Check out the state leaders list after week one of the 2020 track & field season. 5 Panthers in 6 different events… including the boys 4 x 100 relay team… make the inaugural list.
5 Panthers Make Week One State Leaders List
Past Season Highlights & Results
Season Highlights (2023)
Track & Field (2023)
Mateo Malko-Allen Breaks 1600 School Record, Finishes 6th @ California State Championships
May 27th, 2023
Clovis, CA – Senior distance star Mateo Malko-Allen, running in his final race as a Saint Mary’s Panther, broke his own school records while finishing 6th at the California State Championships on Saturday in Clovis, CA.
After running a near personal best 4:10.89 in the qualifying round on Friday, Mateo advanced to the finals with a field that had no clear favorite. Thus, the race was anyone’s to win and with a lap to go, the beloved Panther star was amongst the leaders… vying for the school’s first ever individual state championship in a distance event.
In the end, the culmination of 4 fast races in a short, 7 day span was a bit too much and the elusive state championship was gone. Still, Mateo’s 4:10.28 was the fastest he’d ever run and earned him a well-deserved state meet medal. His 6th place finish was the highest by a Panther in the 1600 since Bridget Duffy’s 4th place finish in 2001. Congratulations Mateo and to the entire Panthers team and coaching staff for a great 2023 season!
Champion!
May 20th, 2023
1600 Champion Mateo Malko-Allen
Dublin, CA – By combining a brilliantly planned strategy with a gutsy effort, senior distance star Mateo Malko-Allen captured his first and the team’s only North Coast Section Meet of Champions victory on Saturday. Running on a blustery, chilly evening, the Cal Poly SLO -bound star – who coming into the race was certainly one of the pre-race favorites – sat amongst the leaders for the first 3 ½ laps before rounding the final turn and using his patented home stretch speed to out-kick the field and take home the gold. His time, 4:11.44, was a scant off his lifetime best but a real accomplishment given the conditions.
“Mateo executed the race plan perfectly,” said boy’s distance coach Ben Turman after the race. “The strategy was to make sure the pace was honest and to simply sit with the leaders. Both of us were confident in his finishing speed and that’s exactly how it played out. I’m proud of him.”
Joining Mateo at next week’s California State Championships will be the girl’s 4 x 100 sqaud. Knowing that only the first three finishers in each event advance to state, the girl’s eeked out every tenth of a second to finish 3rd and secure their spot. Freshman Kira Gant Hatcher ran an explosive first leg, handed to senior sprint star Taryn Fettig – whose run down the backstretch propelled the Panthers into the lead. Taryn then handed to recently named Saint Mary’s athlete of the year Dylan Hedgspeth, who then handed to senior Sofia Jackson. Sofia’s run down the homestretch was exactly what the Panthers needed to hold onto the coveted 3rd spot. Their time, 49.20, was just off their season’s best and good enough for the bronze.
The Panthers also had some medal-winning performances out of senior Georgia Rogers (5th in the 100m hurdles, 6th in the high jump), freshman Kira Gant-Hatcher (4th in the triple jump, 5th in the long jump), senior Taryn Fettig (5th in the 100m), the girl’s 4 x 400 team of Saniya McIntyre, Sofia Jackson, Alexa Lawson, and Dylan (4th), and the girl’s 4 x 800 team (Dylan, Alexa, Sofia and Annika Punz), who finished 6th. Freshman high jumper CJ Baltrip cleared 6’0” to finish 7th, one place out of the medals.
“In all, I’m proud of how our team competed this weekend,” concluded coach Jay Lawson. “The conditions were not ideal and the competition is, of course, top flight. Most of our athletes rose to the occasion and did as well as we could have expected. Mateo’s win, the number of medalists we had, and the girl’s 4 x 100 team advancing are a testament to the work and commitment our athletes and coaches have shown this year.”
Mateo Malko Allen Smashes School 1600 Record; Girl’s Completely Dominant in Capturing 4th Straight NCS Bayshore Area Championships
May 13th, 2023
Hayward, CA – After an overwhelming team victory at last week’s TCAL Championships, the girl’s track & field team seemed primed and ready for some big performances at the North Coast Section Bayshore Area Championships at Hayward High on Saturday. With warm weather, team banners, and individual qualifying for next week’s NCS Meet of Champions serving as the motivator, the girl’s team turned in another dominate performance to capture their 4th straight - and 6 of the last 7- Bayshore Area Championships. (Note: the Bayshore Area is comprised of 3 different leagues: the MVAL, WAAC, and TCAL).
Bayshore Sprint Champion Taryn Fettig
Leading the way for the girl’s team was double sprint champion Taryn Fettig. Emerging as one of the top sprinters in the North Coast Section, Taryn outran several other league champions to record her first ever Bayshore titles. Her 12.16 in the 100 meters was a lifetime best and currently ranks her 3rd in the entire NCS. Taryn, along with Kira Gant Hatcher, Dylan Hedgspeth and Sofia Jackson, also teamed up to win the 4 x 100 meter relay in a season’s best 49.10. In fact, the girl’s team would go on to win all 3 relays on the day… including the 4 x 400 and 4 x 800! Sofia and Dylan teamed up with sophomores Alexa Lawson and Saniya McIntyre to take the 4 x 400, while Sofia and Alexa teamed up with fellow sophomores Lia Sullivan and Maddie Potter to win the 4 x 800.
School Record Holder (4:10.65) Mateo Malko-Allen
Senior Georgia Rogers and freshman Kira were also big point-getters in the field… with Kira winning the triple jump and placing 2nd in the long jump, while Georgia finished 2nd in the high jump. Georgia was also the runner-up in the girl’s 100m hurdles.
Junior Annika Punz
Other impressive performances for the girl’s were Dylan’s 58.66 PR in the open 400 – which was good for 3rd place; Annika Punz’a PR in the 1600 (5:19), good for 4th, and the NCS MOC individual qualifying efforts from sophomores Callie Ballard and Jaiden Reed in the triple jump, as well as junior Sarah Gray in the high jump.
For the boy’s team, the headliner was the 1600 meter school-record smashing by senior Mateo Malko-Allen. Certainly not unfamiliar with records, headlines or race wins, Mateo ran what the coaches called the best race of his career in winning his first ever Bayshore Championship.
Senior Captain Logan Tanisaki
Running a smart, tactical race, Mateo sat with the leaders for the better part of 3 ¾ laps before ripping around the final turn and out-kicking the competition to win. His 4:10.65 was a PR and nearly :03 second faster than his own school record. That time now makes him one of the favorites in next week’s NCS Championships.
Future Claremont McKenna Athena Georgia Rogers
The boy’s 4 x 100 team of Logan Tanisaki, Ahmad Gabriel, Myles Kettler and Luke Swanson ran their season best 44.87 to finish 5th and punch their qualifying ticket into next week’s state qualifying MOC meet.
MOC Triple Jump Qualifiers Jaiden Reed, Callie Ballard and Kira Gant Hatcher
The other individual qualifier on the boy’s side came from freshman high jumper CJ Baltrip who finished 3rd overall. The top 6 placers from the Bayshore meet advanced to the Meet of Champions, held at Dublin High School next Friday and Saturday. All the photos from today's meet can be found by clicking on "Photo Album" above.
Updated All-Time Lists!!
May 7th, 2023
Mateo Malko-Allen, Annika Punz head updated all-time lists! Click on "All-Time Lists" above to check them out!
Different Season, Same Result: Girl’s Completely Dominant @ TCAL Championships
May 5th, 2023
Senior Sofia Jackson
Vallejo, CA – Since it was formed in 2013, the Tri County Athletic League (TCAL) has crowned many different team and individual champions from it’s 12 member schools. However, no school has dominated their sport quite like the Panthers have dominated girl’s track & field. Every team championship banner and a substantial portion of the individual championships and individual championship records belong to Saint Mary’s Panthers. This year’s meet, held for the first time at Vallejo High School, saw the girl’s team outscore the ENTIRE rest of the league by more than 50 points to capture their 11th consecutive league championship. The final score showed the Panthers scoring 256 points while the rest of the league combined to score 203 points. (To view all photos from the meet, click on "Photo Album" above)
Double Champion Mateo Malko-Allen
“We’re very proud of how our girl’s competed and supported each other today,” said girl’s assistant coach Ariana Corwin. “It was cold, windy and raining at times, which definitely effected a lot of athletes today. But I didn’t see anyone from our team give up, complain or back off. Although we didn’t see a ton of PR’s, we saw a lot of heart.”
Kira Gant Hatcher
Leading the charge were a trio of dominant double winners. Senior Taryn Fettig first won the 100 (12.53) by ½ second before coming back to win the 200 (26.23) by a full second! She began the meet by blowing past the field on the 2nd leg of an impressive 4 x 100 win. Fellow senior Georgia Rogers also made quick work of her competition, winning the high jump by ½ foot before running away from the field in the 100m hurdles. Georgia also finished 2nd in the long jump. Not to be outdone, freshman sensation Kira Gant Hatcher won both the long and triple jumps, finished 2nd to Taryn in the 100, and ran the 1st leg of the 4 x 100 to stake her claim as the team’s top point scorer.
Hurdles Champion Georgia Rogers
Other individual champions on the girl’s side included senior Dylan Hedgspeth in the 400, sophomore Alexa Lawson in the 800, sophomore Saniya McIntyre in the 300 hurdles, and sophomore Neiyah Thompson in the shot put. The Panthers also won the 4 x 400 and 4 x 800 relays.
Freshman Sprinter Marcus Hughes
Other notable performances mentioned by Coach Corwin came from senior Sofia Jackson (who anchored the winning 4 x 100 team, finished a close second in the 800, and ran on the victorious, TCAL record-setting 4 x 800 team), sophomore Maddie Potter (who finished 4th in the 800 and 5th in the 1600), sophomore Katherine Scannell (who won both the JV girls 800 and 1600), sophomore Tori Harris (who won the JV girls long and triple jumps and finished 3rd in the 100), and sophomore Olivia Watson (who finished 4th in the shot put and 4th with a PR in the discus).
Shot Put Champion Neiyah Thompson
Junior Ethan Baiter
The boy’s meet was much more competitive but just as gritty for the Panthers. Predictably, the team was led by soon to be Cal Poly SLO Mustang Mateo Malko-Allen. Running against the fastest and most competitive TCAL field ever, Mateo showed his composure, maturity and talent in his 800 and 1600 meter wins. Both races had him get on the shoulder of the leaders before calling on his impressive sprint speed in the homestretch to win going away. Mateo will certainly be amongst the favorites as the team approaches the Bayshore and NCS Championships in the coming weeks.
High Jumper Sarah Gray
A pair of freshmen also took home gold at these championships. Shane Doherty won both the 1600 and 3200, finishing just ahead of fellow freshman teammate Tucker Presnell. Freshman talent CJ Baltrip, meanwhile, skipped the JV level altogether and instead went out and won the varsity high jump (6’0”) at his first ever TCAL championship. Like Mateo, CJ will be one of the favorites in his event heading into next week’s Bayshore Championships.
Freshman Adrian Hall
Freshman Gabriela Espino
A quartet of distance runners were also praised by the coaching staff for their efforts. Freshman Adrian Hall ran an insane :07 seconds faster than he ever had to finish 8th in the 800 meter final. Also finishing with big PR’s AND qualifying for next week’s Bayshore championships were sophomore Brandon Bosio in the 800 (2:05), sophomore Kai Valle in the 1600 (4:44) and junior Collin Kopchik in the 3200 (10:00).
Junior Annika Punz Leads The Way
Finally, a pair of sprinters and a pair of throwers also shined on Friday. Sophomore Ahmad Gabriel solidified that he is, indeed, one of the top sprinters in the league when he finished 4th overall in a loaded 100 and 200 meter field. Freshman Marcus Hughes also had a nice meet according to JV sprint coach Craig Sutphin. Marcus was a mere .02 hundreths of a second from winning the JV boys 100 before finishing 4th in the 200. Sophomore Mason Young uncorked a massive 1½ foot PR in the shot put to cement a spot at Bayshore, while junior Ethan heaved the discus 6 feet farther than he ever had to earn his way to Bayshore.
Sophomore Jaela Scott
Next week’s Bayshore Area Championships features the top qualifiers from 3 leagues (TCAL, WAAC, MVAL) all vying for qualifying spots into the North Coast Section Meet of Champions on May 19-20. The top 7 qualifiers in each event at Bayshore move onto MOC. Good luck to all the Panthers next week.
Tracksters Seeming Primed For Post Season
April 29th, 2023
Luke Swanson and Makaius Warner
Berkeley, CA – After completing their TCAL league season on Thursday against Vallejo, Salesian and SPSV and their invitational season on Saturday at the “Clash of the Titans” at Skyline High School, one thing was apparent and on the minds of the Panther coaching staff: the team seems ready for a big post season.
“We had a lot of quality, eye-opening performances this week,” said head distance coach Denis Mohun on Saturday. “I think all the work we’ve put in has really started to show over these past two weeks. And I expect it will continue over the next few weeks. It’s exciting.”
Brandon Bosio and Kai Valle
Highlighting the week were “Clash of the Titans” wins by Cal Poly SLO-bound senior Mateo Malko Allen and freshman Kira Gant Hatcher, huge PR’s laid down by sophomores Saniya McIntyre (400 meters), Jaiden Reed (long jump), Dylan Hedgspeth (200/400), and a sophomore quartet of 1600 meter runners (Lia Sullivan, Alexa Lawson, Brandon Bosio and Kai Valle), and season best run by the girl’s 4 x 100 team.
Sophomore Callie Ballard
Mateo recorded a lifetime best in his wire to wire win in the 800 on Saturday. His 1:53.95 was ½ second faster than his previous best and now ranks him 2nd amongst all North Coast Section half-milers.
Senior Georgia Rogers (above), Freshman Shane Doherty (below)
Freshman Kira Gant Hatcher continues her ascendency into the upper realms of the NCS jump elite with a spectacular performance on Saturday. After a massive 36’9” winning triple jump in the morning, Kira came back with an even more impressive 17’11 long jump in the afternoon. She now ranks #2 in the triple jump and #3 in the long jump in the entire North Coast Section! Teammate Jaiden Reed also leaped to a big PR in the long jump, breaking the sand 16’10 away from the take-off board.
Logan Tanisaki Passes To Ahmad Gabriel
The girl’s 4 x 100 team of Kira, Taryn Fettig, Dylan and Sofia Jackson ran a season best 49.60 on Thursday at the TCAL league finale which now puts them as the #5 ranked team in the NCS. Finally, both Dylan Hedgspeth and Saniya McIntyre ran big 400 races, Dylan running a PR 59.63 on Thursday while Saniya finished in 60.19 on Saturday.
2 Gold, 6 Silver, 1 Bronze Highlight Huge Day @ Frosh-Soph Championships
Alexa Lawson Wins The 800!
Dublin, CA – Sophomore Alexa Lawson’s dominant win in the open 800 meters before anchoring the victorious girl’s 4 x 400 meter relay led a determined, gritty group of freshmen and sophomores into the increasingly popular and competitive Northern California Frosh-Soph Championships on Saturday night. The meet, now in it’s 10th year, features the top freshman and sophomore talent from the Bay Area and parts of Northern California competing in an invitational style evening meet under the lights at Dublin High School, site of this year’s NCS Championships.
Ahmad Gabriel
After the meet, a smiling Coach Lawson was emphatic in his assessment of the team’s performance: “This was clearly our best performance of the year.” Indeed, the team’s two wins and six near wins against top talent substantiated the coach’s claim.
“Alexa was really solid tonight,” said Coach Lawson of his talented daughter. “She ran a tactically perfect race in the 800… sitting for the first lap and then really turning it on in the final 250. Then, her 61.3 anchor leg was really special considering how late and cold it was.”
Saniya McIntyre Dominates The 300 Hurdles
Alexa’s 4 x 400 teammates: Saniya McIntyre, Lia Sullivan and Brooklyn Dwyer all had great meets themselves. Saniya ran a solid 1st leg for the runner-up 4 x 100 squad… whose 51.25 was the 2nd fastest F/S team Coach Lawson can recall. She then ran a PR 100 meters (13.35) before crushing a huge 300 meter hurdle race – winning her heat handily while finishing 2nd overall. Lia Sullivan scored a huge :05 second PR in the girls mile while Brooklyn ran her fastest 200 meters ever.
Brandon Bosio
Lia Sullivan
In the field, super freshman Kira Gant Hatcher collected a pair of silver medals to go with the silver she earned in the 4 x 100. Kira’s 35’2” leap in the triple jump came 2 hours after she bounded to a massive 14’ PR in the long jump, finishing at 16’11¾”.
Jaiden Reed
On the boy’s side, sophomore Ahmad Gabriel shined brightest. Running in the “fast” heat of both the 100 and 200, Ahmad grinded his way to two lifetime bests… running 11.49 (100) and 23.46 (200). Earlier, the boy’s 4 x 100 team of Ahmad, Marcus Hughes, Luis Malko-Allen and Keowyn Warner ran a “very good” race according to Coach Lawson, finishing in 46.59.
Jaela Scott Runs The Anchor Leg!
Finally, the boy’s distance squad continued their solid season of running, placing 3rd overall in the 4 x 800 relay. Sophomore Kai Valle (2:11), freshman Adrian Hall (2:15), sophomore Jacob Demissie (2:12) and sophomore Brandon Bosio (2:08) combined to run 8:47. Earlier, Brandon ran 2:08 in the open 800 – which was his lifetime best. Freshman Shane Doherty culminated the boy’s meet with a tough 10:34 PR in the open 3200 meters.
Seniors Shine on "Senior Day"
April 20th, 2023
Blair Moore, Dylan Hedgspeth, Saniya McIntyre
Berkeley, CA - For the Panther track and field squad, Thursday’s meet was “Senior Day” in which the 16 seniors on this 2023 team were acknowledged and celebrated at a pre-meet ceremony on the eve of their final competition on their home track. With families and friends present, as well as their cross town rival Albany Cougars, the seniors and their supportive teammates put on a great show.
Senior Georgia Rogers
Headlining the day were a handful of seniors: triple meet winner Georgia Rogers (high jump, long jump, 100m hurdles), double winners Dylan Hedgspeth (100, 200 meters) and Logan Tanisaki (200, 400 meters), 400 meter winner Sofia Jackson and 800 meter champion Mateo Malko-Allen.
