Escondido Invitational report

Grossmont Conference athletes continue to soar

The Grossmont Conference will put its track and field talent on parade Friday, May 13, at West Hills High School. Some of that talent will be vying weekly throughout the postseason for berths in the state championships meet the first weekend in June.

Pole vaulter Scott Finley and hurdler Chris Costa, both from Granite Hills, both fit into that latter category. Finley set a meet record at the Escondido Invitational on April 29 by clearing 15 feet, 8 inches. Costa took over the San Diego Section lead in the boys 110- and 300-meter hurdles at the same meet with respective times of 14.74 and 38.90 seconds.

Finley ranks second in the section in the boys pole vault at 16-2 (that mark coming at the UCSD Invitational the previous weekend) but the leader, El Camino’s Derek Scott, who set a section record at 16-8 and the national lead earlier this season, has been sidelined for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Finley just missed clearing 16-4 at the Escondido Invitational after first breaking the meet record of 15-7 set last year by Escondido’s Jon Hori.

The Escondido Invitational is a boys-only meet. Besides Finley and Costa, several other Eagles teammates, as well as East County athletes, also recorded standout marks.

Granite Hills’ Kurtis Smith captured the high jump in 6-4, just off his season best of 6-5 (third in the section).

Monte Vista won the 4x100 relay in 43.10 with Granite Hills finishing fourth in 44.09 and West Hills placing seventh in 44.61.Granite Hills was second in the 4x400 relay in 3:27.00, followed by Steele Canyon (fourth, 3:30.69), West Hills (fifth, 3:33.21) and Monte Vista (sixth, 3:33.69).

Monte Vista’s Roberto Archibold was second in the 300 hurdles, timing 39.51. The time moved him into third place among the season’s section leaders.

Granite Hills Michael Martinez was third in the boys 200 meters in 22.72, trailing race winner Craig Sheppard (21.86) of San Pasqual and runner-up Ernest Piece (22.67) of Sweetwater.

Monte Vista’s Kevin Palmer finished third in the 110 hurdles ahead of Archibold (sixth, 15.41). West Hills’ Jason Beckman (15.47) was seventh in the same event. Palmer (41.43) was sixth in the 300 hurdles. Beckman (42.47) was 10th in the longer distance.

Granite Hills’ Josh Sandoval (9:37.62) was fourth in the 3,200 run. Granite Hills’ Marc Porter (2:00.74) was sixth in the 800 run.

For West Hills, Nathan Muzquiz cleared 6-0 in the high jump to tie for the meet’s third-best mark. He ranks in a tie for fourth place in the section with a best effort of 6-4 (a mark matched by Granite Hills’ Clark Gordon).

For Monte Vista, Walter Diego (144-5) was sixth in the discus throw. Kyle Briggs ranks fifth in the section in the long jump with a season best effort of 21-9.5.

West Hills’ Dan Gonia (4:32.30) was eighth in the 1,600 run, followed by Monte Vista’s Patrick Palmiter (4:33.20) in ninth place. Palmiter was 11th in the 3,200 in 10:05.46.

Friday's championship meet at West Hills is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.

Helix's Dax Dans leads the section in the boys 200 dash (21.52) and 400 dash (48.44) while Highlanders teammate Sharika Thompson tops the section in the girls 100 hurdles (14.92). Thompson also ranks fourth in the 300 hurdles (46.14).

Monte Vista's Daniella Thu ranks first in the girls discus throw (139-2) while Helix's Chastity Toilolo ranks second in the girls shot put (40-9)

Mt. Miguel’s Karlin Stewart ranks third in the boys triple jump at 45-0 while Steele Canyon’s Carrie Wick ranks fourth in the girls high jump with a height of 11-0.

Helix’s Janie James ranks second in the girls 400 dash (56.59) and fourth in the girls 200 dash in 25.61 (second among fully automatic times).

In boys relay events, Monte Vista ranked fourth in the 4x100 (43.10) while Granite Hills was fourth in the 4x400 (3:27.00)