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Moreno Headed To State Track And Field Meet
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One Cougar remains on the track.

Escalon sent a half dozen athletes to the Masters Meet at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento on Thursday and Friday, the track and field participants competing against all schools in Divisions I, II and III in the meet.

Coach Rick Heflin said he was pleased overall with the showing, especially with the new format of putting athletes in all three divisions together. He said the Cougars did a solid job, with Amanda Moreno coming home with a win and moving on to the State Meet.

Most of the athletes were busy on Thursday, May 26, with Sam Goulet taking a 13th overall in the 200, 19th in the 400 as he had qualified in both events. Shane Brookshire ran a 2:04 in the 800 for his final high school race.

"Cynthia Lopez ran a 2:28 in her 800, she did great, that was close to her personal record," noted Heflin. "Amanda Nunes ran in the 100 for us, she went up for closure, it was her last high school race."

Jake Brown fell just one place short of making the State Meet in the discus, coming away with a fourth place throw.

"He did great, hit a new PR, set a new school record, his throw was 155-9," explained Heflin.

The coach noted that Brown's achievement is all the more significant when you consider he was competing against Division I and II athletes as well as those from his own Division III.

"Friday, it was just Amanda Moreno," Heflin added of the second day of the Masters competition. "She ran the 3200 and she won it by five seconds, she beat the girl who won it last year."

Moreno turned in a time of 10:45.23 in the event.

"She went wire to wire, it was never in doubt," Heflin said of Moreno winning the race. "It was not her best time but it was not bad, either."

Heflin opted to attend the race with Moreno, rather than be at the Escalon High School graduation ceremony and receive his 'Teacher of the Year' award on Friday night. He said the decision wasn't hard; since he was being recognized at the graduation for his dedication to his students and athletes, it was natural for him to still be coaching at the time the award was presented.

"She just did an awesome job," Heflin added of Moreno's performance. "It was a great time."

Moreno will take the track again at Hughes Stadium for the State Meet on Saturday, June 4 in an evening race and then will be at the Golden West Invitational in Folsom, a national meet by invitation only on Saturday, June 11.

By MARG JACKSON