Casa and Petaluma track stars shine in Viking Classic

Casa Grande and Petaluma High athletes more than held their own against some of the top track stars in the Redwood Empire in the always talent-loaded Viking Classic held last weekend at Montgomery High School.

The Casa Grande girls 4x100 girls relay team started the meet right for the Gauchos by running a Vine Valley Athletic League best 51.40. In a loaded field, the time was good only for a fourth-place finish behind teams from Santa Rosa (49.91 prep best), Maria Carrillo (50.79) and Rancho Cotate (51.24).

Casa Grande’s boys team ran a VVAL best 44.38 to finish second behind St. Helena (44.09). The Casa 4x400 boys team was first with a 3:32.09 time.

Casa Grande sophomore Owen Hite ran a VVAL best 4:24.31 in the boys 1600. He doubled back to finish third in a tight 3200, running 9:41.36.

The Gauchos’ Lillian McCoy won the girls shot put at 36-feet, 10 inches, almost two feet further than runner-up Caitlin Grace of Santa Rosa (34-feet, 11 inches).

Petaluma’s Sydney Dennis had her normal three-win spectacular, highlighted by a prep best 16.32 in the 100-meter hurdles, the 34th best time ever run in the Redwood Empire.

Dennis was beaten by Santa Rosa’s Anika Williams with a prep best 48.47 in the 300 hurdles. Dennis’ 49.35 was a VVAL best.

Dennis also won the long jump at 16 feet, 3 inches and the triple jump at 34 feet, 11 inches.

Casa’s John Paul Tangonan was third at 19 feet, 7 1/4 inches in the boys long jump.

Casa Grande’s Camille Mantani won the high jump at 5 feet, 1 inch.

Casa Grande’s Mattthew Mason won the 200 in a prep best 22.03. He also broke 11 seconds in the boys 100, running a PR 9.6 to finish second to Ryan Searl of St. Helena.

Petaluma’s Cali Sullivan was third in the girls 100 in 12.94 and ran fourth in the 200 in a VVAL-leading 26.77.

Casa Grande’s Logan Moon was second at the tape in the boys 800, one of the most exciting races of the meet. He was just nipped at the finish by Dante Godinez of Healdsburg. The Greyhound was timed in 1:56.65 to 1:56.78 for Moon.