A big win for our varsity on Wednesday, defeating Northwood 95-41, to
complete an undefeated Sea View League dual meet season. I have never, in all of my four years as the head coach of this varsity team, or my tenure as
a girls' track and field coach at my previous high school, had to endure the
number of injuries to key varsity personnel as I have had this season. Our
results are a testament to the girls who have stepped in and performed
admirably in tough situations. Junior Tia McFarlane won two events(100,
200), defeating the top sprinter by previous time in the league, to
highlight the day. Another admirable performance, to say the least, was
Monica Todd winning four events(400, 300 Hurdles, Long Jump, Triple Jump).
Other wins were: Sabrina Rathor(800), Hayley Niles(1600), Kristin
Arkin(3200), Michelle Wicker(100 Hurdles), Nicole Miller(High Jump), Rachel
Mahler(Pole Vault), and Jerrilynn Stanwood(Discus).
Our junior varsity also won Wednesday, defeating Northwood, 106-21. We have
not lost a lower level dual meet in the last five years, and this is a key
contributor to our varsity success. Winning individual events were: Brierra
Winfrey(100, 200, 4X100), Mariah Shelton(400), Aaren Cadieux(800), Kamilah
Foley(1600), Katelynn Lockwood(3200), Alexa Brown(100 Hurdles, 4X100),
Shelby Osborn(300 Hurdles), Talia Samuels(4X100), Angelica Douglas(4x100),
Nicolle Riola(Discus), Tiffany Green(Triple Jump), and Alane Sewitsky(Long
Jump). Great job junior varsity, you are the bedrock of the future.
Our success was tempered with the school events of last Wednesday. During
fifth period, around 600-700 THHS students chose not to attend class and
protest our principal's decision to cancel the grade level assembly
scheduled that day because of unruly behavior at snack by some students. I
was in the middle of the protest, looking specifically for girls' track and
field athletes who were truant to class. I found some, and to their credit,
each of the girls went to class after I told them to do so...some I had to
be a little louder than others. I fervently believe that agree or disagree
with our principal on this, there is a correct way to voice an opinion, and
an incorrect way, and in my opinion, this was not the appropriate forum to
vent displeasure. Again, for the most part, I am proud to say our girls'
track and field program acted appropriately.
Have a Mustang kind of day...
Coach Kelly
GO BLUE!!!
The best collective performance by a group of girls' track and field
athletes since I have been the head coach was performed last Saturday at the
Orange County Track And Field Championships. The varsity team placed fifth,
and the frosh-soph was third in the team competition. Sophomore Monica Todd
continued her torrid assault on the 300 meter hurdle school record,
scorching a 44.29 to place second, and in the process ran the third fastest
300 hurdle time in the thirty- year history of the meet. Monica also was
Orange County champion in the long jump by over a foot, and ran the anchor
leg of the 400 meter relay, a near school record 49.32, good for third
place. Also highlighting the day was senior Kristin Arkin becoming the first
female in school history to break five minutes for 1600 meters, running
4:59.43, good for fifth place. Other varsity medal winners were Tia McFarlane(400 relay), Percylla
Nared(400 relay, 100 meters), Sarah Johnson(400 relay), and Jerrilynn
Stanwood(Discus). Medal winners for the frosh-soph were Brierra Winfrey(100,
200), Alexa Brown(100), Jessica Varela(3200), Makenna Smith(3200), Elizabeth
Loper(High Jump, 100 Hurdles), Michelle Wicker(100 Hurdles), Stephanie
Smith(Long Jump, Triple Jump), Melissa Christiansen(High Jump), Hannah
Greenhalgh(Pole Vault), and Tanya Flink(Pole Vault).
---Thank you to the numerous parents who emailed or contacted me voicing
support for our trip to The Woodlands, Texas, next October 2, 3, 4, 2008,
for the Nike South Invitational, featuring top ranked teams in Arkansas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Thirty-nine deposits(20 girls, 14 boys, 4
coaches, 1 small child) for non-stop round-trip airfare($293.06) from Orange
County to Houston have been purchased, eleven rooms have been secured at the
Hilton Garden Inn(The Woodlands), and three fifteen- passenger vans are
reserved. Expect the price to be around $430, meals not included, although
we can discuss whether or not to raise the price and include some meals.