Ahmad Gabriel & Logan Tanisaki
After that, there were a cavalcade of personal and lifetime bests, season bests, and inspiring performances. According to Coach Craig Sutphin, there were 24 personal bests run by the boy sprint group alone! Juniors Devin Owens, Myles Kettler and Luke Swanson all scored big PR’s in the Varsity Boy’s 100, as did Marcus Hughes, Luis Malko-Allen, Samahdi Scott, Michael Petouhoff, and Jagger Gullov-Singh in the JV Boy’s 100. Senior Blair Moore and freshman Elia Kudemus also ran their fastest 100 meters ever in the girl’s 100 meter race.
Sofia Jackson & Alexa Lawson
Natalie Robarts, Lilah Nemerson-Hoover, Natalie Andress
Other notable performances were turned in by sophomore Ahmad Gabriel (400, 110m hurdles), freshman Kira Gant Hatcher (triple jump, 200), freshman Adrian Hall and sophomore Lia Sullivan in the 800, and high jumpers CJ Baltrip and Jackie Estimbre - who equalled her lifetime best of 4’8”.
Logan Deakin & Nathan Dixon
Full results can be found on the “Schedule and Results” page while photos from the meet are on the “Photo Album” page.
Taryn Fettig’s 100-200 Sprint Double Leads Panthers @ Warren/Eaton Relays
April 15, 2023
Brooklyn Dwyer & Saniya McIntyre
Lafayette, CA – Seniors Taryn Fettig and Georgia Rogers won their signature events, junior Annika Punz established a new lifetime best with her 3200 win, sophomore Neiyah Thompson out-threw the shot put field, and freshman Kira Gant Hatcher hopped, stepped and jumped her way to a victorious new PR to lead a stellar performance by the Panthers track & field squad at the 53rd annual Warren-Eaton Relays hosted by Acalanes High School. (Check out all the photos from the meet here or click on "Photo Album")
Senior Blair Moore
The headliner on Saturday was certainly double winner and University of Colorado (Colorado Springs)-bound senior Taryn Fettig. After posting a nearly .2 tenths win in the 100 meters, she out-shined that performance with a half second win in the 200. Her 25.86 posting in the 200 was also a season’s best.
100-200 Winner Taryn Fettig
The Friday evening portion of the meet saw 3 equally impressive performances from 3 different Panthers that all resulted in gold medals. Claremont McKenna-bound senior Georgia Rogers won the high jump against a field that included state meet competitors from 2022 as well as top North Coast Section talent from 2023. After that, freshman teammate Kira Gant Hatcher bested her PR by nearly a foot and a half to vault herself to #6 in the North Coast Section with a leap of 35’2”. Then, to cap the evening off, junior Annika Punz – after earlier running a PR in the 800 – doubled back to capture the 3200 in a lifetime best 11:38.
Collin Kopchik (above) / Sofia Jackson (below)
Capturing gold in six individual events was quite an accomplishment for the Panthers considering the meet came at the end of Easter break. Those performances, in addition to solid sprinting from sophomore Ahmad Gabriel in the 100 and 200, a near win by sophomore Alexa Lawson in the open 800 meters, a bronze medal run by senior Dylan Hedgspeth in her first ever 800 meter race, and a 2nd place, personal best triple jump by junior Devin Owens indicate that the young Panther squad maybe rounding into form in this - the back half of the season.
Trevor Walton
“We had some solid performances today and last night,” was how coach Lawson put it after the meet. “The breezy conditions certainly hurt some of the athletes times and we’ve just recently began to transition to more speed work and I don’t think our legs have caught up yet. Still, we competed tough and I suspect we’ve got some big improvements coming soon.”
Freshman Keowyn Warner
The coaches also noted the improved performances of the boys 4 x 100 team (Logan Tanisaki, Ahmad, Myles Kettler, Luke Swanson), and a bevy of 200 meter runners (Makaius Warner, Myles Kettler, Trevor Walton, Brooklyn Dwyer, Saniya McIntyre, Jaela Scott, Blair Moore)… all of whom sprinted to lifetime bests!
The Panthers next meet is on Thursday, April 20th at Saint Mary’s against Albany and Richmond. First race is at 3:30.
Track & Field Takes On State’s Best @ Stanford Invitational
April 1, 2023
Senior Dylan Hedgspeth
Palo Alto, CA – On Friday and Saturday, the Panthers joined much of the top talent from Northern California and around the Golden State, competing at the annual Stanford Invitational on the campus of Stanford University. The meet features a mix of high school, college and professional competitions in a two day, high intensity, top talent affair that seems to serve notice about who’s who in the Northern California track scene.
Sophomore Alexa Lawson
For the Panthers, the weekend allowed both coaches and athletes to assess how they stack up against the best talent around while also providing a peek into what the next 7 weeks may have in store. The girls distance medley team had Alexa Lawson running the 1200 leg, Dylan Hedgspeth running the 400, Sofia Jackson the 800, and Annika Punz finishing with the mile – got the weekend started of in a blaze, running the 5th fastest time in school history while finishing 2nd in their heat and 9th overall in 12:42.
High Jumper Georgia Rogers
“The girls ran a great race against some really fast teams,” said long-time distance coach Denis Mohun on Friday. “Most of the teams we were competing against were top level teams in cross country in the fall. In fact, several of them were state champions or state medalists. We figured with a great start and some toughness, we could go out and compete with them and that’s exactly what we did. I’m proud of their effort today.”
Mateo Malko-Allen
On Saturday morning, the Panthers were back at it, with a full slate of events on the track and in the field. The girls 4 x 100 team – Saniya McIntyre, Taryn Fettig, Dylan and Kira Gant Hatcher – ran a season best 50.03 in the prelims to grab one of the 9 lanes in the afternoon final where they finished 7th overall. Later that day, Taryn ran 12.44 in her 100 meter prelim to earn a spot in the afternoon final where she finished 8th overall.
Junior Annika Punz
Fellow senior Mateo Malko-Allen, certainly not a newcomer to big races and fast times, had a strong start and led for the first part of the boy’s invitational mile before succumbing to a hard charging pack in the final 200 meters. Mateo still managed an impressive 4:14 which was good for 6th overall. Claremont McKenna-bound high jumper Georgia Rogers also had a nice meet, clearing a season best 5’1” to finish 9th overall.
Distance Medley Team - Alexa, Sofia, Dylan, Annika
Currently, Mateo still ranks as the top miler in the NCS, while Taryn (5th), Georgia (6th), and the 4 x 100 team (7th) also enter the month of April amongst the NCS list leaders.
Tracksters Dominate Hercules, De Anza in 2nd TCAL League Meet
March 30, 2023
Berkeley, CA – Senior Georgia Rogers, junior Devin Owens, and sophomores Brooklyn Dwyer and Neiyah Thompson won 2 events each and the varsity track and field team won a whopping 23 events overall on Thursday in the team’s 2nd TCAL league meet of the season against Hercules and De Anza.
“The rain this week destroyed most of our practice time so it was nice for our team to get out and compete the way they did today,” said coach Jay Lawson after the meet. “It was hard to tell how prepared we would be but our kids showed some grit and toughness. We had a good day.”
Along with the aforementioned double winners, senior Sofia Jackson ran a strong 400, winning the race in a personal best 61.55. Fellow senior Blair Moore also had a very nice meet according to coach Lawson, recording lifetime bests in both the 100 and 200 while finishing 3rd and 2nd in each event.
The girl’s 4 x 100 team of Saniya McIntyre, Taryn Fettig, Dylan Hedgspeth and Kira Gant Hatcher ran their first race of the year… posting the 7th fastest time in the North Coast Section this year while winning the race.
Sophomore Ahmad Gabriel, quickly emerging as the team’s best short sprinter, won the 100 meters in 11.67… a mere .02 off his lifetime best. Later, Ahmad almost pulled off the sprint double in the 200 but came up .2 seconds short while finishing 2nd.
Finally, freshman CJ Baltrip continued his impressive campaign in the high jump, clearing 5’11 before narrowly missing a lifetime best 6’1. CJ currently ranks 9th amongst all NCS high jumpers.
Panthers Talent, Depth On Display @ Bay Area Relays
March 25th, 2023
Pleasanton, CA – On Saturday, the Panther track & field team traveled to Foothill High School in Pleasanton for the 8th annual Bay Area Relays. The meet features mostly relay events on both the track and in the field. On the track, relay members pass the baton around the track in various relay events with each team trying to get to the finish line first. In the field, each team member adds their best performance to the performances of their teammates to achieve a combined team distance or height which then decides the eventual team winner. So, whether on the track or in the field, talent AND depth are required at these Bay Area Relays.
For the Panthers, several relays teams captured team wins while several other individuals were able to take home individual gold and even manage to break a meet record. The frosh-soph girls certainly seemed to shine brightest, led by freshman Kira Gant Hatcher. Kira led the jump squads to team wins in both the long and triple jumps while scoring individual wins in both events and even establishing a new meet record in the triple. Later that day, she also ran first leg on the victorious 4 x 100 team and first leg on the runner-up 4 x 200 team! Jumps teammates Maleah Bey, Marlowe Kuroki, Sofia Toliver were solid in their performances… as were sprint teammates Jaela Scott, Brooklyn Dwyer and Tatiana Wilson.
The other F/S girl winners were the shot put squad of Neiyah Thompson (who was also the overall individual winner), Saniyah Vann and Olivia Watson… while the F/S girls distance medley team of Lia Sullivan, Tatiana, Maddie Potter, and Jing Li-Chou ran a strong race while finishing 2nd.
For the varsity, the girls high jump squad of Georgia Rogers, Jackie Estimbre, &. Sarah Gray took home the team crown with a solid performance. In fact, Jackie scored a lifetime best 4’8” to solidify the win.
Individually, senior Taryn Fettig had another strong showing in the girls 100 meters, running a lifetime best 12.35 (albeit wind-aided) for 3rd. Sophomore Ahmad Gabriel, back after nursing an early season basketball-related injury, also ran close to a lifetime best in the 100, finishing 2nd overall in 11.65. Other individual runner-ups went to sophomore Jaiden Reed in the varsity girl’s triple jump (33’0), Georgia Rogers in the varsity girl’s high jump, and sophomore Ethan Harris in the F/S boy’s triple jump.
Lastly, the eye-opening performance of the meet may have gone to freshman high jumper CJ Baltrip. Competing in only the 2nd track meet of his life, the prodigious 9th grader competed in the VARSITY high jump where he cleared 6’0” before narrowly brushing 6’2” off with his calf. His 3rd place overall finish was “quite an accomplishment.” “I think CJ has some good days of high jumping ahead of him,” added a smiling jumps coach Jeff Rogers after the meet.
Distance Stars Shine; School Records Fall in Busy Track & Field Weekend
March 19th, 2023
-Photo by Dan Tyree (Milesplit)
Saturday was both a busy and record-breaking weekend for the Panthers Track & Field team. While the distance team stayed in the East Bay and competed at the ever-popular Dublin Distance Fiesta; the sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers and throwers traveled down the peninsula to Mountain View for the 38th annual St. Francis Invitational. Both meets featured top level competition from all around the greater Bay Area and both meets felt the presence of the Saint Mary’s athletes.
In Dublin, a school records was broken and hordes of lifetime bests were earned by a spirited, enthusiastic group of talented Panther runners. Cal Poly-bound senior Mateo Malko-Allen bettered his own school record in the 1600 meters, surging to the lead at the outset of the final lap before sprinting down the homestretch to convincing, record-breaking win. His 4:13.40 bettered his own school record set last year and established him as the top miler in the North Coast Section in 2023. Three hours after his big win, he narrowly completed a 1600-800 double win… falling a mere second short of the win while finishing 2nd. Still, his 1:54.40 was his lifetime best and ranks him 2nd in the NCS this season.
-Photo by Dan Tyree (Milesplit)
Teammates Collin Kopchik (4:37), Javin Schmitt (4:46), Brandon Bosio (4:48), Kai Valle (4:50), Shane Doherty (4:51), and Tucker Presnell (4:57) all ran personal bests in the 1600… as did Jurgis Vass (2:07), Vale Johnson Vigeant (2:15), Joaquin Tarango (2:16) and Daniel McAndrew-Kvaerno (2:20) in the 800 meters. Together the boys distance squad came away from Dublin fired up and ready to get back to work!
For the girls, junior Annika Punz also ran a huge lifetime best in the 1600… bettering her previous PR by almost :09 seconds. Her 5:20 now ranks her amongst the top 10 all-time in school history with many races still left to run. Sophomore Lia Sullivan and juniors Natalie Robarts and Lilah Nemerson-Hoover were also praised for their efforts by coach Denis Mohun.
For the non-distance runners, St. Francis was a perfect meet to show off the Panthers young talent. Led by sophomore Alexa Lawson’s win in the 800 meters, the Panthers came away with a couple event wins and several top 3 finishes.
The frosh-soph girls 4 x 200 team – Saniya McIntyre, Brooklyn Dwyer, Alexa Lawson and Jaela Scott – sprinted their way to a relatively easy win… while the sprint medley team of Alexa, Brooklyn and Niassa Fite and Charli Davis finished just out of the top slot while finishing 2nd.
Other standouts from St. Francis included sophomore Jaiden Reed (2nd in the F/S girls triple jump, 3rd in the long jump), Saniya McIntyre (2nd in the F/S girls 100 meters), and Neiyah Thompson (2nd in the F/S girls shot put).
Next up for the Panthers is the Bay Area Relays on Saturday, March 25th at Foothill High School in Pleasanton.
Seniors Lead Panthers In TCAL Opener
March 16th, 2023
Berkeley, CA – The Panthers track & field team, fresh off a busy enrichment week, opened their 2023 TCAL league season with a home triangular meet against El Cerrito, Pinole Valley, and Salesian. All league TCAL meets, by league rule, are not scored so the meet was absent some of the Panthers top performers. Still, led by seniors Taryn Fettig double 100-200 sprint victories, Georgia Rogers high jump-long jump-100 hurdles triple wins and Dylan Hedgspeth’s big :03 second triumph in the 400 meter dash, the Panthers captured 13 event wins en route to a dominant opening performance.
“We expect our upperclassmen, especially on the girl’s side, to lead the team week in and week out,” said coach Jay Lawson afterwards. “So today was not a surprise. I think we got some pleasant surprises out of some of the younger athletes though.”
Those younger athletes included freshman high jumper CJ Baltrip, freshman jumper/sprinter Kira Gant Hatcher, and sophomores Alexa Lawson (1600/800) and Neiyah Thompson (shot put).
CJ, competing in his first ever track meet, won the varsity boy’s high jump with a leap of 5’8”. For having only a few weeks of practice, the coaches were very impressed with his performance. Likewise, fellow freshman Kira Gant Hatcher’s 33’10” triple jump win in her second ever triple jump competition suggests that big performances maybe in her future. Sophomore Alexa Lawson, who is not new to big meets and big competitions after having competed in both the state track and cross country championships, won the 1600 and was just edged out of a second victory by teammate Annika Punz in the 800.
Finally, sophomore Neiyah Thompson unleashed a monster 35’7 shot put that smashed her previous personal best by more than 5 feet while securing the event win. Neiyah’s performance establishes her as THE one to beat in the TCAL this season.
Panthers Open 2023 With 4 Event Wins @ Skyline Invitational
February 25th, 2023
Oakland, CA – With over 40 schools and in excess of 1000 athletes entered, the competition at this year’s Skyline Invitational was unquestionable. Add in bone-chilling sub 50 degree weather and the challenges for many were daunting. Still, the excitement and anticipation of the year’s first meet propelled most Panthers to excellent performances.
Leading the way, not surprisingly, was distance star Mateo Malko-Allen. The Cal Poly – SLO bound senior duplicated his 2022 Skyline performance by winning the 1600 and then, after a nearly 4 hour wait, winning the 800. Nearly an hour before Mateo’s 1600 win, fast-rising junior distance star Annika Punz ran a blazing final lap to run away from her 1600 meter competitors and take home the gold. Her time, 5:28, was a lifetime best. Later that afternoon, senior sprint star Taryn Fettig overcame a sluggish start before pulling away from the field to win the girl’s 100 meter dash.
“I thought Taryn ran well given how cold it was,” said coach Jay Lawson. “This type of cold and wind doesn’t help anyone trying to compete today, especially the sprinters and hurdlers. Still, she ran 12.71 which is her fastest opening race ever. I can already see that her off season conditioning has paid off. She’s due for a great season.”
Several other Panthers also took home medals by placing 2nd or 3rd in their respective events. Senior Georgia Rogers braved the early morning cold to place second in the high jump, as did sophomore Alexa Lawson in the 800. Fellow sophomore Jaiden Reed placed 3rd in the triple jump. Georgia, Alexa and Jaiden are all expected to make huge contributions to the team this year. Other notable performers who scored lifetime of close to lifetime bests were senior Jurgis Vass (800 meters), Bobby Ortiz (discus), Neiyah Thompson (shot put) and Collin Kopchik (3200 meters).
The Panther coaching staff was also quite impressed by the performances of many of the younger, first-time athletes. In particular, a quartet of freshmen made a considerable impact and impression on the coaches. Kira Gant Hatcher opened many eyes when she finished 2nd overall in the girl’s triple jump before running 13.58 in the 100. Her 100 time was the 2nd fastest on the team!
Along with Kira, a trio of 9th grade distance runners had races that demanded a lot attention. Shane Doherty and Tucker Presnell ran 4:55 and 5:02 in the 1600, while Adrian Hall ran a blistering 2:17 in the 800. All three runners are “promising and part of a pack of young runners that we are VERY excited about,” beamed boy’s distance coach Ben Turman after the meet.
Seniors Key To 2023 Panthers Track Success
February 14th, 2023
“The key to our success this year will be the performance and leadership of our seniors,” is how long time coach Jay Lawson began his discussion of the upcoming 2023 season. “We had over 120 athletes sign up for the team this year so we have a LOT of new faces and inexperience which will require a big effort from both our coaching staff AND our seniors. We’re hoping that both can come through to make 2023 another successful year.”
As the opening of the 2023 season approaches, we sat down with several of the coaches to get their thoughts and insights on the team, some of the top individuals, event areas, and strengths and weaknesses of this year’s squad.
