The Placer High Hillgal Pole Vaulters Tawny Lambuth and Dylan Swisley put on a terrific show for the crowd at the Division III Section Trials, Wednesday afternoon at Modesto Junior College. Lambuth avenged a second place finish to Tess Balcomb of Colfax at last weeks PVL Championship by winning the Division III crown with a personal best of 12’ 0”. Swisley completed the impressive Placer effort by placing third with her personal best vault of 11’ 6”. Talcomb took second at 11’ 6” on fewer attempts.

In qualifying heats, Placer runners did well in spite of falling off from their season best performances. To facilitate ease of reading, the qualifying times and positions for Placer athletes are listed by the order of events with season best times in “( )”. Top nine in the running event trials move to the finals. There were no trials in the 1600m and 3200m runs:

Event: Leading qualifying time

4 x 100m Relay Boys > 5th @ 44.1 (43.58) 43.70

Girls > 3rd @ 52.34 (50.86) 51.46

110m Hurdles Boys > B. Peterson, 9th @ 15.98 (15.96) 14.73

Girls > Swisley, 5th @ 16.25 (16.25*) 15.01

400m Boys > B. Gotzmer @52.00 (51.01); DNQ 50.25

Halvorsen @ 53.77 (52.01); DNQ

Girls > No Placer entrants

100m Boys > Freie, 7th @ 11.29 (10.94) 11.01

Girls > Lambuth, 6th @ 12.97 (12.84) 12.54

800m Boys > Stancliff, 2nd @ 2:02.03 (2:01.77) 2:01.84

Lazar, 6th @ 2:03.04 (2:00.75)

Girls > H. Peterson, 4th @ 2:28.45 (2:25.06) 2:26.25

300m Hurdles Boys > B. Peterson, 6th @ 41.3 (39.94) 39.35

D. Hicks @ 43.81; DNQ

Girls > No Placer Entrants

200m Boys > B. Gotzmer @ 23.59 (22.94); DNQ 22.11

Girls > Lambuth, 5th @ 26.95 (26.64) 26.19

4 x 400m Relay Boys > A. Gotzmer, 2nd @ 3:29.7 (3:26.65) 3:25.81

Kenoyer, Lazar, B. Peterson

Girls > Reese, 3rd @ 4:11.7 (4:08.78) 4:08.36

Peterson, Byrd, Reeves

DNQ = Did not qualify for finals

* = New season best performance

Additional Placer Competitors for Thursday’s Finals:

EVENT

1600m Boys > Tomas Evangelista – Sr (1st), Stancliff (2nd), Stuart Ballew – Sr (3rd)

Girls > Jordan Burke – Sr (1st), Shannon Harcus – So (2nd)

3200m Boys > Evangelista (3rd)

Girls > Burke (1st), Harcus (2nd)

Discus Boys > Tony Mangino-Sr (2nd), Caleb Cartwright–Sr (3rd)

Girls > No qualifiers

High Jump Girls > Bailey Bill – Jr (2nd)

Pole Vault Boys > Derrick Hinch – Jr (1st)

Trials Notes:

In the running events, Matt Freie and Tawny Lambuth ran very well to make the 100m finals. Freie was seeded 16th and improved to 7th for the finals. Lambuth was seeded 13th and moved up to 6th for the finals. Lambuth also ran well to qualify for the 200m finals. All three Placer 800m qualifiers cruised through the trials into Thursdays finals, matching their overall seeding. Lazar and Stancliff looked strong in their runs and look good to place high in the finals. Hannah Peterson also ran well qualifying in the fourth position with a good chance to improve on her place in the finals. Bruno Gotzmer (200m & 400m) and Max Halverson (400m) had a frustrating day as both runners failed to qualify for the finals.

In the hurdle events, Dylan Swisley continued to improve in the 100m Intermediate Hurdles, posting a seasons best 16.25 to qualify 5th for the finals. Bryce Peterson matched his 9th place seeding in the 110 High Hurdles, qualifying in 9th with a near season best of 15.98. Peterson qualified fourth in the 300m Intermediate Hurdles. Derrick Hicks finished fourth in his 300m heat and did not qualify for the finals.

The field event finals were split between Tuesday and Thursday. In addition to the Girls Pole Vault, finals were conducted for Girls and Boys Triple Jump, Boys High Jump, Girls Discus and Boys Shot Put. I regret that I do not have results other than for the Pole Vault. All omissions will be included in the Div III Finals report.