Vista track and field claims Division III section title

Vista del Lago's boys' track and field team had a great performance at the Division III section championship meet last Thursday. Trailing Ponderosa by eight points with one event to go, the Eagles' 4x400-meter relay team placed first in the event, winning the Eagles the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship, the team's first since 2016. "The overall performance across the events this season has been very rewarding and special," Vista coach Mike Kozlowski said. "In track and field, you win championships by being very good at many things. Right now, we have great throwers, vaulters, jumpers, sprinters and distance runners. It's the superfecta we are always chasing as coaches." Not only did the Eagles' relay team win, but they posted a personal-best and school-record time of 3 minutes, 21.21 seconds. In fact, their time is second-fastest in the entire Sac-Joaquin Section to Folsom High's time of 3:20.64, as Folsom and Vista sit at the top of the rankings headed into this weekend's Masters championships. Making up the Division III section championship 4x400-meter relay team is senior Brandon Spencer, juniors Will Greene and Edwin Hooey and sophomore Collin Lund. This group led a group of 12 Vista athletes who have qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters championships this Friday and Saturday at Davis High School. Vista shined in the relays, as the team's 4x100-meter relay of Lund, senior Matt Long and juniors Jahaan and Jushan Kalkat also placed first and won a section championship, as they posted the fastest time in school history of 42.01. "They have continued to break their own record throughout the season," Kozlowski said. Vista had 39 athletes competing in the meet. Other boys' who scored points to contribute to the team title and also placed in the top-six to advance to Masters included Long in the 100 meters, as he placed first with a time of 10.98. Greene also placed second in the 200 meters with a time of 22.32 and took fourth in the long jump with a leap of 21-6. Senior Jared Fife placed fourth in the 300 hurdles in 41.5, while senior Brandon Nazworth also qualified in the shot put with a throw of 48-6 ½ inches, a throw that set a school record. The Vista girls' placed sixth as a team and have three Masters qualifiers. Sophomore Brenna Mannion qualified in both the 1,600 and 3,200, impressively finishing second in both events. Her time in the 1,600 was 5:12 and her time in the 3,200 was 11:26. Senior Nishka Ashani placed second in the high jump, clearing the bar at 5-1, while Gabriella Gibson finished third in the triple jump with a leap of 36-6 ½.