The road to the state track and field championship meet started May 10 for Metro Conference athletes as they competed for top marks in the Mesa League and South Bay League finals, and qualifying marks for this weekend’s San Diego Section prelim meet.
Included among the collection of hopefuls are a number of returning state meet qualifiers, all of whom made their presence felt with the lure of championship medals on the line last week at Otay Ranch High School.
Olympian senior Kolumbia Page earned Mesa League female track athlete of the meet honors after securing four gold medals while Eastlake senior Jalyn Jackson earned Mesa League male field athlete of the meet honors by securing three gold medals.
For good measure, Eastlake senior Jeffrey Page, a two-time state qualifier in the 800-meter run, emerged victorious in the boys 400 dash and 800 run.
For extra good measure, Olympian junior Adaeze Noble, a returning state meet qualifier in the girls 400 dash and both relay units, reigned supreme in her specialty event by winning the 400 distance in 57.66.
Kolumbia Page won individual gold medals in the 100 dash (12.16) and 200 dash (24.94). She also was part of two championship relay teams — the 4×100 (47.81) and the 4×400 (3:55.53).
Jackson, who placed second in the state in the triple jump and sixth in the long jump last year, continued to soar in the horizontal jumps by winning league titles in the boys long jump (23-7-5) and triple jump (48-11). He also added a gold medal in the 4×100 relay.
Both field marks at the Mesa League finals are short of his bests on the season, which are 24-2.5 in the long jump and 49-10.25 in the triple jump. Both marks lead the section.
He won three individual gold medals at last year’s league finals by also capturing the 110 high hurdles.
Now that the actual road to state has started and he’s gotten a chance to reload his energy in recent weeks, Jackson said he feels more relaxed.
“I feel fluid,” he said. “I’m getting back into the swing of things.”
The section prelims are this Saturday at Mt. Carmel High School. Top qualifiers advance to the section finals May 26 at the same site. The top three place-finishers in each of the designated state meet qualifying heats, plus those athletes who meet predetermined standards, advance to the state championship meet June 1-2 in Clovis.
Fleet feet
Olympian’s girls team is loaded with runners with fast times. Leading the group this season are Page and Alyssa Meeks, a fellow senior, along with Noble, all returning state meet qualifiers.
Noble qualified for the state meet in the 4×400 relay as a freshman and advanced to the state meet as a sophomore in the 400 dash and both 4×100 and 4×400 relay as a sophomore.
Meeks joined Page and Noble on last year’s state-qualifying 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams.
With three of the four runners on the 4×400 relay team returning this year, there’s a good chance Noble and her teammates could be making a third trek to the state meet come June.
Alexis Meeks, Alyssa’s twin sister, joins the group this year.
“We all push each other,” Noble said. “When one of us improves, we all end up improving.”
Page doubled in winning the 100 and 200 sprints at the league finals while Alexis Meeks (12.32) and Alyssa Meeks (12.42) were right behind her in the 100 for a top three Olympian finish. Alyssa Meeks placed third in the 200 dash (25.82) behind Page and Eastlake’s Saisha Banks (25.62).
Noble’s top marks during the regular season included 12.61 seconds in the 100 dash, 25.63 in the 200 dash and 57.39 in the 400 dash, all set at the Willie Banks Invitational on March 31. She set the school record (56.62) in the 400 last year.
Page actually posted the fastest times this season in the 100 dash (12.16), 200 dash (24.94) and 400 dash (56.92).
It will be interesting to see which events she elects to run at the CIF prelims.
Olympian’s relay teams notched their fastest times of the season at the league finals.
The 4×100 relay unit, which set a new school record, included Kamaile Signo-Hawkins, Page and both Meek sisters. The 4×400 squad featured both Meek sisters, Page and Noble.
Noble, Page and Alyssa Meeks were part of last year’s team along with Jasmine Simmons that set the school record in the 4×400 event (3:54.86).
Photo finish
Both Mesa League 800 races came down to the wire.
The Mesa League girls 800 run featured a heart-pounding finish that was decided by a toe length. Olympian freshman Keerstin Augustin got the ever so slight edge by 0.04 seconds with a 2:22.83 time.