---Pre-season girls' cross country commences Monday, May 19, following two
weeks of relaxed workouts and dismissal at 3:00, and lasts until the final
day of school. Expect practice to be 2:30-4:00 daily.
---Group One(To Be Determined) athletes will return during the Summer on
Wednesday, July 9, 6:00P.M.-8:30P.M., following a C.I.F. mandated three week
"Dead Period." Summer workouts begin Monday, July 14, 7:00-9:45A.M., for all
athletes.
---Our annual Summer Running Camp in Idyllwild is Monday, August 11-
Saturday, August 16. $225 for all meals in Idyllwild, campground lodging,
and transportation. Please make plans for this wonderful running and team
experience.
---Please make every attempt to avoid Summer School after the first session.
Parents of current freshmen, please arrange for your daughter to take Health
during her sophomore year or the FIRST Summer session, which will most
likely mean one seven period semester if you choose the school year option.
Please, again, avoid the second and third sessions of Summer School if at
all possible, so as to not conflict with vital to our team and individual
success Summer cross country workouts.
---Mama Clemons and myself look forward to the upcoming 2008 girls' cross
country season, and have a Mustang kind of day...
What a difference a year makes. One year ago our varsity was pummeled by
Woodbridge in a dual meet 83-53, this season we turned it around 78-58,
defeating the #2 ranked team in Orange County. Not running out of the zone in the 4X100 meter relay as we did last year certainly helped, in fact, we
ran an outstanding 49.1 with flawless stick work to win the event. Add to
that a clutch performance by Michelle Wicker in winning the 100 hurdles,
Rachel Mahler triumphing in the pole vault, Monica Todd winning the triple jump, long jump, and 300 hurdles, Percylla Nared winning the 100 meters,
running a strong second in the 200 meters, and a blistering second leg in
the 4X100 relay, and sweeps in the triple, long, and high jumps(Nicole
Miller capturing the latter) assisted our cause. Great job, girls. Also, our
junior varsity won 109-27, running their Sea View League record to 4-0, just
like the varsity.
This weekend is the Orange County Track And Field Championships at Mission
Viejo High School. Roughly thirty girls will compete, and the battle to earn
a lane or spot was fierce, since we can only enter two girls, per event, per
level. I look forward to watching the girls compete. Next week we face
Northwood on Wednesday, April 23, 3:15 is the start time, at THHS. The
following week are the Sea View League Preliminaries and Finals on Tuesday,
April 29, and May 2, at Irvine High School. We are allowed five girls per
event, plus wild cards, and we will let the girls know who is competing as
soon as we can. Thank you for your attendance at the meets, I appreciate
your support, and GO BLUE!!!
---Kudos to sophomore Monica Todd for twice breaking her own school record in the 300 meter hurdles last Saturday at the Arcadia High School
Invitational. Monica ran 46.65 in a morning heat, then qualified for the
"Seeded" finals at night and ran 46.44. Monica's best her freshman year was
48.17, and this is her fourth school record this season, running 47.56 and
47.53 previously. Monica also long jumped 17-6 on Friday, missing qualifying for Saturday by one inch.
---This Saturday, April 19, is the Orange County Track And Field
Championships at Mission Viejo High School. We are allowed two girls, per
event, per level, so the competition for a spot was fierce. Girls will
receive an official form on Thursday, and most will be informed verbally
before then. ---On Wednesday, April 16, we will face Woodbridge High School, at THHS,
beginning at 2:45, with the Sea View League title on the line. Both girls'
varsity teams are 3-0, and Woodbridge is ranked third in Orange County,
while we are ranked eighth. Wish us well.
---I love track and field...
