MCAL Meet Story from today's league final

From Marin IJ

Prep track and field: Both Redwood teams triumph at league championship meet

Thanks to San Rafael coach Jason Jacobson for the following recap

The MCAL Track & Field Finals was held today at Redwood High School. Field event finals in the long jump, shot put, and pole vault were contested. All the running events were finals today. It has incredibly hot for the athletes today. So hot in fact that the photographs for the Auto Timing actually melted at one point causing a need for a change in devices. Easily in the 90 degrees and hotter on the turf and the track, the MCAL athletes handled the weather conditions extremely well. There was virtually no wind to speak of.

There were a ton of highlights across all the events. The MCAL is incredibly deep in several events it is quite remarkable what marks were needed just to advance out of our league this year!

--Erik Olson ran an amazing 1600m. Out fast from the gun with near even splits the entire way, he blazed an incredible 4:09.60. This is the Number 2 All-Time MCAL mark in the 1600m. Dan Milechman, the intrepid and gutsy sophomore talent from Tamalpais did his best to stay on his heels for as long as possible, but Erik is in another stratosphere right now. It took a time of 4:29 in the oppressive heat just to qualify for next weekend's NCS Redwood Empire. Erik then came back and easily won the 3200m with a time of 9:23.30.

--On the girls side, Theresa Devine, another Junior, of Marin Catholic began her potential journey to Fresno with easy wins in the 1600m (5:22) and 3200m (11:51). She looked incredibly strong and smooth, unpressed the entire way in the unrelenting heat.

--Lilla McMillan, just a Freshman of Tamalpais was completely dominant in the sprint showing everyone else her heels from the gun. She decimated with the fields in the 100m (12.56) and 200m (25.83) and looks to be an extremely strong force come NCS and beyond. Lindsay Bedard of Redwood went sub 60 in the 400m to win (59.76), then came back to place 2nd to Lilla in the 200m (26.31).

--Ryan Healey is looking on this State Meet form, not only winning the High Jump on Thursday, but running heroic efforts and winning stacked 400m (49.32) and 200m (22.27). Blaire White of Marin Catholic was on his heels with a sub 50 clocking too (49.96). In the 200m, Ryan outdistanced Novato sprint sensation Evan Meehan, winner of the 100m. Evan nearly dipped sub 11 with a fine time of 11.01. Evan went 22.56 in the 200m. It took 51.78 to make it out of the MCAL in the 400m this year!

--Emily Livingston took on one of the hardest doubles with a 2nd in the 400m (60.08) and then came back to run a strong controlled 800m and secure first place (2:21). It took 62 seconds to move onto NCS Redwood Empire in the gals 400m this year.

--There was a ton of yelling at the Shot Put ring with the boys in particular putting up some immense marks. Two incredible sophomores, Sam Perrella of Redwood and Mauricio Cornejo of Terra Linda had an epic back and forth battle with puts of 49-08.50 and 49-01.50, respectively.

--The boys in the pole vault are amazing this year. Cody Cunnington of Drake, who had to run in the 100m finals in the middle of his vaulting, still went sky high for 15-00" and the win.

--David Namnath of Terra Linda was in another dimension in the hurdles. He attacked both races with such aggression, leaving tons of room between him and his nearest competitors. He is now firmly on the NCS map as one to reckon with, in line with such an incredible rich tradition of TL hurdlers. He is more than just carrying the Trojan torch, he is lighting his own on fire. He ran 15.33 (110mHH) and 39.94 (300mIH) (#6 AT MCAL).

--Drake continues to produce impressive 4x400m Relay teams in the girls year after year. In a near wire to wire win, they ran a stellar 4:11, with Tamalpais at 4:13.

--Team-wise, Redwood HS took BOTH the girls and boys titles to go along with their dual meet championships.