Otay Ranch’s Lauryn Nazareno placed second in 2:22.87.
“I just wanted to stay with the pack, go fast and kick at the end,” said Augustin, who placed third in the 1600 run (5:17.30) earlier in the meet.
She said her goals were to qualify for the CIF prelims and win the Mesa League title. Both accomplished in the 800 event.
Jeffrey Page nipped Bonita Vista senior Toshin Agbede by 0.10 seconds in the boys race. Page timed 1:58.03 (a season best) to Agbede’s 1:58.13 (a personal best). It was a furious race to the finish, especially for Page in his specialty event.
Agbede pushed Page the final 300 meters. Page had to employ a final burst to hold off the hard-charging Bonita Vista runner at the finish line,
“It went down to the end,” Page recounted. “I was just thinking how my legs were tired after running the 400 but I decided to push harder and I did.”
“I knew he was going to win it, I just wanted to stay with him,” Agbede said. “I just wanted to get a PR and I did.”
Page employed the same dramatic come-from-behind tactics in winning the 400 earlier in the meet.
Page made his move with 150 meters to go and had to employ a final burst to hold off Olympian’s Mikael Tyler by 0.14 seconds.
Page won in 49.90 (a personal best); Tyler finished second in 50.04. Olympian’s Adrine Sermons was third in 50.76 (a personal best).
“It went down to the final 50 meters,” Page said. “I was able to hold on.”
He said there isn’t much of a strategy difference between the two distances.
“You have to stay with them for the first three-quarters of the race and then try to hold them off with a great kick,” he said.
Trading places
San Ysidro senior Jake Curtis made firm claim to title of the top sprinter in the conference after winning South Bay League individual championships in the 100 and 200 dashes last year and winning the same events in the Mesa League this year.
“When the season first started I felt a little intimidated because the Mesa League is where the fastest runners are,” Curtis said. “But as the season went on I felt more comfortable and things began to go well.”
Very well, in fact.
Curtis won the 2018 Mesa League title in the 100 dash in 11.08, nipping Otay Ranch’s Dylan Zolezzi (11.29) and Olympian’s David Derby (11.33). In fact, all eight runners in the race clocked under 12 seconds, including four under 11.5.
Curtis won the 200 dash in 22.40, this time edging Olympian’s Tyler (22.56).
Curtis doubled in last year’s South Bay League finals by winning the 100 in 11.41 and the 200 in 22.59.
Castle Park senior Chris Arana, this year’s South Bay League male track athlete of the meet, recorded a sprint double by winning this year’s South Bay League titles in the 100 dash (11.25) and 200 dash (23.05).
Going vertical
Otay Ranch’s Nathan Sison won his second consecutive Mesa League title in the boys pole vault by clearing 12-3. It wasn’t his best effort on the season — that is 13-2 — but it was enough to win this year’s championship meet.
Sweetwater’s Angel Torres finished runner-up at 11-9.
“Last year I had more competition at 12-6, which is the height I won it at … but it still feels good to win it again,” Sison noted.
Eastlake teammates Natalia Cortes and Renna Cozza tied for the Mesa League lead by clearing 9-3 in the girls pole vault. Cortes won the title on jumps.
The Titans finished with the top four vaulters in the event. Olivia Czeladko finished third at 8-11, followed by Emily Sawtell at 8-5.
Olympian’s Chayin Osgood won the Mesa League boys high jump by clearing 6-1. Eastlake’s Kevin Bateman finished second at 6-0 ahead of Sweetwater’s Steven Aviles, who also cleared 6-0.
Repeat champs
Otay Ranch’s Alani Johnson repeated as Mesa League champion in the girls 100 low hurdles (15.42) while teammate Emma Gaines-Ramos repeated as league champion in the girls 300 low hurdles (47.10).
Star power
Chula Vista’s Ajahnei West earned recognition as the Mesa League’s female field athletes of the meet after recording league titles in the girls discus throw (96-03) and shot put (33-2).
