This Saturday, May 11th, will be the North Coast Section Redwood Empire Area Finals at Maria Carrillo High School.
It will bring together the league champions from four leagues: North Bay League (NBL), Vine Valley Athletic League (VVAL), Marin County Athletic League (MCAL), Humboldt Del Norte League (HDNL), plus at couple of kids from Lower Lake HS.
This meet is a qualifier for the North Coast Section Meet of Champions which is the last step before state.
In all events the (7) fastest times or best marks will qualify for the Meet of Champions plus any that make the AT-LARGE QUALIFIERS MARKS.
This is one of the few meets that does not have either trials qualifying to finals or seeding for top final/heat by season best.
Only marks from the previous league finals are used. All heats count towards advancing to the MOC.
This brings up some interesting situations, one of which you will read below in the boys 100.
Here is a look, by staring times, of some of the exciting events you can see on a day forecast to be around 72 degrees.
Admission price is $10 general admission and $6 for students and senior citizens. Come early to get a good parking spot.
This time schedule could change
Field Events 9:00 am
Girls Triple Jump (Pit 2)
Dennis, Sydney 12 Petalum 36-10 VVAL Champion
Johnson, Emily 10 Windsor 34-02 NBL Champion
Dennis had a shout out performance at the first ever VVAL Championships winning four individual events.
Her best event is probably this one were she is the top seed, but this is just the beginning of her day as she is seeded 3rd in the LJ, 3rd 100H and 6th in the 300H .
Can Dennis take down the meet record which is also her schools school record 37’03.75” Maggie Farrar, Petaluma 2002?
Girls Shot Put
McCoy, Lillian 11 Casa Grande 39-03 VVAL Champion
Sani, Kassidy 11 El Molino 36-01.50 NBL Champion
Grace, Caitlin 12 Santa Rosa 35-11.50
Cunningham, Danielle 11 Ukiah 35-09.25
Kelleher, Paige 10 Maria Carrillo 33-11.50
Tinnon, Sofia 9 Napa 33-05.00
Highland, Leilani 11 Casa Grande 31-03.00
Total domination by our two leagues in this event as the top 7 qualifiers are all from the NBL or VVAL.
Topping the list is McCoy who has a good shot at going all the way to state.
Boys Discus
Davison, Samuel 11 Cardinal Newman 159-01 NBL Champion
Kelsey, Austin 12 El Molino 141-02
Sr Alexander Azanon 131’09 Casa Grande VVAL Champion
The NBL has the top two entries but Davison stands out far above the rest,
Boys High Jump
Rodrigues, Zavier 11 Maria Carrillo 6-02 NBL Champion
Rydell, Pontus 10 Santa Rosa 6-02
Fricke, Shane 12 Redwood 6-02 MCAL Champion
McDevitt, Liam 11 Justin-Siena 6-02 VVAL Champion
Sendaydiego, Luke 11 Sonoma Valley 6-02
This will be one of the tighter battles for the 7 spots and the winner could easily be someone who didn’t even win his league.
Fricke has a season best of 6-5.
Boys Long Jump (Pit 1)
Ball, Reanne 12 Piner 21-07.5 NBL Champion
Sr Conrad Say 20’07.50 Justin-Siena VVAL Champion
Top qualifier is Ball and he will need another great jump to win this one.
Boys Pole Vault
Alejandrino, Calvin Kayl 11 American Canyon 13-0 VVAL Champion
Dowdall, Orion 10 Montgomery 11-08L NBL Champion
Alejandrino was the only vaulter over 13 feet last week and is only a junior.
Running Events
10:00 a.m.Girls 4 x 100 Relay
Santa Rosa 50.55 NBL Champion
Casa Grande 51.16 VVAL Champion
Panthers earned the top seed here.
10:12 a.m.Boys 4 x 100 Relay
Justin-Siena 43.55 VVAL Champion
Rancho Cotate 44.24 NBL Champion
Justin-Siena is the team to beat here. Watch out for American Canyon if they run Stewart on the team.
