Spirits claim four medals at section track finals
Spirits earn four medals in five events
The Paraclete track and field team earned four medals in five events at the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 Finals at Carpinteria High School on June 12.
Sophomore Brianna Delgado and freshman Zariah Walker competed in three events each for the Spirits.
Delgado finished third in the girls 800 meters with a time of 2 minutes, 18.04 seconds, just .01 off her personal-best she set in the prelims.
“I was very excited that I made it to the CIF finals for all three of my events, but it was definitely nerve-racking because I knew that there was going to be a lot more competition and this was my first year of track,” Delgado said. “I was nervous for my 800 because I was aware that there were about three other girls that I was very close in time with, so I knew that it was going to be a good race.
“I was happy after finishing my 800, because I knew that I had done the best I could do.”
Walker finished fifth in the girls 200-meter dash, earning all-CIF honors as the top six in each event medal. She finished with a time of 25.92, while the winning time was 24.62.
Delgado and Walker then teamed up with sophomore Lauren Dace and junior Clarisse Angeles to take fifth place in the girls 4x400 relay with a season-best time of 4:11.76.
“We were happy with the result,” Delgado said. “That was our personal best and we were happy that we placed.”
Delgado, Walker, Dace and junior Nailah Ali finished eighth in the girls 4x100, but did it with a season-best time of 51.05.
Medaling at two events and reaching the finals in three events was a big accomplishment for Delgado, who also reached the CIF finals in girls soccer and went to the state regional semifinals with the soccer team, leaving her little time to prepare for big track events.
“I’m proud of all of us and I’m happy with the results we had this year,” Delgado said. “We did great, considering the way the season was because of COVID. I struggled to make it to any track practices.
“I play soccer, too, and our school soccer season went longer because we made it to CIF as well, so it was difficult to make it to both.”
Junior Treyshun Hurry, the lone Paraclete boys competitor, took third in the boys long jump with a leap of 21-05.25.
The Paraclete girls finished 12th overall at the meet, while Hurry’s finish left the Paraclete boys tied for 25th.
Hurry won the long jump at the Gold Coast League finals with a personal-best 21-06.00. He also ran personal-bests with a second-place finish in the 200 (23.53) and a third-place finish in the 100 (11.67).
Delgado won the 800 (2:19.01), while Walker won the 200 (26.31) and took third in the 300-meter hurdles with a personal-best 50.61.
Dace ran a personal-best 13.96 to win the 100 and took third in the long jump with a personal-best leap of 14-02.
The 4x100 girls relay team took second (51.59) and the 4x400 relay team won with a time of 4:14.63.
Paraclete freshman Jessica Clemmons finished third in the girls shot (22-01) and the discus (53-00).
Paraclete senior Joshua Sims won the league title in the 400 with a personal-best time of 53.59, while junior Isaiah Davila won the 300 hurdles (47.97) followed by sophomore teammate Caleb Ponder in second with a personal-best 53.94.
With almost every sport occurring at the same time in the spring because of COVID, the athletes are hoping next year each season gets its own time.
Especially Delgado, who is looking forward to a normal season and more success in track in 2022.
“I’m looking forward to it,” she said.