Aztecs emerge victorious in elite Basha Relays

By Alex Zener

Corona’s boys and girls track and field teams took
first place at the Basha Relays, with the boys
compiling 75 points and defeating Highland,
which was second, with 69 points. The girls team also
won, with 41 to Highland’s 34 points.
Sam Shoultz led the way with a tie for first place
by achieving 9-8 in the high jump event, followed by
Nate Marshall, who tied for third by jumping 6-0.
Dakota Sumners took third place in the triple
jump with a 43-03 jump, and Mitchell Warnock
tied for third in the pole vault event, crossing the pole
at 13-06.
Jamaree Johnson, Jacob Onofrio, Austin
Hornbaker and Tyler Stehr finished third in the
4×400 meter, while Dylan Waterhouse, Alex
Hart, Stephen-Chase Wile and Marcus Wheeler
finished second in the DM relay race.
In the DM relay, Waterhouse ran 1200 meters;
Hart 400 meters; and Wile 800 meters. Wheeler
finished the race at 1600 meters.
In the SMR8 relay, Scott Phan ran the first 100
meters, Sean Freeland the second 100 meters and
Onofrio 200 meters. Wile finished the race running
the last 400 meters, giving the Aztec team a third place
finish.

The girls team had to really step up to also take first
place at the Basha Relays.
“The Basha Relays were very exciting for our girls
team because a lot of them are pretty young,” said
coach Tim Kelly. “We were able to strategically place
a few seniors into events to put us in a position to win,
but a lot of our younger girls stepped up and made it
possible.”
Corona’s girls team finished first in the 4×100,
4×400 and 4×55 shuttle hurdle relays.
Melissa Hayhurst, Kylie McCloskey, Aery
Ware and Anna-Isabel Perracini finished the
4×100 relay in 50.62 seconds, while it took 4.04.67 for
Renee Clary, Kylie McCloskey, Hayhurst and Ware
to run the 4×400 relay.
Brooke Frahm, McCloskey, Kelsy Lum and
Hayhurst ran the 4×55, jumping 36-inch hurdles in
40.38 seconds.
The boys team also took first place at the Red
Mountain Rampage, finishing 3.5 points ahead of
Hamilton with 115 points.
“Our goal at the Red Mountain Rampage was to
get as many of our kids as we could (to achieve) state
qualifying times and a better placement in the state
meet,” said Kelly. “It was not to win, so when the
boys team took first it only showed us if you take care
of the little things right, the big things take care of
themselves,” he said.
“What pushed us over the top to win was taking 1,
2, 3 and 7 in the 3200 meter run.”
Alex Hart crossed the finish line in first place,
followed by Lucas Ykema in second, Slade
Sumners in third and Lincoln Johnston in
seventh.
The Aztec 4×800 relay team of Daniel Bish,
Graham Eversden, Johnathan Lopez and Colt
Sample, which took first place, helped boost the point
total as well.
Other top finishers included Shoultz, taking first,
and Onwordi, who took second in the high jump.
Andrew Eversden took second in the 800 meters,
Sumners was second in the triple jump and Warnock
claimed second in the pole vault. Stehr finished third
and Carlos Parra was fifth in the 300 meter hurdles.
Kelly Naumann, who just committed to run at
Iowa State and is one of the leaders on the girls team,
has continued to improve her senior season. She was
not only first in the 800 meters at the Red Mountain
Rampage but has proven she will leave her mark on
Corona’s track program, running the 3200 meter run.
“Kelly broke the school record in the 3200 at the
Chandler Rotary and at the Arcadia meet in California
again by 8 seconds running 10:50.64,” said coach
Kelly.
The 4×100 relay team of Isabelle Cartagena,
Hayhurst, McCloskey and Ware had another stellar
performance once again taking first place at the Red
Mountain Rampage.

Stampede Track Meet — The Aztecs
continued their winning ways by finishing first with
175 points at the Buffalo Stampede April 17 at Tempe
High School, garnering nine first place finishes.
Five of the boys team first place finishes were in
individual running events: Jalen Bryant took first
place in the 200 meter run, Jamaree Johnson first
in the 400 meter run, Alex Hart first in the 3200
meter fun, Tyler Stehr first in the 110 meter hurdles
and Carlos Parra first in the 300 meter hurdles.
Corona took first in the 4×100 relay team with
runners Byant, Parra, Sean Freeland and Joshua
Onwordi. The team of Jacob Onofrio, Johnson,
Bryant and Stehr crossed the finish line first in the
4×400 relay.
Patric Bjotvedt hit 51-05.00 to finish first in
the shot put, while Sam Shoultz cleared 6-06.00 in
the high jump to take first and Mitchell Warnock
vaulted 13-00.00 to earn first in the pole vault giving
the Aztecs top points in three out of the six field
events.
Corona’s girls team also took first place as a team at
the Stampede with 131 points to Basha’s 77 points for
second place.
Corona’s first place finishers included Jackie
Martin in both the 200 meter and 400 meter run,
Renee Clary in the 800 meter run, Kelly Naumann
in the 1600 meter run and Melissa Hayhurst in the
100 meter hurdles.
In the field events, Delaney Mohr took first place
in the high jump as did Anna-Isabel Perracini in
the pole vault.
The Aztec 4×100 relay team of Hayhurst, Isabelle
Cartagena, Kylie McCloskey and Perracini and
4×400 relay team of Clary, Cartagena, Hayhurst and
Martin both crossed the finish line in first place.
Tempe High School girls 4×800 relay team of
Symantha Ramos, Rubi Aguilera, Kelly Flores
and Alexis Blanc finished in first place, along with
teammate Ryann Weathers, who scored a first place
finish in the triple jump event.
Angelicah Tso from Marcos de Niza was first in
the discus.
Marcos de Niza had three athletes finish in first
place at the Stampede. Shaun Richards was first in
the 100 meter run, Malique Sharp in the triple jump
and Derrer Switzer in the discus.

The event host, Tempe High School, had Jason
Marrufo cross the finish line first in the 800 meter
runwhile fellow teammate, Tony Tipton
took first in the 1600 meter run.
Rattler Underclassmen
Showcase — The Aztecs finished third
with 142 points to Brophy College Prep’s 208
points and Red Mountain 150 points at the
Rattler Underclassmen Showcase held April
18 at North Canyon High School.
Corona’s top finishers included Jack
Fisher in the 300 meter hurdles and the
4×100 relay team of Tommy Holt, Adam
Knuff, Fisher and Xavier Burrell.
Corona’s girls team was in the mix with
101 points to finish sixth at the Rattler
Underclassman Showcase.
Top finishers were Riley Wright taking
first in the 1600 meter run, Delaney Mohr
first in the high jump and Amber Burrell
first in the discus.