Palo Cedro - The sunny, very warm conditions proved a boon to Eastern Athletic league sprinters and field athletes but mostly a bane to distance runners at this year's Eastern Athletic League Cchampionships held on the Foothill track in Palo Cedro.
Nevertheless the Shasta boys claimed the boys team title for the second year in a row using a mix of both in pulling out a 116 ½ to 91 point victory over a plucky Pleasant Valley squad on an afternoon in which air temperatures topped out in the lower 90s but track side readings were surely hotter.
The Vikings had no answer for the 18 points the Wolves garnered from the pole vault, an event in which only the Redding schools compete in.
Individually, the Shasta boys were led by Andrew Skoy's distance double as he won both the 1600m and 3200m races. Other winners for the Wolves included sophomore Seth Park in the 100m, Wilson Presleighin the triple jump, Max Richmond tie in the pole vault and the 4x100 relay. Quality performances during the meet included Chico's Griffin Teague win in the 400m (51.15), Skoy's triumpth in the 1600m (4:25.52) and PV's Sethan Miller's section leading high jump (6-08).
Like the boys, the Shasta girls rebuffed challenges by Foothills but also Pleasant Valley to come away with the team title that was dramatically denied them by Chico one year ago when the league championships came down to the meet's final event, the 4 x 400 relay. This year hurdler Molly Ross was an even more dominant force for the Wolves, winning the short hurdles, running a leg on the winning 4 x 100 relay and runner-up in both the 400m and long hurdles where she lost in something of an upset to a vastly improved Gabrielle Mace from Chico.
Other winners for Shasta included Jessica Toombs in the long jump, Claire Walton in the shot.
Pleasant Valley's third place effort was led by triple winner Courtney Kermen who took the 100m, 200m and 400m races while anchoring the runner-up effort of the 4 x 100 relay. Foothill was able to stay close due the track exploits of senior Belle Moran who came away with victories in the 800 and 1600 while placing placed third in the 400 and anchored their 4 x 400 relay team that came up in the runnerup position thanks to another amazing effort on the day by Chico's Gabrielle Mace. But it was field events where the Cougars had the edge over the Vikings with Foothill senior Cassie Young and a handful of freshman dominating the high jump, pole vault and to a lesser extent the long jump.
Incidentally, Mace and Ross performances in the 300 hurdles were the two fastest in the section so far this year. The Shasta girls 4 x 100 relay was the top time in the section
The JV boys competition was dominated by three teams, Chico, Foothill and Shasta with the Panthers prevailing by ten over Cougars, 130 to 120 with the Wolves a more distant third with 96 points. The action was much more lopsided for the girls, again with the Panthers prevailing by doubling the score put up by the second place Cougars, 168-84. Chico boys scored points in every event but the shot put and the pole vault, the latter one which they are barred from competing in.
Names that may become household across the Northern Section in future, include two freshman, Rory Monninger (first 800m, 2nd 1600m) and Charlie Giannini (first 3200m, third 1600m and a sophomore, Trevor Trento (first 110H).
The junior varsity girls of Chico won six events and scored in all but the weight events and the pole vault to end up the class of the EAL. As mentioned earlier freshman made quite an impact on the varsity competition as well. the Viking's Bianca Acheson was third in the 800 (2:35.49), 5th in the 400 (62.45) and sixth in the high jump. PV's Haley Askew was 6th in the 1600 & 8th in the 3200m. Foothill's Jennifer Rhyne won the high jump, was third 100 hurdles, while teammate Kira Porzio 4th high jump, 7th long jump, also ran a leg on the second place 4 x 400 relay . Matteya Ruiz lost the pole vault due too many misses but cleared the same height as the winner in taking third and was 7th in the triple jump.
