Championship Season Begins

This is what it is all about...

Fri, May 1,2009

Moorpark HS - Every high school season can be broken down in to different seasons. The winter season is primarily conditioning practices. Then the regular season where the dual meets and invitationals take place. But most important is the championship season. For some athletes the championship season may only be a week long for some it stretches 6-10 weeks. The Ventura County Championships acts as a prologue or opening ceremonies to the championships. After the VCC comes the Tri-Valley League Championships, CIF Southern Section Div 4 Championships, the Southern Section Master's Championships, the California State Championships and for some the National Championships. Each successive meet more important the the one before all the while facing elimination which would bring a conclusion to the season.

If the Ventura County Championships acts as a prologue then the OC Lions looks poised for a successful run in the championships. 1 Ventura County record, 3 Ventura County Titles, 8 OC school records, 24 personal best marks (plus 5 season best marks) in 36 events contested.

Jules Sharpe has made a habit of stealing the show and he made no exception at the VCC. winning 2 Ventura County Titles. Jules won the high jump for the second year in a row then added a triple jump title to his resume and then took second in the long jump runner up setting the OC record in the process. Jules' triple jump mark of 44-9.75 was a personal best by more than 2 ft and ranks him as the county leader. He also is the county leader in the high jump.

Before Jules got to work the VCC began with the girls invitational 4x800m. OC toed the line with three of last year's defending championship team. Junior Fallon Cislo led off with the second fastest 800 of her career and seasonal best time of 2:28. Sophomore Cristina Garcia took the baton and ran straight into the led with a second best lifetime and season best 2:31. Junior Niki MacWhirter extended the team's lead with her second best lifetime and seasonal mark of 2:26. Freshman Megan Huning anchored the effort with a 9 second personal best 2:34 improving on her previous best mark set two days earlier. The girls ran an official time of 10:00.38 to break their own Ventura County record and OC school record from last year's championship.

The boys invitational 4x800m was the next race on the track and OC fielded 2 freshmen and 2 sophomores who took down the OC BFS record taking 18 seconds off the old record held by Charlie Petrie, Hunter Hays, Ethan Long and Justin Sullivan.

The next race for the Lions was the girls invitational 4x100m. Senior Jennifer Philen, sophomore Ally Courtnall, senior Karli Postel and freshman Brianna Barrett became the first team in OC history to go under the 50 second barrier placing 3rd at the VCC's which was also a OC best. The girls set the OC record at 49.54 to earn All Ventura County Honors and are ranked 3rd in the county.

Hunter Hays was next to perform and set an OC record when he posted a 4:26 in the boys invitational 1600m. Hunter later ran a season best 2:03.30 on the 800m

The girls seeded 100IH featured the next OC performer where senior Lindsay Cooper ran away with the heat victory and the OC record posting a 16.38. The old record of 16.51 was held by Amanda Lompart.

The sixth consecutive OC race run resulted itself in the sixth consecutive OC record broken. In the invitational 100m both Ally Courtnall and Brianna Barrett dipped under the existing OC record. Ally's 12.25 replaces Whitney Acton's former record of 12.63. Brianna moves into the #2 spot in OC history with a 12.62. Brianna also set a personal best in the long jump at 16-3.

Later in the evening Ally would take down another OC record (third of the night) with a 25.12 in the invitational 200m. This mark ranks her in the top 30 in the state of California and she is ranked 5th in the 100m and 7th in the 200m among sophomores in the state.

Other performers include Charlie Petrie, winner of the seeded 3200m in a season best 9:47, Allen Stevens (HJ, TJ, LJ), Trey Smith (HJ), Scott Arellano (SP), Brian Owusu running lifetime best 11.19, James Thomas (200m), Niki MacWhirter (800m), Fallon Cislo (800m), Cristina Garcia (3200m 12:05 SB), Emily Fuld (3200m 11:53.63 PR), Lauren Anderson (TJ), Annalise Bachman (HJ, TJ), Brittany Tayloe (PV, LJ), Erin Triplett, Pauls Vozzo and Imogen Browder in the pole vault, Kennedy Holt (SP), Stephenie Armstrong (SP, DT).

Tyler McGrath, Hunter Hays, Mitchell Shelby and James Thomas joined forces for the boys 4x400 while Ally, Brianna, Niki and Megan joined forces for the girls 4x400m.