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Turlock, Pitman track near end of season
track pic2
Kelsee Derr races down the track during a meet earlier in the season. - photo by Journal file photo
Frankie Tovar
Updated: May 22, 2012, 6:35 p.m.

The SJS Division I Section Finals were a success for both Turlock and Pitman High. After two days of competition at Elk Grove High, the Bulldogs advanced eight athletes to the Masters Meet Trials and the Pride advanced five.

“We were really surprised,” Turlock’s girls head coach Mike Brown said. “In the last few years we’ve only taken a couple of kids to Masters.”

Turlock will be taking four athletes to compete in the boys division on Thursday.  Jevon Hogan, Ty Hyer, Alec Nicolai, and Niko Lombrana will compete in the 4x100m relay after placing 10th at the section finals. Hogan and Hyer will also compete in the 200m race after a 5th place section finish by Hogan and a 9th place finish by Hyer.

As for the Lady Bulldogs, Mallory Patino will compete in the 300m hurdles after an 8th place finish, Cierra Booz will compete in the long jump after her 9th place finish, Joy Ndem will take part in the 400m race after a 10th place finish, and Katrina Tate will compete in the triple jump after a 10th place finish.

“That’s the most we’ve qualified,” Brown said. “And we’re a really young group, which means good things for the future.”

Pitman girls finished strong last week, qualifying three athletes in four separate events. Kelsee Derr will be competing in both the 100m and 300m hurdles after an 8th place finish in the events. Derr also broke the Pitman record for the 300m hurdles with a time of 45.95. Rashel Pritchard will compete in the discus event after a 10th place finish and Lauren Cariaso will take part in the triple jump after her 9th place finish.

Chance Hagar and Sean Donnelly qualified to represent the Pride at the Masters in the pole vault and discus events but Hagar will be the only Pitman boy present on Thursday. After a fourth place finish in the discus, Donnelly opted to attend graduation and other commitments rather than compete. As for Hagar, his 10th place jump of 12 feet, 8 inches, a personal record, will have to be bested on the first day of Masters competition if he is to continue.

 “The kids who qualified have been working hard all season long and they deserve to be there,” Pitman’s head coach Thad Moren said. “If any of the kids can set personal bests, and peak, it would be enough for me.”

The Masters Trials will begin on Thursday and the finals will be held on Friday.