BOYS TRACK
Gila Ridge produced one three-event individual champ (senior Ryleigh North), two two-event individual champs (seniors Cody Hartman and Rafael Duarte), three one-event individual champs and swept all three relays.
North, who was widely expected to win the long and triple jumps, and Hartman, the favorite in the 800 meters, each added a win in an event they had not competed in yet this season. North entered the 300-meter hurdles for the first time in 2018, and posted a 42.83 to edge Kofa’s Abraham Ramirez (43.31). Hartman, who also anchored two winning relays, entered the 400-meter run and took first over Kofa’s Chris Diaz (53.48) by more than a second.
Both of those moves, according to Ploude, were made with the team’s interests in mind.
“That was all a strategic kind of deal,” Ploude said. “We knew Cody would have been up there in contention for the 1,600, but with (Cibola star) Thomas (Cain) running I wasn’t so sure, so we decided to put him in the 400 and lock down those eight points.
“And Ryleigh, it was again one of those things where I asked him to run (the 300 hurdles) because he has that for-sure factor where he’s going to win.”
North, who entered the day ranked second in Division II in triple jump and eighth in long jump, won the former event with a personal-best 21-9.75 and the latter with a 41-2.
Hartman, Division II’s No. 4-ranked 800-meter runner, won that event in 2:13.87, edging teammate Daniel Marquez (2:15.67) by about two seconds.
Duarte won the shot put (47-8.5) and the discus (1395), while senior Bryce Hill (high jump, PR 6-0), junior Sean Lines (pole vault, 10-0) and freshman Pono Renaud (javelin, PR 1264) were the Hawks’ other event winners.
Cibola’s Cain, the reigning Division I state champ in the 3,200 meters, did not win either of his individual events Tuesday. Rather, he came in second in both to teammate Jake Smith, who won the 1,600 in 4:42.69 and the 3,200 in 9:41.72.
Cain finished less than a second behind in the former and about six seconds behind in the latter.
Yuma High’s Tevon Pauldon was the lone Criminal boy or girl to win an event Tuesday, and he got two — taking the 100 meters in 11.18 and the 200 meters in 22.97.
For Kofa, Abraham Ramirez won the 110-meter hurdles in 16.12.