's boys 4x800m relay team of sophomores Oliver Arnold, Nathan Dewan, and Gus Schafer, and junior Cezar Gomez, ran an Oakland Section-leading time of 8:48.38 at the State Meet.

Here's a look back at the headliners from the Oakland Section finals. 

BOYS

Oakland Tech junior Safir Bey won the 110m hurdles in a section-best 15.93 (-0.7) and the long jump and senior teammate Keith Jeung swept the 100m and 200m dash titles. 

Also for Tech, Leduc won the 1600m and placed second in the 3200m, senior Amare Brown won the 300m hurdles in an OK-leading 42.68 and placed second to Bey in the 110mH.

Ixtabalan Argueta led Skyline, winning the 800m (in a section-best 2:00.66) and 3200m. It was his third consecutive OK Section 3200m title. Junior teammate Lantz Fuller also was a double-winner, earning section titles in the high jump and pole vault. And he placed second in the 800m. 

Skyline senior DeOnte Johnson won the triple jump and placed second to Bey in the long jump. And sophomore Christopher Carr was runner-up in both short sprints.

While Tech and Skyline dominated the meet, they weren't the only schools with individual champions.

Madison Park junior Luis Guzman won the discus throw with a section-leading mark of 117-04, and he placed second in the shot put behind Castlemont senior Simote Samate, who had a section-best mark of 42-00.50. Oakland HS sophomore Walter Jones won the 400m and placed third in the 200m. 

GIRLS

Tech senior Inelaboh Ajayi won the 200m and placed second to Jala Willams in the 100m. It was the third consecutive OK Section 200m title for Ajayi and the second 100m title for Williams.

Ayres won the 100m hurdles and the long jump for the second consecutive year, as did Jada Williams in the 400m. 

Skyline junior Karina Larrieta Ceron swept the 1600m and 3200m titles. Also for Skyline, freshman Intrigue Jackson won the 300m hurdles, Mikaela Branner won the high jump, junior Kiana Diaz won the triple jump, sophomore Laurvee Howard won the pole vault, junior Anna Klein won the discus throw and placed second to Tech junior Victoria Urizar in the shot put.

Castlemont senior Roselin Saavedra-Silva won the 800m and placed second in the 1600m. 

Eliza Ayres

Oakland Tech, So., 100m Hurdles, Long Jump, 4x100m Relay

Ayers won the 100m hurdles and long jump titles at the section finals for the second year in a row, earning a a return trip to State in both, and she ran a leg on the section-champion 4x100m relay team that ran an OK-best time at the State Meet.

Inelaboh Ajayi

Oakland Tech, Sr., 200m, 4x100m Relay