St. Ignatius freshman Ellie McCuskey-Hay won three individual events at the CCS Finals and went on to earn to medals at the CIF-State Championships.
When looking at the state of California and how it's divided, the Central Coast Section is very much a mid-sized section. Typically at the State Meet, the Southern Section individuals and teams are very impressive leaving many of the athletes from other sections in their wake.
The 2023 CIF-State Meet was one for the ages as CCS athletes shined on the biggest stage for California Track and Field.
It was a nice mixture of experienced and rookie athletes who posted some record times and were able to compete with some of the best athletes and teams in the state.
Scotts Valley junior Ashlyn Boothby broke the section record in 1600 with a time of 4:39.45. That time surpassed the previous mark of 4:41.63 by San Lorenzo Valley's Anna Maxwell from 2014. Maxwell's mark was a converted mile time from the 2014 Stanford Invitational. Boothby finished in second place in one of the fastest 1600m races in state history.
The 4 x 800 relay was a new official event for the State Meet and CCS teams set two new section records here. The St. Francis girls finished in third place with a time of 9:04.03. That time surpassed the 2018 Santa Cruz girls who ran 9:08.84.
In the boys 4 x 800, the Menlo boys finished in second place with a time of 7:39.10 which surpassed the time of 7:45.56 by the 2017 Bellarmine boys. The Crystal Springs Uplands School foursome also surpassed the former section record with their 7:45.30 time.
In the boys' 4 x 400 relay, the Los Gatos boys finished in second place with a time of 3:13.97. That mark surpassed the Independence team that ran 3:14.14 at the 1988 CCS Region 3 meet.
Podium CCS athletes from the California State Track and Field Meet.
BOYS
100 meters - Andrew Fu (Harker) 8th place 10.60
100 meters - Zachary Jones (Riordan) 9th place 10.63
200 meters - Andrew Fu (Harker) 7th place 21.48Christian Hauge
(Live Oak) 8th place 21.60
400 meters - Will Brennan (Los Gatos) 7th place 48.32
400 meters - Levi Romero (Los Gatos) 8th place 48.34
1600 meters - Aydon Stefanopoulos (Los Gatos) 8th place 4:10.55
3200 meters - Aydon Stefanopoulos (Los Gatos) 4th place 8:57.99
3200 meters - Evan Markelz (Mountain View) 8th place 9:01.09
110 meter hurdles - Miles Roberts (Leland) 6th place 14.29
300 meter hurdles - Peter Olson (Junipero Serra) 7th place 39.12
400 meter relay - Sacred Heart Prep 8th place 41.88
1600 meter relay - Los Gatos 2nd place 3:13.97
3200 meter relay - Menlo 2nd place 7:39.10
3200 meter relay - Crystal Springs Uplands School 6th place 7:45.30
Long Jump - Logan Saldate (Palma) 2nd place 23-5.50
Long Jump - Jonathan Craft (Valley Christian SJ) 6th place 23-1.50
Long Jump - Zachary Fagin (Los Altos) 8th place 22-8.75
Triple Jump - Kenneth Tucker (Bellarmine) 7th place 45-8
Discus - Liam Brennan (Santa Clara) 5th place 183-0
Discus - Kyler Headley (Silver Creek) 8th place 171-10
GIRLS
100 meters - Ellie McCuskey-Hay (St. Ignatius) 2nd place 11.52
400 meters - Hannah Rutherford (Mountain View) 4th place 54.79
800 meters - Tatum Olesen (Menlo Atherton) 7th place 2:10.25
1600 meters - Ashlyn Boothby (Scotts Valley) 2nd place 4:39.45
1600 meters - Kinga Czajkowska (Palo Alto) 9th place 4:48.23
300 hurdles - Melia Middleton (Christopher) 7th place 43.16
3200 meter relay - St. Francis, Mt. View 3rd place 9:04.03
3200 meters relay - Los Altos 9th place 9:21.02
High Jump - Melanie Castelli (Notre Dame Belmont) 7th place 5-6
Pole Vault - Jonelle Scott (Soquel) 9th place 11-11
Long Jump - Ellie McCuskey-Hay (St. Ignatius) 6th place 19-7.25
Shot Put - Nicole Steiner (Los Gatos) 6th place 41-3.75
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CENTRAL COAST SECTION ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
BOYS
Sprints/Hurdles
Andrew Fu of Harker had the fastest times in the section in both the 100 and 200 with his 10.50 and 21.31 personal bests. He was also the top finisher at the State Meet in both events with a 8th place finish in the 100 and 7th place finish in the 200. Fu also helped his Harker teammates qualify to the State Meet in the 400 relay with his always swift 2nd legs.