Coach Jay Lawson: Sprints/Relays
Q: You mentioned earlier that you hope to have a “successful” 2023 season. As defined by Saint Mary’s track & field standards, “Successful” usually has a pretty high bar attached to it. Is that your expectation this year?
A: Not necessarily. While it is always our goal to bring home championship banners and be amongst the top teams in the North Coast Section, this year we’ll be equally committed to nurturing and fostering our underclassmen and young talent. I don’t think we’ve quite recovered from the disruption that the Covid-19 pandemic caused and so our staff continues to be challenged by the hangover and effects that’s had. So, we’ll chase championships for sure, but “success” will also mean building back our culture and instilling a sense of commitment and hard work that was damaged over the past couple of years.
Q: And you’ll need the seniors and upper-classmen to help revitalize this culture?
A: Exactly. The coaches will surely do their part, but we’ll need the seniors to model, demand and perform the things we’re trying to coach.
Q: So, who are some of the athletes you’re talking about?
A: On the girl’s side, Taryn Fettig and Dylan Hedgspeth will lead our core of sprinters, Georgia Rogers will head the hurdle/jumps side, and Sofia Jackson will be the senior leader for our middle distance and distance group. All four them have been in the program for years, and have accomplished a lot individually. And, they all are hard workers and know understand the sacrifice it takes to be successful.
Q: And for the boy’s?
A: On the boy’s side, we’re pretty thin in terms of experience but a few senior athletes do stand out. Sprinter Logan Tanisaki has already inserted himself as one of our key leaders. Mateo Malko-Allen also provides good leadership… as does Adrian Licea. We hope there are a few others who will step forward and mentor some of the younger athletes. This will be a big key to our success this year.
Q: Are there any individuals that you’re expecting to have a big year… that we should keep our eyes on this season?
A: Yeah, there are a few. Last year, Taryn Fettig was a Meet of Champions finalist in the 100 and 200 and I expect her to be even better this year so keep an eye 
on her. Georgia Rogers was our Bayshore high jump champion last year and also advanced to MOC in the 100 hurdles so she’s another one to watch. Dylan in the 400 and 800 and both Sofia and Alexa Lawson in the 800 should give us some solid individual performances as well as a lot of potential for a very good 4 x 400 and maybe 4 x 800 team. Also look for sophomore Brooklyn Dwyer to have an eye-opening season. For the boys, Mateo is already our school record holder in the 1600 and is one of the top middle distance runners in Northern California. He’s clearly the top athlete on our team this year. Logan Tanisaki will be a solid sprinter and junior Luke Swanson has been really impressive in our pre-season conditioning sessions.
Coach Jeff Rogers: Jumps
Q: Last year, your group included the girl’s Bayshore high jump champion, a 19’0 girl long jumper, and a state meet qualifier in the triple jump. Two of those girls have graduated. How does your group look coming into 2023?
A: We obviously lost a lot of talent but I’m optimistic that we’ll do a good job of re-loading. Georgia Rogers should be one of the top high jumpers in the area and sophomore Jaiden Reed had a really good freshman year and should be solid again this year. I’m also excited about sophomore Callie Ballard as well as freshman Kira Gant-Hatcher.
Coach Denis Mohun: Distance
Q: Some are saying that the distance team maybe the strength of the team this year. Do you agree?
A: As with any year, it depends on health, commitment and staying injury-free… but on paper, yes, the distance team has some talent. Junior Annika Punz is set to have a breakout track season after a cross country season where she won an individual medal at NCS. She’ll emphasize the 3200 but I wouldn’t say any of the distance races are out of her reach. Sofia Jackson, Alexa Lawson and Jing Li-Chou were all part of our NCS Championship cross country team and should have very solid seasons.
For the boys, there’s of course Mateo. Coach Turman (who works directly with Mateo) is optimistic that Mateo will improve significantly from his 1:53, 4:14, 9:10 PR’s from 2022. That should make him a strong possibility to advance to the state meet and hopefully even make the final. After Mateo, there are a bunch of guys who have been working hard all winter and are expected to reap the benefits. Collin Kopchik, Adrian Licea, Javin Scmitt, Jacob Demissie, Brandon Bosio and Kai Valle are all fresh off a solid cross country season and are all expected to run fast 800 and miles. Freshmen Shane Dougherty and Tucker Presnell will also give the Panthers a ton of depth and scoring punch.
Track & Field Schedule & Results (2023)
Schedule & Results (2023)
|
Day |
Date |
Meet |
Location |
Time |
Results |
|
Sat. |
Feb. 25th |
Skyline Invitational |
Skyline H.S., Oakland |
All Day
|
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
March 4th |
Dan Gabor Invitational |
Amador Valley H.S., Pleasanton |
All Day |
Full Results |
|
Thurs. |
March 16th |
El Cerrito, Pinole Valley, Salesian, Richmond |
Saint Mary’s |
3:30 pm |
|
|
Sat. |
March 18th |
St. Francis Invitational |
Saint Francis H.S., Mountain View |
8:00 am |
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
March 18th |
Dublin Distance Fiesta |
Dublin H.S., Dublin, CA |
TBA |
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
March 25th |
Bay Area Relays |
Foothill H.S., Pleasanton |
8:00 am |
Full Results |
|
Thurs. |
March 30th |
De Anza, Hercules (re-scheduled from 3/23) |
Saint Mary's |
3:30 pm |
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
March 31st - April 1st |
Stanford Invitational (Varsity Only) |
Cobb Field, Stanford U. |
TBA |
Full Results |
|
Fri.-Sat. |
April 7th - April 8th |
Arcadia Invitational (Varsity Only) |
Arcadia H.S., Arcadia, CA |
TBA |
Full Results |
|
Fri.-Sat. |
April 14th- April 15th |
Bob Warren Relays |
Acalanes H.S., Lafayette |
TBA |
Full Results |
|
Thurs. |
April 20th |
Albany, Richmond |
Saint Mary’s |
3:30 pm |
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
April 22nd |
Sacramento Meet of Champions (Varsity Only) |
American River College |
TBA |
|
|
Sat.
|
April 22nd
|
Northern California Frosh-Soph Championships |
Dublin High School |
TBA |
Full Results |
|
Thurs. |
April 27th |
Vallejo, Salesian, SPSV, Hercules, JFK |
Vallejo H.S. |
3:30 pm
|
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
April 29th |
Clash of the Titans |
Skyline H.S., Oakland |
9:00 am |
Full Results |
|
Wed. |
May 3rd |
TCAL League Trials |
Vallejo H.S. |
2:00 pm
|
Full Results |
|
Fri. |
May 5th
|
TCAL League Finals |
Vallejo H.S. |
2:00 pm
|
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
May 13th |
North Coast Section Bayshore Meet (Varsity Only) |
Hayward H.S., Hayward, CA |
11:00 am |
Full Results |
|
Fri-Sat |
May 19th –May 20th |
North Coast Section Meet of Champions (Varsity Only) |
Dublin High School Dublin, CA |
TBA |
|
|
Fri-Sat |
May 26th –May 27th |
California State Meet (Varsity Only) |
Buchanan H.S. Clovis, CA |
TBA |
Season Highlights (2022)
Track & Field (2022)
Panthers Finish 2022 Season @ CIF State Championships
May 28th, 2022
Clovis, CA - The 2022 Track & Field season came to a close on Friday with senior triple jumper Anela Thomas and the girl's 4 x 400 quartet of Dylan Hedgspeth, Maddie Dwyer, Alexa Lawson and Sofia Jackson competing in the State Prelims. Despite not making Saturday's final, all five athletes competed very well and "had tremendous seasons" according to the coaching staff. Congratulations to the athletes and their parents and coaches for a great 2022 year!
Anela Thomas, Girls 4 x 400 Relay Are State Bound!
May 21st, 2022
Dublin, CA - After three long weeks of competing through qualifying rounds, the varsity track & field teams reached the state qualifying meet - known simply as the "Meet of Champions" - this past weekend with individuals and relay teams hoping to finish in the top three and punch their ticket to next week's state championships in Clovis (Fresno). Track & Field, unlike all other North Coast Section sports, is a single division or open competition - meaning there are large, medium and small school divisions. Instead, all NCS teams and individuals, regardless of school size, meet up in a single meet format to determine the best of the best. So, the competition at Dublin High School on Friday for the qualifying rounds and Saturday for the finals was fierce and hotly contested. Still, several members of this upstart 2022 squad will be traveling to Clovis next weekend.
Dylan Hedgspeth
Senior Anela Thomas, known mostly for her prowess on the basketball court, shined bright this weekend in the girls triple jump. Sitting in 4th place and just out of a state meet qualifying place going into the 5th of 6 rounds of jumping, she unleashed a near lifetime best 36'9" to move into the 2nd spot and nearly win the competition. The winning jump was a mere 1" farther. Good luck to Anela in Clovis!
The other state qualifying mark came as a bit of a surprise. The girls 4 x 400 quartet of Maddie Dwyer, Dylan Hedgspeth, Alexa Lawson and Sofia Jackson ran a courageous, tough race in the final to place 4th in a season best 4:03.75. The 4th place finish signaled the end of their season until a surprise scratch by one of the teams ahead of them opened up a qualifying spot which was rewarded to the Panthers. So, that group of Panthers will travel to Clovis next week to compete on the state's largest stage!
Other Meet Highlights:
Junior sprinter Taryn Fettig had a huge meet, according to sprints coach Jay Lawson. Coming in un-ranked and not among the competitors expected to make either the 100 or 200 meter final, Taryn represented the best of the Panther grit by not only making both finals but medaling in both AND setting lifetime bests. On Friday, she equaled her PR in the 100 by running 12.59 to grab the 7th of 8th qualifying spots. On Saturday, she blew that PR away by running 12.39 - good for 5th place overall - and a scant .09 from a state meet qualifying spot. In the 200, Taryn blazed to a lifetime best 25.49 on Friday before finishing 5th on Saturday in 25.93. She also ran two very strong legs for the 6th place finishing 4 x 100 team. Overall, a tremendous effort for Taryn!
Freshman Alexa Lawson, competing in her first Meet of Champions, handled the pressure of the event well enough to make the 800 meter final and finish 11th overall. Likewise, junior Dylan Hedgspeth had a nice inaugural MOC, competing in the open 400 on Friday before running two solid legs on both the 4 x 100 relay and the state qualifying 4 x 400 team. Her 59.2 split on Saturday was the fastest of the day for the Panthers.
Senior Julia Alexander, who has been sidelines for the entire second half of the season with a foot injury, returned valiantly to try and earn her way to state. Unfortunately for the North Coast's top ranked long and triple jumper, the time off was too much as she still managed a very respectable 17'11 in the long jump - good enough for 5th. Likewise, Mateo Malko-Allen, regarded as the section's top middle distance runner, is still suffering from a respiratory illness that has toppled his training and abilities. The talented junior showed plenty of fight on Friday in qualifying, somehow mustering the strength to make the final. However, compromised lungs do not serve distance running well and Saturday's final showed that as he finished 7th overall in 4:23.84, nearly 10 seconds off his personal best. Disappointing for sure, but there is little doubt that Mateo will be back faster and stronger than ever in 2023!
Congratulations to all the Panthers who competed this past weekend at the Meet of Champions! Your coaches, school, parents and teammates are proud of you!
Track All-Time Lists Updated!!
May 18th, 2022
Check out the most up-to-date track & field all-time lists. Many new additions from 2022. Who made it? Who's close? How do the 2022 athletes rank against the best Panthers ever? Find out by clicking here or on the All-Time Lists link above!
Girls Dominate NCS Bayshore Championships!
May 14th, 2022
Hayward, CA – Led by a bevy of older and younger athletes both on the track and in the field, the girl’s track and field team dominated the North Coast Section Bay Shore Championship Meet on Saturday, more than doubling the point total of the second place team while capturing yet another section championship. The girl’s have now won 6 of the last 7 area championships.
Highlighting the meet for the Panthers were veterans Anela Thomas, Maddie Dwyer, Taryn Fettig, Sofia Jackson and Georgia Rogers along with newcomers Dylan Hedgspeth, Alexa Lawson and Milan Jackson.
Texas Southern-bound basketballer Anela Thomas was the top point-getter for the Panthers on Saturday, jumping her way to victory in the triple jump (36’11½”) after taking 2nd in both the high jump (5’0”) and shot put (31’0”) and running the third leg on the bronze medal winning 4 x 100 team (49.40). Her day was so impressive that one spectator was overheard comparing her to former UCLA basketball and track great Jackie Joyner Kersey!
A pair of juniors, Sofia Jackson and Georgia Rogers, joined Anela as individual winners on Saturday. Sofia, seemingly healed from a nagging hamstring strain, recorded a near wire-to-wire win in the girl’s 800, running 2:21.58… a mere .04 off of her lifetime best. Freshman teammate Alexa Lawson, running in her first ever Bay Shore Championships, finished 3rd at 2:22.78.
Georgia, meanwhile, bounded higher than anyone else when she cleared 5’2” to win the girl’s high jump. Her jump was the 2nd best jump of her life, just an inch shy of the 5’3” she recorded a month ago. Anela Thomas, in just her 3rd high jump competition ever, took home the silver medal.
Sprinters Taryn Fettig and Dylan Hedgspeth also had solid outings according to sprint coach Jay Lawson. After overcoming a stumbling start, Taryn ran down the field to finish 2nd in the 100 meters before taking 4th in the 200 several hours later. Teammate Dylan Hedgspeth’s transition into quarter mile running continued to pay dividends for her and the team as she ran a lifetime best 59.82 in finishing 2nd in the 400. Dylan later teamed with co-captain Maddie Dwyer and freshmen Brooklyn Dwyer and Alexa Lawson to win the girl’s 4 x 400 meter relay.
Other outstanding performances on the girl’s side came from junior Leiah Goode (PR’s in both the 800 and 1600), Callie McIntyre (PR in the 800), freshman Neiyah Thompson (5th place in the shot put), Brooklyn Dwyer (PR in the 400), Hailey Vines (6th in the 300h), and Milan Jackson (4th in the 1600).
Overall, the girls scored 124 points. Berkeley High School was second at 55½ while San Leandro was 3rd at 55.
For the boy’s, senior high jumper Amir Cross was the lone gold medalist. He cleared 6’0” to out height the rest of the field by 2”. Junior middle distance star Mateo Malko-Allen, who’s still not fully recovered from a nasty respiratory illness, ran solid enough the qualify for next week’s NCS Meet of Champions when he placed 4th in the 1600 in 4:20.
Other qualifiers for the boy’s were shot putter Robert Young (4th in a PR 44’5”) and both the 4 x 100 (6th) and 4 x 400 teams. Those relay pools include Logan Tanisaki, Malachi Young, freshman Ahmad Gabriel, Will Bain, and Micah Alleyne.
The top 6 finishers from the Bay Shore Championships move on to next week’s NCS Meet of Champions to try and qualify for the California State Championships in two weeks. The Meet of Champions (MOC) will be held on Friday and Saturday at Dublin High School. The top 3 finishers in each event qualify for state.
Medals, PR's & Championships Highlight TCAL Championships For Panther Tracksters!
May 6th, 2022
El Cerrito, CA - In a week that featured AP Exam testing, lingering injuries and illness, and the continuing battle of the seemingly never ending Covid-19 variants, the Saint Mary's track & field team showed their grit and meddle at Friday's TCAL Championships... posting dozens of personal bests while winning 10 different varsity events en route to taking home a team championship.
With several of the teams stars on the sidelines, seniors Anela Thomas, Robert Young and Amir Cross stepped forward, as did juniors Taryn Fettig, Dylan Hedgspeth, Georgia Rogers, Micah Alleyne as well as an ailing Mateo Malko-Allen.
Anela Thomas, a recent Texas Southern basketball signee, put her all-around athleticism on display at these championships - winning 2 events while placing second in two more. After winning the shot put on Wednesday with a best ever throw of 33'9", Anela bounded over to the high jump pit to place 2nd with a lifetime best 5'0". Then, to complete what Coach Rogers called a "field event trifecta", she hopped, stepped and jumped her way to a season best 35'10" to win the triple jump. Not yet finished, she came back on Friday to post a personal best 16'11 in the long jump, which earned her the silver medal.
Senior Amir Cross, just off an abductor injury, took home gold in his specialty event - the high jump - on Wednesday before placing 2nd in the long jump on Friday. He looks to continue his string of jump success as one of the favorites in the high jump at next week's NCS Bayshore Championships. Fellow senior Robert Young also finished his final TCAL meet with a win, throwing a PR 43'1" to win the shot put.
The off-season workouts and dedication of junior spring star Taryn Fettig also paid big dividends at these championships, earning her individual championships in the 100 and 200 meters. With her patented fast start, Taryn led both races from start to finish despite the close finishes. Her 12.54 in the 100 meters tied her personal best and ranks as the #9 performance in school history.
Neither Dylan Hedgspeth nor Mateo Malko-Allen were feeling their best but both came away with league titles. Dylan, who only recently made the switch from a 100-200 emphasis to a 200-400 priority, won the open 400 in a lifetime best 60.5. She later placed 3rd in the 200, just .2 from her personal best. Meanwhile, Mateo, who has been the top middle distance runner in the North Coast Section in 2022, won the boy's 800 in a modest 1:58 for him after placing 3rd in the 1600 in "a safe, controlled" 4:25 according to coach Ben Turman.
Other notable performances for the varsity team were turned in by junior Georgia Rogers (high jump, long jump, 100 hurdles, 4x100), Micah Alleyne (2nd in the 400, 200, 4x100, 4x400), freshman Alexa Lawson (800, 4x400), Milan Jackson (1600, 4x400), and sophomore Zendo Rouson (triple jump).
For the junior varsity girls, freshmen Saniya McIntyre and Khaya Jackson were nothing less than spectacular, each taking home nothing but gold medals. Saniya won the 100, both hurdle races, and ran the first leg on the victorious 4x100 relay. Khaya won both the open 200 and 400 before anchoring the winning 4x400 relay. Freshman Jaela Scott was the close runner up in both the 100 and 200 and was also a member of the 4x100. Freshman Jing Li-Chou was also a double winner, using her cross country base to win both the 800 and 1600. Other top performers for this impressive group were Tatiana Wilson, Elizabeth Lenton, Lia Sullivan, Marlowe Kuroki, Madi Potter and Niassa Fite.
