Battling some inclement weather, the Escalon Cougars track and field team was busy this past week. They hosted the Hilmar Yellowjackets in rainy conditions at the beginning of the April 1 meet, but the weather improved and the Cougars soared past the Yellowjackets and both the Cougars boys team and the girls team won the Trans-Valley League dual, the boys by a 103.5-32.5 while the girls were 84-52 winners over their Hilmar counterparts.

Head coach Arend Jones provided the following information on top Escalon performers for the meet.

BOYS

Sophomore Jake Ferreira placed first in the 100-meter sprint with 11.5 seconds and in long jump with 18 feet, 7 inches, both personal records.

Senior Jesus Garcia had a personal record in the 100-meter sprint with 12.08 seconds and a season best in the 200-meter sprint with 25.9 seconds and in long jump with 17 feet, 2 inches.

Freshman Emmanuel Meza had personal records in the 100-meter sprint with 12.93 seconds and in long jump with 15 feet, 2.5 inches.

Sophomore DJ Bass had personal records in the 100-meter sprint with 13.08 seconds and in triple jump with 29 feet, 5 inches.

Freshman Lucas Trejo had personal records in the 100-meter sprint with 13.38 seconds and in high jump with 5 feet, 4 inches.

Sophomore Ryan Heubner had personal records in shot put with 31 feet and discus with 108 feet, 6 inches.

Junior Kenneth Vargas placed first in the 800-meter run and had a personal record with 2:21 and in the 1600-meter run with 5:15.

Junior Owen Madsen had a personal record in the 800-meter run with 2:27 and a season best in the 3200-meter run with 13:57.

Freshman Easton Beneux had personal records in the 800-meter run with 2:28 and in the 1600-meter run with 5:32.

Sophomore Mateo Estrada had a personal record in the 800 with 2:41 and a season best in the 1600-meter run with 5:41.

Freshman Brandon Gonzalez had personal records in the 800-meter run with 2:28 and the 3200-meter run with 12:37.

Senior Jose DeLuna had personal records in the 110 hurdles with 21.69 and 300 hurdles with 51.78.

Junior Jaecy Aldasoro placed first in both discus and shot put and got a personal record in shot put with 41 feet, 4.5 inches.

Junior Jacob Hernandez-Munoz placed first and got a personal record in pole vault with 9 feet.

GIRLS

Freshman Abigail Perreira had personal records in the 100-meter sprint with 14.11 seconds and in long jump with 13 feet, 7 inches.

Senior Taylor Gillihan had a personal record in the 100-meter sprint with 16.87 and a season best in long jump with 10 feet, 9 inches.

Junior Tyliann Holback had personal records in the 200-meter sprint with 31.13 and the 400-meter dash with 1:09.

Junior Brooklynn Sparacino had personal records in the 800-meter run with 3:06 and pole vault with 5 feet, 6 inches and a season best in the 3200-meter run with 17:06.

Sophomore Vivienne Harp had personal records in the 800-meter run with 3:09 and the 3200-meter run with 17:16.

Junior Jaslene Rodriguez had personal records in the 800-meter run with 3:15 and the 1600-meter run with 7:21.

Freshman Brianna Leal had personal records in the 800-meter run with 3:25 and the 3200-meter run with 17:41.

Senior Gloria Segura placed first in both discus and shot put along and got a personal record in discus with 103 feet, 9 inches.

Senior Gracie Airola had a personal record in discus with 90 feet, 10 inches.

Senior Natalie Worley had a personal record in shot put with 26 feet, 11 inches.

Sophomore Karyna Dalpogetti had a personal record in shot put with 26 feet, 6.25 inches.

Freshman Lainie Harris had a personal record in shot put with 25 feet, 4 inches.

Sophomore Emma Strong had personal records in high jump and triple jump with 4 feet, 6 inches and 27 feet, 4 inches respectively.

“Over Spring Break, the Cougars will go to Bret Harte on April 11 (Saturday) for the Hal Clements Invitational and then the week after they will have a dual away, against Hughson on April 15,” Jones said. “Then the high school will host a middle school invitational for the first time on April 17, the Roger Beeman Invitational.”