South Bay League field athletes of the meet included long jump and triple champions Paola Nenninger and Gustavo Carranza, both from Mater Dei Catholic.
Going the distance is goal for Metro Conference standouts
BONITA VISTA’S LABRA, EASTLASKE’S MIESSNER AMONG STRONG CONTENDERS FOR STATE MEET
Bonita Vista High School senior Isaiah Labra and Eastlake High School sophomore Patricia Miessner both have aspirations of qualifying for the state track and field championship meet in the 3200-meter distance.
Both runners turned in scintillating times to win their individual events at last week’s Mesa League finals at Otay Ranch High School.
Labra earned Mesa League male track athlete of the meet honors by dominating the field in winning the boys 1600 and 3200 races.
He timed 4:20.77 to win the 1600 by two seconds (a season best) and came back to overpower the field in the 3200 with a breakaway final lap to win by nearly seven seconds in 9:40.09.
Miessner won league titles in absolutely dominating fashion. She finished more than eight seconds ahead of her nearest challenger in the 1600 (5:07.38) and topped the runner-up in the 3200 (11:01.31) by almost 70 seconds.
Both have gone faster this season, so consider the May 10 league championship meet at Otay Ranch High School just a tune-up for what’s to come.
It should be good.
Labra ranks second in the section in the 3200 and could be the prime contender to win the Division I title at this year’s section finals.
He knows he’s a marked target on the course.
Labra slipped past Bonita Vista’s Toshin Agbede (4:22.97) and Olympian’s Nicholas Albro (4:2792) to win this year’s league title in the 1600.
Albro gave Labra a hard challenge in the longer distance, keeping stride for stride with his adversary until the final two laps.
Albro, an individual state meet qualifier in cross country last fall, finished runner-up with an otherwise fine time of 9:46.85. His best on the season is 9:28.65.
Labra and Albro were among five Mesa League runners to dip under the 10-minute mark in the event. Three of those five runners were from Bonita Vista in a show of force for its distance team.
Bonita Vista’s Jonathan Kelly finished third in 9:53.65, followed by teammate Mario Barone in fourth place in 9:57.80. Olympian’s Eric Simmons finished fifth in 9:59.54 to just beat the clock.
The times for Kelly, Barone and Simmons — all juniors — were personal bests in the distance.
Labra, a returning state meet cross country qualifier, finished seventh at last year’s CIF finals in the 1600 (4:20.66) but did not compete in the state championship heat in the 3200.
He recorded a best this season of 9:16.32 in the 3200 at last month’s Mt. SAC Relays — the second-fastest time by a Bonita Vista runner in the event since Eric Avila won the state title with a blazing time of 9:01.77 in 2007.
“I was happy with the 9:16 time but I knew I was fit to go faster,” he said. “This year has definitely had its ups and downs. I’m grateful for all the support I’ve received from my family, friends. I’m running for not only myself but for them and for school pride. I have a large support group.”
Eastlake sophomore Patricia Miessner is no stranger to competing on the big stage after running in last December’s Foot Locker Nationals and winning her division at last month’s 37th annual La Jolla Half Marathon.
Like Labra, she’ll be looking to qualify for the upcoming state meet by engineering a top three finish at the section finals. She finished fifth at last year’s section finals in 10:56.99 (fourth among Division I athletes) and qualified as an individual to last fall’s state cross country finals.
Her best time this season in the 3200 is 10:52.66 — fourth fastest in the section.
She recorded a second consecutive distance double by winning the 1600 and 3200 at this year’s league finals.
Her energy level appears limitless. She continued to run laps on the Otay Ranch race track long after the 3200 event was finished in a prolonged cool-down, periodically looking at her watch.
Labra’s cool-downs often look like mini marathons, which is exactly down Miessner’s alley.
She timed 1 hour, 23 minutes, 43 seconds to win the women’s division at the La Jolla Half Marathon, which took place April 22 along a course stretching from the Del Mar Fairgrounds to the La Jolla Cove. She won by more than six minutes.
Coronado High School alumnus Andrew Falkiewicz, 29, won the men’s race in 1:17.35. He finished more than a minute ahead of the next runner on the course.