The JV Boys also posted some impressive performances, led by freshman Brandon Bosio and sophomores Bobby Ortiz, Simon Daniel, Elliott Jennings and Myles Kettler. The junior varsity boys team of Simon, Elliott, Ethan Harris, and Brandon won the very exciting 4x400 relay, which many say was the race of the meet.
Next up for the Panthers are the NCS Bayshore Championships on Saturday at Hayward High School. The meet is a varsity only affair and is the qualifying meet for the NCS Meet of Champions on Friday-Saturday, May 20-21.
Young Stars Shine @ Clash of the Titans
April 30th, 2022
Neiyay Thompson
Panthers Celebrate Senior Day With Huge PR's!
April 29th, 2022
Berkeley, CA - The Track & Field team celebrated their seniors on Thursday in the final TCAL league meet of the season against cross town rival Albany. Hailey Vines, Julia Alexander, Amir Cross, Maddie Dwyer, Adam Concepcion, Anela Thomas, James LemMon, and Ryan Painter all competed on the Brady Park track for the final time, leading the Panthers to some impressive performances against the Cougars.
Meet Highlights:
Junior Georgia Rogers won three events: the high jump, long jump and 100 meter hurdles to pace the girl's varsity squad. Her 15.84 over the hurdles was a lifetime best. Senior Anela Thomas also had a big scoring day, winning the triple jump, placing 2nd in the 100 meters, before clearing 4'10" in the high jump in her first competition ever! That jump also earned her 2nd place.
The team's top sprinter, Taryn Fettig, also had a solid meet... winning the 200 in 26.16 after having already won the 100 in a personal best 12.54. A pair Taryn's fellow juniors, Dylan Hedgspeth and Sofia Jackson, also took home gold on Thursday. Dylan, whose focus and concentration is now on the 400, showed marked improvement in winning the 400 in just over 61 seconds. Sofia Jackson, a veteran of many 800 meter races, won her race yet again... this time in a controlled 2:27. Freshmen teammates Alexa Lawson and Brooklyn Dwyer were close behind Dylan in the 400, both running lifetime bests in 62.02 and 63.57 respectively. Other notable performances went to Hailey Vines, who won the 300 hurdles; freshmen Jaiden Reed and Callie Ballard who both had big triple jump PR's; and sophomore Jackie Estimbre who soared to a nice 4'6" PR in the high jump.
The boy's team was highlighted by a double sprint win from junior Micah Alleyne, who won both the 100 and 200. His 11.44 win in the 100 was also a lifetime best... just edging out the Panthers' top freshman sprinter Ahmad Gabriel - who ran 11.60. The distance team also continued their fine 2022 season, with sophomore Charlie Higley (4:46), junior Adrian Licea (4:50), and freshmen Brandon Bosio (5:10) and Kai Valle (5:12) all running the 1600 faster than they ever had. Other top performers were junior Ben Ruiz, who won the high jump; freshman Jaden Jones who won the JV Boys 400 in 55.76; Adam Concepcion who threw a lifetime best 110' in the discus; and freshman Angelo Rodriguez who won the triple jump. Junior Logan Tanisaki, whose trepidation was evident before the start of the 400, was also praised for his 3rd place, 54.37, finish. Good job Logan!
Next up for the Panthers are the TCAL Championships to be held on Wednesday and Friday - May 4th and 6th - at El Cerrito High School.
Panthers Young Talent on Display @ Nor Cal Frosh-Soph Championships
April 23rd, 2022
Khaya Jackson
Dublin, CA - Dublin High School was the site of Saturday's Northern California Frosh-Soph Championships, a meet that featured and was limited to the best underclassmen from around the greater Bay Area. For Saint Mary's, that meant the opportunity to put the young, aspiring talent that has been working hard all spring on display. Leading this contingent were a group of middle distant stars and a young core of jumpers.
Freshman Alexa Lawson emerged as the first Panther star of the day. Running in her best event, the girl's 800, Alexa ran a tactically brilliant race... pacing just off the lead before using a huge homestretch kick to win the race in a lifetime best 2:21. Alexa later teamed with Brooklyn Dwyer, Khaya Jackson and Milan Jackson to place 2nd in the girl's 4 x 400 relay.
Another freshman, Jaiden Reed, also took home two medals from these championships. After just 6 weeks of participating in track & field, Jaiden won the girl's triple jump in a new personal best 32'4¾". She also finished 2nd in the long jump, bounding out to a best ever 15' 4¾"... which was a mere ¾" from first.
Other outstanding performances came from freshman Angelo Rodriguez who placed 2nd in the triple jump (39' 2"), sophomore Milan Jackson who finished 2nd in the 1600 (5:23), Charlie Higley who ran a personal best 2:05 in finishing 3rd in the 800, and sophomore Colin Kopchik whose 10:21 in the 3200 was also his best ever.
Next up for the Panthers is their final TCAL meet, at home on Thursday, against Albany. First event starts at 3:30 pm.
Panthers Brave Rain & Cold; Dominate 3rd TCAL Meet
April 14th, 2022
Berkeley, CA - Despite the rainy, cold, breezy conditions, the Panther track & field squad braved the elements and came away with a dominant performance against TCAL rivals De Anza and Hercules on Thursday at Brady Park. Leading the way for the Panthers were a pair of juniors - Georgia Rogers and Dylan Hedgspeth - who grabbed the most of the headlines. Georgia won three events - the 100 meter hurdles, high jump and long jump - setting personal records in the first two. Her 16.12 now ranks as the #12 time in school history while her 5'3" high jump ranks as the 5th best all-time and is now the 4th best jump in the North Coast Section this year. Dylan, meanwhile, won both the 200 and 400 - the former in a lifetime best - to lead the Panther sprint squad.
Other Meet Highlights:
Junior Taryn Fettig won the girl's 100 in 12.65, which is her 2nd fastest time ever. Senior Anela Thomas was a double winner, taking the triple jump in a seasonal best 35'5" before also winning the shot put. Senior Hailey Vines won the 300 meter hurdles; junior Sofia Jackson took the 3200, and sophomore Annika Punz won the 1600.
For the boys, senior throwers Rob Young and Adam Concepcion won the shot put and discus respectively, while teammate Amir Cross won the long jump in his horizontal jumps season debut. Junior Micah Alleyne continues to impress, dashing to a pair of victories in the 200 and 400 while leading the Panthers to victory.
Player Profile: Julia Alexander
by Anela Thomas
April 8th, 2022
Today we got a moment to speak to star track athlete Julia Alexander about her high school track career and future plans. While Julia is the younger sister of current UCLA Bruin and Panther 100 meter school record holder Sophia Alexander, she is no stranger to success and has certainly made a name for herself on the track. Along with being a great dancer, she is a great all-around athlete who currently leads the North Coast Section in both the long and triple jump. She stands as the favorite to win both events at next months NCS Meet of Champions.
Q: What were your initial thoughts when it came to track? Being Sophia’s younger sister, did you feel pressure to have to do track?
A: When it came to track, initially I didn’t know much about it. I saw my sister do really well in the sprinting events, but I decided I wanted to learn more about the field aspect of the sport. My parents did not force me to participate I just wanted to try it out because it seemed fun. I’m glad I tried it. It’s worked out great!
Q: Looking back on the past 3½ years, you’ve had a lot of success. What would you say you are most proud of? 
A: I am definitely most proud of making it to the CIF state finals my freshman year, and being the only freshman in the final! It was definitely a surreal experience because I got to the experience of traveling with my teammates and I gained a lot of experience and confidence by jumping in front of thousands of people. Initially, I thought I would be super nervous, but actually I felt very comfortable and confident. I realized that I belonged and was supposed to be there.
Q: What are you looking forward to in this, your final high school track season?
A: I’m looking forward to it all: and running relays with my teammates, traveling, bonding, and of course going to big meets like Arcadia, Meet of Champions and, of course, state.
Q: What’s your favorite event and why?
A: Although I do love my individual long and triple jump events, I would say that my favorite event is the 4 x 100 sprint relay. The 4 x 1 is so high energy and I get to run with teammates and we feed off of each other’s passion. When the baton gets around smoothly and we run well it is an indescribable feeling. Even when I don’t run and I am just watching, my favorite event is still the relay.
Q: What are your future plans regarding track? Do you want to compete in college?
A: I am not sure yet if I want to compete in college, although it is a great option. I am stuck between running track and being a dancer in college. Although I love both, I can’t do both so it makes it hard.
Q: Last question. What motivates you? Is there anyone who inspires you or gives you the drive to keep going?
A: My sister truly inspires me. She’s someone who has overcome adversity and injuries and has dealt with the ups and downs of being a Division I college athlete. She definitely motivates me to keep pushing forward and she always encourages me to not be satisfied and to never stop working. When I’ve been injured and had moments where I wanted to stop, she always reassured me and reminds me how much I love this. She’s definitely been my inspiration.
Mateo Malko-Allen Wins Seeded Mile @ Arcadia Invitational!
April 9th, 2022
Arcadia, CA - Junior middle distance star Mateo Malko-Allen won the seeded boy's mile at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational on Saturday. In a race that featured middle distant talent from all parts of California and around the U.S., the prodigious Panther used his patented finishing kick to storm down the homestretch and win in 4:14.68. The typical conversion from 1600 meters to a full mile is about 1.5 seconds, so Mateo's time is considered a lifetime best andonce again exceeds his own school record. This is the 3rd time this season that Mateo has bettered the school record and the 3rd consecutive big race he's won. Congratulations Mateo!
Tracksters Battle State’s Best @ West Coast Relays
April 2nd, 2022
Clovis, CA – On Saturday, the varsity track & field squad travelled to Buchanan High School, site of the California State Championships every spring, to compete at the venerable West Coast Relays. The meet, which routinely features many of the top athletes from around the state, is commonly viewed as a mid-season feel and preview of next month’s championship season. And, this 2022 version, lived up to that billing as many state and national leading times and marks were established.
Several Panther athletes shined at or near the top of the meet while several others established season and/or lifetime bests. Grabbing the biggest headline was junior middle star Mateo Malko-Allen, who won in the gold division of the boy’s 800 in 1:54.99, further cementing him as one of the top runners in the Golden State. Mateo finished the meet running the 2nd leg on the victorious boy’s 4 x 400 squad. The quartet of Micah Alleyne, Mateo, Malachi Young and Will Bain overtook Southern California power Ventura while holding off Central Section foe San Luis Obispo to secure the win in season best 3:28.30.
Senior jump star Julia Alexander, herself no stranger to state level success, was edged out of the gold medal spot on the last long jump from the California state leader, but still settled for a lifetime best 19’0.5” and the silver medal.
Meet Highlights:
Joining Mateo in 800 meter competition was junior Sofia Jackson and freshman Alexa Lawson who both scored personal bests. Sofia, competing in the silver division, took the early lead and won her race wire-to-wire, finishing in 2:21.54. Alexa, bumped to the gold division race, also ran a huge PR, finishing in 2:23.24.
Junior Taryn Fettig ran her best ever time in the girl’s 100 meters, crossing the line in 12.58. Earlier, she teamed with Julia Alexander, Maddie Dwyer and Anela Thomas to finish 2nd in the girl’s 4 x 100, also running a seasonal best 49.47. Sophomore Milan Jackson also ran faster than she ever had in the girl’s 1600, finishing 3rd in 5:19.36. Seniors Najah Williams (100 hurdles) and Anela Thomas (triple jump) also posted seasonal – but not lifetime – bests. Najah ran 16.05 while Anela jumped 35’1”.
Maddie to Anela - Girl's 4 x 100
Last Minute Intersquad Meet Replaces Postponed El Cerrito Meet
March 24th, 2022
Mateo Malko-Allen Now Tops in NCS After Smashing School Record, Winning Dublin Distance Fiesta!
March 19th, 2022
Dublin, CA - After opening the season with an eye-opening 4:17 school record in the 1600, junior distance star Mateo Malko-Allen served notice at Saturday’s Dublin Distance Fiesta that his early accolades were only the beginning to what is looking like an incredibly fast 2022 season. Running against many of the top runners from the North Coast Section and Northern California, the talented Panther utilized a huge kick in the homestretch of the boy’s 1600 to win going away, clocking a massive 4:14.55 personal best while smashing his previous school record by more than 3 seconds. Mateo now stands as the top ranked miler in the North Coast Section and ranks #6 in the entire state. Not completely satisfied, he came back a few hours later to finish second overall in the 800, clocking another 3 second PR, finishing in 1:54.49 which ranks him #3 all-time in school history. The school record is 1:52.66, set by future Georgetown Hoya Jonevan Hornsby in 1995.
Dylan on the Anchor Leg
“I was really pleased with how Mateo executed his race plan today,” said coach and former Cal distance star Ben Turman. “Physically, he’s in great shape but in order to run fast you must formulate a race plan and then execute it. With so much excitement, adrenaline and race chaos involved, the execution isn’t always easy. Mateo did a really good job of executing today. I’m proud of him.”
Coach Turman also pointed out that many of the distance runners, both boys and girls, ran lifetime bests on Saturday. Overall, Dublin served the Panther distance team well.
Mountain View, CA – The Saint Mary’s sprint, hurdle and jumps crew, meanwhile, traveled to St. Francis High School to compete at the 38th annual St. Francis Invitational. Foregoing many individual events to focus on relays, the Panthers came away with several team victories.
The boy’s 4 x 200 team of Logan Tanisaki, Malachi Young, Will Bain and Micah Alleyne were victorious, outdueling both Archbishop Mitty and the host St. Francis Lancers to score the win. Later, that same team would cross the finish line second in the sprint medley relay, only to later find that they had been disqualified due to a faulty baton pass.
The girl’s relay teams, made up of seniors Maddie Dwyer and Julia Alexander and juniors Taryn Fettig, Dylan Hedgspeth and Georgia Rogers grabbed a trio of top 5 finishes: placing 2nd in the girl’s 4 x 200, 3rd in the Sprint Medley, and 4th in the 4 x 100.
The girl’s frosh-soph relay teams also utilized a mix of mostly freshmen talent - Khaya Jackson, Alexa Lawson, Brooklyn Dwyer, Jaela Scott, Jaiden Reed, Tatiana Wilson… along with sophomore middle distance star Milan Jackson – to earn some headlines. The distance medley team (Alexa, Brooklyn, Khaya, Milan) won easily, while the sprint medley and 4 x 400 teams finished 2nd. Earlier in the day, a stumble and fall may have cost the team gold in the 4 x 200. Overall, though, the teams fared very well in what was the first ever invitational for many of the newcomers.
Next up for the Panthers is a TCAL meet at El Cerrito on Thursday.
Panthers Win 18 Events, Overwhelm Competition In TCAL Opener
March 15th, 2022
Berkeley, CA - 12 Different Panthers won 18 of the 24 events contested in the team’s initial TCAL league meet. Leading the way were a bevy of juniors, led by distance stars Sofia Jackson and Mateo Malko-Allen.
Sofia was the day’s top performer, winning the girl’s 400, 800, 1600 and anchoring the victorious 4 x 400 relay. Mateo, meanwhile, won the boy’s 800, 1600 and 3200. Both Sofia and Mateo… as well as the rest of the distance squad… used the meet as a workout in preparation for invitational competitions this weekend.
Other Meet Highlights:
Junior Taryn Fettig scored a victorious sprint double, winning the 100 (12.91) before blazing to a lifetime best 25.80 in the 200. That mark ranks her 11th on the school’s all-time list. Another junior, Georgia Rogers, hoisted herself over a lifetime best 5’1” in the high jump to move up to #7 all-time. A pair of seniors, Anela Thomas and Julia Alexander, won the long and triple jump respectively - Anela soaring out to a season’s best 16’8¼” while Julia won the triple jump at 35’2”. Other top performers included senior Maddie Dwyer (200), sophomore Milan Jackson (800, 1600), and freshman Alexa Lawson (800).
On the boy’s side, senior Amir Cross won his specialty, the high jump, with a season’s best 6’0”. A pair of juniors, Malachi Young and Micah Alleyne, won the 200 and 400, while a pair of seniors – Robert Young and Adam Concepcion, won the shot put and discus. Both Robert (40’6”) and Adam’s (110’0”) throws were lifetime bests. Sophomore distance runners Colin Kopchik (4:52 - 1600) and Charlie Higley (2:08 – 800) also ran lifetime bests.
Next up for the Panthers is a pair of invitationals this Saturday. Most of the distance runners will make their way to Dublin to run in the Dublin Distance Fiesta while the sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers will travel to St. Francis High School (Mountain View) to compete in the St. Francis Invitational.
Panthers Win 7 Events; Mateo Malko-Allen Breaks School Mile Record @ Skyline Invitational
February 26th, 2022
Oakland, CA – The Saint Mary’s Panthers Track & Field squad opened their 2022 season in impressive, dramatic fashion on Saturday – scoring 7 individual event wins, 16 top 5 finishes and taking down one long-standing school record!
Coach Lawson Exhorts On 800 Meter Winner Alexa Lawson
Among the stars on Saturday, no one shined brighter than middle-distance star Mateo Malko-Allen. A couple hours before winning the boy’s 800 by more than 4 seconds, the standout junior took complete charge in the fast heat of the boy’s 1600… passing the first ½ mile in 2:11 before storming the second half in 2:06 to finish in 4:17.77. His time broke that of former Panther great Matt Duffy, who ran 4:17.80 way back in 2008.
“Mateo had a great day today,” said boy’s distance coach Ben Turman. “His work habits and commitment to running have always been really good so I’m not surprised he ran fast. But, I must say I wasn’t expecting that fast yet.” Coach Turman then pointed out that many of the distance runners ran well on Saturday. Sophomores Charlie Higley and Colin Kopchik… along with freshmen Brandon Bosio, Luke Bradley and Kai Valle all got special mention.
Other Meet Highlights:
The sprinters and hurdlers also won their fair share of hardware at Skyline. Senior Najah Williams won the girls 100m hurdles (17.02) while junior Taryn Fettig out-sprinted all the other 200 meter sprinters (27.45) to take the ½ lap gold.
Freshman Alexa Lawson ran down the competition in the home stretch to win the first 800 meter race of her high school career (2:24), while senior jump star Julia Alexander won another long jump competition (18’1), adding another victory to the resume of her illustrious high school career. Senior Amir Cross also opened his senior season with a win when be bounded up and over 6’0” on his first try.
