Mustangs push track and field dual meet win streak to 48-0

In a sport that depends on numbers to determine winners, the Otay Ranch High School track and field team appears to have mastered that.

The Mustangs improved to 48-0 in varsity boys, varsity girls, junior varsity girls and junior varsity boys dual meet competition after out-pacing host Bonita Vista on April 10.

Otay Ranch defeated the Barons 91-40 in boys varsity and 94-37 in girls varsity,
The Mustangs opened the Metro-Mesa League season with a sweep against Olympian High School on March 26.

Is there a record for this? Certainly, there has to be! If not, there is one now.

“We have a lot of depth,” head coach Jonathan Bajet said. “For instance, we had 10 runners who have gone under five minutes in the mile.”

Bajet assumes head coaching duties after seven years as an assistant coach. He graduated from Otay Ranch with league titles in the shot put and discus throw.

“It’s been a slow welcome back,” he said. “Being in this position, I’m in the spotlight now, so there are different responsibilities. I enjoy being back.

“The expectation is that we always want to win league. We want to make the CIF finals.”

Top performers this spring include senior Zamaria Mack and senior Dallas Corbett in the sprints, senior Aviva DeVore in the distances and senior Claire Schroeder in the jumps.

Mack and DeVore are off to strong seasons.

Mack is a two-time state meet qualifier. She’s bidding for a third time, which is almost unheard of at the high school level. However, she is motivated to keep improving.

“It was a shock,” Mack admitted upon competing at the state meet as a sophomore. “It was real. I saw what I had to do to belong there. I want to belong there.”

Mack’s specialty is the 100 and 300 low hurdles events, but she has expanded her repertoire to include the 100 and 200 sprints.

She finished fourth in the 100 hurdles with a personal record time of 14.29 seconds at last Saturday’s Arcadia Invitational, seventh in the 300 hurdles with a 42.19 PR.

She finished 13th in the 300 hurdles at last year’s state championship meet. She competed in the state prelims in the 100 hurdles two years ago.

Mack has won both hurdles events in each of the last two Mesa League finals.

Junior Dane von Guenthner cleared 14-6 at the Mustangs’ dual meet April 10 at Bonita Vista High School and advanced that mark to 14-7 at the Arcadia Invitational two days later. His career best is 15-3 set in a dual against Rancho Bernardo on March 20.

His tops last year was 13-0 after clearing 12-0 to place runner-up at the Mesa League championship meet.

DeVore finished second at league finals in both the 1600 and 3200 last year to Eastlake superwoman Jaelyn Williams, a two-time state medalist and last year’s 3200 state champion.

Track & Field
Otay Ranch at Bonita Vista
Thursday, April 10
Metro-Mesa League

Running Events
B100: 1. Sean Burks (OR) 11.14, 2. Creig Bell Jr. (OR) 11.50
G100: 1. Zamaria Mack (OR) 12.19, 2. Jamiya Marie Valencia (BV) 12.39
B200: 1. Brandon Rosales (BV) 22.92, 2. Sean Burks (OR) 23.27
G200: 1. (tie) Jamiya Marie Valencia (BV) 26.30, Sofia Garay (BV) 26.30
B400: 1. Dallas Corbett (OR) 50.53, 2. Mercy Kouadio (OR) 52.87
G400: 1. Shilah Coco (OR) 1:03.00, 2. Maleah Porch (OR) 1:06.74
B800: 1. Aaron Tighe (BV) 2:07.04, 2. Julian Valdivia (BV) 2:09.63
G800: 1. Sayen Osorio (OR) 2:40.14, 2. Zaira Padilla (OR) 2:41.85
B1600: 1. Adan Hurtado (BV) 4:42.36, 2. Grady Stephens (OR) 4:42.45
G1600: 1. Aviva Devore (OR) 5:30.95, 2. Renee Khuong (BV) 5:35.81
B3200: 1. Adan Hurtado (BV) 10:24.36, 2. Caleb Camarena (OR) 10:28.99
G3200: 1. Aviva Devore (OR) 13:29.13, 2. Sofia Carrillo (OR) 14:26.54
B110HH: 1. Mekielle Hollinquest (OR) 16.11, 2. Vi Barker (OR) 17.91
G100LH: 1. Zamaria Mack (OR) 14.70, 2. Alexa Amador (OR) 17.65
B300IH: 1. Mikielle Hollinquest (OR) 46.31, 2. Gabriel Colon Gipson (OR) 44.06
G300LH: 1. Alexa Amador (OR) 49.28, 2. Kahnee Atrushi (OR) 51.89
B4x100: 1. Otay Ranch 43.68, 2. Bonita Vista 46.11
G4x100: 1. Bonita Vista 49.23, 2. Otay Ranch 49.64

Field Events
BHJ: 1. Adrian Cruz (BV) 5-8, 2. Keylon McLendon (OR) 5-6
GHJ: 1. Claire Schroeder (OR) 5-2, 2. Sydney Asman (BV) 4-8
BPV: 1. Dane von Guenthner (OR) 14-6, 2. Nicolas Wise (BV) 10-0
GPV: 1. Koey Wu (OR) 7-6, 2. Beatrice Timple (OR) 7-0
BSP: 1. Aden Knox (OR) 43-9.5, 2. Gio Spain (OR) 43-9
GSP: 1. Jamiaya Banks (OR) 29-7, 2. Julia Dela Cruz (OR) 28-10.5
BDT: 1. Kurstin Mitchell (OR) 131-5, 2. Gio Spain (OR) 120-0
GDT: 1. Maelanie Magale (OR) 98-3, 2. Julia Dela Cruz (OR) 88-7
BLJ: 1. Adrian Cruz (BV) 20-, 2. Mercy Kouadio (OR) 20-0
GLJ: 1. Christina Harris (BV) 17-9, 2. Alexa Amador (OR) 16-8.5
BTJ: 1. Adrian Cruz (BV) 42-0, 2. Marcos Heredia (OR) 37-7
GTJ: 1. Christina Harris (BV) 37-7, 2. Danica Lee (OR) 31-11

Photos by Phillip Brents