Approximately 4,000 runners entered this year’s event.
Miessner’s time would have placed her sixth overall in the men’s field. The second place women’s finisher, Christina Case, 36, of Carlsbad, timed 1:30:23.
Miessner competed in the La Jolla Half Marathon a day after competing in the 15th annual Phair Co./Mustang Relays.
She said it was the first time she had attempted the 13.1-mile distance in a competitive field after two prior experiences to gauge her endurance in the distance.
“I knew I was good in running, especially the distances,” she said. “I’m really excited about this distance now.”
Otay Ranch junior Luz Mercado finished second in the 1600 (5:15.82) at this year’s Mesa League finals while Olympian’s Mariana Beltran-Picos finished runner-up in the 3200 (12:11.07).
Beltran-Picos qualified as an individual for last fall’s state cross country championships.
Southwest senior Jacob Fierro is also a contender in the postseason races after winning the 800 and 1600 events at this year’s South Bay League finals. He timed 1:58.09 in the 800 (a personal record) and 4:27.87 in the 1600.
He won by more than two seconds in the shorter distance and more than six seconds in the longer distance, both times finishing ahead of teammate Esteban Magana (2:00.70 in the 800 and 4:34.00 in the 1600).
Fierro’s 800 time ranked first overall between Mesa League and South Bay League runners; his 1600 time was third overall between the two leagues.
His best time on the season is 4:23.02 in the 1600.
Fierro has qualified for the state cross country meet. He would like to add the state track meet to his resume.
His goal was to go under two minutes to win the league title in 800. The next challenge will be to go even faster this weekend.
“I’ve already done it (break two minutes) but I need to go faster, like 1:56,” he said.
There are a lot of gems this season throughout the conference among distance runners.
Magana timed 10:00.40 to win the South Bay League boys 3200 race, finishing more than 30 seconds in front of league runner-up Andre Berry of Castle Park (10:31.16).
Castle Park sophomore Estela Bustillos tripled by winning South Bay League titles in the girls 800 (2:38.92), 1600 (5:47.69) and 3200 (13:10.47) to earn recognition as the South Bay League female track athlete of the meet.
Her personal records in the events are 2:35.23 (800), 5:45.23 (1600) and 12:31.98 (3200).
She won by more than five seconds in the 800 and nearly 18 seconds in the 1600 but was pushed to the finish line by Mater Dei Catholic junior Natalie Chavarria (13:11.05) in the 3200, winning by just 0.18 seconds.
MESA LEAGUE PARADE OF CHAMPIONS
Boys Results
Running Events
4×100 relay: 1. Eastlake 43.02
1600 run: 1. Isaiah Labra (Bonita Vista) 4:20.77
110 high hurdles: Anthony Gilpin (Olympian) 16.12
400 dash: 1. Jeffrey Page (Eastlake) 49.90
100 dash: Jake Curtis (San Ysidro) 11.08
800 run: 1. Jeffrey Page (Eastlake) 1:58.03
300 intermediate hurdles: 1. Davyn Willis (Eastlake) 41.34
200 dash: 1. Jake Curtis (San Ysidro) 22.40
3200 run: 1. Isaiah Labra (Bonita Vista) 9:40.09
4×400 relay: 1. Olympian 3:24.57
Field Events
High jump: 1. Chayin Osgood (Olympian) 6-1
Pole vault: 1. Nathan Sison (Otay Ranch) 12-3
