Morenci track teams finish in the upper third

By Raymundo Frasquillo

PHOENIX – The Kenneth Lester-coached Division V Morenci track teams both finished in the upper third or top 13 of 36 teams competing in the Alhambra Valley Classic Invitational on March 27.

Morenci Girls

*Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Hazel Salinas keeps a steady pace during a Tucson run. The Morenci junior turned in a 3200 personal best 11:51.03a on March 27.*

Morenci had 19 points to finish 12th with 10 Wildcats posting personal best efforts in eight different events.

Junior Kaylee Wiggins (6th – 100H, 17.95a PR) contributed six points, sophomore Tracy Mianda (4th – 1600R, 4:28.02a PR; 5th – LJ, 16-0.5) 5.25, senior Alicia Ahumada (4th – 1600R, 4:28.02a PR; 4th – 3200R, 11:51.03a PR) and freshman Arris Hooper (4th – 1600R, 4:28.02a PR; 4th – 3200R, 11:51.03a PR) 2.5 apiece, sophomore Catalina Garcia (7th – SP, 77-7 PR) two, and senior Allanah Suarez (4th – 3200R, 11:51.03a PR), junior Leayla Mendez-Garcia (4th – 1600R, 4:28.02a PR), and junior Hazel Salinas (4th – 3200R, 11:51.03a PR) 1.25 apiece.

Non-placing Wildcats included seniors: Rozlyn Funari (11th – javelin, 74-4) and Allanah Suarez (28th – 800, 3:0373a); juniors: Hazel Salinas (11th – 3200, 15:29.99a PR), Catalina Garcia (T-15th – SP, 26-8.5; 18th – D, 59-6), Kaylee Wiggins (16th – 300H, 57.44a), Avery Wiltbank (17th – 100H, 19.66a PR; 22nd – 300H, 58.26a PR), and Leayla Mendez-Garcia (30th – 100, 13.83a SB); and sophomores: Tracy Mianda (9th – 300H, 53.28a), Aubry Porter (37th – 400, 1:09.73a PR), and Avanie Alvarez (41st – SP, 21-1; 45th – D, 6-8); and freshman: Arris Hooper (9th – 800, 2:48.99a PR).

Team Placements

Division I Laveen Cesar Chavez was first with 106.5 points, Division I Gilbert Desert Ridge second (66), Division I Surprise Shadow Ridge third (63), Division I Mesa Dobson and Division I Marana tied for fourth (55), Division III Goodyear Estrella Foothills sixth (43), Division IV Buckeye Odyssey Institute seventh (39.5), Division V Phoenix Arizona Lutheran eight (36.5), Division III Maricopa Desert Sunrise ninth (34), and Division III Gilbert American Leadership – Gilbert North 10th (27).

Division I Yuma Kofa was 11th (26), Division V Morenci 12th (19), Division III Yuma 13th (18), Division V North Phoenix Prep 14th (17.5), Division II North Phoenix and Division II Laveen Betty H. Fairfax tied for 15th (17), Division I Tolleson Union 17th (16), Division II Alhambra 18th (14), Division II Casa Grande Union 19th (10), and Division V Wickenburg 20th (6).

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Catalina Garcia begins her spin for a discus toss during a Tucson-held meet. The Morenci junior turned in a personal best 77-foot, 7-inch toss during a Phoenix meet on March 27.

Division IV Phoenix Bourgade Catholic and Division V Scottsdale Rancho Solano Prep tied for 21st (4), Division II Glendale Copper Canyon and Division II Glendale Independence tied for 23rd (3), and both Division I Mesa Westwood and Division V Phoenix Christian tied for 25th (1).

Eleven teams, Division I Phoenix Camelback, Division I Phoenix Maryvale, Division I Phoenix Trevor G. Browne, Division II Phoenix Central, Division III El Mirage Dysart, Division V Gilbert Leading Edge, Division V Laveen Heritage, Division V Phoenix Arizona Lutheran, Division V Phoenix Madison Highland Prep, Division V Phoenix Maryvale Prep, and Division V Phoenix North Valley Christian did not score,

Individual Champions

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Avery Wiltbank concentrates on kicking her right leg over a hurdle. The Morenci junior posted personal best times during both races, 19.66a (100H) and 58.26a (300H) on March 27.

