East side track and field rivals Otay Ranch and Eastlake once again appear to be on a collision course for this year’s Mesa League dual meet championship. With fast times and top marks guaranteed, there is no real loser, per se.
“The perfect scenario would be for both teams to be undefeated when we meet,” said ORHS veteran coach Ian Cumming following his team’s key double dual meet sweep of visiting Bonita Vista on April 14.
The Mustangs and Titans are scheduled to meet in their climactic dual encounter on Wednesday, April 27, at ORHS, beginning at 3 p.m.
Prior to that, Otay Ranch will host the Mustang/East Hills Invitational this Saturday. Field events start at 8:30 a.m., with running events starting at 9:30 a.m.
Eastlake may be represented in some events at Saturday’s invitational as well.
The Titans own early season bragging rights over the defending champion Mustangs after winning the large schools team title at last month’s Sweetwater Coed Relays. Eastlake got its first big test in league dual meet action when it swept visiting Bonita Vista on March 31.
In that rivalry match-up, the Titans out-dueled the Barons, 102-29, on the boys side and prevailed by a score of 74-59 on the girls side.
Otay Ranch put on an inspired performance in turning back Bonita Vista by scores of 92-44 (boys) and 87-49 (girls). The Mustangs also won the boys junior varsity meet by a score of 112-23.
Cumming called his team’s victory over Bonita Vista a “real big one.”
“For Bonita Vista, it was huge,” Cumming underscored. “They had to beat us in order for them to have any chance of sharing the title. For us, it was the toughest meet we’ve had so far. Both teams had big performances throughout the meet. It was probably the best day we’ve had this year.”
For Otay Ranch, sophomore Carina Gillespie captured top finishes in the girls 1,600-meter run (5:16.26) and 800 run (2:24.32), Alyssa Chang won the girls 100 low hurdles (15.74) and 300 low hurdles (46.96), Isaac Mallett won the boys 110 high hurdles (15.85), 300 intermediate hurdles (41.87) and 400 dash (52.63) and Jon Bajet won the boys shot put (45-5) and discus throw (155-7).
Also for the Mustangs, Ayanna Riley won the girls 100 dash (12.76), Kiera Williams (26.55) won the girls 200 dash, Michael Barker won the boys 800 run (2:00.79), Catie LeDesma (11:46.91) won the girls 3,200 run, Kayla Jones won the girls long jump (15-3.5), Brianna Davis (33-7.25) won the girls triple jump, Tiffany Smith won the girls pole vault (9-6) and Alex Law won the boys pole vault (13-6).
In the boys long jump, Otay’s Marques Roberts (20-6) and Bonita Vista’s Branden Greene (20-1) both jumped 20 feet. Roberts won the triple jump (44-3.75) ahead of teammate Sean Esteban (42-4.25) while Greene won the boys high jump (6-0) over Roberts (5-10).
Bonita Vista’s Caesar Castillo doubled in winning the boys 1,600 (4:29.20) and 3,200 (9:50.82) while Jaleisha Freeman won the girls shot put (33-7) and Jenelle Hudson won the girls discus throw (96-2.5).
Also for the Barons, Ayana White (1:01.56) and teammate Raelene Deamas (1:01.78) captured first and second, respectively, in the girls 400 dash while Jennifer Hart won the girls high jump in a jump-off at 4-8 against Otay’s Smith.
In events almost too close to call at the finish line, Bonita Vista’s Marcus Reyes (11.81) edged Otay’s David Mondy (11.92) in the 100 dash while Reyes (23.47) clipped Otay’s James Adams (23.77) in the 200 dash.
Otay Ranch swept the top three scoring positions in both the boys 110 high hurdles and 300 intermediate hurdles. In the shorter distance, J’Vion Johnson (16.04) finished second and Nathaniel Nelson (17.68) finished third while Nelson (43.91) and Javier Hoyle (44.27) followed Mallett across the finish line in the longer race.
Mallett and teammate Kevin Merlin (53.19) finished first and second in the boys 400.
In the distances, Otay Ranch finished 1-2 in both the boys and girls 800 run and 1-2 in the girls 3,200.
In Eastlake’s prior victory over Bonita Vista, Trent Warren turned in winning times in the boys 800 (2:02) and 1,600 (4:32). Teammate Sean Stanko also timed 2:02 in the 800.
Warren bested defending Metro cross country champion Shin Agbede in the 1,600 after recording a personal best time of 4:26.12 in taking second place in the event the previous weekend at the Mt. Carmel Invitational.
Warren, who finished second to Agbede at the league cross country finals, noted it was the first time he had managed to beat the BV standout in four head-to-head races. Warren won the final sprint down the straightaway.
Other Titan top marks included the 11.2 by Travis Gardner in the boys 100 dash, Danielle Sullivan’s 1:01 in the girls 400, Ana Gonzalez’ 5:21.8 in the girls 1,600 and Sharmaine Strayhorn’s 16-11.5 in the girls long jump.
Eastlake timed 43.4 in the boys 4×100 relay and 50.7 in the girls 4×100 relay.
Eastlake swept Hilltop in a double dual on April 14, with the boys winning 115-19 and the girls winning 94-36.
Jalen Mondane won the boys 100 in 11.8 for Eastlake, which also received standout performances by Jordan Hines (21-9.5) in the boys long jump, Sarah Garces (59.7) in the girls 400, Carly Hintz (2:25) in the girls 800 and Alana Harrison-Parks (33-5.5) in the girls triple jump.
Top marks for Bonita Vista in the dual against Eastlake included those by Greene in the boys high jump (6-4), Jade Palm in the girls 100 hurdles (16.9) and Deamas in the girls 800 (2:21).
For more top marks, visit www.athletic.net.