Other top 5 performances came from a quartet of juniors. Georgia Rogers placed 3rd in the 100 hurdles and 2nd in the high jump (4’10”); Sofia Jackson was 3rd in the 400 (63.82) and 5th in the 1600 (5:38); Micah Alleyne finished 2nd in the 200 (23.17) and 4th in the 400 (53.82); while Will Bain was only 1.4 seconds from winning the 400, settling for 4th instead (53.72).
“Our team was solid today,” said coach Jay Lawson afterwards. “Mateo was undoubtedly the star of the day, but most of our juniors and seniors performed well. I really liked the entire distance team and a lot of our younger 400 runners showed a lot of toughness. Micah Alleyne and Logan Tanisaki impressed me, as did the trio of girl sprinters we brought to the meet. I think we still need a few weeks to improve our conditioning, but for now I’d say things went pretty well.”
Next up for the Panthers is the Dan Gabor Invitational on Saturday, March 5th. Due to Enrichment Week, only a select few distance runners will attend the “distance festival” portion of the meet. The rest of the team won’t be back in action until Tuesday, March 15th when the Panthers host their first TCAL meet against Kennedy and Jesse Bethel.
2022 Track & Field Season Filled With Both Certainties & Questions
February 11th, 2022
Junior Will Bain
On February 26th, the Saint Mary’s Track & Field team opens their 2022 season at the annual Skyline Invitational. After having the 2020 season completely wiped out by the Coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 season was abbreviated and lacked any championship post-season. Thus, the 2022 season hopes to be the first full season of track & field since 2019. This nearly three year hiatus is met with a mix of excitement, optimism, uncertainty and, of course, plenty of questions. Can the Panthers return to their pre-pandemic dominance in and around the Tri-County Athletic League (TCAL)? Can the coaches muster enough mentorship and tutelage to compete for yet another North Coast Section Championship? Does the roster have young, hidden talent that may possibly make the difference? In previewing the upcoming season, sprint coach Jay Lawson, jumps coach Jeff Rogers, and distance coach Denis Mohun discuss these questions and more.
Jay Lawson – Sprints/Hurdles/Relays
Q: What is your biggest concern heading into the 2022 season?
A: I think I speak for the entire coaching staff when I say our biggest concern has been the huge amount of time we’ve spent away from the sport. As a staff, we’ve always relied on our ability to develop young talent who would be able to step in and fill the shoes of the older kids once they graduate. Unfortunately, we’ve had so little contact with the younger athletes in our program that it maybe that the chain has been broken somewhat. There will be kids on our team this year who are sophomores and juniors who we haven’t yet experienced Saint Mary’s track & field. So, I’d say that is my biggest concern heading into this season.
Q: O.K., let’s start with the girl’s team. The girl’s have won 5 of the past 6 NCS Open Division Championships. It’s safe to say they have been the best team in Northern California over that time span. Who are some of the athletes that you ARE familiar with that we should keep
an eye on this year?
A: On the girl’s side, I’d say there is a core that I think will go pretty well and should compete at the highest level of the North Coast Section. Junior Taryn Fettig has been working out consistently since the fall and should be one of the top sprinters in our league. Senior Najah Williams is one of the top hurdlers in the North Coast Section and Julia Alexander might be the best horizontal jumper in the NCS. Both of them will join Taryn on our relay team. Add in returning seniors Maddie Dwyer, Anela Thomas and Hailey Vines from the basketball team, junior Dylan Hedgspeth from the soccer team, as well as hurdler/jumper Georgia Rogers and freshmen Khaya Jackson and Alexa Lawson and I think we have enough quality and enough depth to be very competitive.
Q: What about the boy’s? Who should be make sure to keep an eye on in 2022?
A: Well, the boy’s are in much more of a rebuild than the girls. Still, we have some hard working, talented guys that could surprise. Junior Anthony Jones is a very talented athlete who has the potential to be the star of our boy’s sprint team. Otherwise, that distinction will go to Will Bain and Malachi Young who both have been with us since their freshman year and who both seem to be showing some early season dedication. I also like the commitment I’m seeing out of juniors Micah Alleyne and Logan Tanisaki and from sophomore Xavier Anyahoa. Those three guys could be the keys to how competitive our boy sprinters will be.
Q: Finally, are there any meets in particular that are notable or Saint Mary’s track supporters should make sure to calendar?
A: Like always, we try and run a program that serves the interest of all of our athletes. Our home TCAL meets are ones that require a lot of work from our coaching staff but are great because everyone gets to compete and we all get to watch and cheer for each other. In late early April, we’re debating about whether to stick with the Stanford Invitational or to take a few more athletes to Clovis for the West Coast Relays. After that, we have the Arcadia Invitational on the schedule. All of those meets feature most of the best athletes from around California and those meets are where are high end athletes get to test themselves. We also have a couple of distance carnivals on the schedule for our distance runners to try and compete against similarly ranked runners. Those meets are always fun. Then, of course, the championship season begins in May and those meets are what really gets me and the coaching staff excited. Invitationals are preparation… league, section and state meets are where banners are won, champions are crowned and memories are cemented.
Jeff Rogers – Jumps
Q: The jumping events have enjoyed a LOT of success over the years. Multiple Section and State Champions have been crowned and All-American honors have been awarded to numerous athletes from your group. Should we be on the look out for this level of performance this year?
A: Levels of performance like those mentioned are hard to come by and require a LOT of work, commitment and talent. As coach Lawson has already noted, we lost a couple years of development because of the pandemic so getting back to the highest level of championship form will be difficult. Still, we have a small core of jumpers that should be able to carry on our jump tradition. Senior long/triple jumper Julia Alexander is as talented as anyone in the North Coast Section and, provided she avoids injury and puts in the work, should be there at the end competing for a spot in the state meet. Anela Thomas will also be back and, like Julia, hopes that she can stay healthy enough to return to her 2019 form. The high jump will be in good hands with junior Georgia Rogers, who put herself on the school’s all-time list a year ago when she cleared 5’0”.
For the boy’s, our team is thin and inexperienced except for senior Amir Cross. I expect Amir to have a good season this year in the high jump. He jumped 6’2” last year and I expect him to be better this year.
Q: Coach Lawson talked about the importance of the younger athletes. Is there anybody on the jumps side that you’ve identified that could make a contribution this year?
A: So far, I’m impressed with the enthusiasm of sophomore Xavier Anyahoa and freshman Tatiana Wilson. Both have expressed an interest and seem to really want to jump. That’s always a good sign. Also, juniors Taryn Fettig and Anthony Jones are the fastest girls and boy on our team and they both are going to try and learn the long jump. With their speed, that could be exciting. Still, we haven’t had much time to fully evaluate everyone so who knows… there maybe some talent that is still hidden!
Denis Mohun – Distances
Q: Your distance team is coming off a pretty successful cross country 2021 season. How do you think their success will translate to the track?
A: I’m hoping and expecting that any success we had in cross country will absolutely translate into results on the track. Our boys, in particular, have been working very diligently all winter with Coach Turman and have the look of a group that should see some great results this spring. For the girls, our group – which was state ranked in cross country - got split up over the winter because several of our top runners play other, winter sports. Still, they are so talented and so competitive that I expect them to pick right up where they left off in the fall.
Q: Who, in particular, should fans pay close attention to?
A: For the boy’s, junior Mateo Malko-Allen looks fit, lean and has been running well! He was a state meet competitor in cross country who I think has gotten better this winter. He ran 4:25 (1600m) and 9:38 (3200m) last year, so watch out. He could very easily be a sub 4:20 guy this year. Senior Ryan Painter has also been very consistent and a great leader of that group who I expect will drop some big PR’s this year. Also, look for juniors Jurgis Vass and Adrian Licea… along with sophomore Charlie Higley to make big strides this season.
The girls will be led by sophomore Milan Jackson and junior Sofia Jackson. They were the leaders of our cross country team and both are as good or even better track athletes. Both will run the 800 and mile this year. Sophomore Annika Punz is another one I’d watch. Her dedication is second to none and in the distant running world that is paramount. Finally, junior Leiah Goode has turned a corner and will have a breakout season in 2022.
Track & Field Schedule & Results (2022)
Schedule & Results (2022)
|
Day |
Date |
Meet |
Location |
Time |
Results |
|
Sat. |
Feb. 26th |
Skyline Invitational |
Skyline H.S., Oakland |
All Day
|
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
March 5th |
Dan Gabor Invitational
|
Amador Valley H.S., Pleasanton |
All Day |
Full Results |
|
Tues. |
March 15th |
Kennedy, Jesse Bethel |
Saint Mary’s |
3:30 pm |
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
March 19th |
St. Francis Invitational
|
Saint Francis H.S., Mountain View |
8:00 am |
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
March 19th |
Dublin Distance Fiesta |
Dublin H.S., Dublin, CA |
TBA |
Full Results |
|
Thurs.
|
March 24th |
El Cerrito, Pinole Valley |
El Cerrito H.S. |
3:30 pm |
Canceled |
|
Sat. |
March 26th |
Bay Area Relays |
Foothill H.S., Pleasanton |
8:00 am |
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
April 2nd |
West Coast Relays (Varsity Only) |
Buchanan H.S., Clovis, CA |
TBA |
Full Results |
|
Wed. |
April 6th |
Vallejo, SPSV, Salesian |
Vallejo High School |
3:30 pm |
Full Results |
|
Fri. - Sat. |
April 8th -April 9th |
Arcadia Invitational (Varsity Only) |
Arcadia H.S., Arcadia, CA |
TBA |
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
April 9th |
Fred Faucett Invitational |
Vallejo H.S. |
TBA |
|
|
Thurs. |
April 14th |
De Anza, Hercules
|
Saint Mary’s |
3:30 pm |
Full Results |
|
Fri.- Sat. |
April 15th- April 16th |
Bob Warren Relays |
Acalanes H.S., Lafayette |
TBA |
Full Results |
|
Sat.
|
April 23rd
|
Northern California Frosh-Soph Championships |
Dublin High School |
TBA |
Full Results |
|
Thurs. |
April 28th |
Albany, Richmond |
Saint Mary’s |
3:30 pm
|
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
April 30th |
Clash of the Titans (Frosh/Soph Only) |
Skyline H.S., Oakland |
8:00 am |
Full Results |
|
Wed. |
May 4th |
TCAL League Trials |
El Cerrito H.S. |
2:00 pm
|
Full Results |
|
Fri. |
May 6th
|
TCAL League Finals |
El Cerrito H.S. |
2:00 pm
|
Full Results |
|
Sat. |
May 14th |
North Coast Section Bayshore Meet (Varsity Only) |
Hayward H.S., Hayward, CA |
11:00 am |
Full Results |
|
Fri-Sat |
May 20th –May 21st |
North Coast Section Meet of Champions (Varsity Only) |
Dublin High School Dublin, CA |
TBA |
|
|
Fri-Sat |
May 27th –May 28th |
California State Meet (Varsity Only) |
Buchanan H.S. Clovis, CA |
TBA |
Season Highlights (2021)
Track & Field (2021)
Girls Squad Dominates TCAL Final; Wins Every Event!
May 29th, 2021
“Dominance” is a word often over-used in the world of sports. A pitcher’s two-hit shutout; a football teams’ 3 touchdown win; a golfer’s 6 stroke victory; a basketball player’s 50 point scoring night. All of these are commonly labeled “dominant” by the sports media – both in print and via broadcast news. So, what is the proper expression for a team that wins every single event in a league or conference championship track meet because that’s what happened on Saturday at the TCAL Finals hosted by El Cerrito. The Saint Mary’s girls squad, winners of 5 of the past 6 North Coast Section Open
Championships and widely regarded as one of the top programs in California, flexed their talent and depth to the rest of the league by winning every event in which they had an entrant. In all, Lady Panther athletes came away with 13 of the 15 first place medals.
“We all acknowledge that our league was down this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said coach Jeff Rogers after the meet. “Still, our girls are tough competitors and their willingness to work and compete allowed them to overcome a lot and it showed today.”
Meet Highlights:
Sophomore Taryn Fettig was the biggest winner on Saturday, racing to a sprint double in the 100 and 200 while also running on both the victorious relay teams. “Taryn’s season has been really solid,” remarked sprint coach Jay Lawson. “She’s been right in the middle of all of our good fortunes this year. I’m excited to coach her for the next two years.”
Another underclassmen, freshman Milan Jackson walked away with 3 gold medals in her inaugural TCAL championship. After winning the 1600 at the outset of the meet, Milan came back later to win the 800 and then run a leg on the 4 x 400 team. Running alone for most of the race, her 1600 time was a mere :02 seconds from her lifetime best.
A pair of junior hurdlers – Najah Williams and Hailey Vines – scored wins in the 100 and 300 hurdles respectively. Hailey’s 300 hurdle win was a lifetime best, broke the :50 second barrier, and put a well-deserved smile on the face of one of the team’s hardest workers.
A pair of seniors – Jasmine Farmer and Simone Rogers – neither newcomers to all-time lists, victory or gold medals - each won their specialty events. Jasmine took home first in both the shot put and discus while Simone lept over her competitors in the high jump.
Finally, junior Julia Alexander – battling a series of nagging ankle injures for much of the season, was back in action, easily out-distancing the field in the long jump (17’11.5”) after finishing a close 2nd in the 100 and running the first leg of the 4 x 100 (49.85).
Other notable performances on the girls side came from 400 winner Trinity Anderson, all-around medalist Anela Thomas, hurdler/jumper Georgia Rogers, and Frosh-Soph sprint champion Karina Newson.
For the boys, the day belonged to the distance squad. Since June, 2020, this group has been running and training in the hills of Tilden Park, on the edge of the Berkeley waterfront, in and around the streets of Peralta Park and, of course, around the track at Brady Park. “Our group has really worked hard through the Pandemic,” said distance coach Denis Mohun. “Their dedication and commitment has been something positive I will remember about the pandemic. It was nice to see so many PR’s and fast times these past few weeks.”
Sophomore Mateo Malko-Allen won the 800 and finished a mere .06 seconds away from the gold in the 1600. Teammate Riley Hartney fought valiantly in the 800 as well – finishing 2nd in 2:01… which is his lifetime best. Junior Ryan Painter continued his fine 11th grade campaign with a solid 800-1600 double… the former in a personal best. Sophomore Adrian Licea, injured for most of the fall training season – flashed a glimpse of his old self while winning the frosh-soph 800 
(2:17) and 1600 (5:01). Freshman Charlie Higley was also pointed out by the coaching staff after his huge PR in the 1600 (5:10) as well as his toughness in the 800 and willingness to jump onto the victorious F/S boys 4 x 400 team. Freshman teammate Colin Kopchik also had a nice PR (5:06) in the mile.
Other notable performances went to 400-300 hurdle champion Ka’Lib Copes, double spring winner in the boys F/S 100 and 200 – Malachi Young, sophomore Will Bain who PR’d in the 400 (52.93), and junior Adam Concepcion in the shot put.
Congratulations to all the Panther track & field athletes on their triumphant 2021 season. Faced with unfamiliar obstacles and challenges, both boys and girls squads persevered and even thrived in competition.
In the final words of head coach Jay Lawson, “We look forward to getting back to normalcy in 2022 – hunting for PR’s and competing for more championship banners.” Indeed coach Lawson, we all share in those aspirations!
Enjoy all the photos of the TCAL Final here – on the Track & Field Shutterfly Account!
Hurdle Stars Lead Panthers @ Wildcat Sprint & Field Festival
May 22nd, 2021
In the storied history of Saint Mary’s Track & Field, there maybe no other group more successful and more renown than the hurdlers. For over 40 years, the Northern California high school track & field world has recognized and acknowledged the talent, speed and accomplishments of the hurdlers from Saint Mary’s. On Saturday at the Wildcat Invitational hosted by Doughtery Valley High School, the 2021 hurdle group emphatically carried on this proud tradition. Led by All-State talent Di’Niko Bates and fast-rising junior Najah Williams, the Panthers hurdlers, sprinters and jumpers scored numerous season and personal bests in their final regular season meet of the year.
Meet Highlights:
Senior Di’Niko Bates once again stole the headlines – winning both the 110 and 300 meter hurdle races in relatively easy fashion. One opposing coach was overhead saying that he’s making these races look “easy” and that hopefully “he’s not getting bored.” Indeed, Di’Niko’s opening 14.41 for the 110 meter race was almost ½ second better than the runner-up, as was his .6 tenths win in the 300 meter hurdles. Both races were against the 2nd ranked hurdler in the North Coast Section, accentuating the talent of one of the best hurdlers in school history!
The aforementioned fast-rising junior - teammate Najah Williams – also had herself quite a day. After finishing a close 2nd to the #1 ranked hurdler in the NCS, Najah anchored the girls 4 x 100 team (comprised of Julia Alexander, Taryn Fettig, Anela Williams and Najah) to a satisfying 49.51 win over the #3 ranked team in the NCS. Later, Najah would lead the entire 300 meter hurdle race until stumbling over the last hurdle and finishing 2nd. Still, as coach Lawson said after the meet, “Najah is a huge key to our girl’s team success this year and next. Her development will be huge for us as we try to capture championship banners next year.”
Other notable performances on Saturday included senior Ka’Lib Copes’ dominant 400 meter win (48.81), Taryn Fettig’s double PR performances in the 100 and 200 (12.71, 26.33), Sophomore Karina Newson’s PR in the 200 (27.81), and Georgia Rogers’ double PR in the 100 hurdles and long jump (16.56, 15’10”).
“Overall, we had some strong performances today,” observed coach Lawson afterwards. “It wouldn’t surprise me to see another round of PR’s at the TCAL finale next week. If the weather cooperates and we get out and have a good week of 
practice, I can see our kids getting yet another drop in their times and marks.”
The TCAL finale will be on Saturday, May 29th El Cerrito High School and will feature all the teams from the Tri County Athletic League (TCAL). The meet will begin at 9:00 am, will allow fans and spectators, and will serve as the de facto league championship meet.
