San Marcos and Santa Barbara both took teams down to compete at the Don Green Invitational on Saturday, a meet split into a upper and underclass divisions.
The Royals had a pair of winners in the fresh/soph division. Elysia Hodges placed first in the 400 with a time of 62 seconds flat. Hodges was second on the podium in the 200 with a time of 26:55 – a personal best for the sophomore. Hannah McDaniel posted a first with a 5-foot-2 leap in the high jump.
Briggs Deardorff also brought the Dons a top finish amongst underclassmen. Deardorff won the 3200 meter in just under 10 minutes (9:56) and recorded a second in the 1600m (4:37). Both times were personal bests according to Santa Barbara head coach Olivia Perdices.
San Marcos coach Marylin Hantgin was boosted by the showing from her elder 4×100 relay. Elden Gil, Justin Duran, Derrick Dallmeyer and Simon Laub – all new to each other as a relay team – raced to a fifth-place finish in 44:89.
San Marcos junior Bennie Kirkwood competed in three events, and cleared 6 feet in the high jump and completed the 100 hurdles in 17:38.
“It was a very long day, but a very good meet for the first one of the year,” summed up Hantgin.
The Royals and the Dons meet head-to-head in Channel League competition on Thursday at San Marcos.
