There were several San Gabriel Valley individual champions and athletes who reached the medal stand in multiple events at the CIF Southern Section Track and Field Finals at Moorpark High School on Saturday.
All four divisions competed at the same site.
South Pasadena’s Mia Holden competed in three individual girls finals and was able to reach the top podium in one of them.
Holden, who also qualified for the 100-meter final, opted out to save her energy for her featured event, the 300 hurdles, and she did not disappoint. Holden won the Division 3 title in 43.81 seconds.
Holden wasn’t as fortunate in the 300 hurdles finals, finishing fourth in 15.04.
Holden was hoping to win the girls triple jump, but finished fourth with a mark of 37 feet, 1.75 inches.
Monrovia’s Devin Paton had a big day in the Division 3 finals. Paton won the boys long jump against a tough field, winning with a jump of 22-5 1/2.
Paton nearly won two titles, but he couldn’t chase down Damien’s Nick Nocero in the 300 hurdles finals.
Nocero won in 38.24, finishing ahead of Paton’s second-place time of 38.47. Nocero nearly doubled, finishing second in the 110-hurdles, crossing in 14.51.
West Covina’s Devin Jackson delivered her best when it mattered in the Division 2 girls shot put, winning the title with a throw of 43-8, which was the third-best mark in the state this season.
St. Paul’s Orlando Zepeda emerged from a strong field to win the Division 4 boys high jump, leaping 6-4 to take the top spot on the podium.
Walnut’s Phil Cotton, who played in the San Gabriel Valley North-South football game on Friday night, posted a top three finish in three field field events.
Cotton finished second in the Division 2 boys long jump with a mark of 22-7, and also reached the medal stand in the triple jump, finishing third with a leap of 44-7.
Cotton wasn’t done, finishing third in the shot put with a throw of 53-9.50.
Northview junior Dylan Ochoa came in as the favorite in the 400 meters in Division 3, and he did not disappoint, winning in 48.04.
La Salle hurdler Mia Reed just missed winning the 100 meter hurdles title in Division 4, crossing in 14.14, narrowly losing to winner Fallyn Gowans from Marlborough, who won in 14.12.
Reid also reached the finals in the 300 hurdles, finishing fourth in 45.31
St. Francis’ Clint Geryak entered the Division 3 pole vault finals tied with several others for the top qualifying mark, and ended up finishing second to reach the medal stand with a leap of 14-9.
In the boys 1,600 meter races, San Marino’s Benjamin Hughes was second in Division 4 with a time of 4:17.09, and St. Francis’ Luke Metcalf finished third in Division 3, crossing in 4:15.15.
La Canada’s 400 girls relay team of Kaitlyn Creighton, Sarina Parks, Grace Paton, and Katie McGuinness finished third in the Division 3 finals at 48.79. The Spartans’ 1,600 relay squad of Katelyn Matarese, McGuinness, Paton and Parks finished second in 3:56.06.
McGuiness also medaled in the 400 meters, finishing third in 58.03
South Pasadena’s Keeran Murray was second in the 800 meters in Division 3 with a time of 1:53.97
Santa Fe’s Rebecca Reyes finished third in the Division 2 girls high jump, posting a mark of 5-2.
Mayfield’s Missy Page, who had played a softball quarterfinal game on Friday, finished fourth in the Division 3 girls high jump with a leap of 5-0.
St. Lucy’s Emily Samaniego finished second in the girls’ Division 4 pole vault, going 10-3, and Muir’s Meckhi Corner got on the podium in the Division 4 boys triple jump with a mark of 43-0.
Marshall’s Hagop Marmarian was second in the Division 3 boys shot (56-4) and La Salle’s Alexandro Alvarez finished third in the Division 4 800 meters, crossing in 1:57.99