Underclassmen Lead Panthers on Seniors Day
May 18, 2021
The Saint Mary’s Track & Field Team competed in their final TCAL home meet on Tuesday afternoon at Brady Park against rivals Albany, Salesian, Kennedy and Richmond. Despite the day being “Senior Day”, where the seniors and their parents are introduced and recognized, it was the underclassmen that stole the headlines. While seniors Simone Rogers and Jasmine Farmer continued to chalk up individual wins, it was juniors Najah Williams, Amir Cross and Julia Alexander who joined sophomores Mateo Malko-Allen and Will Bain and freshman Milan Jackson to score big event wins for the Panthers.
“I thought Will and Najah had especially good days,” said longtime coach Jay Lawson. “They led the way but we also had a bunch of other solid performances. Ryan Painter had a big PR in the 1600; Zax also ran his best 1600 of the year; Karina, Taryn and Julia ran really well in the 100 and 200; Malachi had a good sprint day; and Nan ran a nice 800. Overall, having some of our top performers not competing today allowed people to see the depth we have.”
All the results can be found at the bottom of this page on the “Schedule and Results” post. Pictures from the meet and all the 2021 meets can be found at the Panthers Shutterfly site here.
Next up for the Panthers is the Wildcat Sprint and Field Festival and the 2nd Dublin “Social Distance” Fiesta this Saturday, May 22nd.
Panthers Roll @ First Home TCAL Meet
May 4th, 2021
On Tuesday, the Panther track & field team hosted their first TCAL league meet since 2019. And, like 2019, the Panthers rolled to win after win while dominating most of the afternoon’s competition at Brady Park. Rivals Albany and Salesian along with Hercules and John Swett fielded teams that ran, threw, hurdled and jumped against the upstart Panthers.
“It felt really good to feel some normalcy,” noted assistant sprint coach Craig Sutphin. “I saw lots of determination on the athletes faces, followed by lots of smiles afterward. I’d say that’s a pretty successful day.”
Meet Highlights:
The highlight of the meet will not appear in the official results but was unequivocally the “Chipotle” 4 x 400 relay. Most of the team was divided up into co-ed teams of four relay members that squared off at the end of the meet with a grand prize of a Chipotle lunch going to the winners. Strategy, determination and team work were requisite… but nothing replaces speed. After several lead changes and jockeying back and forth, the final leg saw 7 teams still in the hunt with 150 meters to go. In the end, the team of Karina Newson, Adrian Licea, Najah Williams, and Ari Alleyne were ½ step better than the rest. Ari’s final 100 meters so impressed Coach Jay Lawson that he considered doubling the Chipotle offer. After a minute or two of contemplation, he elected to simply enjoy the effort while saving his pocketbook. Still, the efforts of the entire squad did receive the coach’s praise.
Senior Ka’Lib Copes used Tuesday’s meet to fine tune his body for Saturday’s Arcadia Invitational 400, choosing to run the 100 and 200 for some “speed work.” The talented senior won both events, edging out teammate Di’Niko Bates in the 100 – 11.20 to 11.29 – before handing sophomore Anthony Jones a .30 defeat in the 200 (22.47 to 22.77).
Sophomore Mateo Malko-Allen also did some “speed work” on Tuesday, albeit the distance runner’s version. He won his first ever open 400 race in 52.84 about 40 minutes before winning the 800 in 2:09. Coach Ben Turman, while acknowledging Mateo’s overall running talent, sees the upstart sophomore as “primarily a miler and two-miler.”
Senior Riley Hartney had a PR in the 1600, finishing 2nd in 4:37… as did fellow 12th grader Mateo Brownlow (5:07), freshman Colin Kopchik (5:13), sophomore Vale Johnson Vigeant (5:17) and freshman Charlie Higley (5:30).
On the girl’s side, sophomore Taryn Fettig was the fastest girl on the track on Tuesday, winning the 100 and 200 (the former in a PR 12.87) while also running a very strong 2nd leg on the victorious 4 x 100 team. Juniors Julia 
Alexander, Anela Thomas and Najah Williams joined Taryn in their season best 49.47 run.
Sophomores Olivia Tarango (400), Georgia Rogers (100 hurdles, long jump), Karina Newson (100) joined junior Najah Williams (100 hurdles) and seniors Beldina Opiyo (shot put) and Jasmine Farmer (discus) in recording lifetime bests on Tuesday. The next meet for the Panthers is the 2nd of 3 TCAL Center meets. The meet is on Tuesday, May 11th at El Cerrito High School.
Panthers Win 5 On The Track & 5 In The Field @ Super Seven Invitational
May 1st, 2021
Panther talent, determination and balance were on display on Saturday at the Super Seven Invitational hosted by De La Salle High School. 4 different boys and 3 different girls won individual events while the girls 4 x 100 team was the day’s fastest.
“All in all, we had a pretty good meet,” concluded coach Jay Lawson. “We have a few athletes out with injuries which affected our relay plans today and we had a few kids who looked a bit tired. Still, I’d say we competed pretty well given all that.”
Meet Highlights:
Senior Ka’Lib Copes won two individual event to lead the Panthers. Ka’Lib - utilizing his normal fast start – took control of the open 400 meter dash early and led the entire race, eventually breaking the tape in 49.65. About an hour later he ran away from the 300m hurdle field, winning by over a second in 39.83.
Fellow senior hurdler Di’Niko Bates ran into a brisk headwind, but still managed to easily win his specialty – the 110 meter hurdles – in a comfortable 14.97. Di’Niko later won his heat of the 200 meters in 22.79 but his time was actually .15 seconds slower than teammate Anthony Jones’ 22.64 run several heats earlier. Anthony’s time was a personal best and a reminder that this talented sophomore is someone to be reckoned with.
Julia Alexander, long ago recognized as a top NCS talent, won both the long and triple jumps after running a scintillating first leg on the victorious 4 x 100 team. The quartet of Julia, Taryn Fettig, Anela Thomas, and Najah Williams finished in 50.57… a mere .3 seconds off their season best time. Coach Lawson also highlighted Taryn as one of the athletes who had a particularly strong meet despite having to run into blustery, strong headwinds in the 100 and 200 meter dashes.
The performance of the day may have gone to junior Amir Cross in the high jump. Competing for only the 2nd time this season, Amir overcame nagging knee soreness to sail over a personal record 6’2” in the high jump. “Amir, in the few times he’s been able to practice, has looked really good,” said jumps coach Jeff Rogers. “He may have surprised a few people today but I wasn’t one of them. I know how good he can be. Hopefully his knee will allow him to finish the season strongly.”
Sophomores Mateo Malko-Allen, Jurgis Vass, and Leiah Goode also had good 1600, 1600 and 800 meter races, respectively, according to coach Denis Mohun. “Mateo overcame a rough first 200 meters before settling in a running a good race,” said the longtime distance coach. “He ran a really good last 2 laps which almost got him under 4:30.” Mateo finished 3rd overall in personal best 4:30.07. Likewise, Leaih Goode took control of her 800 meter heat early, leading from the start before extending her lead over the final 300 meters on her way to lifetime best 2:45. Jurgis, like Leiah, also ran the best race of his young 1600 meter life… threatening the vaunted 5:00 barrier before falling just short in 5:08. 
Other event winners were seniors Simone Rogers in the high jump and Jasmine Farmer in the shot put. Both girls extended meet winning streaks – Simone notching her 5th consecutive meet win while Jasmine notched her 4th straight.
Next up for the Panthers is their TCAL opener on Tuesday at Saint Mary’s at 3:45. Teams expected to be there include Albany, Hercules, Richmond and John Swett.
Panther Hurdle, Field & Distance Stars Shine In Weekend Competitions
April 24, 2021
The Panther Track & Field team was divided up on Saturday with the sprinters, hurdlers, throwers and jumpers competing at the San Ramon Valley Sprint & Field Festival while the distance runners raced at Dublin High School’s “Social Distance” Fiesta.
In San Ramon, the Panthers faced off against ten other teams in what felt like an old-fashioned, competitive “invitational” meet according to hurdles coach Moses Jocko.
“Today’s meet finally felt like 2019 again. A lot of teams, a lot of competition, a lot of great performances,” said coach Jocko while departing the meet. “Today felt good.”
Headlining the meet for the Panthers were familiar faces: Di’Niko Bates, Ka’Lib Copes, Simone Rogers, Julia Alexander, Jasmine Farmer as well as a host of up-and-comers.
Meet Highlights:
Coach Jocko’s prized pupil, senior Di’Niko Bates, once again dominated both hurdle races – setting personal bests in both the 110 (14.42) and 300 (38.26) while also cementing his status as the top hurdler in the North Coast Section and one of the very best in California. Fellow hurdler Ka’Lib Copes finished 2nd in the 300 hurdles, also in a personal best 39.46. Copes’ time places him 2nd amongst NCS hurdlers.
Senior high jumper Simone Rogers won her 3rd consecutive meet, narrowly missing what would have been a lifetime best 5’4”. Simone’s 5’2” still outpaced the rest of the field by 4 inches. Teammate (and younger sister) Georgia Rogers finished 2nd at 4’10”.
Horizontal jumps specialist Julia Alexander, nursing what coach Jeff Rogers calls “a few minor, nagging injuries,” still dominated the girls triple jump – winning by almost 4 feet.
Senior Jasmine Farmer, facing her stiffest shot put competition of the year, showed her talent and resilience by coming from behind to win in a personal best 36’0”. “Jasmine is throwing really well right now,” said throws coach Jonathan Heuer. “Incredibly, there’s a few things I’m seeing in her technique that, when she straightens them out, are going to allow her to throw even farther. It’s really exciting.”
Other highlights from San Ramon included junior Najah Williams 2nd place finish in the girls 100m hurdles, sophomore Taryn Fettig’s 3rd place finish in the 100 and PR 26.70 in the 200 meter dash, and senior Ka’Lib Copes’ 2nd place in the boys 100 meters.
While the sprinters and field event athletes competed on Saturday morning in San Ramon, the distance runners convened later in the day at Dublin High School where they too ran to lifetime bests.
First up were the girl milers who were led by talented upstart Sofia Jackson. Sofia, who one week ago won a spectacularly close 800 race against freshman teammate Milan Jackson, used an aggressive start and courageous middle laps to win her heat in a PR 5:38. “Great race,” according to distance coach Denis Mohun. Senior Olivia Lawson also ran a very good race according to coach Mohun. The boys milers also shared in some of the limelight. Freshman Colin Kopchik placed 2nd in his heat in a PR 5:25, as did senior Matteo Brownlow (5:09). Both of those impressive runs were “one-upped” by junior Ryan Painter, who won his heat in 5:01. Later, senior Riley Hartney broke the 4:40 barrier, finishing in 4:39 to place 3rd in his heat.
Lastly, sophomore Mateo Malko-Allen - running his first ever competitive 3200 meter race – vaulted himself all the way up to #5 on the school’s all-time list by racing to a blistering 9:38. “Really impressive for his first ever, all out 3200,” pointed out coach Ben Turman. “I thought Mateo mixed it up well against some really good really experienced runners. I, like him, am looking forward to the next big race.”
Next up for the Panthers is the Super Seven Invitational on May 1st, hosted by De La Salle High School. Along with the Panthers and Spartans, teams attending will be Bishop O’Dowd, Clayton Valley, Dublin, Foothill, and Encinal.
Panthers Grab All The Headlines in Home Opener
April 20, 2021
On Tuesday, the Panthers welcomed Catholic school rivals Bishop O’Dowd and St. Joseph-Alameda to Brady Park for their first home meet in almost 2 years. Brandishing sprinters, hurdlers, throwers, distance runners and jumpers.. the Panthers scored, ran and won nearly every event while dominating the meet and reminding the dozens of spectators of the strength and talent of this 2021 squad.
“Our kids were excited to be able to compete at home in front of their friends, classmates, teachers and parents,” said coach Jay Lawson after the meet. And, as the results indicate, the athlete’s excitement translated into solid performances.
Seniors Di’Niko Bates and Ka’Lib Copes staged the race of the day in the boys 400 meter dash. Running from the front early, Ka’Lib needed every ounce of energy to hold off his surging teammate down the stretch and was ultimately able to outlean Di’Niko and eek out a .01 win – 49.33 to 49.34. 
Sophomore Anthony Jones was 3rd in a PR 51.14, while newcomer Andreas Pichardo was 5th at 52.87.
Sophomores Taryn Fettig and Mateo Malko-Allen both won 2 events – Taryn in the girls 100 and 200 and Mateo in the 1600 and 3200. Each of Taryn’s wins were accompanied by personal records (PR’s) – 12.88 in the 100 and 26.93 in the 200. Other double winners were junior Julia Alexander (TJ and PR 18’6” in the long jump) and senior thrower Jasmine Farmer (shot and PR 94’3” in the discus).
Other Meet Highlights:
Junior Ryan Painter broke the vaunted 5:00 barrier in the boys 1600, using a valiant kick down the home stretch to finish in 4:58.06. Senior Riley Hartney also ran the 1600, finishing 2nd in a PR 4:45.43. Another senior, Simone Rogers, won the girls high jump, matching her season best of 5’2” and barely missing a PR 5’4”.
Junior Najah Williams won the 100 meter hurdles, finally running under 17:00 seconds – finishing in 16.54. Najah later finished 3rd in the 100 in a PR 13.22. Another junior, Anela Thomas, showed her all around prowess when she finished 2nd in the triple jump in a season best 35’5”, 2nd in the shot put in a PR 30’1”, and 2nd in the 100 in a PR 13.18. Stating the obvious afterwards, coach Jeff Rogers simply said, “Anela is simply a great athlete.”
According to the coaches, other notable performances went to Milan Jackosn and Sofia Jackson in the 1600, Olivia Lawson in the 800, Di’Niko Bates in the 200, sophomore Will Bain in the 100, and senior Ari Alleyne in the 200.
Full results can be found on the schedule and results post below while photos of today's meet and all meets this season an be found by clicking here.
Next up for the Panther sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers and throwers will be the San Ramon Valley sprint and field festival this Saturday at San Ramon Valley High School. Meanwhile, the distance runners will be at Dublin High School for the Dublin “Social Distance” Fiesta.
Panthers Capture 13 Wins, Put 4 New Faces on All-Time Lists @ 5 Way Meet
April 17, 2021
On Saturday, a 5 team track meet was hosted by Miramonte which featured DFAL powers Acalanes and Las Lomas as
well as the formidable Monte Vista Mustangs from the EBAL. However, it was the 5th team, our own Saint Mary’s Panthers, which grabbed the headlines and dominated the winners circle. Winning 13 of the 22 events in which they had entries, the Panthers also placed 4 new names on the school’s all-time best list. Leading the way were a pair of seniors: hurdler Di’Niko Bates and thrower Jasmine Farmer.
Di’Niko continued his fine 2021 campaign, notching his 2nd 110 hurdles win in 3 meets and adamantly confirming that he is, indeed, the top hurdler in the North Coast Section. He also catapulted himself onto the school’s all-time 300 hurdle list, running a blistering 38.93 to lead the NCS and rank 4th state wide.
Meanwhile, Jasmine opened her 2021 season with a bang. On her first throw of the season, she heaved the shot put 35’5½” to win by more than 5 feet and place herself 2nd in the NCS and 3rd on the all-time Saint Mary’s list. Later in the day, she won the discus to capture her 2nd win of the meet.
“I was really proud of all three girls today (Jasmine, Beldina Opiyo, and Anela Thomas)” said throws coach Jonathan Heuer. “They’ve been very committed to the team and each other so far this year and it’s showing. All 3 girls had PR’s in the shot and both Jasmine and Beldina PR’d in the discus. I expect that if they remain committed, this will just be the tip of the iceberg for them. I’m excited.”
Meet Highlights:
A trio of seniors posted “very good” performances on Saturday. Ka’Lib Copes, among the top 400 meter runners in Northern California, was barely challenged while running away with the 400. He won the one lap sprint by a second and a half! Ka’Lib’s teammate, high jumper Simone Rogers, won the high jump with a season best jump of 5’2”. The Claremont McKenna bound senior shrugged off a slow start to win the event by 2” over her sister, sophomore Georgia Rogers who sailed over a PR 5’0” to claim 2nd. Both sisters are now ranked 2nd and 5th respectively in the NCS. 
Finally, senior Riley Hartney, just a few weeks away from completing his senior cross country season, recorded a massive PR in the 800 – running 2:01.36 while finishing 2nd. Riley entered the season with a lifetime best of 2:13, prompting a wry, complimentary smile as well as a “good stuff” thumbs up from distance coach Ben Turman.
While the seniors may have led the way, a trio of sophomores also did their share of impressive winning on Saturday. Mateo Malko-Allen (aka, MMA) ran his way onto the 800 meter all-time list with his sub 2:00 clocking of 1:59.98. Leading from start to finish, Mateo’s time is amongst the fastest ever recorded for a sophomore at Saint Mary’s according to head coach Jay Lawson. It also places him amongst the top 800 meter runners in the NCS this season.
The girls 800 winner, Sofia Jackson, is also a sophomore and won her race in the day’s closest race. Battling freshman teammate Milan Jackson the entire race, Sofia emerged victorious by a scant .02 hundreds of a second. Her margin of victory was “no more than an inch or two” according to coach Denis Mohun. “Both her and Milan ran great races today,” said coach Mohun. “They went out aggressively, ran the 3rd 200 with courage and finished well. 
Them, along with Leiah Goode, have been training very well and so I’m not surprised they ran as well as they did. Look for a lot of fast time out of that group in the future.” Sophomores Taryn Fettig (100, 4 x 100) and Georgia Rogers (high jump) also had good meet performances.
Finally, the meet and the season would not be nearly as lucrative without the talented core of juniors. The class of 22’ once again made their presence felt by winning 3 events, led by outstanding long/triple jumper Julia Alexander. Hampered a bit by a sore ankle, Julia still managed to sail 17’10” to win the long jump while running a key, explosive first leg on the winning girls 4 x 100 team. Fellow jumper/thrower and all-around athlete Anela Thomas is back and won the triple jump, while junior hurdler Najah Williams won the 100m hurdles.
Other notable performances praised by the coaching staff afterwards went to junior Maddie Dwyer (400 meters), sophomore Will Bain (400 meters- PR), Anela Thomas (all-time list, Long Jump - PR), senior Matteo Brownlow (1600 meters – PR) and sophomore Micah Alleyne (100 meters – PR).
