CCS track and field finals: St. Ignatius freshman Ellie McCuskey-Hay wins four events

GILROY — St. Ignatius freshman Ellie McCuskey-Hay was the top individual performer, winning the 100, 200 and long jump and anchoring the 4×100 relay team to another first-place finish at the Central Coast Section track and field championships Saturday at Gilroy High.

“It’s truly unbelievable, to be honest with you,” St. Ignatius jumps coach Mike Kennedy said. “The speed Ellie has, and there’s certainly no shortage of work ethic. It looks natural but she works really hard to achieve it.”

McCuskey-Hay’s winning marks were 11.92 in the 100, 24.76 in the 200 and 18-9 ½ in the long jump.

The top three finishers in every event (except the inaugural 4×800 relay) advance to next weekend’s state meet at Buchanan High in Clovis.

On the boys side, Leland senior Miles Roberts won both hurdles. Clearly the top 110 high hurdler in the section all season and one of the best in the state, his winning time Saturday was 14.17. He has a season-best of 14.11, fifth-fastest in the state. He will be out to crack the 14.0 barrier at the state meet.

Last year, Roberts placed fourth at the state finals.

“Too many people have put too much time and resources into me for me not to win it,” Roberts said. “To win state it will take a 13.7.”

He came back to power through the 300 hurdles in 38.02, despite hitting several hurdles and demonstrating less than the smoothest form.

“I’m 195 pounds, the hurdles can’t hurt me,” Roberts said. “Clean it up and aim high for a top-five finish.”

Los Gatos with a 1-2 finish in the 400 from Wil Brennan and Levi Romero, a win as expected in the 4×400 relay and a surprise win from Aydon Stefanopoulos in the 3,200, won the boys team title with 61 points. Serra was second with 47.

Brennan’s winning time in the 400 was 48.02. He also anchored the 4×400 team to an easy win in 3:18.27. The Wildcats have a season-best time of 3:17.24.

“We ran 3:17 with no competition,” Brennan said. “I think we can go sub-3:16 and finish top five at state.”

Stefanopoulos won the 3,200 in 9:00.33 with a big last-lap kick, despite having the seventh-fastest qualifying mark.

He also took second in the 1,600 in 4:10.66, behind Priory’s Levente Palvolgyi (4:10.17).

“I felt pretty good the last 600,” said Palvolgyi, a native of Hungary in his second year at Priory. “The last 200 I had the opportunity to catch up. Now I’m heading off to Wingate University, shout out to the Bulldogs, in North Carolina.”

Los Altos won the girls team title, coming from behind thanks to a second-place finish in the final event, the 4×400 relay, to finish with 65 points. Archbishop Mitty, the pre-meet favorite, was second with 61. A dropped baton in the 4×100 relay, where the San Jose school had the fastest qualifying time, was too much for the Monarchs to overcome.

Lauren Soobrian won the 3,200 (10:38.16) and led a 1-3-5-8 finish for Los Altos runners in the event. The Eagles also had second-place finishes in all three relays.

Another outstanding individual performance was turned in by St. Francis’ Sabrina Zanetto. She put on a kick down the home stretch to go from third to first and win a highly-competitive 800 in 2:10.35, just ahead of Menlo-Atherton’s Tatum Olesen (2:10.47) and Castilleja’s Samira Kennedy (2:10.87).

“I just saw the finish line and thought I had to get there,” Zanetto said. “Push the pain out, pump my arms and put my head down at the finish line.”

She also made up a significant deficit to bring the Lancers home first in the 4×800 relay. And just for good measure, she came back to anchor the 4×400 team to a win in 3:58.49.

Mountain View sophomore Hannah Rutherford won the 400 in 54.81 and took second behind McCuskey-Hay in the 200.

Christopher’s Melia Middleton won the 300 hurdles in 43.74, just ahead of Gunn’s Avery Adelman (43.89), and placed second in the 400.

Riordan’s Zachary Jones, headed to UC Davis to play football, won the long jump (23-2 ¾) and came in second in the 100.

“He’s not close to his ceiling,” Riordan coach Mark Ilarina said. “I think he can go 24 feet at state.”

Los Altos’ Zachary Fagin was another busy performer, winning the high jump at 6-5, placing third in the long jump (23-0 ¼), fifth in the 100 (10.94) and running a leg on the second-place 4×100 relay team.

Menlo School won the boys 4×800 relay in a close race with a time of 7:50.88. Crystal Springs Uplands also qualified for the state meet, taking second in 7:51.10, just ahead of Bellarmine (7:51.33).

Sacred Heart Prep had been on the heels of Los Altos all season in the boys 4×100. The Gators finally broke through Saturday, capturing first place in a time of 41.60.
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“We peaked at the right time,” anchor James Mustarde said. “We’ve been getting faster every week.”

Mitty’s Laniah Simpson won the 100 hurdles in 14.78.

“I’m kind of excited for the state meet because I know I’m going to PR and no matter what I’m going to leave it all out on the track,” Simpson said.

Live Oak’s Christian Hauge took the 100 in 10.75

“Honestly I didn’t think I would win it, but I came in thinking I could win it,” Hauge said. “I took care of what I needed to, stayed low out of the blocks.”

Homestead sophomore Evan Gardner, in only his third year of track and field, won the 800 in 1:54.71.

Harker’s Andrew Fu came back after a third-place finish in the 100 to win the 200 in a time of 21.31.

Santa Clara’s Liam Brennan followed up on a win at the Top 8 meet with a first-place finish in the discus with a mark of 176-6.

“It feels so surreal,” Brennan said. “It’s so rewarding, all the effort I put into it.”

Serra sophomore Luke Lewis, the son of longtime College of San Mateo throws coach Mike Lewis, won the shot put at 54-0 ½.

Bellarmine’s Kenneth Tucker captured the triple jump crown with a mark of 46-2.

Menlo’s William Floyd cleared 15-0 to win the pole vault.

Homestead’s Ningning O’Brien repeated as CCS girls discus champion with a mark of 138-4.

Notre Dame-Belmont’s Melanie Castelli cleared 5-7 to win the high jump.

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