By Leonard COUTIN

On Friday, the Pacific League championship finals produced many outstanding marks that will advance local athletes to the CIF prelims being held on Saturday. The Division 1 qualifiers will compete at Trabuco High School starting with field events at 11 a.m.

After more than five months of conditioning, and working through invitation and dual meets, the Falcon athletes came into the finals well prepared. The Falcon girls’ 4×100 relay team was the first to qualify for the next round of events. The team, composed of Jen Saengsri, Jessy Shelton, Brianna Domingo and Clair Schlueter, placed second in a time of 49.89 behind the Arcadia team, which won in 48.44.

CV’s team of Eileen Walker and Claire Codding cleared the necessary height of 4-11 to advance to Saturday’s meet. Walker won the event because she achieved the same height with fewer attempts. As a first time participant in track and field, freshman Walker shined this year with her exuberant personality and team spirit. Keeping the family tradition alive, Walker hopes to follow in the footsteps of her older sister, Emmy Walker, who was CV’s four-time League champion winner in the high jump. Falcon Kristina Kruegermann, who has been jumping for only a few weeks, placed third in the event clearing 4-05, but will unfortunately not advance.

Schleuter had one of the most impressive efforts of her senior season as she brought home two gold wins, in the 100m running 12:45 and the long jump with a 18-04.25 jump. Grabbing a strong lead in the 100m at the start, Schlueter commanded the field to the finish line as Muir’s Jenesis Sanford took second running 12.63.

Falcon junior Roy Choe took home a gold win in the high jump for the second consecutive year clearing 6-1 and qualified as well in the long jump where he took second place with his 21-01.25 behind winner Darius Jing of Arcadia (21.09.75).

CV’s League title winner Colin FitzGerald raced both the 1600m and the 3200m events. In a photo finish, FitzGerald and Burroughs’ Jagdeep Chahal put on a show for the crowds as the final lean came to a questionable win. The final results were announced later in the meet as a tie with both athletes running a time of 4:26.56. Falcon teammate Zach Johnson will also advance after running a time of 4:30.62 to capture third place. For the second consecutive year FitzGerald won the 3200m (9:32.77) against rival Burroughs’ Tim Wells, who also put on a very competitive race running 9:34.29. Falcon freshman Dylan Wilbur advanced as he battled Arcadia senior Dylan Che in the 800m the entire way to place second running his best time of 1:57.98 to Che’s 1:57.23. Falcon Aidan Foote placed third in the pole vault clearing 12-6 as Burroughs’ Christian Valles won with a 14-0 and teammate Daniel Han placed second clearing 13-0.

Falcon Kristina Carrillo and teammate Saengsri both advanced in the 300H. Carrillo took second place running 46.98 while Saengsri placed third with 49.52. The winner was Burbank’s Kira Bochard (45.96).

The Falcon girls’ 4×400 team placed second behind Arcadia in the final event of the evening to advance to prelims. The team was composed of Jade Winicki, Izzy Lieberman, Saengsri and Carrillo and ran 4:09.24 with the Apaches winning with a time of 4:01.14.

“I’m very happy with how the meet went,” said CV Head Coach Mark Evans. “Highlights were Clair Schlueter as a two-event winner, Dylan Wilbur in the 800m, Colin FitzGerald in the 1600m and 3200m and both the girls’ relay teams.” He also noted the success of his young frosh soph athletes Eliza Clark who won the 100m in 17.57, the 300H in 50.63 and ran a leg in both the 4×100 and 4×400 relays where the Falcons placed second, and McKenna Heeg in the 400m (1:03.96), Ily Johnson in the 800m (2:28.53) and Trinidy Charles setting the League record in girls frosh soph triple jump (33-04.50).

  Leonard Coutin