Three Bulldog runners win in invitational

Three Ramona High School sophomores won first place in track and field’s Dick Wilkins Frosh-Soph Invitational May 1 at El Capitan High School.

Dylan Blankenbaker won the boys 1,600-meter run, Alec Richardson had the fastest time in the boys 3,200-meter race, and Kelly Helman took first place in the girls 100-meter hurdles.

Three additional Bulldogs or Ramona relay teams won medals for second-place or third-place finishes.

“The Wilkins Invitational was a success for the athletes that made it into the meet,” said Ramona head coach Steve Albanese.

The juniors and seniors on Ramona’s track and field teams joined the freshmen and sophomores in a dual meet April 29 at home against Westview. The boys improved their league dual meet record to 4-1 with an 84-52 victory over the Wolverines while Ramona’s girls fell to 2-3 with a 100-35 loss.

Ramona’s boys had first-place showings in 12 of the 16 events against Westview. Seth Drake, Trevor Dotson, Zach Kovach and Ryan Morgan opened the meet by winning the 4x100 relay while Kovach, Drake, Tim Wertz, and Morgan closed the meet with a victory in the 4x400 relay.

Morgan had a total of four victories against the Wolverines, posting winning times of 22.57 seconds in the 200-meter dash and 48.88 seconds in the 400-meter run. Chance Varnado-Richardson won the 1,600-meter run in 4:36.87 and the 3,200-meter race with a time of 10:06. Tyler Jordan won two field events, clearing 6’4” in the high jump while measuring 21 feet 1 1/2 inches in his best long jump.

Kovach won the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.04 seconds. Logan Peterson threw the discus 153 feet 7 1/2 inches to give Ramona first-place points while Preston Johnson won the shot put with a throw of 49 feet 11 inches. Greg Harrington won the triple jump with a distance of 39 feet 11 1/2 inches.

Ramona’s girls took first place in three events against Westview. Helman ran the 100-meter hurdles in 17.43 seconds,

Chelsey Cortez took 11:45 to win the 3,200-meter race, and Kirstyn Pagano totaled 31’0” in the triple jump.

The Dick Wilkins Frosh-Soph Invitational utilized a 10-pound shot put, and Johnson’s throw of 51 feet 11 1/2 inches gave the Ramona sophomore a second-place medal.

Ramona’s boys distance medley team finished second with a time of 11:08.21; Blankenbaker began the race with a 1,200-meter segment, William Wenberg ran the 400-meter portion, Jose Pilar represented Ramona for the 800-meter leg, and Richardson anchored the race with a 1,600-meter performance.

Wenberg added a third-place medal in the 400-meter run after a performance which took 53.34 seconds.

Caitlin Choy narrowly missed a medal in two girls events but set personal records in both, finishing fourth in the 100-meter dash at 13.13 seconds and fifth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.76 seconds. Freshman Carlee Roberts placed sixth in the girls 300-meter hurdles at 52.71 seconds.

“We didn’t have a lot of people in the meet,” Albanese said. “Those that did go performed really well.”

Ramona’s final dual meet of the season will take place today, when the Bulldogs host Oceanside.