Warrior girls dominate Patriots in track and field league opener

Fallbrook High School's girls track and field team opened Valley League competition April 9 with an 87-46 home win over Orange Glen.

The highlights included the Warriors sweeping the three scoring positions in the 1,600-meter run and in the pole vault. "Any time you can get a sweep it's a good thing," said Fallbrook head coach Troy Hamlin. "We need as many as we can get."

The Warriors also took first and second in seven of the other 12 individual events. The results of each individual event provide five team points for first place, three points for second place, and one point for third. Each of the two relay races gives all five points to the winner.

Although only the top three positions are scored, a school is allocated four lanes in each individual race. Fallbrook took the top four positions in the 1,600-meter run. Andrea Vela won the race in 5:44.1; Kiera Donoghue completed the metric mile in 5:57.7; freshman Jennifer Vizzuett earned her first varsity point with a time of 6:02.1; and freshman Giselle Rivera had a 6:03.6 showing in her first varsity race.

Belle Banta cleared 7'6" to win the pole vault. Mikala Tidd had a height of 7'0" and Olivia Gonzalez was third at 6'0". A height of 6'0" was also obtained by Fallbrook's Mariana Macebo in the junior varsity portion of the meet.

Vela also took first place in the 800-meter race 2:37.8 after the starter's gun was fired. Vizzuett added to her varsity scoring history with a second-place time of 2:41.7. Donoghue won the 3,200-meter race in 13:36.1. Rivera earned her first varsity points in that event by finishing second with a time of 13:53.5.

Fallbrook took first and second in both hurdles races. In the 100-meter hurdles, Emily Larson had a winning time of 17.2 seconds and Hannah French placed second at 17.8 seconds. French won the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 51.1 seconds. "Very good time for Hannah," Hamlin said.

Natalie Dudley was second in the 300-meter hurdles with a hand-held time personal record of 52.4 seconds. "It was pretty close between Hannah and Natalie," Hamlin said. In the junior varsity 300-meter hurdles race, sophomore Bergen Banta set a personal record of 52.7 seconds.

During Fallbrook's 89-43 loss March 26 at Mission Hills, the Warriors swept the 300-meter hurdles with French running the race in 52.2 seconds, Dudley placing second at 54.3 seconds, and Larson posting the third-place time of 57.2 seconds.

Monique Gonzalez won the 100-meter dash against Orange Glen with a time of 13.1 seconds. Larson's time of 13.4 seconds gave her second place and a hand-held personal record. "Good showing for Fallbrook 100-meter runners," Hamlin said.

Gonzalez also won the long jump with a distance of 15 feet 3 1/2 inches. Fallbrook's Alex Danso was second in that event at 14 feet 9 1/2 inches. Danso had a triple jump of 31 feet 8 1/2 inches for first place in that event with Gonzalez placing second at 30 feet 10 1/2 inches.

Because the relay races give points for the winner only, Gonzalez was deprived of placing in four events against Orange Glen. Dudley, Gonzalez, Larson, and junior Katherine Regotti placed second in the 4x100 race. That event will be the only one of the season for Regotti, who had recovered from arthroscopic surgery on one knee before undergoing such surgery on her other knee.

Dudley finished second in the 400-meter race by completing her lap in 1:06.0. Larson had a second-place time of 29.5 seconds in the 200-meter dash. Anna Curran threw the shot put 26'2" for second place. A 75'1" discus throw gave Tatiana Arias third place and a personal record.