The Golden Valley track and field program had plenty of hype heading into this season on both the boys and the girls side.
The Grizzlies lived up to that hype on Wednesday afternoon as the boys beat Valencia 105.5-30.5 and the girls beat the Vikings 93-42.
“Iron sharpens iron, so we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do and we’ll keep our head forward, keep pushing each other,” said Golden Valley’s Elijha Ellis. “We’ve got to believe in each other and believe in God and we’ll be good.”
Freshman Nevaeh Williams made herself known in her first-ever varsity Foothill League meet. Williams helped the girls 4×100 relay team to a first-place finish with a time of 48.51 seconds, then proceeded to win the girls 100-meter dash (12.53) and the girls 200 (25.54).
“Kind of nervous because I knew I was going be on varsity,” Williams said of the start of her freshman year. “So I know I was going to be running against 12th graders and like 18-year-olds, so I’m kind of nervous but I feel pretty confident right about now and I just have to keep on working.”
Williams ran with Makayla Washington, Jade Teal and Ta’ahjah Fann in the 4×100 relay. The Grizzlies’ 4×400 relay team also picked up a win (4:08.40) with Iran Holmes, Tylar Gallien, Jennifer Santiago and Teal.
Holmes also won the 400 with a time of 1:00.36.
The Golden Valley boys had multiple runners make an impact on the track. Ellis and Tyler Walker were involved in the first-place boys 4×100 relay team (43.06), then Ellis went on to win the boys 100-meter dash (10.97) and the boys 200 (22.53), while Walker won the boys 400-meter dash (49.70).
The boys 4×100 team was comprised of Ellis, Walker, Maximiliano Gabriel and Kory Bacon. Golden Valley also won the 4×400 relay with Antonio Abrego, Kevin Munoz, Bacon and Walker in 3:30.06.
“The chemistry is great it all relies on trust, and that’s what our team has. We’re in it together, good as a team because when one is weak we hold up each other,” Ellis said.
The Grizzlies picked up a win in the 800, as Andrew Sandoval clocked 2:11.38.
Valencia’s Andrew Armitage doubled in distance events, winning the 1,600 in 4:41.48 and the 3,200 in 10:32.01.
Munoz of Golden Valley doubled in the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles with times of 16.82 and 41.08, respectively. His teammate Jasmyn Lewis doubled in the girls hurdles, recording 16.26 in the 100 hurdles and 47.72 in the 300 hurdles.
Valencia’s Sydney Makar took first in both the 1,600 (5:09.98) and the 3,200 (12:34.19). Fellow Viking Kamryn Grossman won the 800 in 2:29.06.
In throwing events, Golden Valley’s Imani McGee doubled in girls shot put with a throw of 37 feet, one inch and discus with 97-03. The Grizzlies’ Kienan Donovan also won shot put (57-10.00) and discus (166-08).
Carlos Meza of Golden Valley cleared 6 feet for the high jump title. His teammate Alec Walker cleared 12-06 for a pole vault win and Trystan Gotidoc, also of Golden Valley, won long jump with a leap of 19-03.25. In the triple jump, the Grizzlies’ Jordan Kennon won by jumping 40-03.25.
For the girls, Valencia’s Marika Di Giacomo won pole vault (7-06.00) and her teammate Brenda Suwansawasdi won triple jump (32-01.50). Golden Valley’s Kylee Davis won long jump with a 17-04.00 jump and high jump with a height of 4-10.00.
Valencia will host Hart in the next Foothill League meet, while Golden Valley will be at Canyon. Both meets are scheduled to start at 3 p.m.
