Photo update — North Coast Section MOC Live: Three wins each by Campolindo's Mari Testa, De La Salle's Udeh Chukwunonso lead to team titles

El Cerrito senior Robert Stitts records impressive double in the sprints; Defending state 3200 girls champion Hanne Thomsen breezes to two victories

Friday's trials

From all indications, El Cerrito senior Robert Stitts and Campolindo-Moraga senior Mari Testa are destined for big meets. 

The sprinters blazed to a top times in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes, plus Testa also breezed to the top time in the 100 hurdles in Friday's North Coast Section Meet of Champion trials at Dublin High School. 

Mari Testa (right) won the 100, 200 and 100 hurdles, leading Campolindo to a North Coast Section Meet of Champions title at Dublin High School. Photo: Eric Taylor

Testa had the top short hurdle qualifying mark at 14.25 seconds, more than a second faster than the next fastest time. She also went 12.06 in the 100 and 25.34 in the 200 to set up a monster Saturday. 

Stitts meanwhile recorded CIF title qualifying marks in the 100 (10.43) and 200 (21.48), both close to 0.50 faster than the next qualifying mark into the finals.

Robert Stitts (middle) is having a monster senior season. Photo: Eric Taylor

Six field-event champions were crowned Friday night:  

• Eureka senior Jamin Guilbert (discus, 164 feet, 4 inches)

• Maria Carrillo-Santa Rosa senior Alexis Hunt (high jump, 5-6)

• Bishop O'Dowd sophomore Jackson Hazer (triple jump, 43-5.75)

• San Ramon Valley senior Derek Lo (pole vault, 13-8) — He had fewer misses than Michael Mitchell of Washington-Fremont, who also cleared 13-8 

• Campolindo junior Pinkie Schnayer (shot put, 39-7.75)

• Carondelet senior Brianna Meredith (triple jump, 34-10.75)

North Coast Section Meet of Champions finals Saturday live report

Check back here throughout Saturday night for updates of the finals with help from the NCS website with all the results. See also the San Jose Mercury News story with quotes from the athletes. 

Pittsburg Acalanes start fast: Under cool and breezy conditions, Acalanes-Lafayette shocked many by winning the NCS Tri-Valley meet in a superlative 41.28 time last week. But the Dons proved it was no fluke, winning Saturday's MOC in 41.45. The team of Ethan Torres, Kyle Bielawski, Trevor Rogers and Paul Kihner have a good shot at making state finals with that mark. They just edged De La Salle (41.67) and El Cerrito (41.89), which had the lead after a strong second leg from Stitts. 

Acalanes wins boys 4x100 relay at NCS MOC in a sizzling 41.46 | ⁦@acalanesdons⁩ ⁦@leftwich⁩ ⁦@joseph_dycus⁩ ⁦@MitchBookLive⁩ pic.twitter.com/zR10JXP2TK

— Darren Sabedra (@DarrenSabedra) May 21, 2023

The Pittsburg girls also repeated their title from the Tri-Valley meet taking Saturday's MOC championship in a time of 48.28, breezing past Maria Carrillo (48.51). Pitt won last week at Tri-Valley in a season best of 47.10. 

Pittsburg wins the girls 4x100 in 48.28. ⁦@CIFNCS⁩ MOC is off and running | ⁦@joseph_dycus⁩ ⁦@leftwich⁩ ⁦@GReeves23⁩ ⁦@MitchBookLive⁩ ⁦@JensenPhil⁩ pic.twitter.com/xYnwnejpE4

— Darren Sabedra (@DarrenSabedra) May 21, 2023

Defending state champ breezes: Montgomery sophomore Hanne Thomsen, the defending state 3200 champion, conserved some energy while taking the 1600 in 4:51.77 over Sonoma Academy junior Athena Ryan (4:55.91). Thomsen, who had run 4:46.61 at the Stanford Invitational in March, came back later Saturday to win easily in the 3200 (10:30.40), over Campolindo senior Ellie Buckley (10:44.97). Thomsen ran 9:55.31 at Arcadia in April. 

Hanne Thompson on her way to victory in the 1600 on Saturday at Dublin High. Photo: Eric Taylor

Malko-Allen holds on: St. Mary's-Berkeley senior Mateo Malko-Allen held on to edge Albany junior Luca Cohen to win the boys 1600, 4:11.44 to 4:12.18. Cohen holds the section's top time this season, while winning at the Sacramento Meet of Champions in 4:09.97. 

Testa starts fast: In her quest for three individual titles, the Campolindo senior had no trouble winning the 100 hurdles in a wind-aided 14.28, just off her season best of 14.20. Alessandra Ionescuu-Zanetti, of Berkeley, was second in 15.33. 

