Placer County track and field championships to be held

Placer County is sponsoring the Placer County Track and Field Championships as part of its 175th anniversary. The high school track and field meet featuring running, jumping, hurdles, throwing and relay events will be held Saturday at Twelve Bridges High School in Lincoln. The meet will feature 13 teams, most of which are from Placer County, including Granite Bay, Oakmont, Roseville, Woodcreek, West Park, Twelve Bridges, Lincoln, Del Oro, Placer, Antelope, Western Sierra, Adventure Christian and John Adams Academy. "The Placer County Track and Field Championships is an opportunity for the community to come together for a great competition," Twelve Bridges track and field coach Jim Miller said. "There is a long history of great track and field athletes in Placer County, including Olympians Evelyn Ashford (Roseville) and Stacy Dragila (Placer), who won gold medals and are former world-record holders." There will be two special events. The Special Olympics 100-meter race will be held at noon, followed by the Guns and Hoses (police and fire) 2x200-meter relay, which will feature participants from an array of county law enforcement agencies and fire departments. "Placer County's 175th anniversary is about honoring the people and communities that have built our shared story," said Board of Supervisors Chair Shanti Landon. "This championship is a wonderful reminder of the spirit, drive and teamwork that continue to define our county. Celebrating our young athletes is the perfect way to recognize the next generation of Placer leaders." Field events begin at 9 a.m. and track events at 9:30. Highlighting the meet will be some of the Sac-Joaquin Section's top athletes, including Cooper Barr of Placer (800 meters, 1:55), Peter Kendall of Twelve Bridges (1,600, 4:11), Malachi Alexander of Oakmont (110 and 300 hurdles, 14.7, 38.7), Colin McClain of Roseville (shot put, 52-5), Gered Linder of Rocklin (discus, 159-0), Thomas Murphy of Granite Bay (pole vault, 14-10), Kenneth Fuse of Antelope (long jump, 22-4) and some of the best relay teams from Antelope and Woodcreek. The girls will feature Maya Alexander of Roseville (200 and 400, 25.09, 56.24), Brooke Blume of Twelve Bridges (800, 2:15), Maddie Goss of Woodcreek (3,200, 10:55), Amy Geluk of Oakmont (100 and 300 hurdles and high jump, 15.0, 45.9 and 5-4), Alyssa Rogers of West Park (shot put and discus, 37-9, 129-0), Molly Patterson of Granite Bay (pole vault, 11-0), Devyn Chambers of Oakmont (long and triple jumps, 18-4 and 37-2) and strong relay teams from Oakmont and Twelve Bridges. Awards will be given to the top three finishers in each event plus the relay winners. Team trophies will be awarded to the winners in each division. Cost to attend the meet is $10 for adults and $5 for students and children 11 and over. Spectators 60 and over, military and kids 10 and younger are free. Tickets are available on GoFan.com in advance or at the gate.