The high school track and field season has come to an end for many local programs in the Santa Clarita Valley. And for the Canyon High School track and field program, George Velarde and his Cowboys had a good weekend at the state championship in Clovis after the girls’ relay ream secured a new school record and state runner-up title in the 4×100-meter.
“It’s pretty exciting. Every single girl just ran solid,” Velarde said. “They ran for each other, and they got rewarded by being a runner up.”
The girls’ 4×100-meter relay team, which consists of Kameron Smith, Alaya Graves-Hogains, Lyric Scott and Emoni Wright, ended as runner-up in the state and broke Canyon High’s time record in the competition.
With a 45.87 in the state championship, the Cowboys’ 4×100-meter relay team shattered the school record at the California Interscholastic Federation track and field championship, a feat that Velarde said his girls have been trying to achieve for the whole season.
“All the credit goes to coach George Stansell. He’s our sprint coach, and he’s done a fantastic job in getting these girls bought in what we’re trying to accomplish,” Velarde said. “And to run our very best at the very end — you know, that’s very difficult to do.”
In the 4×400-meter, Canyon’s girls’ relay team of Scott, Graves-Hogains, Keziah Webster and Khloe McCoy secured a top three finish in the state.
With a total time of 3:44.56, the Cowboys finished eight seconds off the pace and as bronze medalists in the state championship.
“All season long, they’ve been gradually improving and were rewarded with a third place,” Velarde said. “We could not have asked for a much better day besides us doing better than that.”
As a team, the girls’ side for the Cowboys finished ranked 13th out of 87 schools that competed throughout the weekend. And for Velarde, the high placement reflects growth for him and the program as he also is looking forward to the girls who medaled at the championship to return for next season.
“All the girls that competed this weekend are all coming back next year and as long as they’re injury-free and keep working on and improving, then hopefully who knows where they land,” he said. “It’s very rewarding, very humbling of how this program has gradually taken steps from league to CIF and now make noise at the state level.”
West Ranch’s Avery Prestridge, who was the only other local athlete to advance past the state’s championship preliminary round, placed fourth in the high jump finals with a total score of 5 feet and 4 inches.
