CHICO - Chico High's shiny, brand new track & football complex was the setting for the Division I Track & Field Championships as it was the previous week for the EAL-SRL Championships. One huge difference between the two meets was the weather as much more benign conditions (seasonably warm with very little wind) were in place this week than the previous week when mild, but very windy conditions had a significant direct (i.e. aiding most sprinting events but creating a very tough head wind on the backstretch) and indirect (i.e. allergies) impact on performances at the league championships.

Foothill won all the team titles, varsity and junior varsity with only the varsity boys title much of a surprise. None were particularly close. The varsity girls prevailed 127 1/2 to Chico's 88 and Oroville's 53. The Cougar boys led the competition with 107 1/3 with Enterprise and Chico next both with 86. The JV point totals were even more dominant (155 for the girls & 146 for the boys.) But EAL-SRL boys champion Enterprise's had no adequate replacement for Sean Mcdonald who apparently came up lame after a day in which he won the 100m, second in the long jump, third in the 200m and a ran a leg on the 3rd place 4x100 relay.

In addition to the absence of Mcdonald, the meet was impacted almost as much by those who could not (injured) or would not compete at the meet. These include. Chava Rivers/LP section leader in LJ & top 10 in three other events (100, 200, 400) yet ends her season after league championships. Thurman Knowles/Foothill, a contender in both the 800m (defending champion) & 1600m (runnerup last year), was a complete non-factor in both due to an apparent pre meet ankle sprain although to give him credit he tried. Then there is the curious case of 2017 Division I 1600m champion Foothill's Grace Dudley's decision to compete in the pole vault and triple jump & not any running events this year. The extra windy conditions during last week's league championships also seemed to aggravaite allergies (& perhaps affect motivation) too, leaving Rize Oliveira a non qualifying ninth in the 1600 after being the early leader in the race (she did come back and qualify in the 800m). Payton Osbourne a non-qualifying ninth in the 800m and lucked out that a fifth place in the 400m did.

Only one triple winner on the day (or quadruple winner if you count her leg on the winning short relay) and that would be Chico sophomore Hailey Fune. Wins in both hurdle events and the triple jump completed her day. There were three other double winners, Oroville's Kaitlin Paul topped the field in both the 100m & 200m races, something she was unable to do at her league championships (WSL). Chico's Britta Bundy, did the long distance double 1600/3200m, something not on her radar to do last year when she thought of herself as a 400/800 runner. And on the boys side, LP's Brian Hastings easily defended his title in the 1600m and added one by winning the 800m.

For the second week in a row, the pole vault competition held off site this week it was at Corning HS since Chico Unified School District does not allow Chico/PV athletes to compete in the event nor does the new facility have the necessary infrastructure to hold this field event.

In the field, PV's Subrina Tuitele won the discus and was runnerup to teammate Kathryn Evans in the shot. Enterprise's Allysa Burke won the long jump and was runnerup to Fune in the triple jump. It was not all peaches and cream for the Cougar girls as two event favorites from Foothill did not win. Kira Porzio was upset by LP's Alysha Kline and defending section pole vault champion Matteya Ruiz ending up half a foot short of LP's Rebecca Graham's effort. For the boys, Chico's Christian Valles won the triple jump after coming in second in the long jump.

BOYS

100: Shasta's Seth Park (11.14) edges PV's Dante Jackson (11.15) with LP's Austin Downing third (11.43).

200: Shasta's Kenyon Riley (22.39) tops PV's Jackson (22.43) and Foothill's Jayden Gordon (23.15).

400: Foothill's Gordon (50.11) pulls away from Paradise's Jared Mckay (50.40) and Shasta's Riley (50.41).

800: Five break 2 minutes as Las Plumas' Brian Hastings (1:57.24) strong kick gaps Paradise's Gabriel Price (1:58.39) and Chico's Riley Farrell (1:59.49).

1,600: LP's Hastings first win on the day came over Chico tandem of Bretten Farrell (4:27.04) and Charlie Giannini (4:27.04).