Campolindo senior Mari Testa leans at the line to win the first of her three titles, this in the 100 hurdles. Photo: Eric Taylor 

De La Salle, Udeh takes command: De La Salle is well in front of the boys team race with 47 points to 18 for James Logan after Spartans' senior Udeh Chukwunonso Udeh takes the 110 high hurdles in 14.36 over Pittsburg junior La'Rico Tezeno (14.74). Udeh is the star of the boys meet after also recording field event wins in the high jump (6-4) and long jump (23-9.25), the latter aided by a 3.6 wind. His previous best in the long jump was 23-1.25 at the East Bay Athletic League finals.  

Udeh Chukwunonso exalts after winning the 110 high hurdles. Photo: Eric Taylor

Testa, Stitts blaze with wind: The marks won't count, but Testa and Stitts recorded blazing 100 times en route to titles. Testa scored her second win, taking the 100 in 11.94 over Lick-Wilmerding's Sophie Spokes (12.07). They were aided with a 3.4-meters-per-second wind. Stitts, aided by a 3.2 wind, recorded a lifetime best of 10.35. De La Salle freshman Jaden Jefferson was second at 10.71. Stitts top legal time is 10.45 set at Sacramento Meet of Champions. 

Best race of the day: The best race of the night, according to at least two track experts, was in the boys 400, where Dublin senior Alexander Franco outleaned Moreau Catholic senior Bryce Thomas, 48.65 to 48.67. Thomas, with a best of 47.93 set at Arcadia, was the favorite, but Franco, with a best of 48.60, won at the wire. 

Franco (left) somehow overcame Thomas in a photo finish. Photo: Eric Taylor

Peters shines: One of the best athletes in the Bay Area, Monte Vista-Danville senior Cate Peters won a terrific 800 showdown with College Park senior Jessica Chisar, winning in 2:12.77 to 2:13.23. Monte Vista, with 27 points through 12 events, is chasing Campolindo (37) for the team title. In the boys 800, prohibitive favorite Parker Long (1:53.80) won handily over San Domenico junior Joaquin Foster (1:54.60). Long has a best of 1:53.25 set early in the season. 

Convent of Sacred Heart junior takes historic title: Convent of The Sacred Heart junior Charlotte Lyon became the school's first NCS MOC champion by taking the 300 hurdles in 45.15, better than her previous best coming into the meet by more than a second (46.29). She held off Pittsburg freshman Amirat (Temi) Aganju (45.94). ... Pittsburg junior La'Rico Texeno won the boys 300 hurdles in 39.50. 

Testa triples, Stitts doubles: Testa won her third title by taking the 200 in 25.02, just edging International junior Nairobi Smith (25.18). On a breezy night, the wind reading was at.a legal 1.8. Unfortunately in the boys race, it picked up slightly to 2.1, making Stittls' 200 title win in 21.31 not wind legal. His best time of the season coming into the meet was 21.67. 

Robert Stites with one of his two NCS sprint titles. Photo: Eric Taylor

Memorable 3200: Granada-Livermore senior Roland Ruckmann-Barnes had the fifth best 3200 time of the season among NCS runners heading into Saturday's finals. He left home a champion after running a lifetime best of 9:02.27, edging Monte Vista senior Ethan Miller (9:03.15). 

Other field winners Saturday: Here is a listing of field event winners from Saturday

• McKinleyville senior Derek Ray (shot put, 54-3)

• Pittsburg senior Lauren Lemire (discus, 131-11)

• Castro Valley senior Lynee Sims (long jump, 18-5.50)

• Maria Carrillo senior Lily Mulligan (pole vault, 12-7)

Peters finishes: Off her 800 win, Peters anchored Monte Vista's winning 1600 relay win in 3:52.76, winning handily over runner-up Lick-Wilmerding (3:59.71). The winning mark was just off the team's season best of 3:52.14 at Arcadia. 

Home finish: Host Dublin won the meet's final event, the boys 1600 relay in 3:23.60, holding off Piedmont (3:24.58) and Clayton Valley (3:25.26). The team of Joshua Arvealo, Alexander Franco, Sebastian Guinther and Manyu Yara was just off its best time of 3:22.28. 

Team champions: De La Salle, behind the three wins from Udeh, won the boys team title with 58 points to 30 for runner-up El Cerrito, followed by Granada and Moreau Catholic with 27 apiece and Pittsburg (26). 

Campolindo, behind the three victories by Testa, won the girls title with 55 points, followed by Monte Vista (41), Maria Carrillo (38), Montgomery (35) and Pittsburg (30.5).

Photos below from Saturday's NCS MOC finals at Dublin by Eric Taylor: 

Mari Testa (middle) wins the 200 finals over Nairobi Smith (right) and Eden Enoru (left)

More Testi, winning the 100 overl Sophie Spokes (left) and Taryn Fettig (right)

Dublin's Alexander Franco taking off in the 400. 

Montgomery sophomore Hanne Thomsen winning the 1600