CHICO - The six teams comprising the Eastern Athletic League competed for the second week in a row, the most recent time at Pleasant Valley's Aasgard Field for the Division I Track & Field Championships. Conditions were the warmest of the spring with temperatures starting out in the low 90s under sunny skies and only cooling into the upper 70s by its evening conclusion. This likely proved to be a benefit for sprints and deterrent for distance races, particularly those contested early, yet mostly neutral for field events.

The previous week at the league championships both varsity and junior varsity events were contested. Entries up to three per event per school were allowed unless a certain standard was, then a fourth was included leaving the meet a much longer affair with numerous heats for sprints and often more than one flight for field events. The main purpose of the league championship was to whittle the field for the division championships to 8 for all but distance events (800m, 1600m, 3200m) where up to 12 qualified. The division meet concluded the season for JV athletes.

Last week, schools with a decent chance of winning loaded up their entries in events they were strong in to improve their scoring potential. This week the goal was to maximize the number of athletes advancing to the section meet where they will contend for a state berth. Pleasant Valley claimed both the boys and girls varsity titles, taking the former 183 ½ over Foothill's runner-up total of 89 and the latter 150 to Foothill's 107. Pleasant Valley 116 edged Chico 113 and Foothill 111 ½ in a very competitive JV boys competition and prevailed in the JV girls competition 156 to Chico's 139 with Red Bluff a distant third with 74.

On the track, it was another week that saw PV's Jackson Hein battle and prevail over section leader Foothill's Logan Borg in the 800m. It was the second race of the day for both, Borg being the easy winner in the 400m while Hein outkicked Chico's Charlie Brennan as the cross-town rivals proceeded down the home stretch in the 1600m.

The addition of Kylie Atteberry into the PV's short relay turned last week's runner-up finish at the league championships to a win over Shasta, despite the Wolves team being anchored by the section's best sprinter Jaiden Lynn. At that point in the meet Lynn had probably already won the long jump and high jump over section rival PV's Kayla Johnson. Both were over a foot better than the rest of the field in the long jump, but Lynn best jump was 3 inches longer than Johnson's. Lynn subsequently PR'ed in the high jump soaring over 5' 5 while Johnson was only able to muster a jump of 5' 2, a mark an inch short of her best. Foothill's Theresa Barlow took third, being the only other competitor to make it over 5 feet.

Lynn wasn't through though. She ended her day with a decisive win in the 100m by scorching the field with a 12.38 personal best. This mark puts her at No. 5 on the all-time section list tied with Winter's Sofia Evanoff.

A hot track and very warm temperatures made for a tactical varsity girls 1600m. The field did include Shasta's Elle Merrill who was reinstated after being DQ'ed for a false start at the league championship by an overzealous official. A lead pack of Holly Alchin, Ava-Marie Csutoras, Elle Merrill and Taylor Wellersdick remained tightly bunched for three laps. Strong acceleration down the backstretch on the final lap by Alchin and Csutoras broke up the lead pack. Csutoras almost pulled even with Alchin coming down the homestretch before fading late as the Vivking junior's kick proved too much to overcome. The two leaders had closed in 70 seconds. Behind them, Merrill maintained a small advantage over Wellersdick to the line in taking third.

The boys 1600m wasn't as tactical even though the field stayed relatively close through 800m before stretching out in the second half of the race. Jackson Hein and Nolan McLoughlin did most of the early pacing in a lead pack also containing Charlie Brennan and older brother Austin before late third lap surge puts the Panther senior into the lead. Brennan accelerates down the backstretch of the concluding lap. This bold move dropped everyone but Jackson. But it came to no surprise to those watching as Hein unleashed a kick coming off the race's final turn that the Chico senior valiantly tried but ultimately failed to match.

The varsity girls 800m was a faster, more even paced affair (than the 1600m) but still ended with a frustrating similar result for the Chico junior. This go-around Csutoras briefly took the lead from Alchin entering the race's final turn but the move didn't drop Alchin or the other runners in the lead pack, Sidhu and Winstead-Stroing. Instead they all came off the turn tightly bunched with Alchin pulling ahead on her right and W-S swinging even wider before losing momentum. Likewise, Sidhu tried to sneak by her teammate on the inside before slowly fading.

Event Summaries - BOYS

100m: Foothill's Ryan McNally (10.80) edges Shasta Nic Wilkes (10.82) by the slimmest of margins as they run fastest times of the year. PV sophomore Sharmar Riley (11.00) finishes a distant third.

200m: PV's Riley (22.35) pulls away from Shasta's Wilkes (22.43) and teammate Mark Marinello (22.69) as all take advantage of ideal conditions to come away with personal bests.

400m: Section leader Foothill's Logan Borg (49.11) aggressive start and strong close dips under the 50 second mark for the fourth time in winning. PV's Marinello (52.69) second and Enterprise's Joshua Zanders-Davis (52.87) third.

800m: A rematch between last year's section leader (Jackson Hein) and this year's (Logan Borg) is somewhat disappointing as neither elects to lead, leaving the opening lap pacing duties to Jackson's brother Austin. Thus, a relatively slow opening lap insures the race will be not faster than it was at league when Foothill senior took it out in 58. Hein's superior kick once again gives him the win over Borg while Chico's Carter Murphy takes third.

1600m: PV's Jackson Hein outkicks Chico's Charlie Brennan for the win. Brother Austin takes third.

