SANTA ROSA >> Sophomore Kiana Richardson of Clear Lake High School punched her ticket to the Meet of Champions (MOC) by winning the high jump on Saturday during the North Coast Section Class A Championship Meet at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa.
The top three finishers in each event automatically advance to the Meet of Champions on Friday and Saturday at U.C. Berkeley. If they place third or higher at the MOC, they’ll move on to the CIF State Championships on June 3-4 in Clovis.
Besides Richardson, two other Lake County girls are moving on to the MOC. Middletown’s Meghan Carlisle placed third in the pole vault and Clear Lake’s Lindsey Dutcher finished third in the shotput.
Lake County also had a handful of fourth-place finishers.
Girls
Richardson cleared an even 5 feet in the high jump to edge out Fort Bragg’s Natalie Baumgartner and Tech High’s Julissa Shaffer, both at 4-10. Finishing in a three-way tie for fourth place was even in the pole vault but Carlisle did it in fewer attempts. Shaffer of Tech High won at 9 feet even and Fort Bragg’s Annika Kao was second at 8 feet, 6 inches.
Dutcher’s third-place throw in the shotput was 31 feet even. Kisdyante Joseph of Hoopa topped the field at 36-7 and Kylie Olson of Rincon Valley Christian was the runner-up in 32-10.
Just missing an automatic MOC invite was Middletown junior Samantha Hibner in the discus. She finished fourth in 94-09.
Top-eight finishers in other events were Clear Lake’s Donald, fifth in the long jump at 16-1 ½; Donald in the 200 meters, sixth in 27.91; Clear Lake’s Tianna Jardstrom, seventh in the 800 at 2 minutes, 29.95 seconds; Middletown freshman Kelsey Lemoine, eighth in the 100 at 13.30; and Kelseyville senior Sara Humphries, eighth in the shotput at 27-0.
With Richardson, Dutcher and Donald leading the way, Clear Lake’s girls placed seventh as a team out of 23 schools.
Boys
No Lake County boys finished as high as third at the MOC although Upper Lake’s David Becerra gave it his best shot, taking fourth in the 300 hurdles at 44.05 and seventh in the 110 hurdles at 17.92.
Clear Lake’s Alex Thoman came in fifth in the shotput at 41-10 while Middletown senior Noah Williams placed seventh in the long jump at 19-0 and eighth in the triple jump at 37-5 ½. Another Middletown athlete, Nick Billeci, placed seventh in the discus at 112-6.
