The562’s cross country and track & field coverage is sponsored by an anonymous donation, in appreciation of Coach Ron Allice.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
The Wilson girls’ track and field team made major history on Saturday night in Clovis at the CIF State Track & Field Finals. The Bruins scored 36 points to claim the CIF State Girls’ Track and Field championship, making it back-to-back titles for the Bruins as they outscored Ventura 36-30.
It’s the sixth state championship in school history–five by the girls’ track team–and it’s the first back-to-back state titles in school history in any sport.
“We suffered some adversity this weekend, but this team was meant to go through it and to still come out on top,” said Wilson coach Neil Nelson.
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With the title, Nelson and fellow Wilson coach Shannon Fisher have done something never before achieved in Bruin history. Nelson said he felt prepared for the moment thanks to a long phone call from Wilson coaching icon Terry Kennedy.
“I waited, I was patient,” said Nelson. “I talked to him for maybe two hours this morning. I just knew I wouldn’t feel like I was there until I’d done the things that he did. He has a lot of respect for us and what we’re accomplishing.”
Junior Loren Webster had an incredibly impressive performance to in the long jump for the Bruins to start the day. After putting down a safe 18-foot jump, she pushed it on her second attempt and fouled. She then put down a 20-5.25, surging into the lead by more than a foot. That cushion was useful since she had to depart the event to run on the Bruins’ 4×100–but the lead held up easily as she won the event by nearly a foot.
“It didn’t go as well in the first two jumps, but getting that and having to rush to the 4×100, it was a lot,” said Webster. “I just tried to focus on one event at a time. Don’t think about the 4×1 when I’m jumping and don’t think about the long jump when I’m on the track. But yes, it was a lot.”
The Wilson girls had a bit of good fortune in the first race of the day, as their quartet of Tarynn Maroney, Kaylin Edwards, Brooke Blue and Webster took sixth in the 4×100 to pick up three valuable points for the team race. The Bruins finished sixth in 46.64, but a scratch and a DQ helped ensure that they’d get those points out of the race.
The point onslaught continued for the Bruin girls as sophomore Brooke Blue took fifth in the 400 in 55.52, Edwards took eighth in the 100 hurdles in 14.88, and Saniah Varnado took silver in the 300 hurdles.
The talented freshman Varnado was one of the stars of the meet for the Bruins, and her 8 points in the 300 hurdles put the Bruins clear into the lead with 26 points at the midway point of the evening.
“All of our young girls really came through for us,” said Nelson. “We return a lot of really talented kids that are excited to get back to the drawing board and figure out the next season.”
The Wilson girls capped their championship day with a championship race, as Blue, Alene Washington, Edwards, and Varnado won the 4×400.
The boys’ didn’t bring home the team hardware, but had a great meet as well, finishing third place in the team standings with 27 points, just six shy of state champ Poly. Wyland Obando’s second-place finish in the 800 was a highlight, as was the Obando, JaeRon Harris, JT Kraemer, and Kaedyn Burroughs state championship in the 4×400 to close the day.
Wilson
Girls’ 4×100, 6th, 46.64 (Tarynn Maroney, Kaylin Edwards, Brooke Blue, Loren Webster)
Girls’ 100 Hurdles: Kaylin Edwards, 8th, 14.88
Girls’ 400: Brooke Blue, 5th, 55.52
Boys’ 400: Kaedyn Burroughs, 6th, 47.72
Boys’ 800: Wyland Obando, 2nd, 1:50.26
Boys’ 800: JT Kraemer, 7th, 1:51.94
Girls’ 300 Hurdles: Saniah Varnado, 2nd, 42.11
Boys’ 300 Hurdles: Ethan Bartee, 5th, 38.32
Girls’ 4×400, 1st, 3:41.40 (Brooke Blue, Alene Washington, Kaylin Edwads, Saniah Varnado)
Boys’ 4×400, 1st, 3:12.54 (Wyland Obando, JaeRon Harris, JT Kraemer, Kaedyn Burroughs)
Girls’ 4×800, 13th, 9:24.10 (Riley Jones, Kennedy Bryant, Natalie Maahs, Elisa Rodriguez)
Girls’ Long Jump: Loren Webster, 1st, 25-05.25