The Panthers next meet is on Tuesday, April 20th at home against Bishop O’Dowd and St. Joseph’s – Alameda. The first event starts at 3:45.
Panthers Strike Gold @ Steel City Relays
April 3rd, 2021
The Panthers track & field team continued their 2021 season at the Steel City Relays hosted by Pittsburg High School. Featuring 15 schools, it was the first Saturday “Invitational” meet for the Panthers since March 2020.
“The excitement for our kids was evident today,” observed head distance coach Denis Mohun. “I think we were entered in 13 events and came away with 9 wins in those 13 events. I’d say that’s not a bad way to start the season.”
Indeed, the Panthers 9 wins more than doubled the win total of host Pittsburg and schools like De La Salle and Clayton Valley. Full Results can be found on the schedule and results table below. More pictures are posted on the track Shutterfly page here.
Meet highlights included:
Senior Ka’Lib Copes’ 100 meter individual win as well as teaming with Will Bain, Andreas Pichardo, D’Niko Bates to win both the 4 x 200 and Sprint Medley Relays. Ka’Lib’s 100 meter race, like all the sprint races on Saturday, was run into a blustery, stiff headwind. Still, his 11.22 currently ranks him 2nd in the North Coast Section.
Junior Julia Alexander continued to establish herself as the dominant horizontal jumper in the NCS, leaping to a lifetime best 18’5” while winning the long jump. Julia now ranks 7th all-time in school history in the event. After scorching the opening leg of the victorious 4. X 200 relay, she came back late in the day to win the triple jump by over 4 feet. Julia, like Ka’Lib, left the meet a triple gold medalist.
The girls quartet of Nan Wemmer, Sofia Jackson, Olivia Lawson and Jordan Cornet had to overcome a sizeable deficit to record a comeback win in the girls 4 x 800. The team, fresh off an abbreviated cross country season, showed grit and toughness while battling the wind and a stubborn Carondolet team.
Other winners included junior Hailey Vines in the girls 100m hurdles and sisters Simone and Georgia Rogers who tied for first in the girls high jump.
Coach Jay Lawson also noted the strong individual and relay performances of sophomore Taryn Fettig and junior Maddie Dwyer. “Both Taryn and Maddie are practicing and racing pretty well right now. Both girls are a big part of this year’s team and in the years to come.”
The Panthers do not have a scheduled meet during Easter week. Their next meet is on Saturday, April 17th in Orinda against Tri-Valley powers Acalanes, Miramonte and Las Lomas.
Panthers Back On Track!
March 30th, 2021
For the first time in more than a year, the Panther track & field team competed in a meet! Contested at Skyline High School and featuring the host Titans along with the Castro Valley Trojans, the Panthers ran, hurdled and jumped from their 12+ month lock down in what coach Jay Lawson called “the best day we’ve had in quite a while”. Indeed, the sight of sweat, grit and determination is commonplace at a track meet. But smiles, cheers, & celebration were AS plentiful on this sunny, Tuesday afternoon. Complete results can be found here and on the schedule and results page below. More pictures can be found on the Panthers Shutterfly - Track & Field .
Meet Highlights:
Seniors D’Niko Bates and Ka’Lib Copes made their presence felt right away while scoring dominant wins in their specialties – the 110 hurdles and 400 meter dash. D’Niko, clearly one of the top hurdlers in Northern California, ran a PR 14.55 and sent a clear signal to any and all competitors that he’s more than ready to make up for a lost junior campaign. Senior teammate Ka’Lib Copes, who like D’Niko rightfully sports a top billing moniker amongst Northern California 400 meter dashers, ran away from the field and cruised to a 50.18 win.
Junior Julia Alexander, who as a freshman was an all-state triple jump performer, opened her 2021 season with a four foot win - bounding 38’3 to top the NCS charts so far this season. She later came back to win the long jump in a lifetime best 17’10½”. “Julia is very talented athletically and a hard worker,” said jumps Jeff Rogers. “Those two attributes will take her a long way in this sport. Today was just the beginning of what should be a great season.”
Sophomore Mateo Malko-Allen, fresh off a stellar but abbreviated cross country season, showed his strength and talent with two dominant wins in the boys 800 and 1600 meters. Running at or near the front in both races, Mateo used a powerful finishing kick to collect a 4:52 win in the 1600 after using that same kick to post a PR 2:02 win in the 800.
Other Panthers wins included sophomores Will Bain in the 100 and 200, Taryn Fettig in the 200, Sofia Jackson in the 800, and Georgia Rogers in the high jump.
The Panthers next meet is on Saturday, April 3rd at the Steel City Relays hosted by Pittsburg High School.
Track & Field Schedule & Results (2021)
Day Date Opponent Venue Time Results
|
Tues. |
March.30th
|
Skyline, Castro Valley |
Skyline H.S., Oakland |
4:00 pm |
|
|
Sat. |
April 3rd |
Steel City Relays |
Pittsburg H.S., Pittsburg, CA |
9:00 am |
Results |
|
Sat. |
April 17th |
Acalanes, Miramonte, Las Lomas |
Miramonte H.S., Orinda |
9:00 am |
|
|
*Tues. |
April 20th
|
Saint Joseph, Bishop O'Dowd |
Saint Mary’s
|
3:45 pm |
|
|
Sat. |
April 24th |
Dublin “Social Distance” Fiesta
|
Dublin H.S., Dublin, CA |
3:00 pm |
|
|
Sat. |
April 24th |
San Ramon Valley Sprint/Field Festival |
San Ramon Valley H.S. San Ramon |
9:00 am |
|
|
*Tues. |
April 27th |
TCAL Center Meet #1 |
Albany H.S., Albany |
3:45 pm |
|
|
Sat. |
May 1st |
De La Salle, TBA |
De La Salle H.S., Concord, CA |
9:00 am |
|
|
*Tues. |
May 4th |
TCAL Center Meet #2 |
Saint Mary’s |
3:45 pm
|
|
|
Tues. |
May 11th |
TCAL Center Meet #3 |
El Cerrito H.S., El Cerrito |
4:00 pm |
|
|
Sat. |
May 15th |
Granada Distance & Sprint Festival |
Granada H.S., Livermore, CA |
TBA |
|
|
Tues. |
May 18th |
TCAL Center Meet #4 |
Saint Mary’s |
3:45 pm |
|
|
Sat. |
May 22nd |
Wildcat Sprint & Field Festival |
Dougherty Valley H.S., San Ramon, CA |
9:00 am |
|
|
Sat. |
May 22nd |
Dublin "Social Distance" Fiesta (#2) |
Dublin High School, Dublin, CA |
TBA |
Results |
|
Sat. |
May 29th |
TCAL Invitational (Finale) |
El Cerrito H.S., El Cerrito |
TBA |
* Meets highlighted in red are competitions that will include Frosh-Soph and JV athletes.
COACHING STAFF
Varsity Head Coach (Sprints) – Jay Lawson – [email protected]
Varsity Head Coach (Jumps) – Jeff Rogers – [email protected]
Head Distance Coach – Denis Mohun – [email protected]
Distance Coach – Ben Turman – [email protected]
Hurdles Coach – Moses Jocko
JV Sprint Coach – Craig Sutphin – [email protected]
JV Girls Distance– Ariana Corwin – [email protected]
Throws Coach/Strength & Conditioning – Jonathan Heuer – [email protected]
Season Highlights (2020)
Track & Field (2020)
Di’Niko Bates’ Big Trifecta Leads Panthers @ Skyline Invitational
The 2020 Saint Mary’s Track & Field Season opened on Saturday at the annual Skyline Invitational, with five Panthers taking home individual gold, several others earning either silver or bronze, and many more scoring lifetime bests. Among the victors, junior hurdler Di’Niko Bates stood the tallest. After running a strong second leg on the victorious boys 4 x 100 relay team, he came back to win the 110 hurdles before breaking the 40 second threshold in the 300h hurdles for his 3rd gold medal of the meet. His 15.15/39.76 hurdle double was the best of his life and a precursor to what should be a fine season for one of the top hurdlers in the North Coast Section.
Teammates Kai’Lib Copes, freshman Anthony Jones and senior Jordan Walton also had “very strong days” according to coach Jay Lawson. Kai’Lib ran 49.57 in the open 400 to earn the runner-up spot… Anthony Jones – running in his 1st high school meet – finished 2nd in the 200 (23.00) and 3rd in the 100 (11.37) – and Jordan Walton ran a lifetime best 52.64 in the 400 after anchoring the victorious 4 x 100 squad.
Another senior, Zach Deering-Haddix, won the high jump with a personal best 6’5”. His jump vaults him to the top spot in the NCS and makes him one of the early season favorites to grab one of the three state meet spots later this spring. Other strong performances on the boys side came from junior Brandon Bazile and freshman Will Bain in the open 400, freshman Adrian Licea and sophomore Jeffrey Norris in the 1600, sophomore Amir Cross in the high jump and long jump, and sophomore Ahmad Wanzo in the high jump.
For the girls, the jumpers ruled the day… with three different Panthers winning all 3 jumping events. Sophomore Julia Alexander, a 2019 state meet finalist in the triple jump, hopped – stepped – and jumped her way to a dominant win in her specialty event. The 2nd place finisher, senior teammate Lydia Howard, exacted her revenge later on in the meet with a win in her best event… the long jump. Finally, junior Simone Rogers won her 3rd consecutive Skyline Invitational in the girls high jump.
“Our girl jumpers are 3 of the best around at what they do,” said longtime jumps coach Jeff Rogers. “They had a solid day today, which I and they expected. I’d say it’s a good start but just a start. They all have a lot more in the tank.”
Senior Amelia Tremain ran a nice 100 hurdle race in placing 3rd before running maybe even a better open 100 (12.92) to place 2nd overall. Joining the senior with a bevy of solid performances were the underclassmen– led by Taryn Fettig’s pair of 5th place finishes in the open 100 (13.14) and 200 (27.05).
Fellow sprinter Dylan Hedgspeth, fresh off the soccer field, ran “impressive” races in the 100 (13.74) and 200 (28.13)… while Georgia Rogers (high jump, long jump, 100-300 hurdles) and Najah Williams (400, 100-300 hurdles) both had very busy but productive days. Lastly, freshman Cally McIntyre also had a strong run (2:47) in her first ever 800 meter race.
Next up for the Panthers will be the Dan Gabor Sprint & Distance Carnival on Saturday, March 7th at Amador Valley High School.
2020 Track & Field Preview
The 2019 track & field season, like 2018 and many seasons before, was nothing short of spectacular. School records, state meet podium appearances, multiple section (NCS) champions, dozens of league champions, and both league and section team championship banners were all part of the 2019 season. So, what can the 2020 team possibly do for an encore? In previewing the upcoming season, sprint coach Jay Lawson, jumps coach Jeff Rogers, distance coach Denis Mohun, and throws coach Jonathan Heuer talked about the possibilities for the 2020 teams.
Jay Lawson: Sprints/Relays
2019 was a big year for both the boys and girls teams: both teams won TCAL championships, the boys were the runner-up at Bayshore, and the girls won another Bayshore & MOC team championship. What can we expect from the teams in 2020?
Yeah, both teams had a lot of success in 2019… especially the girls. It feels like the success we’ve had over the years has made it so that the bar is now set pretty high for all subsequent teams. As a coaching staff, we like having a tradition of excellence that the athletes know about and try and continue. Each year is different which reminds us to keep the bar realistically high depending on who we have on the team. Sophia Alexander graduated as in now at UCLA, Malcolm Clemons transferred to a school in Florida, Sophia Bailey is no longer at Saint Mary’s and Maddie Dwyer is out for the season with a foot injury. So, while we expect a lot from this group, we have suffered some big losses from last year.
D’Niko Bates
Still, I feel like we can still compete for league and Bayshore championships with the athletes we have. We have a good blend of dedicated, talented upperclassmen and some really talented newcomers that should compliment each other enough to make us competitive. Look for our jumpers and hurdlers to carry a lot of the load.. with our sprinters and distance runners not far behind.
Who are some of the athletes in your group to keep an eye on this year?
As I said, we have a talented group of juniors and seniors that I’m pretty confident will go well this year. Look for junior Ka’Lib (KJ) Copes to be amongst the top 200-400 runners in the section. He had a really nice sophomore season last year, finishing 5th at MOC in the 400. Then, he ran even faster in the summer time. He’ll be the key to both of our relay teams and he’s also a strong 300m hurdler. He’s a real talent for sure. D’Niko Bates is another guy who has looked really strong in the pre-season. His speed and strength training has been going well and I expect he’ll make a really strong bid to grab a state meet spot in the 110 hurdles this year.
Senior Amelia Tremain went to the state meet last year and returns as one of the top 100m hurdlers in the section. Look for her to be among the top hurdlers in the area. Lastly, I expect junior Jordan Cornet to have a break out season in the 800 and 400 as well. She narrowly missed going to state in the 800 last year as a sophomore. This year might be her year to get a spot.
Despite official team practice having just started, are there any pre-season surprises or fresh faces we should look for?
Yes. We have a strong group of freshmen and sophomore that are my two favorite things: talented and hard-working. For the girls, we return Najah Williams (sprints), Julia Alexander (jumps), and Hailey Vines (hurdles) from last year… plus we add freshmen Sofia Jackson (400-800), Taryn Fettig (100-200), Georgia Rogers (Jumps-Hurdles) along with a few others that will make our depth and future on the girls side solid.
Julia Alexander
For the boys, freshman Anthony Jones is one of the most talented freshmen we’ve had in awhile. He has many of the prerequisites for greatness: efficient sprint mechanics, dynamic, competitive… As long as he’s willing to work hard and dedicate himself, I could see him having a lot of success. I also think we have some young jumpers and distance runners that have the ability to make a splash this year.
Finally, are there any meets in particular that are notable or Saint Mary’s track supporters should make sure to calendar?
As I’ve said before, we try and set up a schedule that allows our top end athletes to get the competition and exposure they need and at the same time select meets that allow our younger up and coming athletes the competition that matches their development. So, we’ve decided to skip the Stanford Invitational this year and instead take the team to Clovis and compete on the state meet track at the West Coast Relays. We also have meets out of town in Davis, Mountain View and Sacramento as well as local meets at Skyline, Amador Valley and Foothill high schools.
Jeff Rogers: Jumps
Coach Lawson talked about the jumpers as one of the strengths of the team this year. Do you agree?
Yeah, I do. We have some of the top returners in the entire NCS in all 3 girls jumping events and we have a top returning boy high jumper. Simone Rogers is the top returner in the girls high jump, Lydia Howard is one of the top 3 returners in the girls long jump, and Julia Alexander returns after making the state finals in the triple jump as a freshman. All three of those girls have been working hard in the preseason and all three should enjoy a lot of success and be big point scorers this season. Add in sophomore Anela Thomas and freshman high jumper Georgia Rogers and I think we’ve got a very strong girls group.
For the boys, the loss of Malcolm and Antoine cannot be made up… but watch out for senior Zach Deering-Haddix in the high jump. The benefits of off-season weight training are apparent and I expect him to follow up his state meet appearance of last year with an even better season this year. Freshman Anthony Jones is going to long jump and I expect that his talent will show itself, like it does on the track, on the runway and in the sand.
Has there been anyone so far this winter that has stood out to you?
Besides the athletes I mentioned before, I’m hoping sophomores Amir Cross and Sonny Buckner continue to develop and improve. Both of them could really help us. Amir high jumped 6’0” as a freshman and Sonny almost got to 40’0” in the triple. Neither of them had ever competed in track before and both showed promise. Also, junior Kames Matheson is in the midst of becoming a jumper. I think he could help us if he commits himself. For the girls, freshman Taryn Fettig and junior transfer Trinity Anderson are both pretty good long jumpers so keep an eye on them.
Denis Mohun: Distances
You have a talented group of runners this season. What about them has you excited and who has stood out to you?
I’m most excited about how dedicated and hard-working this group has been. The boys have been running a lot this off season and it shows. Junior Riley Hartney has been the catalyst and has sparked the whole group. He ran 4:49 in the mile last year and I expect him to run faster than that pretty early in the season. Along with Riley, freshman Mateo Malko-Allen is another one to watch. He finished the cross country season as our fastest runner and I expect to see similar results in track. He’s as talented a freshman as we’ve had in 15 years. Junior Zax Lieske gives us even more depth and experience on the boys side.
For the girls, we have some returning talent that will combine with some new, freshman talent that should be enough to make our girls formidable. We already know about Jordan Cornet in the 800, but along with her take a look at freshman Sofia Jackson. She’ll run some 400’s as well as some 800’s. I wouldn’t be surprised, based on how she ran in cross country and how she’s looked so far this winter, to see her have a breakout season. Also, junior Olivia Lawson has been training really hard over the winter. I’m hoping she’ll have a break through that will get her into the mid 5:30 range.
If you had to pick out a few newcomers and fresh faces, who would you go with?
Well, as I’ve said, look for Sofia Jackson to run well. Also, Leiah Goode and Summer Graham ran with her in cross country and each of those girls have the talent to run fast. They’ll have to embrace the track-middle distance training but if they do…. Also, it wouldn’t surprise me if freshman Adrian Licea and sophomore Jeffrey Norris and Ryan Painter all broke 5:00 in the mile this year.
Jonathan Heuer – Throws
Who should we look for to lead this 2020 throws group?
Well, we have two distinctive groups this year. I think we’ll be pretty solid on the girl’s side. Both Jasmine Farmer and Erika Marbley return and each had their share of success last year. Jasmine’s athleticism seems like it’s been enhanced from another year of high level basketball and Erika’s strength in the weight room is improving. I think they’ll both throw pretty far this season.
On the boy’s side, we’ll have to wait and see. We’ve lost a few key guys from last year to injury and graduation. It’s looking more and more like a re-building year for the guys so hopefully we’ll get some young talent who are motivated to work hard and who want to throw far someday.
