Track and field has started and has started off fast. We have already attended two meets and scored high overall in both. Track was invited to the Liberty meet last Friday and came home with many 1st place scores.

Friday, March 2, 2018, the Taft Union High School track and field team traveled to Bakersfield College and placed in every event. The varsity team ranked high throughout the meet. The first track event of the meet was the boys’ 4×800 relay where our boys’ team placed 13th with a time of 9:42.33. The boys team included Oscar Arellano, Chase Cortez, Caleb Martin, and Sergio Cruz. Our girls 4×800 relay team placed 11th with a time of 13:12.77. This team was composed of Hanna Covington, Valeria Ascencio, Nallely Nunez, and Evelyn Castillo.

The next event was the boys’ 4×100 relay where our team got disqualified (DQ). Even though they got DQ they still gained us 2 points over all. The wildcat girls 4×100 relay team placed 4th with a time of 53.88. The 4×100 relay team was made up of Mariah Nevarez, Taylor Hale, Bree Johansen, and Sierra Kozloski.

This meet is a meet of relays and one special relay that they have is the Distance Medley Relay also known as the DMR. Our men’s team did not participate in this relay, but our Women’s team did. They got 11th place with a time of 17:28.08. The members of this team are Hannah Covington, Alondra Cisneros, Isabella Toro, Ashley Villatores.

The 4×200 girls team included Taylor hale, Bree Johansen, Kerrigan Yancey, and Sierra Kozloski. The girls earned 4th place with a time of 1:54.87. The boys who were a part of the 4×200 boys team were Cody Keith, Zack Tuaila, Robert Frausto, Tyler Terrell. With a time of 1:38.80 they placed 8th place.

The 4×400 relay girls team is Bree Johansen, Macayla Wells, Taylor Hale, and Bella Nuncio. The girls won 2nd place with a time of 4:19.74. The 4×400 relay boys team is Oscar Arellano, Tyler Terrell, Roberto Frausto, and Chase Cortez. With overall 6th place they had a time of 3:42.66.

For the Girls 110-meter hurdles Macayla Wells placed 5th with a time of 17.27. Isabella Nuncio with a time of 17.53 placed 6th right after Macayla. Caitlin Bailey was placed 7th with a time of 18.13. Brett Walls ran the 110-meter hurdles for the boys and received 4th place with a time of 18.40.

Three girls ran the 300-meter hurdles for Taft High. Isabella Nuncio won 3rd place with a time of 50.60. Kerrigan Yancey placed 9th running a time of 53 second flat. The last wildcat that placed was Caitlin Bailey at 12th place with a time of 54.31. Brett Walls was the only boy who ran the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 46.70 and placed 8th overall.

Now onto the field events. They went well for both girls and boy’s wildcats. The first field event was High Jump and Caitlin Bailey dominated and won first place with the height of 5-02.00 which got us 5 points overall. 2nd place went to another wildcat Hallie Terrazas with a height 4-02.00. Two wildcats tied for 7th Taylor Hale and Mahaila Laulu both with 3-10.00. One wildcat participated in High Jump and the was Gavin White who jumped exactly 5-00.00 and received 9th place.

Girls’ long jump wasn’t our best event, but we still did great.  In 11th place was Sierra Kozloski with a distance of 12-07. In 23rd place was Miriam Guzman with a distance of 10-03.00. In 24th place was Roslyn Tuaila with a distance of 10-02.00. In 26th place was Hallie Terrazas with a distance of 10-00.75. For Boys long jump three varsity wildcat boys placed overall. In 8th place Zack Tuaila jumped 18-02. In eleventh place Cody Keith jumped 17-1. In 18th place Nick Vargas jumped 16-01.

Another field event is Triple Jump. The girls and boys did a wonderful job. For the girl triple jumpers, we had in 1st place Macayla Wells who jumped 37-03.50. In 4th place we had Cherise Strong with a distance of 32-00.00. they did every well. For our boys we had Zack Tuaila in 2nd place who jumped a distance of 41-01.00. Tyler Terrell jumped in distance 37-06.00 and got 7th place. Nick Vargas placed 10th place with a distance of 33-02.00.

Pole vault was a success as well as the other events. In 6th place, Macayla Wells jumped 7 feet. In 9Th place Shelby Harris jumped 5-06.00. The boys, unfortunately, did not participate.

Shot put girls and boys worked really hard during this meet. Willow Pilgrim placed 13th place for our girls’ team with a distance of 26-02.00. Erina Tuailia with distance of 25-02.00. Emily Dunham placed 35th place with a distance of 16-01.00. We had one junior boy who participated in this event and that was Bryson Ginn who received 23rd place with a distance of 32-03.00.

Erina Tuailia got 10th place with a distance of 78-06 for discus. Willow Pilgrim got 16th place with a distance of 68-04. Emily Dunham threw 57-06.

Overall, the Bakersfield College meet was a success for Taft Union High School. The next meet is coming up soon so go and support your Taft High Wildcats.