10:24 a.m.Girls 1600
Peterson, Gabrielle 12 Healdsburg 4:49.34 NBL Champion
Atkins, Sierra 12 Analy 4:51.8
Two of the top girls in California are both coming out of the NBL.
A typical race for these two has Atkins leading for at least the first 400 at a pace that is mind blowing but by the end Peterson’s strength brings her across the line ahead.
10:40 a.m.Boys 1600
Anderson, Liam 12 Redwood 4:08.96 MCAL Champion
Sr Emmanuel Guzman 4:22.66 VVAL Champion
Swinth, Colton 11 Maria Carrillo 4:22.91 NBL Champion
Anderson was voted the best cross country runner in the NATION winning the Gatorade Athlete Of The Year Award following his nationals win.
He is capable of breaking the meet records in both distance events if he wants to.
Meet Record: 4:12.77*c Ray Green, San Rafael 4:14.0y 1975
10:56a.m.Girls 100 Hurdles
Sydney Dennis 16.32 Petaluma VVAL Champion
Gutierrez, Susie 12 Healdsburg 16.57 NBL Champion
One of the few top seeds from the HDNL is Camrin Dolcini Fortuna 15.56.
11:09a.m.Boys 110 Hurdles
Rodrigues, Zavier 11 Maria Carrillo 15.15 NBL Champion
Glascock, Brayden 12 Santa Rosa 15.17
Mispagel, Landon 12 Justin-Siena 15.23 VVAL Champion, has a 14.91 season best
Top three contenders here are all from our two leagues. Could be one of the most exciting battles of the day.
11:23a.m.Girls 400
Thweatt, Sydney 9 Justin-Siena 59.60 VVAL Champion
Zamora, Izel 12 Santa Rosa 59.93 NBL Champion
Thweat vs Zamora two champions going head to head.
11:35a.m.Boys 400
Ramirez, Severin 12 Maria Carrillo 49.65 NBL Champion
Patterson, Justin 11 Cardinal Newman 50.09
Love, Jalydon 12 Casa Grande 50.21
Top three seeds are all from our leagues with Ramirez leading the pack. Would have been four but Stewart dropped the 400 after becoming our first freshman ever to break 50.
Field Events 11:45am
Girls Pole Vault
Ross, Lauren 12 Tamalpais 12-06
Daffeh, Aminata 12 Santa Rosa 10-04 NBL Champion
Erika Gilmore 9’00.00 Petaluma VVAL Champion
Girls vault heights this year could rival the boys.
Boys Shot Put
Laiwa-McKay, Kalathan 11 Ukiah 53-03.5 NBL Champion
Alexander Azanon 44’11 Casa Grande VVAL Champion
Laiwa-McKay should take this easy.
Girls High Jump
Katie Hurst 5-04.00 Fortuna HDNL Champion
Gianna Troppy 5’02 Justin-Siena VVAL Champion
Barr, Natalie 10 Montgomery 4-10 NBL Champion
Every miss could be the difference between moving on or not in this event with a LOT of girls in the hunt for a top 7 spots.
Girls Discus
Troppy, Gianna 12 119-04 VVAL Champion
Grace, Caitlin 12 Santa Rosa 119-01 NBL Champion
Sani, Kassidy 11 El Molino 115-06
Lopez, Emma 11 American Canyon 106-09
Ainlay, Samantha 10 Piner 106-04
Another strong event for our area with a few girls who could win it. Troppy may have to jump back and forth between HJ & DT.
11:50a.m.Girls UNIFIED 100
12:00p.m.Boys UNIFIED 100
12:10p.m.Girls 100
Schroth, Kassidy 9 Santa Rosa 12.48
Chavez, Isabela 10 Windsor 12.57
Campos, Kendall 11 Windsor 12.85
Freshman Schroth has looked like a veteran all year.
