The Los Altos High track and field team “had a great day” at the St. Francis Invitational, according to coach Steph MacKenzie – with one Eagle having his best day of the season Saturday.
“The highlight for sure was the outstanding performances by senior Zach Fagin,” she said.
Competing in the top-tier Invitational division, Fagin won the 100-meter dash in 10.84 seconds, breaking the school record he set last year (10.93). The Cornell University commit also claimed the long jump with a personal-best 22 feet, 8.25 inches and took second in the high jump by clearing 6-2.
On the girls side, Los Altos dominated the Invitational mile, with four Eagles placing in the top eight – paced by winner Lauren Soobrian. Running her first race of the season, the Duke University-bound senior “took the lead early and held on for the win against some very fast finishers from Menlo-Atherton and Palo Alto,” MacKenzie said. Soobrian finished in 5:03.15.
Jasleen Sidhu placed fourth with a personal-best 5:05.45, Emily Soobrian (Lauren’s younger sister) came in fifth with a personal record of 5:06.29 and Ella Fadil was eighth with a 5:07.98.
Los Altos’ other win came from senior Megan MacKenzie in the triple jump. The coach’s daughter recorded a 37-5.5.
Fiona Bodkin was the runner-up in the 3,000-meter run (10:32.47) and Lily Symon secured second in the 800 run (2:23.57), in which teammate Maddy Randall placed third (2:24.58).
Mountain View sophomore Hannah Rutherford’s winning time of 55.41 in the 400 dash set the school record. She placed second in the 100 (12.46).
Baseball
After back-to-back wins earlier in the week, Los Altos met its match Saturday. The Eagles fell 6-4 at Aptos in another non-league game.
Stuart Cash and Kyle McKinney drove in runs in the top of the fifth inning to give Los Altos a 3-2 edge, but it didn’t last long. The Mariners put up two runs in the bottom of the frame – helped by two Eagle errors – to take the lead for good.
Aptos extended its advantage in the sixth; two walks, two hit basemen and a wild pitch led to a pair of runs.
“Those runs would prove decisive,” Los Altos coach Gabe Stewart said, “as the Eagles did not quit.”
With two away in the seventh, Quinn Chiochios and McKinney drew back-to-back walks, and pinch-hitter Darrion Wesley singled to cut Los Altos’ deficit to 6-4. Gareth Cartier’s infield single loaded the bases, but the Mariners’ reliever got Eric Colgrove to ground out to end the game.
The Eagles, who defeated Rancho San Juan of Salinas on the road and at home earlier in the week, enter today’s SCVAL De Anza Division opener against visiting Santa Clara at 4-2 overall. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
Softball
Mountain View rallied late to beat rival Los Altos 5-4 Thursday in De Anza Division play.
The host Spartans trailed 4-0 after five innings but put up five runs in the sixth and held the Eagles scoreless in the seventh.
Mia Ravishankar drove in two runs for Mountain View, which improved to 1-1 in league and 3-3 overall. Hannah Black added an RBI double.
Freshman pitcher Allison Marcellino went the distance to earn the win; she struck out four batters and allowed four hits.
Sophia Asar, who allowed only two earned runs and recorded four strikeouts, took the loss for Los Altos (0-1, 2-3).
Kaitlyn Smiley notched two hits for the Eagles and Lauren Han doubled to drive in a run.
St. Francis squeaked by Aragon 2-1 Thursday on a two-run single in the third inning from Kate Munnerlyn, who also pitched an 11-strikeout no-hitter for the host Lancers (2-0).
