Johnson leads Oak Park charge at Russell Cup

Oak Park’s Tayler Johnson was into breaking things on Saturday at the 91st Russell Cup. Records, that is.

The Eagles’ senior broke three meet records, including two of her own from last year, and was named Outstanding Female Athlete for the second year in a row.

Oaks Christian’s Niko Di Martino was recognized as the same on the boys side for breaking another meet record in the 200-meters, one of three events he won.

Oaks Christian's Niko Di Martino sets the pace in the boys 200-meter.

Oak Park's Tayler Johnson makes her approach to the high-jump bar.

[nggallery id=23]There were a total of 12 meet records that fell on a perfectly pleasant day at Carpinteria Valley Memorial Stadium, the same venue that will host the Santa Barbara County Championships next Saturday.

EVENT RESULTS

TEAM SCORES

Johnson’s broke her own records in the long jump and 100 hurdles. Johnson beat the field by over a second with a time of 14.46 and leaped 18 feet, five inches. Her new record came in the high jump, where her leap of 5’6″ was matched by Pasadena Poly’s Zibby Bower.

Johnson led her Eagles to dethroning St. Joseph’s as the girls team champion while Oak Park’s boys posted points in just about every event to take the team title.

Di Martino’s record-breaking time in the 200 was 21.89. Di Martino also threatened the oldest record at the Russell Cup, dating back to 1939. Di Martino’s winning jump of 22’2″ was three inches short.

Oak Christian’s Alexandra Courtnall is the fastest girl in Russel Cup history with new meet records in the 100- and 200-meter sprints. Courtnall’s time in the 100 was 12.29.

Other meet records were set in the girls varsity 3200, shot put and pole vault, plus boys frosh/soph pole vault and the 4×100 and 400 relays.

Carpinteria’s Kelsey Drain and Lacey Bushey share this year’s Barney Milne Trophy, given to the host Warriors’ top point-getters. Drain won the girls frosh/soph 300 hurdles and Bushey was second in the 400-meters. Both were members of the Warriors 4×400 relay team that placed fifth.