COTTONWOOD - Shasta High's Molly Ross knows what it takes to be a champion. She helped the Wolves capture Northern Section titles this year in volleyball and girls basketball. But she finished off her junior year with her most proud feat out of the three, seizing the 100- and 300-meter hurdles crowns at the NSCIF track and field championships Friday at West Valley High School.

Ross was named the girls Bob Russell Award recipient, given to the male & female athletes with the best performance at the meet. Not only was she one of three double-winners on the day, but she was also part of Shasta's second place 4x100 relay, and probably most importantly came up only .03 short of the section record in the short hurdle race. The four section titles to her name in one year sets the bar pretty high for an encore. "That's the coolest thing to be proud of," Ross said. "I didn't do it alone and to be part of those teams motivated me to want it more today."

Foothill's Chris Rosero was named the boys Bob Russell Award winner as the only athlete to win both a track and field event on the day. Rosero, in his first year in track, hit personal records to win the long jump in 21 feet, 6 inches and cruised in the 200 in 22.38 seconds. He also took second in the 100. He had to overcome a disastrous performance the week before at the Division I Championship where he only auto qualified for the section meet in the 200. An alternate in both the 100 and the long jump, he had to rely on scratches to compete. "It's its own monster you have to fight," said the junior Rosero on competing in multiple events. "You have to run and then switch modes and go into jumps for field. It's crazy and difficult but once I got it down I loved it."

Winters' Sofia Evanoff was the only other individual double-winner (Chico girls won both relays). The senior breezed to win her fourth section title in the 400 in 56.72 seconds and won the 200 (25.35) for the third straight year. Her time in the 400 was her best since her sophomore year. Ross finished third at the section finals in the 300 hurdles the past two years, falling behind the same two older and more experienced runners in Yreka's Jenavieve Turner and West Valley's Kristina Freitas. This season though, was Ross' from the start. She had the top time in the event all year and held true to the end, turning in a season-best 45.77 seconds Friday to win. "It's kind of scary," Ross said. "I knew these girls are going to want me so I had to want it more than them. I knew I had what it took and could mentally tough it out." Ross used her athleticism and quickness as a libero in volleyball and point guard in basketball to open up another opportunity to start running the 100 hurdles. She won 12 of her 14 races in the event this season, including blowing by the field in 14.69. It was the second-fastest time in section history, trailing West Valley's Alyssa Christensen's time of 14.66 in 2007. "I've had more confidence this year," Ross said. "It was my race and I could do it and I had it in me to do it."

West Valley's Alexa Flagg, who's headed to Southern Oregon University on a partial scholarship, won the 800 for the third consecutive year. Flagg, despite coming up a little short of best time set last year, is nevertheless prepared for the next level. "I wouldn't say it was a lot of pressure, it was more of anxiety to get it over with because I'm done with senior year and excited to move on to college," Flagg said.

The winners for each event heads to the CIF state championships in Clovis on Friday. If the winner doesn't decide to go, which usually falls on most graduations in the Northern Section, then an alternate will be sent in their place.

Here are top track finisher from the NSCIF track and field championships:

GIRLS
100: Lassen's Brianna Mendonca was first in 12.58, Loyalton's Kennedy Hood was second in 12.66 and Pleasant Valley's Courtney Kermen was third in 12.82. Shasta's Bekah Boyle was the top local finisher in seventh at 12.95.

200: Winter's Sofia Evanoff's time of 25.35 won the event. Chico's Sharlotte Sheffield closed well to take second in 25.74 while PV's Kermen was third in 26.25.

400: Evanoff won her fourth section title in the event in 56.72. Lassen's Brianna Mendonca was second in 59.33. Paradise's Keeley Wolfe took third (1:00.50).

800: West Valley's Flagg's, used a fast opening lap to capture her third straight title in 2:20.03, well ahead of Hamilton's Kelly Koehnen (2:25.05) and Red Bluff's Daisy Brose (2:26.14).

1,600: Shasta senior Hannah Davis won the event in 5:17.50 for her first track section title after finishing fourth last year and second as a sophomore. Central Valley's Anna Lewis improved four spots on her seed to take second with a personal record of 5:19.14 and will go to the state with Davis walking at graduation. Chico's Celeste Wilson was third (5:24.91).

