Steele Canyon High School sped to this year’s Grossmont Hills League girls track and field dual meet championship while Helix emerged on top on the boys side.
Both teams continued to hammer the competition at this year’s San Diego Section Division I championship meet May 16 at Del Norte High School.
Steele Canyon won the girls team championship with a seven-point margin over runner-up Rancho Bernardo while Helix finished fourth in the boys field — just 5.25 points out of second place.
Santana swept both gender titles in the Grossmont Valley League and competed at the Division II championship meet at University City High School. The region’s smaller schools participated at the Division III finals at Canyon Hills High School, also on May 16.
The top six place-finishers in all three divisional meets received medals.
The Lady Cougars had to employ a wheelbarrow to cart off all their winnings.
Steele Canyon’s gold medal honor roll included first-place finishes in the girls 4×100 relay (46.46) and 4×400 relay (3:49.53), individual silver medals by junior Evie Allison in the girls l00 low hurdles (14.19) and freshman Livia Allison in the long jump (18-11.5) and bronze medals by sophomore Aniya Scott in the 100 dash (11.89), sophomore Daylani Daniels in the 400 dash (57.36) and Evie Allison in the 300 low hurdles (43.93).
Livia Allison also was fourth in the 200 dash (24.31).
The 4×100 relay set a school record at the preceding Grossmont Conference championship meet. Members include Evie Allison, Scott, senior Asia Broussard and Livia Allison. The 4×400 unit includes sophomore Aarys Wallace, Daniels, junior Elisha Lewis and Livia Allison.
The future appears bright for the frosh standout.
“My expectations were to do all I could since I took a year off from youth club to high school,” Livia Allison piped up. “I’m definitely enjoying the experience as I’m on the A team with my sister in the 4×100 relay. It feels very good. I couldn’t have done it without my coaches, I wasn’t that good at the beginning of the season.”
Grossmont finished fourth in the Division I girls field with 49.5 points behind senior Gabrielle Thomas in the 100 low hurdles (first place, 14.00) and 300 low hurdles (second place, 42.93), sophomore Miley Christianson in the shot put (second place, 38-1.5) and discus throw (second place, 119-7) and junior Aakash Price in the high jump (second place, 5-4).
Thomas appeared a step away from sweeping the hurdles events before Eastlake sophomore Isabelle Taylor-Dixon made up an imposing deficit on the last couple hurdles in the 300s. As the pair closed on the finish line, both front-runners lunged, skidding to a stop on the pavement. Taylor-Dixon (42.91) won by a scant 0.02 seconds. It was the best race of the day.
“I just saw her in front of me, I thought I had to catch her,” said Taylor Dixon, who had previously finished 0.70 second behind Thomas in the l00 lows.
Helix finished fifth in the Division I girls field with 46 points. Freshman Ava Parker was the catalyst with gold medals in the 200 dash (23.73) and 400 dash (54.59).
The quartet of sophomores Dajah Herrod and Anaira Martinez, junior Kate Weaver and Parker placed runner-up to the ladies of Steele in the 4×400 relay (3:53.74). Weaver was fourth in the girls 1600 run (4:59.69).
Granite Hills junior Damian Jones (47.80 in the 400 dash) and sophomore Niko Williams (14.31 in the 110 high hurdles) each won Division I gold medals while Helix senior Aiden De Hoyos (28.15 in the 300 intermediate hurdles) also scored a first-place finish.
Grossmont junior Torin Sotelo cleared 16-6 to claim the gold medal in the boys pole vault.
Helix senior Jackson Ellis was second in the 400 dash (47.84) — 0.04 behind Jones.
Grossmont senior Taim Alobaidi was second in both the 110 hurdles (14.54) and 300 hurdles (38.50).
Helix sophomore Trey Edwards was second in the high jump at 6-0 while Granite Hills senior P.J. Johnson was third in the long jump (22-1.75)
Jones also was third in the 200 dash (21.64). Steele senior Jacob Henton was third in the 100 dash (10.63).
De Hoyos was fourth in the 110 hurdles (14.74) while Williams was fourth in the 300 hurdles (39.38).
In relays, Granite was second in the 4×100 (41.79) while Helix placed runner-up in the 4×400 (3:19.66).
Jones has experienced a comeback season of note. “I broke my kneecap two years ago in football — to battle back and be No. 1 in Division I means a lot,” he said.
FAST LANE
Santana’s standouts included juniors Harper Diaz as the girls 800 champion in 2:11.73 at the Division III finals while Kai Brown in the girls discus throw (116-2) and seniors Manuel Huerta in the boys triple jump (43-0) both captured silver medals.
El Capitan senior Spencer Chastang won the 300 intermediate hurdles (39.05) and was second in the boys 110 high hurdles (14.46) at the Division II meet.
Also at the Division II finals, Mount Miguel senior Nicholas Zamora was first in the boys discus throw (154-4) while Monte Vista senior Timyra Payne won the girls 200 dash (25.00). Additionally, Mount Miguel senior Jae’Dah Holiday won the girls long jump (18-3) while West Hills senior Grayson Lewis was second in the boys pole vault (14-6).
Christian junior Elliana Patterson was second in the girls 3200 run (10.19.04) and third in the 1600 run (4:53.10) at the Division III finals.