The California High School varsity track team competed at the Class 3 District 5 Track and Field Championships Saturday, May 11, at Adkins Stadium, Jefferson City, where the top four finishers in each event earned All-District honors and qualified to advance to Class 3 Sectionals Saturday, May 18, at Ozark High School.
Union won the girls' division as a team with 83 points. The Lady Pintos finished seventh with 62. Helias won the boys' division with 111 points. The Pintos finished eighth with 44.5.
Finishing in the top four for California in the girls' division was Sydney Deeken, who placed first in the Long Jump with 18'4 1/2", first in the Triple Jump with 38'3 3/4", second in the High Jump with 5'3", and third in the 200 Meter with 27.2.
"Sydney had another good day," California Coach Rick Edwards said. "She moved on in all four of her events. She also broke her own Long Jump record, and was within 1/4" of her Triple Jump record."
Katie Imhoff placed first in the 1600 Meter with 5:23; Leah Korenberg placed second in the 3200 Meter with 12:00 (a new CHS record), and Lizzy Kirby finished fourth with 12:05.
Finishing in the top four for California in the boys' division were Alexx Lewis, who placed third in the Discus Throw with 149'1"; Nathan Squires, who placed fourth in the Shot Put with 49'11"; Logan Rowles, who placed third in the 400 Meter with 51.70; and Adam Burkett, who placed second in the 3200 Meter with 10:18.
"Our Grotzinger's gang had another very good day," Edwards said, referring to California's distance runners who are coached by Josh Grotzinger. "Three of our four 3200 Meter runners advanced, and Katie Imhoff had a very strong 1600 Meter. Leah Korenberg, Liz Kirby and Adam Burkett all ran good times on a pretty windy day."
Edwards added, "I was proud of Logan Rowles, whose hard work paid off Saturday when he beat a couple of kids who have beat him all year. Our throwers also had a big day. Alexx Lewis had a personal best by 8' in the Discus, Nathan Squires had a 2' personal best and Ramiro Garcia threw 12' farther in the Discus. Coach Jon Lindquist has done a good job with our throwers."
Other results for California athletes at the sectional meet are as follows: In the girls' division, Jasmine Wells placed fifth in the 300 Meter Hurdles with 50.39, and Libby Martin placed eighth in the 400 Meter with 66.21.
"Jasmine Wells had a personal best in all four of her events," Edwards said. "I was real happy with her efforts."
In the boys' division for California, Garcia placed seventh in the Discus Throw with 142'1"; Walker Borghardt placed fifth in the 100 Meter with 11.97, seventh in the 200 Meter with 24.7, sixth in the Triple Jump with 40'8", and seventh in the Long Jump with 20'4"; Luke Burger placed seventh in the Pole Vault with 11'6"; Justin Mitchell placed seventh in the 800 Meter with 2:11; and Rowles placed eighth in the 200 Meter with 24.8.