Carpinteria track & field athletes break personal records

BY RYAN P. CRUZ • PHOTOS BY ROSANA SWING

Several Warriors track and field athletes set new personal records in Carpinteria’s latest three-team meet on a sunny Wednesday afternoon last week at Carpinteria Valley Memorial Stadium.

While Cate took first place in the boys competition with an overall team score of 67, and Foothill Tech grabbed the top spot in the girls team competition with 78 points, the Warriors were able to improve in their individual performances, with three Carpinteria girls taking victories with new personal bests.

In the girls 100-meter hurdles, junior Lela Roberts took first place with a new personal record of 17.78 seconds. In the triple jump, sophomore Averi Alexander grabbed the top spot with a new career best leap of 32’10.75’’. And in the discus, junior Danna Mora won the event with a personal record of 86’11’’ – nearly three feet farther than the second-place toss of 84’.

For the boys events, Carpinteria senior Israel Samaguey took the only individual win for the Warriors with a new personal record of 9’ in the pole vault. Senior Chris Ceja set a new personal record with a second-place finish of 54.88 in the 400 meter; senior Erick Trejo also set a personal record with a 19.74 in the boys 110 hurdles – just .04 behind the first-place finisher, Carlo Kim, from Cate.

Despite the team loss, and several athletes not being available due to spring break, Carpinteria coach Van Latham said the three-team meet was a great chance for the team’s younger athletes to get some experience.

“It was a great meet for the Warrior athletes who stayed in town for spring break,” Latham said. “They gained valuable experience against some quality athletes from both Cate and Foothill Tech.”

Freshman Josiah Gonzales set a personal record in the boys frosh/soph 100-meter sprint; sophomores Ignacio Maya-Prado and Micah Gonzales both set personal records in the frosh/ soph 200 meters; and at least a dozen other Warriors set new records among all events (varsity, junior varsity, and frosh/soph).

Carpinteria will return to Citrus Coast League competition on Thursday with a meet at Nordhoff High School.