Track & Field Schedule & Results (2020)
| Day | Date | Opponent | Venue | Time | Results |
| Sat. | February 29th | Skyline Invitational | Skyline High School | 8:00 am | Results |
| Sat. | March 7th | Dan Gabor Invitational | Amador Valley H.S., Pleasanton | TBA | |
| Thurs. | March 19th | Jesse Bethel, Kennedy | Saint Mary’s | 3:30 pm | |
| Fri.-Sat. | March 20-21st | Dublin Distance Fiesta | Dublin High School | TBA | |
| Sat. | March 21st | St. Francis Invitational | St. Francis H.S., Mountain View | 8:00 am | |
| Wed. | March 25th | El Cerrito, Pinole Valley | El Cerrito H.S. | 3:30 pm | |
| Sat. | March 28th | Bay Area Relays | Foothill H.S., Pleasanton | 9:00 am | |
| Sat. | April 4th | West Coast Relays (Varsity Only) | Buchanan H.S., Clovis, CA | All Day | |
| Fri. | April 10th | Woody Wilson Invitational (Varsity Only) | U.C. Davis | 2:00 pm | |
| Sat. | April 18th | Halden Invitational | Davis H.S., Davis, CA | 9:00 am | |
| Thurs. | April 23rd | De Anza, Hercules | Saint Mary’s | 3:30 pm | |
| Fri. | April 24th | Warren/Eaton Relays | Acalanes H.S., Lafayette, CA | 2:00 pm | |
| Sat. | April 25th | Sacramento Meet of Champions (Varsity Only) | American River College | TBA | |
| Sat. | April 25th | Clash of the Titans | Skyline High School | 8:00 am | |
| Thurs. | April 30th | Albany, Richmond | Albany Middle School | 3:30 pm | |
| Wed. | May 6th | TCAL League Trials | El Cerrito H.S. | TBA | |
| Fri. | May 8th | TCAL League Finals | El Cerrito H.S. | TBA | |
| Sat. | May 16th | NCS Bayshore Championships (Varsity Only) | Hayward High School | TBA | |
| Fri.-Sat. | May 22-23rd | North Coast Section Meet of Champions (Varsity Only) | Dublin High School | TBA | |
| Fri.-Sat. | May 29-30th | California State Championships (Varsity Only) | Buchanan High School, Clovis, CA | TBA | |
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Track and Field Schedule & Results (2019)
| Day | Date | Opponent | Venue | Time | Results |
| Sat. | Feb. 23rd | Skyline Invitational | Skyline H.S., Oakland | All Day | Results |
| Sat. | March 2nd | Dan Gabor Invitational | Amador Valley H.S., Pleasanton | All Day | Results |
| Thurs. | March 14th | Kennedy, Vallejo, Albany, El Cerrito | El Cerrito, H.S. | 3:30 pm | Results |
| Sat. | March 16th | St. Francis Invitational | St. Francis H.S., Mountain View | 8:00 | Results |
| Thurs. | March 21st | Pinole Valley, Jesse Bethel, Hercules, | Vallejo H.S., Vallejo | 3:30 pm | Results |
| Sat. | March 23rd | Bay Area Relays | Foothill H.S., Pleasanton | 8:00 am | Results |
| Thurs. | March 28th | SPSV, Richmond | Saint Mary’s | 3:45 pm | Results |
| Fri. – Sat. | Mar. 29th – Mar. 30th | Stanford Invitational/ Castro Valley Relays (3/30 Only) | Stanford U./Castro Valley H.S. | TBA | Stanford CastroValley |
| Fri. – Sat. | April 5th – April 6th | Arcadia Invitational (Varsity Only) | Arcadia H.S., Arcadia, CA | TBA | Results |
| Thurs. | April 11th | Salesian, De Anza | Saint Mary’s | 3:45 pm | Results |
| Sat. | April 13th | Halden Invitational (New!) | Davis H.S., Davis, CA | 10:00 am | Results |
| Sat. | April 13th | Granada Distance Festival | Granada H.S., Livermore | 3:00 pm | Results |
| Fri. | April 19th | Charlie Eaton/Bob Warren Relays | Acalanes H.S., Lafayette | 2:00 pm | Results |
| Sat. | April 20th | Frosh-Soph Championships (F/S Only) | Dublin H.S. | TBA | Results |
| Sat. | April 27th | Clash of the Titans | Skyline H.S.,Oakland | 8:00 am | Results |
| Fri. | May 3rd | TCAL League Finals (Var) | El Cerrito H.S. | TBA | Results |
| Mon. | May 6th | TCAL League Finals (JV) | El Cerrito H.S. | TBA | Results |
| Sat. | May 11th | North Coast Section Bayshore Championships (Varsity Only) | Hayward H.S., Hayward | 11:00 am | Results |
| Fri. – Sat. | May 17th – May 18th | North Coast Section Meet of Champions (Varsity Only) | Diablo Valley College | TBA | Results |
| Fri. – Sat. | May 24th – May 25th | California State Championships | Buchanan H.S., Clovis | TBA | Prelims Finals |
Track and Field Schedule & Results (2017)
| Day | Date | Opponent | Venue | Time | Results |
| Sat. | Feb. 25th | Skyline Invitational | Skyline H.S., Oakland | All Day |
Results |
| Sat. | March 4th | Dan Gabor Sprint/Distance Carnival | Amador Valley H.S., Pleasanton | All Day |
Results |
| Sat. | March 18th | St. Francis Invitational | Saint Francis H.S.,Mountain View | 8:00 am |
Results |
| Sat. | March 18th | Dublin Distance Festival | Dublin H.S., Dublin | TBA |
Results |
| Thurs. | March 23rd | Albany, El Cerrito, Kennedy | El Cerrito H.S. | 3:45 pm |
Results |
| Fri. | March 24th | Castro Valley Invitational | Castro Valley H.S.,Castro Valley | 2:00 pm | |
| Sat. | March 25th | Castro Valley Invitational (F/S & Var) | Castro Valley H.S.,Castro Valley | 8:00 am |
Results |
| Thurs. | March 30th | Hercules, Pinole Valley | Saint Mary’s | 3:45 pm |
Results |
| Fri – Sat. | March 31st –April 1st | Stanford Invitational (Varsity Only) | Cobb Field, Stanford | TBA |
Results |
| Fri. – Sat. | April 7th -April 8th | Arcadia Invitational (Varsity) | Arcadia H.S.,Arcadia, CA | TBA |
Results |
| Tues. | April 11th | Saint Patrick’s, Richmond | Saint Mary’s | 3:45 pm |
Results |
| Fri. | April 14th | Woody Wilson Invitational | U.C. Davis | 2:00 pm |
Results |
| Sat. | April 22nd | Nor Cal F/S Championships | Dublin High School | TBA | |
| Fri. | April 28th | Charlie Eaton/Bob Warren Relays(F/S Only) | Acalanes H.S.,Lafayette | 2:00 pm | |
| Sat. | April 29th | Clash of the Titans | Skyline H.S.,Oakland | 8:00 am |
Results |
| Sat. | April 29th | Sacramento Meet of Champions (Varsity Only) | American River College | TBA |
Results |
| Thurs. | May 4th | Salesian, De Anza | JF Kennedy | 3:45 pm |
Results |
| Wed. | May 10th | TCAL League Trials | Hercules H.S. | 3:30 pm |
Results |
| Fri. | May 12th | TCAL League Finals | Hercules H.S. | 4:00 pm |
Results |
| Sat. | May 20th | North Coast Section Area Meet(Varsity) | James Logan H.S.,Union City, CA | 11:00 am |
Results |
| Fri-Sat | May 26th –May 27th | North Coast Section Meet of Champions (Varsity) | U.C. Berkeley | TBA |
Results |
| Fri-Sat | June 2nd -June 3rd | California State Meet (Varsity) | Buchanan H.S.Clovis, CA | TBA |
Results |
Track and Field Schedule & Results (2016)
| Sat. | Feb. 27th | Skyline Invitational | Skyline High School, Oakland | All Day | Results |
| Sat. | Mar. 5th | Dan Gabor Sprint/Distance Carnival | Amador Valley H.S., Pleasanton | All Day | |
| Thur. | Mar. 17th | Salesian, Kennedy, De Anza, Richmond | Saint Mary’s | 3:45 pm | Results |
| Sat. | Mar. 19th | San Leandro Invitational | Burrell Field, San Leandro | 8:30 am | Results |
| Fri. | Mar. 25th | Castro Valley Invitational (Frosh-Soph Only) | Castro Valley H.S., Castro Valley | 2:00 pm | |
| Sat. | Mar. 26th | Castro Valley Invitational (Varsity Only) | Castro Valley H.S., Castro Valley | 8:00 am | Results |
| Fri- Sat | Apr. 1-2 | Stanford Invitational (Varsity-Only) | Cobb Field, Stanford | TBA | Results |
| Fri-Sat | Apr. 8-9 | Arcadia Invitational (Varsity Only) | Arcadia H.S., Arcadia, CA | TBA | Results |
| Fri. | Apr. 15th | Woody Wilson Invitational | U.C. Davis, Davis, CA | 2:00 pm | Results |
| Thurs. | Apr. 21st | Albany, El Cerrito | Saint Mary’s, Berkeley | 3:45 pm | Results |
| Sat. | Apr. 23rd | Saint Francis Invitational | Saint Francis H.S., Mountain View | 8:00 am | Results |
| Thurs. | Apr. 28th | Hercules, Pinole Valley | Saint Mary’s, Berkeley | 3:45 pm | Results |
| Sat. | Apr. 30th | Clash of the Titans | Skyline H.S., Oakland | 8:00 am | Results |
| Sat. | Apr. 30th | Sacramento Meet of Champions (Varsity Only) | American River College | TBA | |
| Thurs. | May 5th | St. Joseph’s, Saint Patrick’s | Saint Mary’s, Berkeley | 3:45 pm | Results |
| Thurs. | May 12th | TCAL League Trials | Hercules H.S., Hercules, CA | 3:30 pm | Results |
| Sat. | May 14th | TCAL League Finals | Hercules H.S., Hercules, CA | 9:00 am | Results |
| Sat. | May 21st | North Coast Section Area Meet (Varsity Only) | Castro Valley H.S., Castro Valley | TBA | Results |
| Fri-Sat | May 27-28 | NCS Meet of Champions (Varsity Only) | U.C. Berekley | TBA | Results |
| Fri-Sat | June 3-4 | California State Meet (Varsity Only) | Buchanan H.S., Clovis, CA | Results |
Track and Field Schedule & Results (2015)
| Sat. | Feb. 28th | Skyline Invitational | Skyline H.S. Oakland | All Day | Full Results |
| Sat. | Mar. 7th | Dan Gabor Distance Carnival | Amador Valley H.S.,Pleasanton | 2:00 pm | Full Results |
| Sat. | Mar. 7th | Sac State Track Classic | Sacramento State U.,Sacramento | All Day | |
| Sat. | Mar. 14th | East Bay Invitational | Monte Vista H.S. Danville | All Day | Full Results |
| Tues. | Mar. 17th | St. Joseph’s, St. Patrick’s-St. Vincent,De Anza, Richmond | Saint Mary’s, Berkeley | 3:45 pm | Full Results |
| Sat. | Mar. 21st | Saint Francis Invitational | St. Francis HS Mountain View | 8:00 am | Full Results |
| Sat. | Mar. 21st | Dublin Distance Festival | Dublin H.S Dublin | TBA | Full Results |
| Thurs. | Mar. 26th | Salesian, Kennedy | Saint Mary’s Berkeley | 3:45 pm | Full Results |
| Fri. | Mar. 27th | Castro Valley Invite(F/S Only) | Castro Valley H.S. Castro Valley | 2:00 pm | |
| Sat. | Mar. 28th | Bay Area Relays | Foothill H.S. Pleasanton | TBA | Full Results |
| Fri – Sat. | Apr. 3rd – Apr. 4th | Stanford Invitational(Varsity Only) | Cobb Field, Stanford | TBA | Full Results |
| Fri. – Sat. | Apr. 10th– Apr. 11th | Arcadia Invitational(Varsity Only) | Arcadia H.S., Arcadia, CA | TBA | Full Results |
| Fri. | Apr. 17th | Woody Wilson Invitational | U.C. Davis Davis, CA | 2:00 pm | Full Results |
| Sat. | Apr. 25th | Bay Area F/S Championships | Dublin H.S. Dublin | TBA | Full Results |
| Thurs. | April 30th | Albany, El Cerrito | Saint Mary’s Berkeley | 3:45 pm | Full Results |
| Fri. | May 1st | Charlie Eaton/Bob Warren Relays | Acalanes H.S. Lafayette | 2:00 pm | Full Results |
| Sat. | May 2nd | Sacramento Meet of Champions | American River College Sacramento | TBA | Full Results |
| Thurs. | May 7th | Hercules, Pinole Valley | Saint Mary’s H.S. | 3:45 pm | Full Results |
| Thurs. | May 14th | TCAL League Trials | Hercules H.S. Hercules | TBA | |
| Sat. | May 16th | TCAL League Finals | Hercules H.S. Hercules | TBA | Full Results |
| Sat. | May 23rd | NCS Bayshore Area Meet | Castro Valley H.S. Castro Valley | TBA | Full Results |
| Fri-Sat | May 29th- May 30th | North Coast Section Meet of Champions | U.C. Berkeley | TBA | Full Results |
| Fri-Sat | June 5th– June 6th | California State Meet | Buchanan H.S Clovis, CA | TBA | Full Results |
Track and Field Schedule & Results (2014)
| Sat. | Feb. 22nd | Skyline Invitational | Skyline H.S.,Oakland | All Day | Full Results |
| Sat. | Mar. 1st | Dan Gabor Carnival | Amador Valley H.S.,Pleasanton | 9:00 am | Full Results |
| Sat. | Mar. 8th | Sac State Track Classic | Sacramento StateSacramento | All Day | Full Results |
| Sat. | Mar. 15th | Dublin Distance Festival | Dublin High School | All Day | Full Results |
| Thurs. | Mar. 20th | Hercules, Pinole Valley, DeAnza, Richmond | Hercules H.S. | 3:45 pm | Full Results |
| Thurs. | Mar. 27th | St. Joseph’s, St. Patrick’s-St. Vincent | Saint May’s | 3:45 pm | Full Results |
| Fri. | Mar. 28th | Castro Valley Invite(F/S Only) | Castro Valley H.S. | 2:00 pm | Full Results |
| Sat. | Mar. 29th |
Oakland Invitational
|
U.C. Berkeley | All Day | |
| Tues.. | Apr. 1st | Salesian, Kennedy(Postponed Due To Rain) | Salesian | 3:45 pm | Full Results |
| Fri – Sat. | Apr. 4th –Apr. 5th | Stanford Invitational(Varsity Only) | Cobb Field, Stanford | TBA | Full Results |
| Fri. – Sat. | Apr. 11 -Apr. 12 | Arcadia Invitational(Varsity Only) | Arcadia H.S.,Arcadia, CA | TBA | Full Results |
| Sat. | Apr. 19th | Woody Wilson Invitational | U.C. Davis,Davis, CA | 9:00 am | Full Results |
| Thurs. – Sat. | Apr. 24 –Apr. 26 | Penn Relays(Varsity Only) | Franklin Field,U. of Pennsylvania | TBA | |
| Sat. | Apr. 26th | Bay Area F/S Championships | Dublin H.S.,Dublin | TBA | Full Results |
| Sat. | May 3rd |
Sacramento Meet of Champions
|
Sacramento, CA | TBA | |
| Thurs. | May 8th | Albany, El Cerrito | Saint Mary’s | 3:45 pm | Full Results |
| Thurs. | May 15th | TCAL League Trials | Hercules H.S. | TBA | Full Results |
| Sat. | May 17th | TCAL League Finals | Hercules H.S. | TBA | Full Results |
| Sat. | May 24th | North Coast Section Area Meet(Varsity Only) | Castro Valley H.S. | TBA | Full Results |
| Fri-Sat | May 30th May 31st | North Coast Section Meet of Champions (Varsity Only) | U.C. Berkeley | TBA | Full Results |
| Fri-Sat | June 6th –June 7th | California State Meet(Varsity Only) | Buchanan H.S.Clovis, CA | TBA | Full Results |
Track and Field Schedule & Results (2013)
Date Opponent Place Time Results
| Feb. 23rd | Bellarmine Invitational | Bellarmine H.S.,San Jose | All Day | |
| Mar. 2nd | Sac State Track Classic | Sacramento State U.,Sacramento | All Day | Full Results |
| Mar. 8th | Dan Gabor Distance Carnival | Amador Valley H.S.,Pleasanton | 2:00 pm | Full Results |
| Mar. 9th | Dan Gabor Sprint Carnival | Amador Valley H.S.,Pleasanton | 9:00 am | Full Results |
| Mar. 16th | Dublin Distance Festival | Dublin High School | All Day | |
| Mar. 16th | St. Francis Invitational | St. Francis H.S.,Mountain View | All Day | Full Results |
| Mar. 21st | De Anza, Richmond, SPSV, SJND | Saint Mary’s | 3:30 pm | Full Results |
| Mar. 29th –Mar. 30th | Stanford Invitational(Varsity Only) | Cobb Field, Stanford | TBA | Full Results |
| Apr. 4th -Apr. 5th | Arcadia Invitational(Varsity Only) | Arcadia H.S.,Arcadia, CA | TBA | Full Results |
| Apr. 11th | Salesian, Kennedy | Saint Mary’s | 3:30 pm | Full Results |
| Apr. 13th | West Coast Relays(Varsity Only) | Buchanan H.S.,Clovis, CA | TBA | Full Results |
| Apr. 19th | Woody Wilson Invitational | U.C. Davis,Davis, CA | 2:00 | |
| April 25th | Albany, El Cerrito | Albany H.S. | 3:30 pm | |
| Apr. 26th | Robert Warren/Charlie Eaton Relays | Acalanes H.S.,Lafayette | 2:00 | Full Results |
| Apr. 27th | Sacramento Meet of Champions | Sacramento, CA | TBA | Full Results |
| May 2nd | Pinole Valley, Hercules | Saint Mary’s | 3:30 pm | Full Results |
| May 9th | TCAL League Trials | Hercules H.S. | TBA | Full Results |
| May 11th | TCAL League Finals | Hercules H.S. | TBA | Full Results |
| May 18th | North Coast Section Area Meet(Varsity Only) | Castro Valley H.S.Castro Valley, CA | TBA | Full Results |
| May 24th –May 25th | North Coast Section Meet of Champions (Varsity Only) | U.C. Berkeley | TBA | Full Results |
| May 31st –June 1st | California State Meet(Varsity Only) | Buchanan H.S.Clovis, CA | TBA | Full Results |