3,200: West Valley's Jenna Storms won her first section title in track after finishing 0.02 seconds behind the winner last season. Storms finished 11:34.87 followed by CV's Lewis (11:54.14) and Red Bluff's Naomi Renfroe (11:57.46), respectively. Her victory was made much easier by Enterprise's Natalie Ulloa dropping out nearly a lap short of the half way mark. "It took a lot of hard work and even more determination," Storms said.

100 hurdles: Ross won in 14.69. Gridley's Stephanie Cardenas was second (15.78) and West Valley's Samantha Chaney was third (16.28).

300 hurdles: Ross won in 45.77, followed by Lassen's Brianna Medonca (46.85) and Gridley's Cardenas (47.33).

4x100 relay: Chico's team of Arin Jenkins, Nashaia Nixon, Allison Peterson and Sheffield won in 48.80 to break a section record in place since 1977. Shasta's team of Ross, Jessie Toombs, Bekah Boyle and Hannah Maze was second in 49.60, with Hamilton City third (50.35).

4x400 relay:Chico's addition of Sheffield (for Wilson) proved decisive as the Panther win in a season best by eight seconds (4:02.25). West Valley's team of Storms, Kirsten Galway, Chaney and Flagg took second in 4:04.30 with Lassen a distant third (4:14.62).

BOYS
100: Sutter's Tyjuan Prince won in 10.84. Foothill's Rosero (11.07) was second.

200: Rosero won in 22.38, followed by Gridley's Angel Santana (22.72) and Shasta's David Pistorius (22.82).

400: Foothill's Seth Garrison made up ground on the final straightaway to win with a personal record of 50.89. Live Oak's Adrian Silva was second (51.42).

800: West Valley's Zach Baldwin won in 2:01.69, followed by Shasta's Carlos Manzo (2:02.42), U-Prep's Nathan Lervold (2:05.88) and West Valley's Gabe Cheek (2:06.89), respectively.

1,600: Mount Shasta's Chris Morzenti, who finished second in the race last year, won in 4:32.13, edging Trinity's Ben Harper (4:33.14). Chico's Jacob Graber, who bold move in lap three opened up what had been a very pedestrain race, took third (4:34.05)

3,200: Trinity's Harper won the title in 9:49.20 after taking third last year. U-Prep's Tyler Yonkers was second (9:51.90) and Enterprise's Chris Prielipp was third (9:59.89).

110 hurdles: Sutter's Brandon Jackson was first in 15.28, followed by Enterprise's Zayd Morton (15.61) and Keaton Voorhees (15.74).

300 hurdles: Corning's Alex Davila won in a personal record of 39.46. Enterprise's Voorhees was fourth in 41.37.

4x100 relay:Tyjuan Prince anchor proved decisive in Sutter's win (43.36) over PV (43.49) and Shasta's team of Pistorius, Kyale Muckel, Kyle Catanese and Mario Valdez (43.51) in a race that saw the top four teams run season bests.

4x400 relay: A tight race the entire way in which Paradise won in 3:27.86 to edge Mount Shasta's team of Morzenti, Drew Miller, Garrett Bryan and Ryan Hering (3:27.96) and West Valley (3:27.97). This race was one and only time any Northern Section team (much less three) broke 3:30 this year.





COTTOWOOD - There was a battle in the skies Friday at the Northern Section Track and Field Championships - a battle at 13-plus feet. And when the flying was done, Foothill's Colton Boontjer ascended to the winner's spot on the boys pole vault podium with a winning jump of 13 feet, 6 inches. He cleared the mark on his second jump as he and West Valley's Tyler Burson were the only two competitors remaining. "My best coming in was 12, so a foot and a half is crazy," Boontjer said. "I skimmed 13 and sailed over 13-6 and I don't know how I did it."

The pole vault battle was a three-man race as Boontjer, Burson and Shasta's Max Richmond all cleared 13 feet. After all three failed at 13-3 on their first two attempts, Boontjer, who was vaulting first based on seeding, cleared 13-3 on his final go. As he was in the air, it didn't look as though he was going to clear the bar, but found a way to twist and contort his way over. "I had a kind of weird form, but I was able to get over," Boontjer said. After Richmond missed on his final attempt, Burson stepped up and willed himself over the bar. Burson and Boontjer each missed on their first attempt at 13-6. The Foothill junior then hit the ramp, bent the bar and sailed easily over the 13-6 mark. Burson had two cracks to keep the pole vault competition going, but hit the bar each time. Boontjer had a shot at 13-9 but knew he was headed to the State Finals next week regardless. "I mean, wow. It's just crazy," Boontjer said.

