Petaluma and Casa Grande run for league pennants

Six years ago, it was a distant dream. On Friday, Casa Grande High School will host the North Bay League track and field championships on its new all-weather track. The track allows Casa to host top-caliber meets after several years of not even being able to host a dual meet on its previous adobe-based oval.

The NBL showdown starts at 5 p.m.

Petaluma has high hopes for a title as it runs in the Sonoma County League meet at Piner High School. SCL junior varsity and trials begin at 4 p.m. today. The varsity championship meet will start at 8 o’clock Saturday morning.

The Coastal Mountain Conference championships, with several outstanding St. Vincent athletes competing, will be held today and Saturday. Discus and pole vault events will be today at Willits. The rest of the competition will be Saturday at St. Helena High School.

North Bay League

Casa Grande expects to show well with both its boys and girls teams in the NBL finals, although it would take an extraordinary effort for the Gauchos to run by powers Maria Carrillo and Santa Rosa.

The boys competition between the Pumas and Panthers should be extremely close. In their dual competition, Maria Carrillo edged Santa Rosa, 74-71. In league competition, Maria Carrillo finished 7-0, Santa Rosa, 6-1 and Casa Grande 5-2.

Several Gauchos are being counted on for strong efforts.

Duilio Froes should be in the middle of the sprint battle. The junior could be in line for team points in both the 100 and 200 meters in races that are expected to be dominated by a battle between Maria Carrillo’s Ian Herculson and Montgomery sophomore Jaymes Tischburn. Both have run an 11.00 100. Froes has been clocked in 11.47.

Casa Grande junior Zach Esponda has the league’s top time in the 800 (1:56.80). He is expected to be challenged by Santa Rosa junior Luca Mazzard.

Mazzard will be favored in the 1600, with Casa senior Matt Salazar among his challengers.

The Gauchos’ Aaron Lu is among the NBL’s top hurdlers and goes into the meet with the best time in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in 41.41.

The Casa Grande 4x100 relay team has the league’s second-best time (44.75), right behind Maria Carrillo’s 43.33. The Gaucho 4x400 has the third-top time behind Santa Rosa and Maria Carrillo.

It might be a stretch for the Gauchos to challenge for a top spot in the jumping events, but they are hoping to pick up points with David Alviso and Noble Schluetter in the high jump; and Cole Kuper, Thomas Hancock and Lyle Sutton in the long jump.

Jacob Bell in the shot put and Mathew Hart in the discus are Casa Grande’s top throwing hopes.

Casa Grande’s girls go into the league meet with a 4-3 head-to-head record behind Santa Rosa (7-0), Maria Carrillo (6-1) and Montgomery (5-2).

A pair of seniors lead the Casa girls speed contingent, but will have to deal with two exceptional opposition sprinters.

Hannah Barlow will battle with Maria Carrillo’s Amari Barker in the 100, while Destiny Williams hopes to challenge two-time champion Kirsten Carter of Santa Rosa in the 200. Gauchos Jordan Boehring and Lauren Doran could also be in the sprint mix.

Ileana Moon, in her senior season, hopes to challenge in the 800.

Casa Grande’s Adria Barich is one of the best 1600 runners in the section. She is also in the same event as record-setting Delaney White of Santa Rosa.

Longer, sophomore Siena Wigert is expected to be strong in a 3200-meter run that also will feature White.

The Casa Grande girls will be out to defend their 4x100 relay title. They go in with the league’s best time (49.80). Challenges are expected to come from Maria Carrillo and Windsor.

Casa’s top competitor in the field will be long and triple jumper Annie Gallo, a junior.

Sophomore Annalea Hanakeawe is Casa’s best bet for points in the throwing events.

Sonoma County League

Petaluma’s boys go into the SCL championships unbeaten (6-0) in league competition, with Piner the likely challenger with a 5-1 head-to-head mark. Sonoma Valley is 4-2.

The chase for the girls pennant figures to be a real donnybrook with defending champion Petaluma, Sonoma Valley and Piner all 5-1 in league meets.

Petaluma, although it has several outstanding athletes, will count on a team effort with points from fourth and fifth finishers supplementing top performers to add up to team triumph.

Sophomore twins Will and Jack Dunbar will be involved in everything from the 400 through the 3200, with chances for points and Redwood Empire qualifying in the 400, 800, 1600 and 3200.

Senior Ty Pearson has the league’s top times in both the 110-meter high and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles. He is also the Trojans’ top sprinter.

Petaluma’s 4x100 relay team has the league’s fastest time going into the league meet.

Brendan O’Neill is one of the top, if not the top, jumpers in the league. He has matched the SCL’s best high jump at 5-8, and has the league’s best long jump at 20-3¾ and the best triple jump at 40-0½.

Justin Plank in the shot and Justen Santa in the discus are the Trojans’ best throwing hopes.

Petaluma’s girls will attempt to repeat with contributions from many athletes.

Freshman Camille Flynn and senior Madison Parrett lead the Trojans in the running events from 800 through 3200 meters with Flynn at her best in the 800 and 1600, while Parrett is among the league’s best 3200 runners.

Petaluma’s 4x100 relay team has the top time in the SCL.

As usual, Petaluma will count on its field participants to contribute a bundle of points.

Junior Camille Leoni is one of the SCL’s best long jumpers and is also a strong triple jumper, and one of the fastest girls in the league, providing potential points in several events.

Sallie Hollingshed gives Petaluma a potential point maker in the pole vault. Sophomore Kylie McCorkel will also help in the jumps.

Coastal Mountain onference

Olivia DeGraca leads St. Vincent into the CMC championships. She will be jumping for her third straight conference crown in the triple jump and second title in the long jump.

Taylor Gallagher is among the league’s top 10 in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes.

St. Vincent has a couple of potential medal-grabbing boy sprinters in Jimmy Lamerdin and Chase Doolittle.

The Mustangs have a strong boys 4x100 relay team with the second-fastest time in the conference.

Jack and Chase Doolittle give the Mustangs two of the top high jumpers in the conference with Jack at 5-8 second in the conference and Chase at 5-6 right behind Rincon Valley Christian’s Jacob Worthy, who has cleared 5-10. Jack also ranks second in the conference in the triple jump.

Will Tarrant has the potential to medal in both the shot and the discus, with the shot being his better event.