Long jump: 1. Jalyn Jackson (Eastlake) 23-7.5
Triple jump: 1. Jalyn Jackson (Eastlake) 48-11
Discus throw: 1. Carson Lively (Eastlake) 143-3
Shot put: 1. Dominic D’Andrea (Otay Ranch) 46-5
Male Athletes of the Meet
Track: Isaiah Labra (Bonita Vista)
Field: Jayln Jackson (Eastlake)
Dual meet champion: Eastlake Titans
Girls Results
Running Events
4×100 relay: 1. Olympian 47.81
1600 run: 1. Patricia Miessner (Eastlake) 5:07.38
100 hurdles: 1. Alani Johnson (Otay Ranch) 15.42
400 dash: 1. Adaeze Noble (Olympian) 57.66
100 dash: 1. Kolumbia Page (Olympian) 12.16
800 run: 1. Keerstin Augustin (Olympian) 2:22.83
300 hurdles: 1. Emma Gaines-Ramos (Otay Ranch) 47.10
200 dash: 1. Kolumbia Page (Olympian) 24.94
3200 run: 1. Patricia Miessner (Eastlake) 11:01.31
4×400 relay: 1. Olympian 3:55.53
Field Events
High jump: 1. Jocelyn Flores (Sweetwater) 4-10
Pole vault: 1. Natalia Cortes (Eastlake) 9-3
Long jump: 1. Cimone Manson (Eastlake) 16-2.75
Triple jump: 1. Alani Johnson (Otay Ranch) 35-0
Discus throw: 1. Ajahnei West (Chula Vista) 96-3
Shot put: Ajahnei West (Chula Vista) 33-2
Female Athletes of the Meet
Track: Kolumbia Page (Olympian)
Field: Ajahnei West (Chula Vista)
Dual meet champion: Eastlake Titans
SOUTH BAY LEAGUE PARADE OF CHAMPIONS
Boys Results
Running Events
4×100 relay: 1. Castle Park 44.54
1600 run: 1. Jacob Fierro (Southwest) 4:27.87
110 high hurdles: 1. Jared York (Mar Vista) 16.48
400 dash: 1. Adam Ibarra (Montgomery) 50.73
100 dash: 1. Chris Arana (Castle Park) 11.25
800 run: 1. Jacob Fierro (Southwest) 1:58.09
300 intermediate hurdles: 1. Jared York (Mar Vista) 42.46
200 dash: 1. Chris Arana (Castle Park) 23.05
3200 run: 1. Esteban Magana (Southwest) 10:00.40
4×400 relay: 1. Mar Vsta 3:33.12
Field Events
High jump: 1. Rayshawn Halscher (Mater Dei Catholic) 5-10
Pole vault: 1. Enrique Marcilla (Mater Dei Catholic) 9-9
Long jump: 1. Gustavo Carranza (Mater Dei Catholic) 22-0
Triple jump: 1. Gustavo Carranza (Mater Dei Catholic) 43-3.25
Discus throw: 1. Sovial Sonzeu (Mater Dei Catholic) 114-7
Shot put: 1. Victor Ayala (Montgomery) 42-8
Male Athletes of the Meet
Track: Chris Arana (Castle Park)
Field: Gustavo Carranza (Mater Dei Catholic)
Dual meet champion: Mar Vista Mariners
Girls Results
Running Events
4×100 relay: 1. Mar Vista 52.32
1600 run: 1. Estella Bustillos (Castle Park) 5:47.69
100 hurdles: 1. Elizabeth Hernandez (Mar Vista) 17.52
400 dash: 1. Gillian Torres (Mar Vista) 1:03.53
100 dash: 1. Briana Ayala (Mar Vista) 13.05
800 run: 1. Estela Bustillos (Castle Park) 2:38.92
300 hurdles: 1. Elizabeth Hernandez (Mar Vista) 52.95
200 dash: 1. A’Sonte Jackson (Castle Park) 26.93
3200 run: 1. Estela Bustillos (Castle Park) 13:10.47
4×400 relay: 1. Mar Vista 4:24.73
FIELD EVENTS
High jump: 1. Janelle Grimsley (Castle Park) 4-2
Pole vault: 1. Hennessy Martinez (Mater Dei Catholic) 7-5
Long jump: 1. Paola Nenninger (Mater Dei Catholic) 16-4.75
Triple jump: 1. Paola Nenninger (Mater Dei Catholic) 35-3
Discus throw: 1. Celina Hosking (Castle Park) 103-10
Shot put: 1. Natoya Davis (Castle Park) 34-6.5
Female Athletes of the Meet
Track: Estela Bustillos (Castle Park)
Field: Paola Nenninger (Mater Dei Catholic)
Dual meet champion: Mater Dei Catholic
