SALINAS — Track and field athletes from South Monterey County traveled to Salinas on Saturday and many earned medals at the 32nd Annual Bill Kearney Invitational Track and Field Meet held at Salinas High School.
Gonzales High had three athletes medal in the varsity boys division. Elijah Minor threw a personal record of 112-5 to place third in the discus; 110 hurdler Alen Valdez placed fifth in his specialty with a time of 18.72; and sophomore Giovanni Ochoa took fourth in the 3200 meters with a personal best of 10:20.56.
The Soledad boys placed first in the varsity 4 x 400 relay race with a time of 3:38.50. Team members were Bryan Villegas, Jose Cota, Elijah Melchor and Jacob Dizon. The 4 x 100 relay team placed fifth in a time of 47.02 with the team of Nathan Trevino, Jason Mendoza, Kevin Ramirez and Juel Quair.
Aztec teammates Dizon (54.18) and Cota (55.56) placed second and sixth, respectively, in the 400 meters. Senior distance runner Melchor placed fifth in the 1600 in a time of 4:36.48.
The Greenfield boys earned three medals in the throwing events and one medal in the 3200. Luis Pacheco placed fifth in the shot put with a mark of 38-9; Nathan Olivas placed fourth in the discus (111-4); and Bryan Ortega placed sixth in the discus with a best of 107-09. Leyder Hernandez placed third in the 3200 in 10:20.50.
In the varsity girls division, Soledad won medals in the 400 meters as Katherine Amaro placed second (1:05.55) and Vennice Salvador placed fifth (1:10.05).
The Aztecs won fifth-place medals in the 4 x 100 as the team of Zoe Cruz, Chikamso Ellellah, Aaliyah Gonzales and Giselle Zepeda finished in a time of 54.97.
Greenfield’s Yareli Meza won a fifth-place medal in the 3200 in a time of 13:49.75.
