Santa Rosa Academy girls track team continues to improve

The 4x800 relay team, from left: Elli-Jonelle Hernandez, Mya Sullivan, Wynter Pepper, Yahaira Perez.

By Doug Spoon, Editor

The Santa Rosa Academy girls track team will compete in the Bishop Amat Invitational on Saturday as its athletes continue to build up a rising CIF-SS Division 4 program.

New coach John Paul Hernandez says that although there are only 30 athletes on the team, the Rangers are on track to send at least 10 athletes to CIF postseason competition. SRA placed fourth as a team in the Heritage High Freedom Invitational last month and second as a team in the Linfield Invitational. Last weekend, they placed second at the Hemet High Southland Invitational against a field of Division 1 schools.

At Hemet, the Rangers got off to a fast start, beating the host Hemet 4x800 relay team by 15 seconds. The team includes Wynter Pepper, who has won 15 first- or second-place medals in early-season invitationals. She dominated at Hemet, winning first or second place in the 800 meters, 1600 meters and 3200 meters in addition to the first-place relay finish. In addition, Chloe Heiner took third place in the triple jump.

The 4x800 relay team consists of Pepper, Yahaira Perez, Mya Sullivan, and Elli-Jonelle Hernandez.

“I am proud of my team,” Hernandez said. “I have been a coach for over two decades in Irvine, where I am a teacher, and this by far has been my most rewarding season. To take a school that does not even have a track and only has 30 kids and to get them to compete on the field as a family with togetherness is beautiful to see.”

Elli-Jonelle Hernandez anchors the 4x800 relay team for Santa Rosa Academy.

 Chloe Heiner took third place in the triple jump at the Hemet Invitational.