SOFTBALL

A home game for the varsity softball Lady Cougars on Tuesday, March 31 went in the win column. They took a 7-0 decision off the field against visiting Hilmar, improving to 4-2 in Trans-Valley League play.

During spring break, the girls were scheduled to play at Linden on April 8 and then return to league action with a Tuesday, April 14 game hosting Hughson.

Escalon scored a run in the first, two in the third and four in the fourth, rapping out nine hits on the afternoon. Hilmar had just two hits.

In the circle, Tenley Adams had a great outing, going the distance and getting credit for the shutout win, allowing just two hits.

Addy Lopez got the big fourth inning rally started by driving in a run with an RBI single, while Maddy Babasa drove in two runs and Lauryn Siegel added a sacrifice fly.

Adams, Babasa and Ari Velasco each had a pair of hits in the win, with Velasco also stealing two bases.

Escalon’s JV girls scored 10 runs on Tuesday against Hilmar but the visiting Lady Yellowjackets got double that, defeating Escalon by a 20-10 final.

Offensively, Brooke Covello had three singles, Eden Airola had two hits and two RBI, while Riley Mirada had a double and a walk, Avery Bartelink had a single and two doubles. It was also two doubles for Cheyenne Brisendine, who drove in two runs. Hana Oliver had an RBI as well. Scoring two runs each were Bartelink, Covello, Airola, Brisendine, Marrufo, and Miranda.

BASEBALL

Non-league action was featured for the Cougar baseball teams this past week. The varsity boys scratched out a win over the Weston Ranch Cougars, 9-8, on Monday, March 30 but then were shut out on the road in Atwater, 10-0, on Tuesday, March 31. Senior Zach Wells drove in three runs and scored one, going 2-for-3 in the win over Weston Ranch. Andrew Armosino drove in a pair of runs in the victory as well.

They are scheduled to play in Oakdale’s spring break tournament this week, including a game against the host team set for April 8 at 3 p.m.

League play resumes Wednesday, April 15 on the home diamond hosting Hughson at 4 p.m.

Escalon’s JV boys were 11-6 winners over Weston Ranch on March 30.

“Strong pitching performances by Adam Cordiero and Ryan Looney,” JV coach Roman Gonzalez said of the game with Weston Ranch. “Cade Riesenbeck hit a double in the fifth, driving in two runs to start the late rally.”

Against Atwater, it was a tight game, the young Cougars falling by a single run, 9-8.

“Landen Decroix got on base four out of five of his plate appearances,” Gonzalez said. “Christian Camara had a two-RBI double late in the game, Ryan Looney and Luis Pimentel combined for four of the eight runs scored.”

GOLF

The JV boys took a win over Golden Valley by a 156-168 final, playing at Pheasant Run Golf Course in Chowchilla this past week.

“George Harding and Dominic Wheat shot 31s,” noted head coach Brandon Hoover.

For the varsity team, they played in the Trans-Valley League Meet number four, finishing sixth, just two strokes behind number five Sonora.

Ripon was on top at 365, followed by Ripon Christian, carding a team score of 38. Then it was Hughson, Hilmar, Sonora and Escalon coming in at 472. Senior Brenden Berchtold paced Escalon with an 88 on the day. Freshman Daniel Nixon shot a 93, followed by sophomore Leo Serrrano, 97; sophomore Luke Gutierrez, 102; freshman Joey Calcagno and senior Matix Trimble carded 188s.

VOLLEYBALL

On the road at Ripon, the JV and varsity volleyball boys for Escalon both took losses to the host squad.

The varsity fought hard but fell in straight sets, losing 19-25, 19-25, 16-25 to the Indians. The JV boys also lost, in two sets, by scores of 9-25 and 19-25.

TENNIS

The only match scheduled for the Cougar tennis team this past week was rained out against Ripon Christian and will be rescheduled for a later date. There are no matches for the team over spring break but they will be back on the home court for matches April 14, 15 and for Senior Night on April 17.

Editor Marg Jackson contributed to this report.