12:22p.m.Boys 100
Aidan Nicholas 11.13aSR Tamalpais MCAL Champion
Sandwina, Max 11 Windsor 11.30 NBL Champion
Sr Matthew Mason 11.17 VVAL Champion
Stewart, Croix 9 American Canyon 11.67
All the top entry times will be in the final, third heat, but don’t be shocked if Stewart, who will be way out in lane 7 of the first “slow heat” doesn’t put down a time no one else can match. He has clocked 10.84 this year.
12:34p.m.Girls 800
Samantha Wallenstrom 2:18.93 Marin Catholic MCAL Champion
Jane McLoughlin 2:28.89 Napa VVAL Champion
Peterson would have had the top seed but is concentrating on the two longer races from here out.
Wallenstrom has clocked 2:13.88 this year. Can Atkins steal back the Empire best?
Field Events 12:45pm
Boys Triple Jump(Pit 1)
Jezycki, Kyle 11 Napa 43-04 VVAL Champion
Ball, Reanne 12 Piner 42-05.5 NBL Champion
Jezycki has the advantage of being the last jumper here.
Girls Long Jump (Pit 2)
Hannah Matcham 17-02.5 Marin Catholic MCAL Champion
Sydney Dennis 16’10 Petaluma VVAL Champion
Johnson, Emily 10 Windsor 16-09.75 NBL Champion
This will be a hotly contested event for the win and top 7 spots.
12:44p.m.Boys 800
Moon, Logan 11 Casa Grande 1:55.94 VVAL Champion
Godinez, Dante 12 Healdsburg 1:59.01 NBL Champion
Pompili, Nicco 12 Sir Francis Drake 1:59.21 2nd MCAL
Top two seasonal times came in a race at Arcadia were Moon bested Pompili 1:54.70 to 1:55.24. Godinez loves to surprise.
12:58p.m.Girls 300 Hurdles
Lin, Mikayla 11 47.31 MCAL Champion
Dural, Aysia 10 Cardinal Newman 49.13 NBL Champion
Dennis, Sydney 12 Petaluma 49.56 VVAL Champion
Lin looks like she will be way out ahead here.
1:10p.m.Boys 300 Hurdles
Glascock, Brayden 12 Santa Rosa 38.76 NBL Champion
Landon Mispagel 41.95 Justin-Siena VVAL Champion
Glascock is looking so strong in this event.
1:24p.m.Girls 200
Schroth, Kassidy 9 Santa Rosa 26.18
Campos, Kendall 11 Windsor 26.48
Zamora, Izel 12 Santa Rosa 26.57
Chavez, Isabela 10 Windsor 26.63
Thweatt, Sydney 9 Justin-Siena 26.84
Schroth again leads a talented group of NBL sprinters.
1:36p.m.Boys 200
Stewart, Croix 9 American Canyon 22.40 VVAL Champion
Mason, Matthew 12 Casa Grande 22.46
Patterson, Justin 11 Cardinal Newman 22.52 NBL Champion
Stewart goes from the slow heat of the 100 to the top seed here. May be the first time this year he will run the 200 without already having run both the 400 and 100 before.
1:50p.m.Girls 3200
Peterson, Gabrielle 12 Healdsburg 10:58.52
Morris, Nicole 10 Maria Carrillo 11:26.37
This could turn out to be the easiest win of the year for Peterson.
2:08p.m.Boys 3200
Anderson, Liam 12 Redwood 9:10.24
Chung, Lucas 12 Windsor 9:32.63 NBL Champion
Smail, Rory 11 Maria Carrillo 9:33.75
Sr Emmanuel Guzman 9:57.01a Vintage VVAL Champion
Again the big question is will Anderson go for the meet record? he’s run 8:51.89.
MR 9:03.57*c Rod Berry, Redwood, (Larkspur) 9:06.5y 1977
2:26p.m.Girls 4 x 400 Relay
Santa Rosa 4:06.41
Can the Panther’s make a big jump to sub 4?
2:58p.m.Boys 4 x 400 Relay
Casa Grande 3:25.46 VVAL Champion
Healdsburg 3:30.67 NBL Champion
Casa Grande has a great group but must keep in mind Maria Carrillo is capable of 3:24.20.