The Poly Distance Group was in Azusa over the weekend at the Distance Meet of Champions, setting some good times but also helping to shatter a world record.
Boys
The MOC previously set a world record for most boys running the 1600 under 5:00 minutes (the record is for most runners under that mark in one day at one meet); the previous mark was 291, and this year 348 boys went under 5:00, with 13 runners from Poly:
Chris Penn (11th grader) 4:23.5 (improved lifetime best by 3 seconds)
Ruben Baerga (11th grader) 4:30.6 (improved lifetime best by 1 second)
Eric Riehl (11th grader) 4:32.0 (improved lifetime best by 3 seconds)
Victor Espinosa (12th grader) 4:34.5 (improved lifetime best by 2 seconds)
Jazeel Garcia (10th grader) 4:39.9 (improved lifetime best by 4 seconds)
Derek Yi (11th grader) 4:50.4 (improved lifetime best by 5 seconds)
Bryce King (9th grader) 4:54.2 (improved lifetime best by 8 seconds)
Cameron Ford (10th grader) 4:55.6
Kenny Holstad (12th grader) 4:55.7 (improved lifetime best by 2 seconds)
Brad Roa (11th grader) 4:57.2 (improved lifetime best by 3 seconds)
Bryan Macias (11th grader) 4:58.6 (improved lifetime best by 10 seconds)
Fernando Bogarin (10th grader) 4:59.7 (improved lifetime best by 11 seconds)
Jabari McDonald (12th grader) 4:59.9 (improved lifetime best by 8 seconds)
Poly also had senior Sean Price in the 3200, where he improved his lifetime best by 8 seconds, running 9:41.9 (breaking 5:00 minutes for both his first mile and his second mile, though neither added to the world-record totals).
Girls
On the girls’ side, the record was 255 girls under 6:00 minutes in one day at the same meet. This year, 238 girls accomplished the feat, with ten of them wearing green and gold:
Arielle Stevenson (11th grader) 5:10.4 (improved lifetime best by 8 seconds)
Dynasty Gammage (11th grader) 5:12.4
Rebekah Oragwu (11th grader) 5:19.7 (improved lifetime best by 1 second)
Tia Leake (12th grader) 5:27.3
Rachel Pavey (11th grader) 5:29.7 (ties her lifetime best)
Diana Ramos (11th grader) 5:37.2 (improved lifetime best by 9 seconds)
Vanessa Flores (10th grader) 5:46.3 (improved lifetime best by 5 seconds)
Mari Hercher (9th grader) 5:56.5 (improved lifetime best by 11 seconds)
Monique Gilstrap (10th grader) 5:57.6 (improved lifetime best by 9 seconds)
Jessica Brock (12th grader) 5:57.8
Aside from the record, the Trackrabbits finished 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the 800-meter, with the 2-5th best times in all of California. This group will be attempting to break the State record a previous Poly team set in the 4X800 this season (it stands at 8:58). Their times were:
2nd Dynasty Gammage (11th grader) 2:12.9
3rd Arielle Stevenson (11th grader) 2:13.21 (a 3-second lifetime best)
4th Tia Leake (12th grader) 2:13.39
5th Ne’Ausha Logan (12th grader) 2:13.9
Poly will have a dual meet with Jordan this Thursday, then begin Spring Break by competing at the Trabuco Hills Invitational, then run in the prestigious Arcadia Invitational on Friday and Saturday of next week.
–Thanks as always to Poly girls’ distance coach Nate Bershtel, who did yeoman’s work in compiling all the above information!
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