SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Track & Field

Metro Conference report

BV’s Avila tops field at Mt. Carmel Invitational;

CP’s Hernandez sets school record in 3,200

The marks registered over the course of the history of the Mt. Carmel Sundevil Invitational are almost hallowed. Last Saturday’s event, held on a new all-weather surface, produced several meet records as many of the top athletes from the San Diego Section converged on the Rancho Penasquitos school to do track and field battle alongside elite athletes from out of the section.

Metro Conference athletes helped get into the act.

Bonita Vista sophomore Eric Avila recorded the top time in the boys 1,600-meter run by timing 4:19.45. A qualifier for last fall’s state cross country championship meet, Avila finished more than a full second ahead of St. Augustine junior Marco Anzures (4:20.95) and nearly two seconds ahead of La Jolla senior Murat Kayali and Coronado senior Jake Ruzevick (both at 4:21.11).

Avila, a state qualifier in cross country, also placed ninth in the boys 3,200 run, timing 9:53.74.

Castle Park freshman Julia Hernandez broke the four-year-old school record set by Mandy Johnson in the girls 3,200-meter run. Johnson ran 12:14.34 during her sophomore year in 2001. Hernandez ran 12:02.57 last Saturday to place fourth overall and notch the top freshman time.

The area highlights did not stop there. Sweetwater’s Ernest Pierce was third in the boys long jump at 21 feet, 9 inches while Otay Ranch’s Charay Savage was fourth in the girls 100 hurdles in 15.74 and fifth in the girls 300 low hurdles (47.52).

Bonita Vista’s Austin Jett turned in the eighth-best time in the boys 800 run at 2:00.43 while Hilltop’s Selena Munoz was eighth in the girls 800 (2:26.01).

Sweetwater’s Donald Groves finished ninth in the boys shot put (47-0) and 10th in the boys discus throw (131-2) while Red Devil teammate Ferrari Welch had the 12th-fastest time in the boys 110 high hurdles (15.90).

Castle Park senior Jorge Diaz finished 14th in the boys 3,200 with a time of 10:02.71, an improvement of 40 seconds. Bonita Vista’s Crystal Shields made the top 12 listing in the girls high jump by clearing 5-0.

Upcoming meets
Up next on the invitational schedule is the Elmer Runge Classic at Patrick Henry High School on Saturday, April 2. Nineteen team entries have been accepted for the Elmer Runge Classic, including Chula Vista, Marian Catholic and Sweetwater. The meet starts at noon.

Remaining invitationals include the Titan Trackfest at Poway High School April 8-9), Arcadia Invitational (April 8-9), Jaguar Invitational at Valley Center High School (April 16), Mt. SAC Relays at Mt. San Antonio College (April 16), UCSD Triton Invitational (April 22-23), Maverick Relays (La Costa Canyon High School) and Mustang Invitational (Otay Ranch High School), both on April 23.