Track and field athletes shine at IVL finals
EL CENTRO — While the Imperial Valley League finals Thursday at Southwest High School marked the end of the regular season for many track-and-field athletes, it was also a chance for a talented few to earn their right to compete at CIF.
Imperial High senior Caitlin Brown was able to achieve her dream of qualifying for CIF in the girls’ 1600-meter run, as she won the event with a time of 5 minutes, 36 seconds, which was also a new personal record for her.
“I was ranked second, and it’s been a goal of mine to go to CIF, so I was just really pushing for it, especially since it is my senior year,” Brown said.
Trailing near Brown a majority of the race was Brawley Union sophomore Alissa Moreno, who finished in second with a time of 5:39.
“I just paced with her to keep a good steady pace, and I knew at the end I just had to kick it and go as fast as I could,” Brown said of her strategy against Moreno.
Brawley Union High was able to win both the boys’ and girls’ 4x100-meter relay events.
The Brawley Union girls’ 4x100 team consisted of junior Emily Godsey, freshmen Kamrin Dickerson, senior Alyssa Maldonado and senior Jasmin Guerrero. The team won with a time of 52.70 seconds.
It was the third consecutive year, the Brawley Union High girls’ team had won the event at the finals.
The Brawley Union boys’ 4x100 team, which won with a time of 44.13 seconds, consisted of sophomore Adrian Chavez, senior Jose Cristerna, senior Isaac Garcia and senior Leonardo Gutierrez.
“Our strategy was just to go in cool, calm and collected and just do what we had to do,” Garcia said. Despite having a group of experienced upperclassmen trailing his every footstep throughout the boys’ 1600-meter run, Central Union High sophomore Luis Sandoval said he had a relaxed and clear mind the entire race.
“It was all God, honestly,” Sandoval said. “I give my life to God, and I glorify him through that.”
The sophomore was able to get enough separation in the last lap of the race to finish in first with a CIF-qualifying time of 4 minutes, 25.48 seconds.
“I just focused on the race and do my race and do what God tells me to,” Sandoval said. “Once I throw my kick at the 200-meter, I don’t even worry about anyone else. It’s just God and me.”
Finishing in second and third place behind Sandoval was Holtville High junior Eddie Quintero, 4:28.10, and Southwest High senior Nathan Garcia, 4:28.47.
Winning the girls’ 100-meter hurdles was Imperial High senior Jessica Dick with a time of 17.04 seconds, followed by Imperial High’s Lilly Vaal, 17.29 seconds, in second place, and Central Union’s Arely Pacheco, 17.32, in third place.
Breaking the IVL record in the mens’ 110-meter hurdles was Southwest High senior Tyler Saikhon with a time of 14.43. Previously, Saikhon himself set the IVL record in 2017 with a time of 14.87.
“That’s one of the best races you’ll ever see,” Central Union High track-and-field head coach Ron Shane said.
Brawley Union High’s Maldonado and Calexico High junior Ida Villasenor competed in a photo-finish in the girls’ 100-meter dash. Ultimately, Maldonado won with a time of 13.07 followed by Villasenor, 13.09.
Southwest High senior Justin Cordova won the boys’ 100-meter dash with a CIF-qualifying time of 10.97 seconds, which also broke his previous 2017 championship time of 11.07 in the event.
For a full list of winners, see Saturday’s edition of the Imperial Valley Press.