Giselle Martinez prepares to pass the baton to Scarlett Oakley in a relay race. (Photos courtesy of John Hernandez)
Santa Rosa Academy continued the success of its rebuilt track and field team Saturday with an outstanding performance featuring more than 50 percent of its athletes who had never competed before.
Competing under second-year coach John Hernandez, the Rangers opened their season by placing sixth overall in the girls division and 14th overall in the boys division at the Ontario Relays Invitational. Against a field including athletes from higher CIF-SS division schools, Santa Rosa Academy set 12 school records.
“Our kids were nervous but not intimidated, and they showed that toughness and perseverance we love so much about them already,” said Hernandez. “Shoutout to our medalists today in an invitational that was designed to be extremely competitive for us, but was selected to push ourselves to reach our potential right out of the gates in our first track meet of the season against some of the top programs in Southern California.”
Blakely Chatman set a personal record and won a bronze medal in the 100 meters. The 4×1600-meter team led by Elli-Jonelle Hernandez, Lailah Battle, Riley Alcantara and Mya Sullivan set a school record (26:54) and earned a silver medal. And the 4×800-meter relay team composed of Scarlett Oakley, Yahaira Perez, Lailah Battle, and Riley Alcantara captured a bronze medal (11:48).
Boys school records were set by Ian Taylor in the high jump (5-2); Anthony Sullivan in the discus (115-9) and shot put (40-6); Ben Judnick in the 110m hurdles (20.52); Jorge Gaeta, Kai Sierra, Ashton Harris, and Ashton de Kruyf in the 4x1600m relay (22:56); Blake Lovell, Kai Sierra, Taelen Thompson, and Aaron Quesada in the 1600 relay (4:11); and Kai Sierra, Ben Judnick, Anthony Harris, and Julian Carbajal in the 4000 relay (13:10).
On the girls side, records were set by Blakely Chatman in the 200; (27.87) Giselle Martinez, Cambria Dierks, Evangeline Aitchison, and Blakely Chatman in the 4x200m relay (2:00; Riley Alcantara, Elli-Jonelle Hernandez, Lailah Battle, and Mya Sullivan in the 4x1600m relay (26:54); Scarlett Oakley, Mya Sullivan, Giselle Martinez, and Cambria Dierks in the SMR 1600m relay (4:58); and Elli-Jonelle Hernandez, Scarlett Oakley, Mya Sullivan, and Yahaira Perez DMR 4000m relay (15:43).
Ben Judnick (left) competes in the hurdles.
Blakely Chatman had a big day for the Rangers.
Elli-Jonelle Hernandez competes in a relay race.