Another unlikely Cougar who will be joining Boontjer at state is Chris Rosero, normally a high-seed sprinter. But Rosero is headed to state after winning the boys long jump as an alternate. "They called me over as the alternate and I didn't really have a chance to warm up," Rosero said, who also won the 200 meters. And all he did was jump 21-6 on his second attempt, besting second-place finisher Burson by eight inches. "The guy before me jumped 20-6 and I said 'OK, that's motivation,' " Rosero said. "I felt good and when they said 21-6 my heart just started beating."

But it wasn't just a day for underdogs, as the top seeds won in the boys discus, Anderson's Grant Kingston, and girls long jump, Shasta's Jessie Toombs. Kingston, won the discus with a throw of 155-0, also will represent the Northern Section in the shot put after finishing second to Shasta's Colton Murrison. The Wolves' thrower, who won with a 49 feet, 8-inch throw, is skipping the state meet to graduate with his Shasta class. "It was always about graduating unless I threw over a 56 and that didn't happen," Murrison said.

Toombs, a junior, didn't have that dilemma. She just had to use her last jump to leap into first place. She was sitting in second place to Las Plumas' Chava Rivers heading into her final attempt. As Toombs stood on her mark waiting, she had to wait a little longer as the girls 100 was about to start. After the speedsters cleared, Toombs again readied only to have to wait as some bystanders accidentally started to cross the runway. Toombs took a deep breath, received final words of encouragement and a thumb's up from coach JC Hunsaker and started toward the tape. "I was just in my head," Toombs said. "I wanted to go to state so bad. I didn't think it (the jump) was that great." It was and she got the wish she had as she waited for that final jump. "I was thinking that I want to do this for my parents so they can watch me at state," said Toombs, who choked up when thinking of her parents.

Here are top field event finishers from the NSCIF track and field championships:

GIRLS
High Jump: Kaylee Shoemaker, Corning, 5-3; Alyssa Burke, Enterprise, 5-1; Caroline Ristuccia, Golden Eagle, 5-1.

Shot Put: Marisela Cardenas, Gridley, 42-04; Claire Walton, Shasta, 35-01.25; Makenzie Barnes, Pleasant Valley, 34-04.

Triple Jump: Alyssa Burke, Enterprise, 35-07.75; Kilee Hannan, Anderson, 34-10; Michael Curry, Gridley, 34-06.5.

Discus: Wheatland freshman Erica Grotegeer only win (128-11) on a busy day (3rd long jump, 5th 100m); Cardenas, Gridley, 117-01; Barnes, PV, 116-01.

Long Jump: Toombs, Shasta, 17-01.5; Rivers, Las Plumas, 16-02; Grotegeer, 16-00.5.

Pole Vault: Madeline Moyer, Mount Shasta, 10-6; Jade Permenter-Barnes, Yreka, 10-3, Samantha Foster, Yreka, 9-0.

BOYS
Discus: Grant Kingston, Anderson, 155-00; Donovan Switalski, East Nicolaus, 151-07; Logan Barker, Yreka, 149-04.

Triple Jump: Elijah Dean, Sutter, 44-05; Marley Broeks, West Valley, 43-04.75; Wilson Presleigh, Shasta, 42-10.

Long Jump: Rosero, Foothill, 21-06; Burson, West Valley, 20-10; Kevon Cunningham, PV, 20-06.

Pole Vault: Foothill's Colton Boontjer PRs 4 times to come away with an improbable win at 13-06, Burson, West Valley, 13-03; Richmond, Shasta, 13-00.

High Jump: Christopher Jaeger, Hamilton, 6-07; Burson, West Valley, 6-03; Broeks, 6-03, West Valley.

Shot Put: Colton Murrison, Shasta, 49-08; Kingston, Anderson, 49-02; Izzy Matthews, Enterprise, 48-1.5.

Discus: Grant Kingston, Anderson, 155-00; Donovan Switalski, East Nicolaus,151-07; Logan Barker, Yreka 140-04.






