COTTONWOOD - History in the making could be found in many places Friday at the Northern Section track and field finals, though one example stood out among the rest.
The very final event of the evening, the boys 1,600-meter relay, was regarded as a two-team race between Paradise and Foothill. Foothill edged Paradise by the slimmest of margins in last year's final.
But the same Bobcats team of Jared Mackay, Gabe Price, Patrick Roehling and Jacob Weldon returned for 2019, and they wanted nothing more than to redeem themselves and finish first. Against who, it didn't really matter.
On Friday, they earned the win and a lot more. Paradise's time of 3 minutes, 19.86 seconds edged Foothill and took down an all-time section record previously held by Enterprise's 2017 team (3:20.46). As a result, the Bobcats became the first team ever in the section to go under 3:20.
It's another goal. First goal was to beat the school record, second goal was to go to state and to get sub-3:20," Price said. "Now we just want more."
It's also the 13th fastest time in the entire state. The Bobcats will look to shave even more time off that time at the CIF State Championships next week in Clovis.
"We have more left in us," Mackay said. "Next goal is (state) finals."
Mackay spotted Paradise a lead through the first 400 meters, and passed the baton off to Roehling, who extended it further. Price did, too.
It seemed fitting for Weldon, who's battled injury for a portion of the season, to finish it off. It was the only event of the day he ran, and he kept Foothill's Jayden Gordon at a distance for the entire lap.
"It felt good. It felt like a little bit of redemption for myself," Weldon said. "I haven't been able to run as much as I wanted to this year. I didn't run any (other) events. Even Gabe took one (the 800) off for the team. We did it for the team, and we did it for Paradise."
Paradise was hardly alone in making history at the section finals, however.
There was Chico High's Hailey Fune, fresh off establishing a section record in the girls 100-meter hurdles last week, earning another trip to state in that event by posting a 15.21-second time.
"Last year I was a sophomore, so it was kind of intimidating coming up, running with all these seniors," Fune said of state. "They're all really focused and I talk a lot. . I kind of took that from it, but realized I have to focus on my race."
Earlier in the day, she won the triple jump with a best mark of 35 feet, 3 inches. In the 400 relay, Fune teamed up with Mary Blaugh, Sophie Hanf and Aisha Camara finished second in 50.87 seconds, behind Foothill's winning time of 50.30
There was Chico senior Charlie Giannini defending his crown in the boys 3,200 with a time of 9:34.71. In second place? His younger brother, Mario Giannini, a freshman, who finished in 9:46.79.
They were the first brothers to finish first and second in the event in recent memory, possibly all time in section history. That fact wasn't confirmed by the Enterprise-Record at press deadline, however.
In the boys long jump, CORE Butte junior Justin Pulsifer became the first state qualifier in the program's seven-year history.
"It's a big deal for our school and really, the track program," head coach Daniel Martin said. "We're a small school in Chico when there's obviously two really big, competitive high schools. To be able to compete with them and (other) power programs, it's huge."
He owned the third seed going into the competition with a 20-6. On his very first jump, he landed a 21-2 mark, a new PR by eight inches.
"I just can't believe it. It's honestly so surreal," Pulsifer said.
Oh, and the personal records. There were plenty of those, too.
Take, for example, Hamilton's Alicia Murillo in the girls 3,200. The senior's best time prior to Friday was a 12:14.99, and she ran a blistering 11:35.32.
Against the likes of fellow seniors Chico's Britta Bundy, who took second, and Sutter's Mia Ashby, Murillo took the lead in the fifth of eight laps and held it for nearly the remainder of the race.
My goal was to stay behind the two leaders, Britta Bundy and Mia Ashby, for a mile and a half," said Murillo, who will make her first state track appearance. "And then if I had enough energy, to push through the last two laps. I really didn't think I'd be able to keep up with them, but then once I got to the fifth lap, I felt like I could totally push it."
Pleasant Valley's Dante Jackson claimed first in the 100 (11.20) and 200 meters (22.37). The 200 win was his second straight at the section finals.
