Based on the results of last month’s middle school league and county meets, the local high schools should continue to have formidable track and field teams in the coming years.
A slew of athletes from Egan Junior High and Blach Intermediate School followed stellar performances at the league finals with strong showings at the county championships.
Egan’s seventh-grade girls team won its division at the Valley Athletic League finals and claimed the county crown a week later at the Silicon Valley Middle School Championships.
Egan coach Steve Apfelberg said the school’s “talented seventh-graders won and placed highly in multiple events” at the VAL finals hosted by Graham Middle School May 16 and 17. They racked up 90 points, doubling the score of second-place Miller. Teams from four school districts in the area participated in the meet.
Two members of Egan’s seventh-grade squad won individual events: Maya Meltz (100-meter dash) and Fernanda Mendieta (65 hurdles). Both girls were also on the Vikings’ victorious 4×100 relay team, along with Dylan Harrison and Makayla Mase. Egan placed first in the 4×400 relay as well; the team included Dylan, Ava Belton, Anneliese Braun and Caroline Bygholm.
In addition, Anneliese finished second in the 65 hurdles, triple jump and shot put, while Makayla was the runner-up in the 100 dash and placed fourth in the shot put and fifth in the discus. Three more Vikings placed among the top five in their respective events: Olivia Cheng (fourth in long jump), Linnea Amren (fourth in discus) and Chloe Gamiz (fifth in high jump).
Egan’s seventh-grade girls were just as dominant at the county meet, held May 23 at Westmont High. The Vikings totaled 71 points – a whopping 40 more than second-place Kennedy. Thirty-four schools from three leagues in Silicon Valley took part in the annual meet.
“The point parade resulted from a slew of top-eight showings,” Apfelberg said.
Fernanda won the 65 hurdles, just as she did at the league finals, and was also on the triumphant 4×100 relay team with Maya, Makayla and Dylan. Egan’s 4×400 relay team of Anneliese, Ava, Caroline and Dylan took home another first-place award as well.
Anneliese placed in three individual events: the 65 hurdles (second), triple jump (third) and shot put (fourth). Maya came in second in the 100 dash. Makayla was fifth in the shot put and sixth in the 100 dash.
The Vikings had three seventh-place finishers – Ava (triple jump), Linnea (discus) and Chloe (high jump) – and Olivia placed eighth in the long jump.
Along with the seventh-grade girls, Egan’s eighth-grade boys and girls “turned in some incredible performances” at the county meet, according to Apfelberg.
Yuto Kaplinsky paced the boys by winning the triple jump and placing sixth in the long jump. John Becker secured second in the discus, Micah Ng finished fourth in the triple jump and Ryan Apfelberg was seventh in the 100 dash.
For the girls, Sabrina Neal won the high jump, Natalie Erdell placed third in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump, while Emilia Chen finished eighth in the long jump.
Falcons flourish, too
Blach “qualified a good amount of athletes for the (county meet),” co-head coach Steve Kane said, led by the eighth-grade boys. That team came in second at the league finals and fourth at the Silicon Valley meet.
Three of these eighth-graders placed among the top eight in at least one individual event. Falcons finished one-two in the long jump, with Rimu Torrie claiming the event and Ryan Wong earning runner-up honors. Le Richardson took third in the triple jump.
Martin Markov starred for the seventh-grade boys, winning two gold medals for Blach. He placed first in the 100 dash and also anchored the Falcons’ victorious 4×100 relay team. The foursome of Martin, Jasper Lee, Colin Ching and Kel Scanlon bested its record-setting win at the league finals (50.00 seconds) with a county-record time of 49.03.
Martin’s winning time of 11.87 in the 100 dash at the league finals was also a meet record.