Honorable Mention to Miles Roberts (Leland) who had the fastest times in both hurdle races with his 14.11 and 38.02 season bests. Roberts also qualified for the State finals in the 110 hurdles and finished in 6th.
Distances
Aydon Stefanopoulos
Los Gatos, So.
This section was full of impressive distance runners but in the end, Stefanopoulos finished in 2nd place at the CCS 1600 race and won the 3200 race. At the State Meet, Stefanopoulos was the only runner to podium in both distance events as he finished in 8th place in the 1600 and was an even more impressive 4th in the 3200.
Honorable Mention to Justin Pretre (Menlo) for his overall season that included 1:52.90, 4:11.42 and 9:11.75 bests. Pretre qualified to the State Meet in the 1600 and anchored his 3200 meters relay team to 2nd place finish and section record time.
Jumps/Pole Vault
Zachary Fagin
Los Altos, Sr.
Fagin was all over the track at the CCS finals competing in 400 relay, 100, long jump and high jump. He ended up with winning the high jump with a best of 6-5 and qualified for the long jump with a 3rd place finish. At the State Meet, Fagin podiumed in the long jump with an 8th place finish.
Honorable Mention to Kenneth Tucker (Bellarmine) who had the second longest effort in the triple jump, won the section meet and podiumed at State with a 7th place finish.
Throws
Liam Brennan
Santa Clara, Sr.
Santa Clara senior Liam Brennan was the best discus thrower in the section as he won the section championship and finished in 5th place at the State Meet. Brennan also got the nod here because he had the 3rd best mark in the shot put making him the best combined thrower in the section.
Honorable Mention to Silver Creek junior Kyler Headley and Junipero Serra sophomore Luke Lewis. Headley also podiumed in the discus at the State Meet with his 8th place finish. Lewis was the best shot putter in the section with a 57-8 best and qualified for the State Meet final in the same event.
Distances
Ashlyn Boothby
Scotts Valley, Jr.
Scotts Valley junior Ashlyn Boothby has been one of the top distance runners in the section but took her running to a new level this past season. She posted the best times in the section in all three distance races with bests of 2:09.03, 4:39.45 and 10:26.12. Her 1600 time came at the State Meet as finished an impressive runner-up finish behind Ventura's Sadie Engelhardt.
Honorable Mention to St. Francis, Mountain View sophomore Sabrina Zanetto who was the section champion in the 800 and anchored the 3200 relay to a section championship and 3rd place finish at the State Meet.
Jumps/Pole Vault
Ellie McCuskey-Hay
St. Ignatius, Fr.
Melanie Castelli
Notre Dame-Belmont, Sr.
Tough decision to pick here and several athletes were impressive in one event. In the end, the two State Meet podium athletes get the nod here. McCuskey-Hay was the section winner in the long jump and saved her best effort of the season for her final jump at the State Meet with a leap of 19-7.25.
Notre Dame Belmont senior Melanie Castelli won the Mt. SAC Relays with a best of 5-8, won the section meet with a leap of 5-7 and podiumed for the 2nd year in a row with a 7th place finish.
Weight Throws
Golda Demby
Hollister, So.
Nicole Steiner
Los Gatos, So.
Homestead discus thrower Ningning O'Brien was the top discus thrower in the section but it was two shot putters that get the nod here. Los Gatos sophomore Nicole Steiner was the top shot putter in the section for the majority of the season and finished in 6th place at the State Meet. Hollister sophomore Golda Demby was the best combined thrower in the section and won the section final with a section leading 43-4.5.
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Albert Caruana is a coach in Northern California and a regular contributor to MileSplit.
Photos by DeAnna Turner and Raymond Tran
St. Ignatius freshman Ellie McCuskey-Hay won three individual events at the CCS Finals and went on to earn to medals at the CIF-State Championships.