Morgan sets meet record, others win or are in top 5

Ramona High School’s track and field team had three winners at the Elmer Runge Invitational April 4 at Patrick Henry High School.

Ryan Morgan set a meet record by running the boys 400-meter race in 49.14 seconds, Lyndon Scott won the boys triple jump with a distance of 42 feet, 7-3/4 inches, and Ramona’s boys 4x400 relay team won its race in 2:27.26.

The Bulldogs had six other top-five finishes at the Elmer Runge Invitational, which took place two days after the Bulldog boys and girls teams swept Orange Glen in a Valley League dual meet.

“We really had two good meets,” said Coach Bob Verhoest.

The dual meet April 2 at Ramona High School saw the Bulldog boys prevail 105-30 over Orange Glen despite the Patriots’ Diego Vega capturing both the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter races. Ramona’s girls took a 95-36 victory over the Patriots.

Ramona’s boys and girls junior varsity teams were also victorious, giving all four squads 2-0 records in Valley League competition.

“Everybody really ran hard. Everybody really ran well,” Verhoest said. “They’re just tearing it up.”

The boys competition against Orange Glen saw Scott win three events, including a 6’0” high jump, which shared first place with Ramona’s Tyler Jordan. Scott also won the triple jump with a distance of 42 feet 7 1/2 inches and the long jump at 20 feet 6 1/2 inches.

Alejandro Gaona threw the shot put 37 feet for the winning mark, while Logan Peterson had the top discus throw at 114 feet 4-1/2 inches. Cody Engler cleared 11 feet 6 inches to win the pole vault.

Tyler Creswell won both hurdles races, taking 15.43 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles and 43.67 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles.

Seth Drake took first in the 100-meter dash at 11.10 seconds, Morgan captured the 200-meter dash in 22.62 seconds, Matt Laws triumphed in the 400-meter run with a time of 51.92 seconds, and Ramona’s 4x100 relay team won its race in 43.74 seconds.

Ramona’s girls were led by Kelly Helman, who won the 100-meter hurdles in 18.28 seconds and the 300-meter hurdles in 55.57 seconds, and Chelsea Maurer, who took first place in the pole vault at 8’6” and the high jump at 4’8”.

The girls running events also saw Erika Stinchcomb win the 200-meter dash in 27.84 seconds, Kendal Kohlar prevail in the 400-meter run with a time of 1:04.31, Chelsey Cortez take first in the 1,600-meter run at 5:23, and Brittany Balcom capture the 3,200-meter run in 12:20.

The girls field events also saw Hannah Jones throw the shot put 29 feet 9 inches for the winning mark while Heidi Jones hurled the discus 81 feet 11 inches for first place. Becca Hickle won the long jump with a distance of 14 feet 5 inches while Cassie Miller took first in the triple jump at 29 feet 1/2 inch.

Morgan’s meet record at the Elmer Runge Invitational supplants the 49.19-second feat of Dax Danns, who ran the 400-meter race for Helix High School in 2004. Morgan was also on Ramona’s winning 4x400 relay team and part of the 4x100 relay team whose time of 43.42 seconds earned the Bulldogs second place. In the 200-meter dash Morgan placed fourth with a time of 22.27 seconds.

“He had a pretty good day,” Verhoest said.

Cortez took second in the girls 3,200-meter race, finishing at 11:32.71 and trailing only Our Lady of Peace champion Sammi Silva.

“Any time you finish second behind that girl, that’s a pretty good day,” Verhoest said.

Balcom finished third in the girls 800-meter run at 2:24.53 and fourth in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:23.33. Drake took fifth in the boys 100-meter dash with a time of 11:23 seconds.

The Bulldogs’ next meet will be April 16 at Mount Carmel.

“It’s very exciting to go to practice and see all these kids working hard,” Verhoest said. “That’s what it takes, hard work.”