Individual running event champions were Cesar Chavez junior Kyla Powell in the 100 (12.27a) and 200 (25.65a), Shadow Ridge junior Brielle Leamaster in the 400 (58:77a), Dobson senior Brooka Rasmussen in the 800 (2:20.83a PR) and 1600 (5:27.03a), Cesar Chavez junior Suami Aguilar Estrada in the 3200 (11:57.95a), Yuma senior Legend Redman in the 100 hurdles (16.22a PR), and freshman Jaliyah Green in the 300 hurdles (49.64a PR).

The field event champions were Shadow Ridge junior Olivia Brianard in the shot put (33-4 SB), Kofa senior Adleigh Jensen in the discus (104-1 PR), Estrella Foothills senior Kaylee Eileen O’Conner in the javelin (115-0 SB), Arizona Lutheran freshman Gia Hill in the high jump (4-8 PR), ALA-GN sophomore Stella Powell in the pole vault (10-0 SB), Cesar Chavez junior Rhylyn Doxie in the long jump (17-3 PR), and Estrella Foothills junior Ava Juarez in the triple jump (31-8.75).

Three different schools placed first in the relays, Cesar Chavez in the 4×100 (49.03a) of 19 finishing with Green, Powell, sophomore Zariah Smith-Williams, and Doxie; Desert Ridge in the 4×400 (4:20.44a) of 15 with junior Rebekah Ponce, freshman Peyton Heywood, senior Bailey Jackson, and senior Aubree Hyer; and Marana in the 4×800 (10:36.15a PR) of eight with senior Reagan Russell, freshman Dytan Firmage, junior Ember Thatcher, and junior Mackenzie Stumm.

Morenci Boys

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: The 4×400 relay first exchange between freshman Keston Armstrong and sophomore Sunny Gobert went smoothly during a March 21 Tucson meet. The race, with third leg junior alternate Jeremya Cruz and senior anchor Aundre McCauley, yielded 43.43a. The reshuffled quartet of McCauley, senior Lyndale Waterhouse, Gobert, and Armstrong went slightly quicker with a 43.37a March 28 clocking.

Morenci had 19 points to finish 13th with nine Wildcats posting nine personal best efforts in eight events, but not all for top eight placements.

Senior Lyndale Waterhouse (3rd – LJ, 20-8.5 PR; 3rd – 4x100R – 43.37a PR) earned 7.5 points, senior Derick Lytle (3rd – javelin, 142-9) six, sophomore Sunny Gobert (3rd – 4x100R – 43.37a PR; 8th – 100, 11.26a) 2.5, and senior Aundre McCauley (3rd – 4x100R – 43.37a PR;) and freshman Keston Armstrong (3rd – 4x100R – 43.37a PR) 1.5 apiece.

Non-placing Wildcats included seniors: Dean Chee (T-9th – D, 108-7; 16th – SP, 36-10 PR; 19th – javelin, 94-3), Aundre McCauley (23rd – 100, 11.62a; 28th – LJ, 17-5), Tristan Yanez (24th – D, 90-7; 41st – SP, 31-0.75), Samuel Kitcheyan (48th – 400, 58.21a), and Maxwell Clancy (54th – 800, 2:34.45a PR); junior: Sebastian McCallum (31st – 110H, 23.53a; 38th – 300H, 55.70a); sophomores; Ryder Nelson (9th – 3200, 11:18.56a; 14th – 1600, 5:10.71a; 32nd – 800, 2:20.82a PR), Sunny Gobert (17th – 200, 23.70a), David Licano (58th – SP, 26-4.25), Jeremya Cruz (60th – 200, 25.78a); and freshmen: Keston Armstrong (12th – 100, 11.44a; 15th – 200, 23.59a), Eli Laney (15th – 300H, 47.00a PR; 25th – 110H, 20.43a PR), and Yanuel Gigante (46th – 400, 58.07a PR; 56th – 800, 2:35.61a PR),

