LAKEPORT — Wins by Tanner Alves in the 400-meter run and Jaime Gutierrez in the 800 helped propel the Middletown High School varsity boys” track team to a win in the annual Lake County Meet on Wednesday at Clear Lake High School in Lakeport.
Middletown won a tightly packed boys” field with 89 points while Clear Lake and Kelseyville tied for second place with 73 points.
“The boys were a little nervous,” Middletown track coach Louise Owens said. “They lost to Kelseyville last year and they didn”t want that to happen again.”
While the Middletown boys had just enough to capture the team title, the Middletown varsity girls lapped the field and then some, winning the county team title again this year with 129 points, including firsts in 12 of the 15 events held. Clear Lake had the other three firsts and finished second with 58 points. Lower Lake was a distant third with 14.
Varsity boys
Alves” solid effort for the Middletown boys included firsts in the 400 (55.88 seconds) and long jump (19 feet, 3 inches). He also ran a leg on the winning 4×400 relay team, which included Gutierrez, Bart Southern, and Matt Hennion. The Mustangs won in 4 minutes, 4.63 seconds.
Gutierrez had a winning time of 2:25.99 in the 800.
“Jaime”s win was key,” said Owens, who added that Alves” two firsts as well as a second-place finish by Collin Breeden in the high jump also helped fuel the boys” team win.
Clear Lake”s firsts went to Brian Bradley in the 100 (12.07), 200 (24.54) and 300 intermediate hurdles (45.81), Julio Gonzales in the shotput (37-11) and discus (99-3), Kyle Donald in the 110 high hurdles (19.02), and Shawn Larsen in the pole vault (7-6).
Kelseyville picked up five firsts, two of them by Arnulfo Vargas, who won the high jump (5-6) and triple jump (39-2). Another double-event winner was Edgar Lozano in the 1,600 (5:29.23) and 3,200 (11:52.9). The Knights also picked up a first in the 4×100 relay (47.45).
Varsity girls
Cheyenne Snow hurt her throwing arm (right arm) before the season began, but that didn”t stop her from winning both the shotput (28-5) and discus (79-4) for the Middletown Mustangs.
“She threw both with her left arm,” Owens said. “I”m quite inspired with Cheyenne.”
Snow was one of three double-event winners for the Mustangs, joining Miriam Lane and Amber Hart. Lane won the 1,600 (6:05) and 3,200 (13:56) while Hart swept the hurdle events, taking the 100 low hurdles in 19.48 and the 300 low hurdles in 56.17.
Kelly Wilkinson also had a productive day for the Mustangs as she won the long jump (13-9) and ran legs on both of Middletown”s winning relay teams — the 4×100 (55.33) and the 4×400 (5:11.12).
Other members of the 4×100 team were Amber Ramponi, Aly Mino and Brittany Cash, who won the 100 (13.62). Other members of the 4×400 team were Katy August, Tina Riccio and Rose Lynch, who won the 400 (1:10.29).
Middletown added another first in the triple jump courtesy of Emily Reed, who cleared 28-2.
Owens said it was hard to pick out a standout on her talented and deep girls” roster.
“They”re all improving, every single one of them, and we had a handful of personal bests,” Owens said.
The only three events not won by Middletown went to Clear Lake and Nadine Bradley finished first in two of those — the 200 (29.15) and the high jump (4-8). Kelsie Lawson won the 800 (3:06.09).
Frosh-soph boys
Clear Lake won the team title with 173 points. Middletown was a distant second with 28.
Zuhuri Manley won three events and anchored Clear Lake”s winning 4×100 relay team, which posted a time of 51.18. His individual firsts came in the 100 (12.27), 200 (25.17) and long jump (20-3).
Clear Lake also had two double-event winners. Josh Larsen won the 100 intermediate hurdles (19.78) and the pole vault (7-0), and Nathan Powers had firsts in the 1,600 (5:35) and 3,200 (12:26).
The Cardinals picked up another first from Brice Beare in the 800 (2:31). He also ran the anchor leg on Clear Lake”s winning 4×400 team (4:40.61).
Clear Lake coach Lars Ewing said his meet support staff helped the event run smoothly.
“All the credit for that goes to the guys who helped me out,” Ewing said. “They”ve been around a long time and know what to do. It allowed me to do what I do best and that”s coach.”
Rain early in the morning softened up the dirt surface, especially on the inside of the track, but otherwise had no ill effects, according to Larson.
“All in all it was alright,” Ewing said of the mostly cloudy weather with varying amounts of wind.
Upper Lake entered no athletes in the meet.
