Weather cooperated this past week for Escalon track and field participants, as the varsity squad took part in the annual Trans-Valley League-Mother Lode League meet, hosted this season at Riverbank, and the JV Cougars were busy at the Calaveras Meet in San Andreas.
Head coach Carrie Nash said the Trans-Valley League teams combined to win the meet over the Mother Lode schools, and several Cougars had strong performances. Eleven schools were represented, and each team could only have two athletes in each event.
In the 100 meter low hurdles, Sidney Lima took sixth in 18.51 and Annie Wyrick was seventh in 19.04. Lima placed third in the 300 high hurdles in 51.27. Gabby Rigg was third in the 200 meters, 27.96 while Yajaira Salinas took first in the 400 at 1:02.8 and Rigg was sixth, 1:05.5.
Also placing first in the 800 was Salinas, in 2:23.0 with Gabby Avalos sixth in 2:46.60. Nora Nash finished second in the 1600 meters in 5:46.00.
In the field events, Jessikka Gonzales took third in the high jump for Escalon at 4-08.00; Alexia Johnson was fifth at the same height but in more attempts.
Ashleigh Strand finished seventh in the shot put at 27-02.00 and first year track and field participant Shelby McCune took fourth in discus at 71-03.00.
The Cougar boys also turned in some topnotch efforts at the TVL-MLL Meet to help the TVL dominate.
Christian Brunetti was fifth in the 100 low hurdles, 11.6 and Josh Teske was ninth. Teske ran the 300 high hurdles as well, finishing third in 10-0.00. Zach Pickett was fifth in the 400 meters at 54.94; Rex Robbins was sixth in 55.04. Robbins also finished eighth in the 800, 2:17.30.
In the 1600 meters, Eddy Calderon took seventh in 5:08; Troy Bedell was 11th in 5:18. The two also ran the 3200 for Escalon, Calderon finishing fifth in 11:35; Bedell seventh at 11:54.
Cougar boys went fifth and sixth in the long jump, Christian Brunetti fifth in 18-03.25 and Chase Granis sixth with a jump of 18-01.75.
Brunetti clamed first place honors in the triple jump at 41-01.00.
Later in the week, JV athletes went to San Andreas for the frosh-soph meet.
“There were nine schools that competed and medals went to the top five athletes,” Nash said. “A big standout was our sophomore Zach Pickett who brought home four medals.”
Pickett took fourth place in the 200 meters, 25.23; he also took second in the 400 meters, 56.68; first in the high jump, 5-08.00 and teamed with Alex Mendoza, Tanner Ellis and Xavier Chavez for a second place showing in the 4-by-400 relay, 3:54.71.
JV boys rounding out the top five for medals included Xavier Chavez, fifth, 800, 2:17; Juan Lopez, fifth, 1600 meters, 5:07; and Jayden Lopez, fifth, 300 low hurdles, 51.15.
Lady Cougar frosh-soph athletes in the top five of their events were Julia Casillas, fifth, 100 meter high hurdles, 21.21; Marissa Gonzales, fifth place, shot put, 21-09.5 and fifth place, discus, 60-08.5; Kaitlyn Beall, third (1:00.6) and Mikayla Vega, second (57.66), in the 300 meter low hurdles.