Team Placements

Division I Marana was first with 131.5 points, Division I Mesa Westwood second (71), Division I Laveen Cesar Chavez third (62), Division I Tolleson Union fourth (59.5), Division III El Mirage Dysart fifth (50.5), Division III Goodyear Estrella Foothills sixth (46), Division IV Buckeye Odyssey Institute seventh (33), Division II Glendale Independence eighth (29), Division III Gilbert American Leadership – Gilbert North ninth (26), and Division II Laveen Betty H. Fairfax 10th (21.5).

*Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Dean Chee lets go of the shot put during an earlier meet. The Morenci senior turned in a personal best 36-foot, 10-inch throw on March 27.*

Division I Gilbert Desert Ridge was 11th (21), Division III Maricopa Desert Sunrise 12th (20), Division V Morenci 13th (19), Division V Phoenix Christian 14th (16), Division I Phoenix Maryvale 15th (14.33), Division V Phoenix Arizona Lutheran 16th (14), Division II North Phoenix 17th (13), Division I Phoenix Camelback 18th (12.5), Division I Yuma Kofa 19th (11), and Division I Phoenix Trevor G. Browne 20th (8).

Division II Glendale Copper Canyon was 21st (6), Division I Surprise Shadow Ridge 22nd (5.33), Division I Mesa Dobson 23rd (4.33), Division II Alhambra 24th (4), Division II Casa Grande Union 25th (2.5), and Division V North Phoenix Prep 25th (1).

Ten teams, Division II Phoenix Central**, Division III Yuma**, Division IV Phoenix Bourgade Catholic**, Division V Gilbert Leading Edge**, Division V Laveen Heritage**, Division V Phoenix Madison Highland Prep**, Division V Phoenix Maryvale Prep**, and Division V Phoenix North Valley Christian**, Division V Scottsdale Rancho Solano Prep**, and Division V Wickenburg** 20th (6) did not score,

Individual Champions

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Eli Laney brings his trailing foot over the hurdle during a March 21 meet. The Morenci freshman clocked in with personal bests in both hurdle events six days later, 20.43a (110H) and 47.00a (300H).

Individual running event champions were Estrella Foothills senior Troy Babineaux in the 100 (10.91a PR), Tolleson junior Ishmail Bangura in the 200 (22.40a PR), Desert Ridge sophomore Andrew Boulette in the 400 (52.36a), Westwood senior Daniel Reese in the 800 (2:00.23a PR) and 1600 (4:30.03a PR), Odyssey senior Aven Neely in the 3200 (10:45.42a SB), Dysart senior Donovan Hinchey in the 110 hurdles (14.50a SB) and 300 hurdles (39.43a PR).

The field event champions were Westwood junior Samson Tengei in the shot put (45-9 PR) and discus (132-0 PR), Marana junior Andrew Martin in the javelin (169-6), Camelback senior Jiste Gitego in the high jump (6-1 PR), ALA-GN junior Weston Powell in the pole vault (14-0), Marana senior Philip Stevens in the long jump (21-5.5), and Bangura in the triple jump (44-0). Three different schools placed first in the relays, Cesar Chavez in the 4×100 (42.676a PR) of 24 finishing with junior Shadeed Williams, sophomore Roberto Penuelas, senior Wy’on Shedrick, and sophomore Thomas Simpson; Estrella Foothills in the 4×400 (3:29.77a PR) of 21 with junior Isaac Luke Bailey, junior Shawn Hak Ellison Lee, Babineaux, and freshman Kameron Joshua Lee; and Odyssey in the 4×800 (9:00.28a PR) of 12 with sophomore Hunter Furman, sophomore Joshua Ault, freshman Grayson Medina, and junior Austin Schmidt.