3,200: Chico's Charlie Giannini (9:47.38) doubles back to win. Enterprise's Avery Grady strong close makes race look close. Chico Jaxon Leduc 3rd

110 hurdles: Enterprise's Brock Fisher (15.05) pulls away from Foothill's Dylan Northrup (15.28). Chico's Tevor Trento a more distant 3rd (15.70).

300 hurdles: Enterprise's Leslie Cummings (39.76) holds off teammate Fisher (40.34) and Foothill's Northrup (40.43) .

4x100 relay: EAL champions Pleasant Valley (43.43) run section best to secure victory over Foothill (43.68) and Paradise (44.25).

4x400 relay: Foothill (3:24.86) needs to run section best in coming from behind to edge Paradise (3:25.09). Enterprise a distant third (3:35.64).

Shot put: Shasta's Jim Mogen (48-01) tops Chico's Griffin Rhoads-Albert (47-10) and Enterprise's Josh Hanan( 41-11 1/2).

Discus: Red Bluff's William Swartz (140-09) effort easily best the field. PV's Nicolas Perez-Hernandez (128-04) 2nd, Enterprise's James Ziegler (124-04) 3rd.

High jump: Foothill's Matt Gamble (6-02) over Enterprise's Lucas Wright on the basis of fewer misses.

Pole vault: Offsite competition has LP's Nick Small (12-09) one height better than Foothill's Cole Millard (12-06).

Long jump: Section co-leader Conner McKenzie of Red Bluff (21-03 1/4) bests Chico's Christian Valles (20-03 1/4) & Corning's Austin Mishoe (19-09 1/2).

Triple jump: Chico's Valles (44-02 1/2) uses section best to propel him to victory over Foothill's Isaiah Putnam (42-00 3/4) & LP's Jeremiah Havens (41-09 1/2).

GIRLS

100: Oroville sophomore Kaitlin Paul (12.93) out leans Shasta's Arlene Garcia (12.95). Foothill's Melody Wu (13.14) third.

200: Oroville's Paul (26.59) second win on the day. This time over Foothill's Wu (27.09) and Paradise's Allison Brott (27.69).

400: Foothill's Zoey Bishop (61.44) tops Enterprise's Caroline Forseth (62.88) and Corning's Elter Bright (63.89).

800: Caroline Forseth doubles back to win (2:28.93) as late kick tops Foothill's Rize Oliveira (2:29.67). Chico's Tessa Coffee third (2:31.06).

1,600: Chico's junior Britta Bundy (5:31.87) strong kick tops LP's Kaitlin Morgado (5:37.50) and PV's Hailey Askew in tactical race.

3,200: Bundy's wins again (12:06.35) as Morgado pace work (12:12.30) does little to take the sting out of the Panther's kick.

100 hurdles: Chico's Hailey Fune (15.52) comfortable win for the section leader over Oroville's Selina Schillig (16.47) and Paradise's Abria Parrott.

300 hurdles: A much closer victory for Fune (47.85) over Schillig (48.35) and teammate Sophie Hanf (48.42).

4x100 relay: Fune anchors Chico's win (51.71) over Foothill (52.26) and Oroville (52.29).

4x400 relay: The field's no match for Foothill (4:15.18) as the Cougers are unpressed on the way to victory over Shasta (4:24.03) and Oroville (4:30.26)

Shot put: PV's Subrina Tuitele (122-02) over Foothill's Kiana Emerson (109-05. Red Bluff's Valerie Barragan third.

Discus: PV's Kathryn Evans (36-05 1/2) edges teammate Tuitele (36-03 1/2). Red Bluff's Valerie Barragan again third (35-05 1/2)

High jump: LP's Alysha Kline (5-02) over Foothill teammates Jennifer Rhyne and section leader Kira Porzio (5-00).

Pole vault: LP's Rebecca Graham (10-06) upsets section leader Foothill's Matteya Ruiz (10-00) at Corning HS. Corning's Addie Galantine matches Ruiz.

Long jump: Enterprise's Allysa Burke (16-05 3/4) over last year's 1600m champ Foothill's Grace Dudley (16-01) and Foothill's Zoey Bishop (15-08 1/2).

Triple jump: Fune (36-09 1/2) needs her best mark of the season to top Burke (36-01 3/4). Paul a more distant third (34-09 1/2).