Campolindo girls put their speed to good use
Long known for its strong distance brigade, the Campolindo-Moraga girls track and field team took the short route to win its first North Coast Section Meet of Champions on Saturday at Dublin High School.
Mari Testa pulled off a rare double, winning the 100 meters (12.19 seconds) and 100 hurdles (14.68, wind-aided), and contributed a leg on the Cougars’ victorious 4x100 relay team. Campolindo had 57 points, 11 ahead of runner-up Dublin.
Joining Testa on the relay team were Kyrstin Wilson, Meagan Kennedy and Sara Tabibian. They won in 48.42, becoming the first Campo girls team to win a NCS MOC title in the event. Testa completed her busy day by placing third in the 300 hurdles (47.05); Tabibian (45.63) won the race.
Campolindo coach Chuck Woolridge, who has led the Cougars to four state team cross-country titles and College Park-Pleasant Hill to two more, said strong senior and junior leadership plus diligent coaching from a half-dozen assistant coaches led to the historic title.
“Our coaches have done just a fantastic job prepping the kids through all the 1ups and down over the last 2 ⁄2 years,” he said. “What great leadership from these kids who really haven’t had a track season since their freshmen seasons. It’s very exciting stuff.”
The top three in each event — plus those who met qualifying times — advanced to this week’s state meet in Clovis.
Other meet highlights: ⏩ The Muhammad siblings of Dublin — sister Jathiyah, a sophomore, and freshman brother Khaliq — won polevault championships. Jathiyah vaulted a meet-record and state season-best 14 feet. Khaliq helped lead his team to the boys team title with a personal best of 15-7. No other girl cleared 13 feet, and the previous meet record was 13-4.
⏩ Dublin’s boys rolled to their first team title in overwhelming fashion, finishing with 121 points to runner-up Pittsburg’s 39. Other wins for the Gaels came from senior Anish Kasam in both hurdles (a wind-aided 14.39 in the 110 highs, 39.25 in the 300s).
⏩ Other boys double winners were Moreau Catholic-Hayward junior Bryce Thomas (200, 21.93; 400, 48.41) and James Logan-Union City senior Jacob Watts (discus, 153-8; triple jump, 46-4).
⏩ Other impressive winning marks came from: Pinole Valley senior Cornell Davis (100 in a wind-aided 10.47), Albany senior Sophia Nordenholz (1,600, 4:49.36) and junior Sean Morello (3,200, 9:08.54) and El Cerrito’s boys 4x100 relay team (41.90). Nordenholz also placed second in the 3,200 (10:29.77) behind Montgomery-Santa Rosa freshman Hanne Thomsen (10:23.82).
San Francisco Section: At Kezar Stadium, Lowell edged Lincoln twice, 187-176 for the girls title and 182-178 for the
boys. It was the Cardinals’ 40th girls title since competition began in 1978. The boys won their 26th crown (since 1941) — the 20th since 1997.
Sophomore Oliver Witt was the star for the Lowell boys, winning the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, the last breaking a 37year-old meet record with a time of 9:33.86 (previously: 9:37.80 in 1985 by McAteer's Bolota Asmerom).
Long- and triple-jump wins by Nicolo Chiera Sciammas also proved key for Lowell, as did a victory in the meet-ending 4x400 relay. Zayer Myint (100 and 200) had two wins for Lincoln.
The Lowell girls were led by junior Jacqueline Holman (wins in the 400 and 1,600) and sophomore Jenna Satovsky, who breezed to victory in the 3,200 (11:21.99). The Cardinals had four runners in the top five. Lincoln’s Audry Lin won both hurdles races and the pole vault. O’Connell freshman Maliah Sampson swept the sprints.
Central Coast Section: Logan Lehnert of St. Ignatius won the pole vault (14-0), and Calbound cornerback Jeremiah Earby (Menlo-Atherton) took the 400 (49.35) at Gilroy High School.
Other Metro boys winners were Luke Buddie (Woodside, high jump), Jacob Kiesman (Valley Christian, shot put), Joshua Kung (Los Altos, triple jump) and the Los Gatos 4x400 relay team. Metro girls winners were Hannah Rutherford (Mountain View, 400), Lillian Kaelber (St. Francis, 800), Ningning O’Brien (HomesteadCupertino), Jessi Barry (Valley Christian, long jump) Megan MacKenzie (Los Altos, triple jump) and the St. Francis 4x400 relay team.
Northern California golf: Dougherty Valley-San Ramon’s Jacob Ponce was the low medalist and De La Salle-Concord put together a 3-under-par total of 357 to take the team title in Monday’s Northern California championships at Berkeley Country Club in El Cerrito. Ponce’s 7-under 65 edged Jaden Dumdumaya (De La Salle) and Zachary Mate (Consumnes Oak-Elk Grove) by a stroke. Dumdumaya’s teammate Joshua Kim (70) also shot under par, as did Austin Wang (AthenianDanville), Willy Walsh (Serra) and Edan Cui (Crystal SpringsHillsborough), all at 69. Foothill-Pleasanton (373) placed second and Dougherty Valley (375) third to advance to next week’s state tournament at San Gabriel Country Club (Los Angeles County).