Rescheduled track meet brings Stanislaus, Merced counties’ athletes together

Quinton Hamilton
·5 min read

Local track and field athletes got their chance to compete last Friday, two weeks after the Stanislaus County Meet was canceled due to rain.

Hughson High track and field coach Joel Bernard and the county meet organizers worked with organizers of this year’s County Clash, which is usually held at Oakdale High and usually features the best of Stanislaus County, Merced County and previously San Joaquin County, to combine the two meets, forming the County/Clash Championships. They settled on Hughson High School as the meet location and chose the County Clash date as the one for the combined event.

“Oakdale was super gracious about combining with us,” Bernard said. “They were good about hosting it at Hughson High School, and it worked out really well.”

The two schools worked together to ensure both would benefit financially as well. Oakdale High made money from the gate fee and all snack bar money went to Hughson’s programs.

In recent years, Stanislaus and Merced counties hosted individual meets in which the top eight finishers advanced to the County Clash. This year, Merced County hosted its championship meet March 10. The top eight from the Merced County Championships still advanced to Friday’s meet while Stanislaus County schools provided two athletes per event – the number of entries for the Stanislaus County Championships.

“There were a lot more Stanislaus County kids there represented in the meet,” Bernard said. “But the kids that were there from Merced (County) were still good.”

Stanislaus County’s top three finishers, regardless of their place overall, received medals as part of the county championships while top three finishers for Stanislaus and Merced counties received lettermen patches.

The County/Clash Championships was the third track meet at Hughson High in as many days after a Hughson-Hilmar, Trans-Valley League dual meet Wednesday and a middle school practice meet Thursday.

Boys 1600 meter runners start the second lap during the Stanislaus County track meet at Hughson High School in Hughson, Calif., Friday, March 24, 2023.
Boys 1600 meter runners start the second lap during the Stanislaus County track meet at Hughson High School in Hughson, Calif., Friday, March 24, 2023.

Atwater’s Azim takes top spot in two events

Among the many Merced County athletes to excel was Atwater’s Azim Muldrow. The 6-foot-2 senior, who appeared in 29 games for the 2023 Atwater basketball team, won the high jump and set a season record in the triple jump Friday.

In the high jump, Muldrow hit the 6’ 0 mark, just two inches shy of his season record and three inches shy of his personal record, which he set last season. His new season record of 42’ 1.75 narrowly beats out his previous season high, set on March 4 at the 14th Annual Dean Andreessen Classic (42’ 1).

Muldrow has also competed in the long jump, 200m, 400m, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay and the distance medley relay 1200-400-800-1600 for the Falcons this season.

Turlock schools dominate pole vault

Pitman and Turlock took five of the six combined top spots in the boys and girls pole vault. On the girls side, Turlock High sophomore Brooke Schumacher (10’ 0) and senior Allyson Petersen (9’ 6) finished first and second while Pitman sophomore Sofia Martinez (8’ 0) came in third. A pair of Oakdale High sophomores set personal bests as Lynsey McPhee (7’ 0) and Avery Stueve (6’ 0) placed sixth and 12th, respectively.

Turlock’s duo of junior Max McFarlane, the fourth ranked pole vaulter in California according to athletic.net, and sophomore Justin Strode claimed the top two spots among the boys, hitting marks of 14’ 6 and 11’ 6. Golden Valley’s Peter Lopez came in third. Sophomore Aiden Vargas of Oakdale was the third-place Stanislaus County finisher with a personal record of 10’ 6. Oakdale freshman Grant Gardner and Pitman sophomore Arsh Singh also set personal records, clearing 9’ 6.

Personal bests set in girls long jump

A pair of Stanislaus District athletes to finish in the top three of the girls long jump set personal records. First place finisher Shaylan Roy-Williams, a senior from Turlock, reached a new high of 18’ 3.5, while Modesto senior Chinanu Agunanne’s new record of 16’ 6.25 was good for third. They also won other events as Roy-Williams finished first in the 200m with a time of 26.39 and Agunanne won the triple jump with a mark of 38’ 6.

Chidiebere Agunanne of Modesto (16’ 0), Oakdale’s Savannah Rivera (14’ 11), Davis’s Riley Bonzi Gullatt (14’ 8.5) and Pitman’s Alyssa Moreno (13’ 0) all set long jump personal records.