3200m: A lead pack of five, running around 5:00 min pace, but loses Plummer, then Doud as Brennan rachets down the pace over the closing 1200m. A final lap 65 gives the Chico senior the win. McLoughlin, holding on better, takes second over the teammate Clarke who places third.

110hh: No surprise here. A comfortable win for Hornet senior Tristan Young (15.45). Teammate Carter edges PV's Piper for second.

300h: Another easy win for Enterprise's Tristan Young. This time over Warren Newsome and Dallas Carter.

4x100 relay: A strong win for the Vikings as injury riddled Foothill is beaten to the line by Enterprise.

4x400 relay: A close contest between Pleasant Valley and Enterprise is blown open by a strong closing leg by Jackson Hein. Foothill not too far back in third.

Long Jump: Shasta sophomore Kosi Iwvalla bests the field by nearly a foot. PV's Cameron Bussey second over Red Bluff's Hunter Keeler in third. Three-quarters of an inch separated second from sixth on a day when only the winner came away with a personal best.

Triple Jump: Last year's section champion Chris Hall, after placing fifth in the long jump, is the only contestant over 40 feet. Shasta's Joe McGowan second and Hornet Neko Willardson third

High Jump: Iwvalla wins again on a day when nobody else clears 6 feet. Chico's Costantino Thompson and Foothill's Tre Coleman tied to second at 5-10

Pole Vault: An all-Foothill affair with Kadin Marsh 9' 6 effort taking top honors. Teammate Dylan Tackett was the only other contestant to clear a height.

Discus: Chico's Magnus Nielsen 52' 7 effort is almost four feet clear of second place (Van Chambers/PV). Panther Topher Bramon was third.

Shot: This time Van Chambers is the class of the field, almost 15 feet better than Neilsen. Jace Arnovick took third.

Event Summaries - GIRLS

100m: Section leader Shasta's Jaiden Lynn uncorks a personal best (& NS 5 All-Time) to win impressively by turning a tight race into a rout. Enterprise's Kajya Mello holds off PV's Kylie Atteberry for second.

200m: A minor upset as Enterprise sophomore Aliyah Choi (26.12) sneaks by Mello (2-26.16) and Atteberry (3-26.22) in the race's closing meters to win for the second time on the day.

400m: Choi (59.69), dipping under a minute for the second time, holds off a late challenge from PV's Katelynn Enos (60.86) to win. 2023 Division I champion Talyn Hanly (61.23) takes third.

800m: A very competitive race where 1600m winner and runner-up are joined by Red Bluff's Aralynn Winstead-Stroing and Chico's Mira Sidhu in the lead pack. Better able to hold her high end longer enabled Alchin to build then maintain a small gap over Csutoras and a slightly bigger gap over Stroing and Sidhu coming down the homestretch.

1600m: A slow paced race for three taps goes significantly faster over the final circuit as PV's Holly Alchin holds off numerous attempts to pass by Chico's Ava-Marie Csutoras. Shasta's Elle Merrill out-battles Taylor Wellersdick for third.

3200m: An easy win for Merrill as she's never seriously pressed for the lead despite slowing in the second half of the race. A Chico trio of Claire Edward, Resse Alvistur and Lillian Jeffords finish 2-3-4.

110hh: Foothill's Sydney Jones wins as league champion Shasta's Bria Tate finishes fourth unable to recover from a clipped hurdle midrace. Zenobia Murphy, tenth last week, takes second and Hailey Walton third.

300h: Katelynn Enos, running only her second 300h ever, wins impressively. Foothill duo of Hailey Walton and Sydney Jones finish 2-3.

4x100 relay: Strong legs and clean exchanges by Guichard, Atteberry and Sims give anchor Devine a big enough lead to hold off a strong close by Shasta's Lynn to take the win. Chico finishes third.

4x400 relay: Like last week only three teams entered. Pleasant Valley still wins comfortably but Chico and Foothill much more competitive. The addition of Csutoras gives the Panthers enough horsepower to place second on a day when all teams finish under 4:20.

Long Jump: Big duel between Shasta's Jaiden Lynn and PV's Kayla Johnson. Lynn tops Johnson by three inches leaping 17' 10 ½ compared to 17' 7 ½. Kylie Atteberry was over a foot behind in third.

Triple Jump: Section leader Johnson (35' 2 ½) prevails in a tight competition over Foothill's Theresa Barlow (34' 8) and Shasta freshman Naia Kristoffersen (34' 5).

High Jump: Another win by Lynn over Johnson with Barlow third, all clearing at least 5 feet.

Pole Vault: An all-Foothill affair with Abigail Watt (8' 6) a foot and a half better than her closest rivals, Clara Pargett and Emma Hawkins.

Discus: Foothill's Evie Turner prevails over Shasta's Faith Ferguson and PV's Trinity Gomez

Shot: PV's Chloe White tops the field with Ferguson second and Gomez third.

This meet is the final contest of the season for athletes competing in the junior varsity division, whether they be underclassmen or senior unable to compete at the varsity level. Some of more outstanding efforts among the JV athletes would include Chico freshman Joren Solece, winner of the 200m, 110 high hurdles plus runner-up in the high jump. PV sophomore Olivia Robbins was a triple winner, taking both the 100m, 200m while anchoring the winning 4x100m relay. She also ran a leg on the runner-up 4x400m relay. PV sophomore Kenzie Johnson was also a triple winner by sweeping the jumps (long, triple & high).