KING CITY — The San Luis Obispo Tiger track and field team made a statement on Saturday as they swept all four divisions at the 79th King City Invitational track meet at King City High School’s War Memorial Stadium.
Arroyo Grande placed second in the varsity boys division and frosh-soph girls division, while host King City placed second in the frosh-soph boys division and Salinas was second in the varsity girls division.
With the combined scores in the varsity division, San Luis Obispo won the South Coast (Paso Robles and South) versus North Coast (King City and North) competition.
This year’s meet on April 6 was held in honor of Coach Jim Stireman, and a special team award was presented to Templeton High School by Stireman’s sons Russ and David Stireman.
“Our dad just loved track and field and coaching,” said Russ Stireman. “He was at every track meet I was in, and after I graduated he continued to give so much to the kids here at King City.”
David Stireman was proud of all his dad accomplished and his commitment to coaching King City athletes while being very committed to his own family.
“My dad and my mom (Linda Stireman) traveled to all my games when I played football at Weber State,” said David Stireman. “Track was the sport he truly enjoyed coaching, and then later on he helped make King City a power in cross country.”
King City did not have any medalists in the varsity boys division, but Mariana Alcaraz took first place in the girls discus (105-5) in the varsity division for the Lady Mustangs and teammate Lesley Arreola placed fifth in the pole vault.
Soledad sprinter Giselle Zepeda placed fourth in the 100 meters, and the Aztecs relay team placed sixth in the 4 x 400 relay.
Giovanni Ochoa of Gonzales was the only individual in the varsity boys division winning medals, as he placed third in the 1600 (4:36) and third in the 3200 (10:04).
Soledad High varsity boys won fifth-place medals in the 4 x 100 relay (46.9) and in the 4 x 400 relay (3:49).
The local teams faired better in the frosh-soph divisions, with winners from all four South Monterey County cities.
King City boys placed fourth in the 4 x 100 relay and sixth in the 4 x 400 relay; John Angel Ruelas, first in the 100 and 200; Ivan Diaz, second in the 3200; Savian Torres, fifth in the 300 hurdles and second in the pole vault; Johell Carrillo, fifth in the shot put; Armando Villasenor and Rocky Villanueva, first and second in the discus, respectively; and Anthony Rodriguez, second in the long jump and third in the triple jump.
Greenfield’s Adrian Picazo took third in the 400 while the boys’ team placed fifth in the 4 x 400 relay; Hugo Soto of Gonzales earned fourth in the shot put; and Soledad’s Luis Alcala placed fourth in the 300 hurdles.
For the frosh-soph girls, King City took second in the 4 x 100 and fifth in the 4 x 400 relays; and Greenfield placed third in the 4 x 100 relay.
King City’s Rose Ruelas placed second in the 100 and third in the 200 and ran legs on the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relay teams; Jolea Celaya placed fourth in the 100 hurdles and second in the 300 hurdles while joining Ruelas on the relay teams; Areli Delfino of King City took fifth in the 3200; and Eva Vicencio was fifth in the 400.
King City also awarded high-point awards to the following athletes: varsity boys – Weldon Chisum of Palma High; varsity girls – Clara Adams of North Salinas; frosh-soph boys – Hayden Brandow of San Luis Obispo; and frosh-soph girls – Kalayah Olivera of San Luis Obispo.
“This meet is definitely one of my favorite track meets,” said King City head coach Ismael Rocha. “It was great to have the teams that showed up from the South, including San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande and Golden Valley. There were top level times and marks and it made for a better, competitive meet. We are already working on getting ready for the next invitational.”
To view all the King City Invitational results, log on to athletic.net, choose high school, California, Central Coast, followed by King City and then the King City Invitational.
