Noonan runs 4:06.80 to eclipse 2022 mark by Reno’s Ortega-Gammill, with Volkmer prevailing in girls 1,600 in 4:47.95, in addition to anchoring 11:57.26 DMR victory; Jesuit clocks 10:22.48 in boys DMR, with Parra and Raker prevailing in 3,200 races, along with Rodriguez and Olesen earning 800 triumphs

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Ken Martinez

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Despite significant rain throughout the two-day Stanford Invitational, the inclement weather didn’t prevent Dana Hills junior Evan Noonan and the Shea Volkmer-led Campolindo girls lineup from pouring it on the competition with state-leading performances at Cobb Track and Angell Field.

Noonan achieved the lone high school meet record of the event, running 4 minutes, 6.80 seconds in the 1,600 meters Saturday to prevail against Palo Alto senior standout Grant Morgenfeld (4:10.23).

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

Noonan eclipsed the 2022 performance of 4:08.67 achieved by Kyle Ortega-Gammill of Reno High in Nevada, taking advantage of one of the few extended stretches on the meet schedule without rain.

Volkmer won the girls 1,600 in 4:47.95, prevailing by nearly 10 seconds against Kylie Hoornaert (4:57.52) from Saratoga Prospect High, but it was her impressive anchor leg Friday that helped Campolindo achieve a state-leading 11:57.26.

Kate Kabenina, Claire Andrzejek, Daisy Penney and Volkmer, who anchored with another 4:47 split, briefly held the national lead, before Lucas Lovejoy High from Texas ran 11:53.26 later Friday night at the 96th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

Campolindo ran its fastest time since 2015 and produced the No. 2 mark in program history.

Tatum Olesen prevailed in the 800 meters in 2:11.21, in addition to helping Menlo-Atherton finish second in the DMR in 12:26.52.

Carmichael Jesuit also achieved the state-leading performance in the boys DMR, with Matthew Ogilvie, Caleb Dixon, Lucas Alberts and Drake Hoferer running 10:22.48.

Berkeley edged Crystal Springs Uplands by a 10:31.18 to 10:31.21 margin to secure second. Benjamin Bouie also took third in the boys 1,600 in 4:12.74 for Crystal Springs Uplands.

Paul Kuhner of Lafayette Acalanes, Keelan Wright from Temecula Chaparral, Gigi Kirchner of Rocklin and the dynamic duo of Myles McFarland from Cosumnes Oaks and Inderkum’s Rickey Green III all thrived under much more favorable racing conditions Saturday in the sprints and hurdling events.

Kuhner ran a wind-aided 10.49 to triumph in the 100-meter dash final after clocking a wind-aided 10.55 in the prelims.

Wright emerged victorious against returning state runner-up Ellie McCuskey-Hay of St. Ignatius in a wind-legal girls 100 final, prevailing by an 11.61 to 11.81 margin. Wright also ran a wind-legal 11.78 in the prelims.

McCuskey-Hay captured the girls long jump with a third-round performance of 17-6.75 (5.35m), in addition to helping St. Ignatius secure seventh in the 4x100-meter relay final with a 49.04 effort.

Although Green achieved a state-leading effort with his wind-legal 13.70 in the 110 hurdles prelims, it was McFarland who emerged victorious in the final by a 14.08 to 14.14 margin. Green was also second in the 400 hurdles in 56.21, with St. Ignatius standout Thomas Zang winning in 55.56.

St. Ignatius added two more victories, with Noah Rodriguez taking the boys triple jump following a wind-aided 45-6.50 (13.88m) effort and Lexington Lehnert outlasting Jared Nunnemaker from Aragon on fewer attempts in the pole vault after both competitors cleared 14-7.50 (4.46m) on their second opportunities. 

Kirchner ran a wind-aided 14.10 in the 100 hurdles final, which followed a wind-aided 14.17 mark in the prelims. She also placed seventh in the 400 hurdles Friday in 1:07.11, with Arcadia’s Layla Roslan winning in 1:04.06.

Eleanor Raker of Galena High in Reno earned back-to-back victories in the girls 3,200, clocking 10:34.50, with fellow Nevada standout Amaya Aramini from Bishop Manogue placing second in 10:36.81.

Long Beach Millikan senior Jason Parra triumphed in a solo effort from the gun in the boys 3,200 in 9:01.20, with Olaf Dietz from Berkeley clocking 9:15.21 for runner-up honors.

Gabriel Rodriguez of Great Oak overcame early contact from multiple athletes in the 800, then managed to hold on despite six competitors being in contention in the final 50 meters to secure the win in 1:54.09.

Carmel junior Mack Aldi produced a program record to grab second in 1:54.63.

Mountain View junior Hannah Rutherford prevailed in the girls 400 in 55.05, improving from her second-place finish last season in 55.65.

Jett Hasiuk of Calgary Track and Field Association in Canada was victorious in the boys 400 in 48.91.

Menlo School’s Summer Young outlasted Acalanes’ Dulcinea Vail in a sudden-death tiebreaker in the girls high jump with a 5-6 (1.68m) clearance. Both athletes cleared 5-5 (1.65m) during the competition, then each individual missed three tries at 5-6, before they also came up empty on a fourth opportunity at the height during the jumpoff.

Vail and Young both successfully cleared 5-5.25 (1.66m) during the second round of the sudden-death tiebreaker, with Young finally emerging victorious in her first career jumpoff with the 5-6 clearance.

Trevor Rogers from Acalanes achieved a wind-legal leap of 24-3.50 (7.40m) in the opening round of the boys long jump and held on for victory.

Rocklin’s Grace Sloan prevailed in the girls triple jump after she and Hannah Vincent from San Benito Hollister both had marks of 36-11.50 (11.26m). Sloan earned the win based on a better second effort of 36-10.50 (11.24m).

Silver Creek’s Kyler Headley triumphed in the boys discus throw with a second-round performance of 173-4 (52.85m), edging Amador’s Eliot Traxler at 172 feet (52.43m).

Warren’s Eman Goodloe won the boys shot put at 58-4.50 (17.79m) on his third attempt, with Oak Ridge’s Tyler Lange placing second with a fourth-round mark of 58-0.25 (17.68m).

Los Gatos junior Nicole Steiner took the top spot in the girls shot put with a second-round performance of 42-8 (13.00m). Hollister’s Golda Demby was runner-up at 40-6 (12.34m) after winning the discus with a 145-1 (44.24m) performance in the second round.

Grady Wachob, a junior at Benicia, cleared 6-5 (1.96m) on the first attempt in the boys high jump, holding off Alexander Dillon from Milpitas, who needed three tries to successfully make the height.

Mackenzie Sellers, a freshman from Reno High, produced a second-attempt clearance at 11-9.75 (3.60m) in the girls pole vault, edging Jonelle Scott from Soquel, who cleared the bar on her third opportunity.

Pittsburg swept both boys and girls 4x100 relays, clocking 42.02 and 47.89, respectively.

Orange Lutheran won the boys 4x400 relay in 3:21.45, with Monte Vista capturing the girls 4x400 relay in 3:55.37.