Only three members of the track and field team competed in the Mark Macres Invitational on March 12 at Monterey Trail High School.
According to sophomore Annya Dahmani, the competition was much stiffer this meet, with more than 15 schools and faster competitors.
Dahmani placed fourth of 22 in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 18.7 seconds.
Dahmani said that most of the girls competing in the event were juniors and seniors, but she had the best form of all the girls.
“I was in the last heat out of three, the slowest heat because I didn’t have a time signed up, and I beat the majority of people in the second and first heat,” she said.
“I also had a faster time than all freshman and sophomore boys and the majority of junior and senior boys.”
“Annya had a perfect run through the hurdles,” coach Nick Domich said.
She received a medal for her fourth-place finish.
Dahmani and freshman Heidi Johnson competed in the long jump.
Dahmani placed 11th of 21 with a length of 14 feet, 3 inches.
“It’s my personal record,” she said.
Johnson placed eighth with a length of 15’-2”, nearly two feet shorter than her best.
“The wind was blowing 20 (miles per hour) or more in her face,” Domich said.
According to Johnson, the wind and other factors affected her jump.
“I had to run over right after the 200, and my legs were exhausted, and I was depleted and the wind was blowing strong towards me, so I didn’t jump very far,” she said.
Sophomore Steven Wang was 15th of 28 competitors in the 100-meter with a time of 12.99 seconds. Wang also competed in the 200-meter, but he false-started and was disqualified, according to Domich.
“I told him we go at the ‘b’ of the bang, not the ‘g,’ so I don’t know what bang he heard,” Domich said.
Johnson ran the 200-meter and placed ninth of 32 with a time of 29.03 seconds.
Dahmani placed 24th of 42 in the 100-meter with a time of 14.95 seconds.
Johnson started to compete in the high jump, but didn’t finish. She ended with a height of 4’-8”.
“My foot that I injured previously (in the meet on March 2) still hurt, so I stopped after a few jumps,” she said.
Johnson said that overall, this wasn’t the greatest meet for her. “But there are lots of meets and you have good days and bad days,” she said.
The next meet is on Saturday, March 19, at Cordova High School.
—By Mohini Rye
