Stamatia Scarvelis fell short of the 50-foot mark in the girls shot put at Saturday?s 75th Santa Barbara Easter Relays, but the Dos Pueblos junior was still the class of the field and successfully defended her title with a throw of 47-11 at La Playa Stadium.
Scarvelis, the reigning CIF State Champion, overcame a wobbly first attempt and was throwing in the 47-foot area on her remaining attempts.
?I?m back on the right track,? she said. ?There were a couple of meets where I was (weight) lifting through them. This was a good transition for the next few weeks.?
Scarvelis will compete at the Stanford and Arcadia Invitationals the next couple of weeks.
?I always want to throw it,? she said about the 50-foot mark. ?I always want to throw far, so I?m not as upset as would be if I peaked for this meet.?
She wasn?t happy with her first throw. She appeared to lose her balance as she released the shot put and it traveled like a baseball infield pop up.
?My opener was interesting,? she said. ?I really slipped; I don?t know what was going on. But my next throw after that was good. If that would have been my opener, I would have been really happy. The entire series was pretty good and consistent. I really like consistency.?
Madison Jacobs of Arroyo Grande was second at 44-10.
In the discus, Scarvelis was beaten for the first time this season, as Ventura?s Katelynn Homb threw a career-best 151-10.50. Scarvelis, who?s gone 154-0, finished at 144-0.75.
She was happy for Homb, who is a training partner.
?I trained with Katelynn all summer and all fall,? she said. ?I?ve seen her and worked with her and she had a big throw coming. She was just waiting to hit one and I?m really happy for her.?
It was a good day for Ventura athletes in the field events.
Holly Tokar of Ventura set a meet record and Ventura County mark in the pole vault by clearing a height of 12-4.
Holly Tokar of the Cougars set an Easter Relays and Ventura County record in the girls pole vault. She cleared 12-4, surpassing the previous county mark of 12-3.5 and the meet record of 12-0, which held since 2001.
?Two weekends ago at the Ventura Invite, I PR?d big and went 12-3, so I just want to go one inch at a time higher and today was a great day,? said Tokar, who gave up playing volleyball this school year to concentrate on her pole vaulting.
?I just want to make it as far as I can and keep getting better one inch at a time,? said Tokar about her goals for the rest of the season.
On the boys side, Ventura?s Eric Beilke unleashed the third best discus throw in the country (180-05) to blow away the field. He has a season-best of 181-10, which ranks second in the U.S. behind the 188-5 of West Hills? Brendan Song.
Beilke also won the boys shot put with a mark of 56-6.50.
In the jumps, Cabrillo?s Rebeckah Miranada won the girls triple jump at 37-8.25. She was a state finalist in the event last year. Niema Poindexter of Dos Pueblos was second (34-0.50), Carolina Vance of San Marcos took third (33-10.50) and Keili Martindale of Santa Barbara grabbed fourth (33-3.75).
Sydney Badger of Las Vegas-Centennial won the 1500 and 3000.
Brent Walker of Santa Barbara won the boys long jump at 20-7.25 and finished third in the high jump at 6-4. Canyons teammates Jeremy Kimmer and Brett Molster each cleared 6-6 to tie for first place.
State finalist Rebeckah Miranda, the county LPL champion in the triple jump, won her specialty with a mark of 37-8.25. Niema Poindexter of Dos Pueblos was second (34-0.50). Caroline Vance third (33-10.50) and Kelli Martindale of Santa Barbara (33-3.75).
Centennial of Las Vegas put on an impressive team performance. The Bulldogs girls won four relays (4×100, 4×200, 4×400 and distance medley) and took second (800 sprint medley) in another. The boys won three relays (4×400, 4×800 and distance medley).
Centennial?s Sydney Badger, one of the girls distance runners in Nevada, put on an impressive performance on the track. She defended her title in the 1500, winning by 10 seconds in 4:40.04, and completed the individual distance double by taking the 3000 meters in 10:11.13. She also was part of the distance medley and 4×400 relays.
The 4×400 relay team set a season best with a time of 4;00.06.
Centennial?s girls also got wins from Tiana Bonds in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.09. and Tamara Williams in the 100 (12.64). Bond, the runner-up in the Nevada State Championships last year, and Williams led the Bulldogs to convincing wins in the 4×100 relay (48.60) and 4×200 relay (1:42.50).
The St. Bonaventure boys showed off their strength in the speed events. Lavan Alston won the 100 meters in 11.24 and the Seraphs took the 4×100 relay (43.55). 4×200 relay (1:30.67) and sprint medley (1:35.76).
Emma Redick of Dos Pueblos wins her heat of the 100-meter dash at the 75th Easter Relays. Her time of 13.09 was fourth overall.