"I wanted to keep my title from last year in the 200; the 100 was just a bonus," Jackson said.
He was also part of the Vikings' 400-meter relay team, along with Caleb Cooley, Max Pollock and Dalton Walker, that finished second to Foothill by .23 of one second. The two teams finished in a virtual tie last week at the Division I Championships.
Nick Small of Las Plumas broke his own school record in the pole vault (14-6) that stood all of one week. With the competition already won, he raised the bar to 14-7 and cleared it.
Small is also a defending section champion in the event. He saw firsthand last year at state competitors routinely jumping 15, even 16 feet, and has the same goal in mind for himself when he returns next week.
"It definitely makes me feel better going into the next level, because I know there are going to be people down there that are jumping 15, 16 (feet)," Small said. "Hopefully it just helps me to find the confidence to actually be able to push and go up into those heights."
Fellow LP senior Jeramiah Havens claimed the highest spot on the triple jump podium for his PR of 43-11. He set the mark on his second jump.
Corning's Addie Galantine took the girls pole vault competition with an even 10-0. She set her PR of 10-3 in the event two weeks earlier.
In the 300 hurdles, she finished a narrow second (46.96) to winner to West Valley's Maddie Steele. Galantine did set a PR, however, and Steele's time was the fastest in the section this season.
Here are top girls from the NSCIF track and field championships:
GIRLS TRACK EVENTS
100: Alisha McFall, Yreka (12.72);
Lexi Jones, U-Prep (12.92);
Melody Wu, Foothill (13.08).
200: Zoey Bishop, Foothill (26.07);
Lexi Jones, U-Prep (26.12);
Lauren Harper, Trinity (26.21). Harper almost pulls off a crazy triple!
400: Zoey Bishop, Foothill (59.16);
Bailey Jones, West Valley (1:00.22);
Isabella Alvarez, West Valley (1:00.37).
800: Lauren Harper, Trinity (2:18.16);
Nahkia Clements, Chico (2:20.31);
Grace Gaddy, U-Prep (2:25.23).
1,600: Lauren Harper, Trinity (5:07.09);
Grace Gaddy, U-Prep (5:12.31);
Alicia Murillo - Hamilton (5:13.80).
3,200: Alicia Murillo, Hamilton (11:35.32);
Britta Bundy, Chico (11:46.19);
Mia Ashby, Sutter (11:50.32).
100 hurdles: Hailey Fune, Chico (15.21);
Sarah Vann, Pierce (16.38);
Audie Reuss, U-Prep (16.55.
300 hurdles: Maddie Steele, West Valley (46.70);
Addie Galantine, Corning (46.96);
Savana Dutton, Foothill (47.73).
4x100 relay: Foothill (50.30);
Chico (50.87);
West Valley (50.98).
4x400 relay: Foothill (4:06.50);
West Valley (4:06.62);
Pleasant Valley (4:15.70).
GIRLS FIELD EVENTS
High Jump: Kira Porzio, Foothill (5-04);
Teagan Ford, Etna (5-04);
Giang Hang, Core Butte (5-02). A rare tie as there was no jump off..
Shot Put: Natalie Rogers, West Valley (146-09);
Abby Meder, Wheatland (129-04);
Kiana Emerson, Foothill (116-04).
Triple Jump: Hailey Fune, Chico (35-03);
Giang Hang, Core Butte (34-06.75);
Jenna Parker, Durham (34-00.25).
Discus: Natalie Rogers, West Valley (40-10);
Abby Meder, Wheatland (40-07.50);
Mille Orudukwe, U-Prep (35-06.75).
Long Jump: Lexi Jones, U-Prep (17-07.25);
Jenna Parker, Durham (16-06.75);
Giang Hang, Core Butte (16-03.25).
Pole Vault: Addie Galantine, Corning (10-00);
Allaya Magee, Shasta (10-00);
Matteya Ruiz, Foothill (9-06). Three time champion Ruiz loses in her final section meet.
