Petaluma, Casa Grande run for league titles

The first step in what amounts to track and field’s second season happens Friday and Saturday with the North Bay and Sonoma County league championships.

Casa Grande’s Gauchos will compete Friday in the NBL championship meet at Santa Rosa High School. Trials were held Wednesday. Petaluma runs in the SCL championship meet at Piner High School. Trials are today at Piner. St. Vincent will compete in the Coastal Mountain finals Saturday in St. Helena.

In addition to team honors, at stake in both SCL and NBL meets will be spots in the Redwood Empire Championships that go to the top six athletes in each event. From there it is on to the North Coast Section Meet of Champions and, for the very best to the California Interscholastic Federation State Championships.

SCL boys

Petaluma’s boys tied with Piner for the SCL championship last season, going undefeated in dual competition, but losing the championship meet to the Prospectors.

Both co-champions will be hard-pressed to top a speed-loaded El Molino team Saturday. El Molino will go into the meet undefeated in dual competition. Petaluma has one loss - to El Molino - while Piner has two. A Petaluma win in the championship meet and an El Molino second would create a pennant tie, while a Petaluma win, with a fall to third or below by El Molino, would give the Trojans the title.

Petaluma’s running strength is in the longer events, led by twins Will and Jack Dunbar, but the Trojans should be competitive in the sprints with seniors Dominic Christobal and David Wilson.

Will has the best time among SCL runners in the 400, a 52.60 seconds.

Jack has th top time in the 800 in 1 minute, 58.04 seconds, and Will the second best at 1:58.24. Jack has also clocked the best SCL 1600 time, a 4:21.60, while Will has run a 4:32.15. PJ Lynch could also provide distance points.

Petaluma has one of the Redwood Empire’s best jumpers in junior Brendan O’Neill, who won the high jump, long jump and triple jump in the SCL championship meet last season. However this year, he has been hobbled by leg problems and not at his best. Still, he has the SCL’s second-best long jump at 19 feet, 7½ inches, and best triple jump at 41-10. His triple jump is second only to Casa Grande’s Duilo Froes’ leap of 42-4¼ in the Redwood Empire.

Petaluma has three outstanding throwers in Justen Santa, Jack Crayne and James Scranton. Santa is the SCL leader in both the shot (44-4) and discus (153-0). Crayne is second in the shot at 42-2, while the much-improved Scranton has gone better than 40 feet in the shot three times this season.

Petaluma’s 4x400 relay team has the SCL’s top time of 3:38.44.

“In order for us to win, we have to fill in some gaps,” said Petaluma coach Doug Johnson.

SCL girls

According to Johnson, things look bright for the Petaluma girls. “The girls are in pretty good shape,” he said. “We have most of the gaps filled.”

Petaluma took second in the league meet and for the league title last season, and seems poised to take the next step this year, going into the finals undefeated in dual competition.

Petaluma is led by senior Camille Leoni, who does just about everything for the Trojans. “She’s a mainstay,” says Johnson. “She is our glue.”

Leoni is the Petaluma speed leader with the best 100 time in the SCL this season at 13.09. She really shines in the jumps, with a 15-10¾ best long jump and a 35-3¼ triple jump, at Redwood Empire best.

Outsanding freshman Courtney Bell gives Petaluma another strong contender in the sprints.

Johnson calls sophomore Camille Flynn, “the mainstay of our distance people.” Freshman Lucy Ellis is another strong distance runner.

Senior Sophie Hospodar is one of the league’s top 3200-meter runners with a best time of 12:14.56.

Sophomores Payton Draper and Sydney Dennis provide Petaluma with two strong hurdlers. Dennis could be a point producer in other events. “She will do anything we ask her to do,” Johnson says.

Petaluma sophomore Erika Gilmore and junior Sallie Hollingshead are the only SCL pole vaulters to clear 9 feet this season.

Petaluma will get a big emotional lift and possibly a big point lift by the return of Claire Pierce. Last year’s SCL shot champion has been out with a severe head injury suffered in a Go-Kart accident.

NBL boys

Casa Grande’s boys go into the NBL meet as the only team in a position to challenge seemingly perpetual champion Maria Carrillo. The always defending champion Pumas are 7-0 in league meets, while the Gauchos run onto the Santa Rosa track with a 6-1 record. Santa Rosa is at 5-2.

There is ample reason for Casa Grande optimism, starting with senior Duilio Froes, who is not only one of the best sprinters in the Empire with an 11.24 100-meter dash to his credit, but is the best jumper with Empire bests in both the long jump (21-5¾) and triple jump (42-4¾).

Sophomore Mathew Mason gives Casa Grande one of the Empire’s best sprinters. Senior David Alviso is a contender to score points in all three jumps.

Senior Nobel Schlueter is a quality hurdler in both the 100-meter highs and 300-meter intermediates.

Casa’s 4x100 meter relay team has the second-best time in the Empire at 44.64, but will have to have an exceptional run to best leader Maria Carrillo (43.03).

Matthew Hart, a junior, ranks among the top throwers in the league and should be in line to pick up Gaucho points in the shot and the discus.

NBL girls

Casa Grande’s girls go into the NBL meet with a 3-4 dual meet record. However, the Gauchos do have some outstanding performers who have a good shot at advancing to the Redwood Empire meet.

Sophomore Lauren Doran is one of the league’s top sprinters with a 13.04 best in the 100 and a 26.64 tops in the 200.

Grace Petraglia and Sienna Weigert give the Gauchos two solid distances runners. Petraglia is best at 1600, while Weigert’s strongest race is the 3200.

Dorah Brutus has a chance for advancement in the hurdles.

Annalea Hanakaewe has the league’s best shot at 34-11½. She, Lilly McCoy and Shayla Dunker provide Casa Grand with strength in the throwing events.

Casa Grande’s girls are also to be among the contenders for advancement in both relays.