MIDDLETOWN — Middletown’s Isaac Rascon closed out his high school athletic career with wins in the 1,600 meters and 3,200 on Wednesday afternoon during the final meet of the COVID-19-abbreviated track season.
Fittingly enough, Rascon ran his final high schools races on his home track at Middletown High School where he starred in both track and cross country for the Mustangs. His next stop is the University of Northern Colorado where he’ll continue his running career without a coronavirus pandemic to interrupt his routine, one that was greatly affected his last two years at Middletown.
Rascon won the 1,600 in 4 minutes, 46 seconds, a comfortable 17 seconds ahead of Abraham Arzola (5:03) of Technology. Daniel Bratton of Lower Lake was third in 5:18.
Rascon’s margin of victory in the 3,200 was even larger as he crossed the finish line in 10:53, well ahead of runner-up Jose Hernandez of Lower Lake (12:21.7) and Kevin Nance of Middletown (12:26.8).
The final track meet of the season was a four-team affair as Lower Lake and Calistoga joined Tech and Middletown in the field.
Boys
Rascon wasn’t the only double-event winner for the Mustangs in the running events. Forrest Devine, the Coastal Mountain Conference leader in the 400 meters this season, won that event in 55 seconds flat, beating out Lower Lake’s Anthony Hills (58.8) and Middletown’s Filemon Sanchez (1:00).
Devine picked up another victory in the 200 at 24.6, edging out Lower Lake’s Hills (24.8) and Middletown’s Dallas McCommas (24.8).
The host Mustangs also picked up victories in the 100 hurdles where Sanchez topped the field in 20.6, and in the 4×100 relay (48.9).
Lower Lake won the 4×400 relay in 3:56.5, edging out Middletown (3:59.5). Lower Lake picked up another win in the 800 where Angelo Pelcastre finished first in 2:14. Middletown’s Isaiah Diaz came in third in 2:15.8.
McCommas and Parker Boden of Middletown finished second and third, respectively in the 100 meters, both with times of 12.2, and teammate Sanchez was second in the 300 hurdles at 48.3.
In the field events, CMC shotput leader Greyson Rockwell won that event with a toss of 43-0, beating out teammates Brody Breeden (38-8) and Roberto Chaires (36-4). Rockwell also won the discus with a throw of 116-3, again followed by teammates Breeden (98-11) and Chaires (96-3).
Lower Lake’s Elijah Cooke finished fourth in both the shotput (35-4) and discus (93-9).
In the jumping events, Middletown’s Boden cleared 4-10 to win the high jump and Lower Lake’s Thomas Jones topped the field in the triple jump at 32-2, with teammate Mitchell Noble second at 31-8 ½. Jones also finished third in the long jump at 16-3. Jeff Guralas of Lower Lake was second in 17-4 ½.
Middletown’s Jackson Scheibal won the pole vault at 9 feet.
Girls
In the girls running events, Middletown’s Georgia Guerrero won the 400 (1:06) and 200 (28.2) while teammate Erica Kinsel was first in the 3,200. The Mustangs also won the 4×400 relay in 4:55.
Second-place finishes went to Middletown’s Issy Barriga in the 100 (14.8) and 200 (30.6), to Maya Leonard in the 800 (3:02), and to Nicole Pyzer in the 1,600 (6:15) won by Calistoga’s Julia Heth in 6:60. Kinsel was third in 6:39.
Lower Lake’s Gabby Pelcastre was fourth in the 200 (33.0) and fifth in the 100 (15.2).
In the field events, Middletown’s Amanda Hart won the discus in 75-6 followed by Sabrina Wells of Calistoga in 74-9 and Lower Lake’s Katelyn Ferrell in 59-6. Wells (29-11 ½) finished first to Hart’s second (28-3 ½) in the shotput.
Middletown’s Mariah Ketchum was second in the high jump at 4-0.
For Calistoga, Tully Leonard was the meet’s only triple-event winner with firsts in the 300 hurdles, high jump and triple jump. Two other Calistoga athletes won two events apiece — Heth in the 800 and 1,600 and Andrea Villasenor in the 100 and pole vault..
Middletown’s Pyzer was second in the pole vault (5-0).
