LJ track: Season opener a good test

By Ed Piper

Viking sprinter Payton Smith beat a good field of Catholic Cathedral and Canyon Crest athletes by almost a full second in the 100 meters Thurs., Feb. 17.

La Jolla long-distance ace Kirra Fisk and her double, fellow sophomore Daphne Mayer, ran fifth and sixth in an experienced group from the other schools in the 1600 meters.

All in all, LJHS head coach Paul Byrne had to be pleased with some of the efforts in the school's first meet of the season, as everyone celebrated a "nearing normal" of competition with lessening COVID restrictions and impact concerning workouts, meet conditions, and even school attendance--which has seen fewer and fewer absences in class following the post-Holidays Omicron outbreak peaking three weeks ago.

The meet, held on Canyon Crest Academy's campus in Carmel Valley, down the street from the Dons' campus, was a good early test for Smith and Fisk, two of the Vikings' brighter stars.

Payton occupies part of her time in the non-track season by playing for the Vikings' soccer team, which just dropped a first-round CIF match Wednesday to Monte Vista, freeing her up to run the very next day at CCA.

The 10th-grader's time of 12.34 (aided) was labelled a personal record, marking Smith's increasing growth and body development--now one more year beyond her stunning freshman season last Spring (during the height of COVID limitations).

Senior Maddie Lyons, another stellar Vike, ran 13.21 (aided), a short .13 of a second later. Still, the two finished 1-2 in front of Cathedral's best, senior Vanessa Sukay, in 13.37, and sophomore Aliyah Ratcliffe, with a 13.66.

The best CCA could present was Elisabeth Driscoll's 13.88 finish for fifth place. Both Ratcliffe and Driscoll recorded personal bests.

Earlier in the tri-meet, in long-distance, Fisk and Mayer, in their first tests in their sophomore year, had to go against another Keira, that of Keira Rall of Cathedral. Rall, a junior, led the 1600 field in a 5:23.16 finish. Kirra Fisk and Daphne Mayer crossed the finish line only a compact four seconds later. Quite a race.

The hard-working Scarlett Slagter, a La Jolla junior, set her own personal record with 6:05.28 for 10th place in the intense field from the three schools. Teammate Nicole Nunes completed a 6:38.41 performance.

There were a lot of newbies at the event, including Ella Roman, a Viking who wrestled this winter and now is working at learning pole vault. She is a 10th-grader. She recorded no height Thursday. Fellow LJHS wrestler Matisse Pickett was working out in the pole vault on the Viking football field the day before the meet.

Thursday's meet started at 3:15, which helped solve the problem of short winter days, as we sit in the middle of February. Things start getting dark at 5:30 or so.