COTTONWOOD -- At any standard track and field meet, the 1,600- meter relay is the final event. On Friday night at the Northern Section CIF Track and Field Championships, that meant the best was indeed saved for last. The Chico High girls and the Paradise boys punctuated the section finals with standout performances, winning section titles and earning berths to next week's state meet at Buchanan High in Clovis. The victory was doubly impressive for the Panthers as both of their girls' relay teams took section titles Friday night at West Valley High. In the 1,600 relay, Sharlotte Sheffield, Arin Jenkins, Gabriella Mace and Nashaia Nixon won in 4 minutes, 2.25 seconds, easily besting secondplace West Valley's 4:04.30. " It was a team effort. It's one thing to win yourself, but to know it was a team effort in an individual sport, it's more special," Sheffield said. The Panthers' 400 relay foursome of Jenkins, Nixon, Allison Peterson and Sheffield won in 48.80. Shasta was second in 49.60.

The Paradise boys, who had been the section leader in the 1,600 relay for much of the season before Chico upset the Bobcats at the Division I finals, stormed back to the top of the podium on Friday. Davis Foster gave Paradise a slight lead with his opening leg, and Ben Warren, Masen Jensen and Brett Hunter maintained the lead despite being pushed by both Mount Shasta and host West Valley. The Bobcats finished in 3:27.86 to hold off second- place Mount Shasta's 3:27.96 and West Valley's 3:27.97, a spectacularly close race in which all three teams broke 3:30 for the first time this year. The victory prompted hugs and smiles all around after the team's seasonal best to go with the section title and trip to state. "They ran incredibly fast," said Paradise sprint coach Cliff Ferris, beaming like a proud papa. "A 5 second P.R."

The same could be said for the Chico girls. After the Panthers won the 400 relay, Dale Edson, the girls coach, asked, " Did you like that?" She definitely did. " That's the first time we've ran 48 all year," a smiling Edson said. " When Sharlotte got the baton, she was ahead. She's usually behind when she gets it." (Come on coach it's only the second time EVER any girls team has broken 49 seconds in the section. And this one was faster than the first time, which was accomplished way back in 1977 by Chico, of course -TC). Jenkins, Nixon and Peterson provided an advantage, and Sheffield completed the 48.80 victory. " That's pretty darn quick," fellow Panther Jacob Graber said. While Sheffield anchored the sprint relay, she opened the distance one. Jenkins and Nixon were members of both relays, while Mace replaced Peterson to comprise the team that claimed the second Panther relay triumph on the day. "We knew it was going to make a big difference moving Sharlotte on to the 4 X 4," Chico distance coach Kevin Girt said, "and it did." The team lowered its season best time by about 8 seconds, which was more than enough to cover runner-up West Valley's five second improvement. Those relays provided three of the seven section titles won by area athletes.

The other track triumph came from Corning's Alex Davila. The junior, doubling back from the shot put competition (where he finished 4th), easily took the 300 hurdles in 39.46 while Gridley's Taylor Miskin (40.72) edged Willows' Denzel Ibrahim (40.74) for second. The three remaining firsts came in field events as Gridley's Marisela Cardenas and Hamilton's Christopher Jaeger each reclaimed titles first won as sophomores. This time around, they had a little harder time deciding on the state meet. As seniors, those two will have to bypass graduation ceremonies for their trips to Clovis. Cardenas came back from a right foot injury her junior season and has led the section in the shot put, even ranking in the state's top 10. Friday was no different as her throw of 42 feet, 4 inches was more than 7 feet better than rest of the field. She's aiming for a big throw to make the trip worth it. " I want 46," said Cardenas, noting the school record is 45-4. "At least 46."

A little later, Jaeger earned his third trip to the state meet in the high jump. Last year, he was one of three competitors to clear the automatic qualifying mark of 6-5. This time around, he was the lone athlete to clear that mark, and he even surpassed it. He finished at 6-7, a height that he was actually hoping would be more with his best being 6-10. But his day ended after three attempts at 6-9. Still he was 4 inches better than any of his challengers. " I was shooting for way higher than 6-7. I felt great today," Jaeger said. " I was really close." Either way, he's headed to state. While those two are bound for Buchanan High for the state meet, Corning's Kaylee Shoemaker earned her first trip. The junior won the girls' high jump at 5-3, completing a goal from the get-go. " It's still unbelievable. I'm still kind of shaking right now," said Shoemaker, whose personal best of 5- 6 had her in the state's top 10 entering Friday's meet. " Ugh, I can't even believe it. I've been wanting to go to that this whole year."