Saturday April 21st is the Viking Classic at Montgomery High and it looks to be a great meet.
The high school portion of the meet starts at 9am and concludes around 6pm.
Here is the schedule and meet records plus who is coming.
Entries
Walking vs Running
Politics don’t usually affect track & field and the other high school sports but today and Saturday may be an exception.
Some students are planning a “National School Walkout” today (Friday) to protest gun violence.
Because of student-athlete eligibility rules, and this has been in effect forever, if students do not attend classes on a Friday they can not compete in any school sanctioned events on that Friday or Saturday, which would include the Viking meet.
I’m looking forward to seeing some outstanding events at the Viking. I’ll be up in the booth doing the announcing.
Below are some events that look extra special to me but I’m sure there will be other events that have some break thru performance that no one is expecting and that can be even more exciting.
Boys 400
This could be the best race of the day.
Montgomery’s own Jaymes Tischburn ran a 49.00 back in February and is rounding back into shape after a leg pull.
Maria Carrillo has two that will make a win here anything but easy. Junior’s Tyler VanArden has a PR of 49.70 and Severin Ramirez has run a 49 flat lead-off split on the 4 by 4 team. Conditions look ripe for all three to break 50 here and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 48 by one or more of them.
Carrillo could take down both relay records standing at 42.98 & 3:25.35.
Carters doing what?
Santa Rosa’s Kirsten Carter is the best sprinter we have ever had. But at the Viking you will find her in the 800 and both throws.
This will be Carter’s first race since a leg injury so the coaches are looking to protect those legs by avoiding the sprints. She has proven herself to be one of our top throwers and she was a champion at two miles at the Viking Opener cross country a couple of years ago so don’t think she is scared of a half mile.
It will give her a chance to make the Empire’s Best 400/800 Runners list.
That list is lead by another Panther.
57.39..(506) 2:11.91..(560) 1066 Sadia Ibrahim, Santa Rosa 2013
Carter can make the list with a 2:34.90 but it would take 2:21.30 to surpass Ibrahim.
Carter is the #2 seed in the shot behind Casa Grande’s Lillian McCoy.
Boys 3200
Breaking 10 minutes in this event is a big deal to these guys and this race should have lots of them as 11 seeds have already done it this year so the final lap of this race should be fun to watch.
Girls distances
Healdsburg’s Gabriella Peterson has been scorching the track this season and will be in both the 1600 and 800. Sonoma Academy’s Rylee Bowen is entered in all three distances but has been off to a slow, for her, start this season. Will this be the meet that changes that?
Girls Hurdles
Maria Carrillo’s Habibah Sanusi could cross the finish line in the high’s before most girls even get over the last hurdle.
In the lows she will be the #2 seed behind McKinleyville’s Lizzie Dolan.
High flying girls
This years pole vault has three girls already over 11 feet this year so Daniel Steffen, Petaluma, 2012 record of 11-10 could come down.