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Three Cougar Athletes Qualify For Section Track Meet
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Breaking a 19-year-old subsection record in the 3200 meters, Escalon High standout athlete Amanda Moreno cruised to the win in subsection action Tuesday at Modesto Junior College with a time of 10:42.

That topped the 1985 mark of 10:47 and Moreno outclasses all her competitors, the next closest runner to her breaking across the line in 11:18.

"We're looking to go to state," coach Rick Heflin said. "Right now, she has the sixth fastest time in California and she's the third fastest in the Section."

Moreno highlighted the effort of the Cougars attending the subsections on Tuesday.

Vynce Bacay finished 11th in the 100 and 13th in the 200, while Amanda Nunes also took the same places, 11th in the 100 and 13th in the 200 in her first trip to the subs.

"Both of them ran well but the competition was great," Heflin noted.

Lauren Cosentino ran in the 100 high hurdles, as did Katie Baroni. The two also combined with Lauren Brown and Amanda Nunes to run in the four-by-100 meter relay.

"The four-by-400 relay team ran their PR," Heflin added, noting that Melissa Goff, Mary Courtright, Marie Beard and Amanda Nunes combined for their best-ever time, though it didn't allow them to advance past the subsection competition.

Top nine finishers head to the Section meet, with the 10th place finisher going as the alternate.

Marcus Savage cleared 6-0 in the high jump but 14 people made it over that height and Savage had too many misses at lower heights to move on, said Heflin.

Chris Castledine competed in both the triple jump and long jump for the Cougars, while Mike Sawyer recorded a throw of 125-0 in the discus.

Fresh off his Trans-Valley League championship in the discus, Jake Brown came up with a throw of 139-0 in that event to qualify for the Section meet, finishing eighth.

"He bettered his personal record by eight feet and 136-0 is the pizza mark, he's going to Sections," said Heflin.

Shane Brookshire, who turned in his personal best time of 4:38 in the 1600, will also advance to Sections, going as the alternate.

"Those are two kids that started the spring season with baseball gloves on their hands," noted Heflin, adding that both have come on strong to shine instead in track and field.

Moreno, Brown and Brookshire will move to Hughes Stadium in Sacramento for their events Thursday and Friday of this week.