The, other heat winners were
Harvard-Westlake's Amy Weissenbach, who entered the prelims with the state's fastest time
this season at 2:05.55 but won
her heat Friday in 2:09.87, and
San Juan Hills' Chelsea
Kruthers, who won her heat in 2:09.19.
Last year, Weissenbach, as a
junior, ran the state's 800 final
in 2:02.04, a national prep. While Atkins will get the honor of being the top seed in the 800m
final, it will be no easy task to come out on top of this loaded field.
The only other North Section athlete to join Atkins for the second day of the competition
is Gridley's Ryan Donnahoe. Donnahoe claimed the fifth of nine qualifying spots to advance to the Saturday shot put finals
with a throw of 60 feet, 2 1/2 inches.
Donnahoe, who already has a scholarship for UC
Davis, hit his 60-2 1/2 mark on his first throw of the day. He
fouled on his second throw and managed a throw of 60-0
1/2 in his third throw. This is the first time he has reach 60 feet in competition.
Ethan Cochran of Newport Harbor from the Southern Section leads qualifiers with a toss of 64-6.5.
The day didn't go as well for Paradise's Dylan
Chamberlen, the section champion in the 800 boys
event.
Chamberlen, a Paradise senior, ran his
1:52.95, finishing-fifth in his heat. He was the fastest
runner not to qualify for today's final.
He actually finished faster than qualifer Nick Ratto
of St. Joseph's of the North Coast section. But Ratto,
who was in the third heat, automatically advanced to
the final by placing second in his heat at 1:52.96. The
top-two finishers in each heat plus the next-best three
times advanced.
No other section athlete qualified for today's finals.
Pleasant Valley junior Brooke Whitburn was 11 th in
the long jump. She jumped 15-9 in his first attempt,
fouled her second before getting 18-3 1/4 on her third
try. Her personal record of 18-10 would have been good
for a tie of sixth. '
In the triple jump, Whitburn placed 18th. She
jumped 35-11 1/2 in her first try, then 36-8 1/4 before fin-
ishing with a 36 3 1/2.
Whitburn also ran in the 400 relay with Gabrielle
Finley-Vaquera, Michelle Guilbault and Natalie Makel.
The four turned in a time of 50.30. The time placed the
quartet 24th in the prelims.
The Orland boys 400 relay team of Javone Bradford,
Jordan Butterfield, Andrew Hutchens and Austin
Schmeltzer turned in atime of 43.57, good for 27th.
Butterfield, the section champ in the 100 as well, ran
his prelim in 11.21 for 26th.
PV's Bradley Cox ran the 400 boys event in 51.41
for 27th. Cox, along with Daniel Celis, Koll Roberts and
Ryan Troudy, ran the 1,600 relay in 3:28.75 for 24th.
Orland's Bailey Moss ran the girls 300 hurdles in
48.26 for 28th.
State Finals - Saturday June 2
Kody Atkins, no doubt with less reserve in the tank after her preliminary round PR, finished a respectable fifth in the girls 800 final. Her time of 2:10.24, a mark only second to the time she recorded in the prelims.
Gridley's Ryan Donnahoe, building on his preliminary round PR, improved by over a foot to claim third in the boy's shot put final with an impressive toss of 61-6.
It was his third of three consectutive tosses over 61 feet, a distance he had never reached until the state meet final. Pretty good timing on his part.
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