Chidiebere Agunanne prepares to jump during the Stanislaus County track meet at Hughson High School in Hughson, Calif., Friday, March 24, 2023. Agunanne won the event with a 5’0 jump.
Chidiebere Agunanne prepares to jump during the Stanislaus County track meet at Hughson High School in Hughson, Calif., Friday, March 24, 2023. Agunanne won the event with a 5’0 jump.

Pitman’s Stout wins 100m and 200m

Just over a week after winning and setting personal records in the 100m and 200m at the first CCAL meet, Pitman’s Joey Stout won County/Clash titles in both events Friday. The senior ran the 100m in 11.23 and the 200m in 22.39. His personal record of 10.94 at the March 15 CCAL #1 meet is good for 15th best in California, according to athletic.net.

Pitman’s Joey Stout won the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.23 in the Stanislaus County track meet at Hughson High School in Hughson, Calif., Friday, March 24, 2023. Runners from the left, Turlock’s Peter Mello, placed third at 11.63, Pitman’s Blayne Siebert finished second at 11.24, Stout, fourth place Downey’s Rusty Jones 11.65, and Turlock’s Steven Salazar at 11.66 for fifth place.

Meyer siblings take 100m/110m county championships

Siblings Logann and Larkin Meyer are Hughson hurdlers who had great performances. Logann finished first in the 100m event with a time of 16.13. The senior set her personal best of 15.40 earlier this season at a Trans-Valley Dual meet with Hilmar. Her younger brother, Larkin, won the 110m hurdles, finishing in 15.52. He narrowly missed tying his personal best, which he set earlier this season at the same TVL dual meet as his sister.

Both are multi-sport athletes. Logann, a soccer player, was the Huskies’ leading scorer this season, netting 31 goals and dishing out seven assists for the team that finished third in the Trans-Valley League and earned a playoff berth. Larkin also plays soccer and was a member of Hughson’s 2022 football state championship team.

Hughson’s Logann Meyer hurdles to victory with a time of 16.13 in the 100 meter hurdles during the Stanislaus County track meet at Hughson High School in Hughson, Calif., Friday, March 24, 2023. Turlock’s Ella Spaulding finished second and Oakdale’s Kylie Nunes, right, finished third.
Hughson’s Logann Meyer hurdles to victory with a time of 16.13 in the 100 meter hurdles during the Stanislaus County track meet at Hughson High School in Hughson, Calif., Friday, March 24, 2023. Turlock’s Ella Spaulding finished second and Oakdale’s Kylie Nunes, right, finished third.

Turlock’s McFarlane among top in multiple events

In addition to winning the title in pole vault, Max McFarlane finished in the top five in two other field events. In the high jump, he placed fifth with a mark of 5’ 8. He finished second in the triple jump with a personal record of 41’ 6.5 and sixth in the long jump, reaching 19’ 8.25.

McFarlane has posted the top pole vault in the Sac-Joaquin Section and Northern California and the fourth-best in California. His personal best 15’ 7, which he reached at the Gateway to Track and Field Invitational on March 17, sits behind three Southern California athletes.

Turlock’s Olivia Walker placed second with a high jump of 4’10 during the Stanislaus County track meet at Hughson High School in Hughson, Calif., Friday, March 24, 2023.
Turlock’s Olivia Walker placed second with a high jump of 4’10 during the Stanislaus County track meet at Hughson High School in Hughson, Calif., Friday, March 24, 2023.
Pitman’s Ryan Dhillon hands the baton to teammate Julius Camacho in the boys 4x800 meter relay the Stanislaus County track meet at Hughson High School in Hughson, Calif., Friday, March 24, 2023. Pitman won the race with a time of 8:45.38.
Pitman’s Ryan Dhillon hands the baton to teammate Julius Camacho in the boys 4x800 meter relay the Stanislaus County track meet at Hughson High School in Hughson, Calif., Friday, March 24, 2023. Pitman won the race with a time of 8:45.38.
Turlock’s Shaylan Roy-Williams runs the final leg of the 4x100 race during the Stanislaus County track meet at Hughson High School in Hughson, Calif., Friday, March 24, 2023. Turlock won the race with a time of 49.80. Oakdale was second at 50.65.
Turlock’s Shaylan Roy-Williams runs the final leg of the 4x100 race during the Stanislaus County track meet at Hughson High School in Hughson, Calif., Friday, March 24, 2023. Turlock won the race with a time of 49.80. Oakdale was second at 50.65.