Tiona Bonds and Sydney Badger ended their high school careers with superb performances Saturday, and in doing so, made sure Centennial won every state team title in their four years there.
“You couldn’t ask for anything better. The weather’s really nice. The track is nice. It’s just good circumstances all the way around,” Bonds said of the Division I girls state track & field meet at Carson High.
Bonds won the 300-meter hurdles in a state-record 41.47 seconds, breaking her old record of 41.84, and more than 2 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.
She and Badger were both on Saturday’s winning 4×400 relay team.
Bonds wasn’t entirely happy with her 300 hurdle race, saying she stutter-stepped on a few hurdles, but she looked as smooth as an Olympian as she cruised to the win.
But Bonds is happy with the track program she helped build at Centennial. The Bulldogs scored 110 points, to 57 for second-place Coronado. Damonte Ranch was third with 47.
“It’s pretty exciting to be able to leave our legacy there,” she said. “It’s really exciting for the team.”
Badger won the 800 (2:10.28) and the 3,200 (11:13.41) as she overtook Reno freshman Kyra Hunsberger (11:15.76) before the last turn.
Hunsberger made a move on the last lap to take a short lead, but Badger quickly reeled her in.
Bonds will continue her running career at Arizona, while Badger is going to Michigan.
Wooster senior Alexis Romero defended her state title in the pole vault, and set a state record, clearing 12 feet, 8 inches.
She attempted 13 feet, but missed, hitting the bar on her way down on her third attempt.
Romero enjoyed her last high school competition, encouraging the crowd to clap as she readied her approach.
“I was really nervous, but excited. It’s my last state championship,” Romero said. “I love starting the clap. It gets my adrenaline pumping.”
Romero wears pink sunglasses while vaulting, a habitthat she picked up after being blinded by the pit early in her career.
Division I-A
Truckee’s Skyler Flora won the 3,200-meter race, and broke a 10-year-old state record, posting a time of 11:22.20.
As the announcer broadcast her time and how close she was to the record, the spectators roared with approval and Flora was almost at a sprint over the final straight. She finished more than 36 seconds ahead of the second-place runner, McKenzie Whimple of Spring Creek (11:58.43).
“That was great motivation to finish, definitely, in this meet,” Flora said of the cheers. “My goal was to win. I wasn’t really going for any specific time. My time was kind of a bonus.”
Flora said she ran a 10:56 earlier this year in Sacramento.
Faith Lutheran took the team title with 134 points, to 87 for Truckee.
Vivian Neff of Elko won the pole vault at 10-0 and Kaylee Turner of Dayton won the shot put with a throw of 37-4. Sparks’ Senifia Po’oi was second at 35-5.25.
Division III
Hannah McCurley of Pershing County won the 100 in 13.15 and Valerie Nix of Incline won the 300 hurdles in 48.23.
White Pine took the team title with 124 points, followed by The Meadows and North Tahoe.
Yerington had the top two shot putters, freshman Kylee Stevens (35-4) and sophomore Kassidy Lommori (35-3.50).
Division IV
Sophomore Megan Damele of Eureka won the 100 in 13.33 and Smith Valley freshman Mattie Johns won the 300 hurdles in 47.70.
Sierra Lutheran took the team title with 114 points, followed by Beatty and Smith Valley.
Kellie Rogaczewski, a Smith Valley sophomore, won the triple jump with a mark of 32-8.75, and her teammate Kelly O’Keefe, sophomore, won the pole vault at 9-3.
STATE TEAM CHAMPIONS
Division I: Centennial
Division I-A: Faith Lutheran
Division III: White Pine
Division IV: Sierra Lutheran
From: http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/high-school/2014/05/25/romero-sets-girls-pole-vault-state-record/9563779/
*** The articles that we post on this website are searched from the Internet and don’t reflect our views. VAULTER Magazine LLC. is bringing the pole vault news to the reader in one central location. ***
