TAKING AREA BY STORM

Clifton Lady Cubs place second at District 17-3A Championship meet as Cathcart advances in five events; Clifton boys place third led by Ochoa and Hikel

Battling among the highly-competitive field of six schools, the Clifton boys and girls rose to the occasion at the District 17-3A Track and Field Championships held last Wednesday and Thursday at Keene High School.

Qualifying 12 athletes in 14 events for the District 17-18 Area Championships this Thursday at Whitney High School, the Lady Cubs finished as the district runner-up overall as a team with 158 points behind district champion West with 191 points.

“I felt like we picked up just about every possible point we could and that led to a great finish in the team standings in both the JV and the Varsity divisions,” Clifton girls track head coach Ryan Hunt said. “We are advancing 12 kids to the area meet in numerous events. It’s always fun when you have a big group still getting to compete this time of year.”

Finishing third overall as a team with 126.5 points, the Clifton boys advanced 14 athletes in 12 events to the Area Championships, while West won the district title with 155.5 points, followed by runner-up Whitney with 129 points.

“Our district is an extremely competitive district, to be able to finish third in the team standings is a considerable accomplishment,” Clifton boys track head coach Mario Villalpando said. “I think the strength of our district will truly show in the following weeks, as I expect the majority of the athletes from our district to qualify for the regional track meet.”

Junior Ray Ochoa and freshman R. J. Hikel advanced in three events each, while senior Riley Finney, junior Diego Rodriguez, senior Clay Kennedy, sophomore Brayden Stone and freshman Jackson Ritz qualified in two events each.

Other Cubs advancing to Area include senior Levi Knox, junior Jonah Payne, junior Talyn Lingo, sophomore Judd New and sophomore Gavin Tattershall.

Ochoa won the gold medal in the 400-meter run with a time of 51.37 and captured a silver medal in pole vault with a vault of 14-0, and Stone won gold medals in both the 1600-meter run (4:40.84) and 3200-meter run (10:46.87), while Kennedy captured a silver in the 3200-meter run (10:49.82) and a bronze in the 1600-meter run (4:46.36).

Hikel captured a silver in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:03.63, Rodriguez claimed a bronze in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 167.14, while Finney grabbed a bronze in discus with a toss of 126-8.

The Clifton boys also qualified in the 4×400-meter relay by winning a bronze medal with a time of 3:34.02, and advanced in the 4×200-meter relay with a fourth-place finish in a time of 1:33.32.

“The team had a great first day of the district track meet with having athletes qualify for the area track meet in almost every field event,” Villalpando said. “The goal this time of the year is to place in the top four, and give ourselves another week to compete. We are excited to have a total of 14 athletes that will be competing in the area track meet this coming up week.”

For the Lady Cubs, freshman Natalia Cathcart advanced to Area in five events, junior Kyndall Hunt, junior Brylee Heim and freshman Brystel Wise qualified in three events each, while senior Kate Humphreys, junior Camy Barsh, junior Lenora Busby, junior Taryn Busby and sophomore Alexa Lane will compete in two events each.

Other Clifton girls qualifying for Area include senior Reagan Thomas, junior Cameron Ritz and sophomore Evy Kennedy.

Cathcart won four individual bronze medals with a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash with a time of 27.40, in high jump with a leap of 4-10, in long jump with a jump of 15-6.75, while Taryn Busby won two bronze medals in discus with a toss of 101-2 and shot put with a throw of 32-6.

Lane won a gold medal in pole vault with a personal-record leap of 11-3, Lenora Busby captured a gold medal in discus with a toss of 104-4, Wise won a silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.95, Humphreys claimed a silver medal in discus with a toss of 102-0.

Additionally, the Lady Cubs advance to Area with all three relay teams, winning the gold medal in the 4×200-meter relay with a time of 1:47.33, as well as silver medals in the 4×100-meter relay with an time of 50.81 and in the 4×400-meter relay with a time of 4:11.73.

“All three of our relays posted their best times of the year with the 4×200 winning the district title,” Hunt said. “Alexa Lane was a district champion in the Pole Vault with her PR of 11-3. Lenora Busby is the district champion in the Discus. Natalia Cathcart is a five-event qualifier to the area meet. We’re proud of our kids’ performances and the work they have put in to get where they are right now.”