Varsity---Trabuco Hills-87 El Toro-49---Junior Varsity---Trabuco Hills-93 El Toro-43. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think??? Certain team competitions stoke my coals, and other than defeating Mission Viejo, there is no one I would rather beat than El Toro. Neighborhood rivalries on every level of competition have a way of heightening the emotions. Numerous girls contributed last Wednesday, from Jerrilynn Stanwood's upset win in the discus(118' 3"---a personal record by 8') to start the meet, to Monica
Todd's gutsy 4X400 meter relay 58.9 anchor leg to end the meet, to
freshman Hannah Greenhalgh eeking out a third place in the pole vault in a personal
best 8'6", to freshman Elizabeth Loper improving 8" in the high jump...4'6"
to 5'2"... There were, as I mentioned, many others. We performed well, to
say the least, and now on to Woodbridge on Wednesday, April 16, at Trabuco
Hills High School, who is also 3-0 in the Sea View League, and also defeated
El Toro, as well as being ranked #3 in Orange County.
The Arcadia Invitational is this weekend, a varsity only affair that is the
most prestigious track and field invitational in the country. Tonight, we
will send a 4X One Mile relay team of Kristin Arkin, Ximena Cruz, Hayley
Niles, and Makenna Smith to race in the Invitational competition against the
best girls' distance running programs in the state and country. We will also
send another team of Lindsay Enright, Rebecca Murillo, Sabrina Rathor, and
Jessica Varela to run in a "Seeded" Four by One Mile. Good luck. Also
tonight, long jumpers Samantha Hay, Stephanie Smith, Monica Todd, and
Whitney Wiles will compete, as well as discus thrower Jerrilynn Stanwood.
Tomorrow, the 4X100 meter relay will be represented by Tia Mc Farlane,
Percylla Nared, Brierra Winfrey, and Michelle Wicker, Monica Todd will run
the day 300 Hurdles, and vastly improved Hayley Niles will run the day Two
Mile. A Distance Medley Relay(1200, 400, 800, 1600) team of Ximena Cruz,
Monica Todd, Lori Hoffman, and ? will race on Saturday afternoon, and
highlighting Saturday is senior Kristin Arkin, who will be the first female
distance runner in the history of THHS to participate in a Saturday night
Invitational race...she will run the One Mile against the top competition in
the state and country. Kudos to Kristin.
Thank you for your involvment in girls' track and field, and have a Mustang
kind of day...
Watching all of the girls compete this weekend was enjoyable for me.
Highlighting the weekend was senior Kristin Arkin shattering her own school record in the 1600 meters, running 5:02.79, placing fourth in a stellar field. Kristin has earned a spot in the Invitational 3200 meters at next weekend's prestigious Arcadia Invitational, and we are awaiting confirmation of possible acceptance to the Invitational Mile Run, based on her recent improvement on Saturday. Kristin is the first female distance runner to earn a spot in an individual Saturday night race at Arcadia, and I commend her on this accompishment.
We will also run two 4X Mile Run relay teams on Friday night at Arcadia
High School. The "A" team will consist of Kristin Arkin, Ximena Cruz, Hayley
Niles, and Makenna Smith. The "B" team will include Lindsay Enright, Rebecca
Murillo, Sabrina Rathor, and Jessica Varela. Each team will compete in
separate races, with the "A" race a Who's Who of high school girls' distance
running, including: Saugus, Dana Hills, Crescenta Valley, and Fountain
Valley High Schools. Good luck to both teams...
While I do not coach the girls' distance runners, I could not help but
notice numerous personal records in the 1600 meters ran Friday night. Hayley
Niles(5:21), Makenna Smith(5:23), Rachel Moore(5:32), Danielle
Brabender(5:41), Kasie Dorr(5:42), Emilie No(5:42), Jessica Drews(5:51),
Hannah Giclas(5:53), Jennifer Dorame(5:56), Riley Logsdon (6:08), Tegan
Tingley(6:10), and Jenna Willey(6:16) are the ones that come to mind. If I
missed someone's significant PR, I apologize. Riley Logsdon has battled back
from Anemia, the fourth girls' distance runner to be afflicted with this
debilitating malady in the last eighteen months. Kudos to Riley.
---Have a Mustang kind of day...
A big win for our varsity on Wednesday, defeating Northwood 95-41, to
