THREE QUALIFY FOR STATE TRACK MEET
ELK GROVE — Paige Sefried seems to be getting faster each week.
Collin Ullrich dominated one of California’s top runners from a Division I league.
Damien Biegler couldn’t believe the final results.
Lodi High’s Sefried and Biegler, along with Liberty Ranch’s Ullrich, produced strong finishes in a combined two running and a field event at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Track and Field finals at Elk Grove High on Friday.
Placing in the top three in their events, the trio advances to the CIF Track and Field State Championships, which will take place at Buchanan High of Clovis next weekend. Out of the three advancing, only Ullrich competed at the state meet last year.
Sefried, a junior, took third place in the finals of the girls’ 400-meter race at 56.21 seconds. At the section’s Division I meet, which was also held at Elk Grove High, on May 18, Sefried finished at 56.40. According to Lodi High assistant coach Robert Winterhalter, who will become the school’s new athletic director next month, Friday’s time is also a new school record.
Running among the top five approaching the first two alleys, Sefried picked up speed and raced neck-andneck with Vista del Lago’s Emily Costello, who took second place at 56.04.
“Right at the finish,” said Sefried, pointing toward the finish line. “I could see the girl (Costello) right next to me. So I just knew I had to give it a push.”
After the race and trying to catch her breath, Sefried joined Costello and winner Ceonna Pipion, also of Vista del Lago, to the medal stand to receive their respective medals. Sefried looked into the crowd, smiling at teammates, coaches, family and friends.
Clearly, Sefried was enjoying this moment. At last year’s Masters, she took fourth place to advance to the state meet, but only as an al-
ternate, and chose not to attend.
“It feels real good,” said Sefried of advancing to the state meet. “I’ve been working for this, to this point … (hard work) paid off.”
Sefried was looking to place in the top three in two events. In the 300-meter hurdles, she took sixth place at 45.20 seconds.
Ullrich, competing in the 3,200-meter race, took first place with a time of 9 minutes, 21.64 seconds. The Hawk senior came in seeded at 9:54.01.
Ullrich topped one of the Tri-City Athletic League runners in St. Mary’s Karl Winter, who won the 1,600meter race earlier in the day. Winter took third place at 9:25.13.
The only Hawk competing at the Masters, Ullrich is the only one to advance to the state meet since Galt’s second high school since it opened its doors in 2009.
Biegler leaped to a third place finish in the high jump, clearing the bar at 6 feet, 2 inches that he reached on his first attempt. He passed the bar at an even 6-foot on his third attempt.
“I was feeling good,” said Biegler of each of his attempts. “After 6-foot, I wasn’t jumping too well. Had a good jump at 6’2. A lot of good jumpers out there today.”
Biegler, a senior, was “excited” to earn a berth to the state meet.
“I didn’t expect to be making it,” Biegler said. “I wanted to jump again.”
Winterhalter also felt that Biegler’s approach was a factor in taking third place.
“To make it to the state meet at 6-foot-2, I can’t remember when it’s been that low,” Winterhalter said. “But Damien took advantage of the conditions.”
Those conditions were some of the jumpers were slipping on the surface, which was still a little wet from the early Friday morning rain.
“He found his footing and he took advantage,” Winterhalter said.
Lodi’s Erik Ebert competed in the finals of the boys’ 200-meter dash, taking sixth place at 22.47 seconds. Another Flame runner in Peter Vo took 17th place in the 1,600-meter race at 4:30.82.
In field events, Tokay’s James McClain ended his senior year with a 17th place finish in the shot put at 44 feet, 10 inches. Lodi’s Jayvin Herrejon, also a senior, took 19th place at 44 feet, 9 inches.
The Flames’ Raven Edwards, only a freshman, was scheduled to compete in the trials of the girls’ long jump, but did not compete.