Leon, Pacheco, Grover Lead Hartnell In Coast Conference Preview
The 2015 track & field season began on Friday at the Coast Conference Preview at the College of San Mateo. The Panthers took top honors in ten events lead by youth in freshmen Chase Pacheco and experience in sophomore Diego Leon. The Panthers begin the season as the defending Coast Conference men's and women's team champions with both victorious two consecutive years in 2013 and 2014.
Diego Leon, who is fresh off a state cross country individual championship, sent a message to the state that he's aiming for a matching championship this spring. His winning time in the 1500 meters of 3:54.68 bested last spring's Coast Conference champion David Aguilar of DeAnza College by over seven seconds. The mark is the fourth best in school history and easily met the automatic qualifying mark for May's state championship. Leon returned to the track at the end of the meet and produced an additional state leading 8:32.22 in the 3000 meter run. It is a full ten seconds better than any other time posted so far this season. Palma product and CCS long jump champion Chase Pacheco won that event in 23'4.75" and the 100 meters in 11.11. Pacheco also cleared 6'4" in the high jump. Frosh Malena Grover won both the 1500 meters (4:51.50) and the 3000 meters (10:46.08). Her 1500 meter time is the seventh best in school history and the 3k mark is the ninth best. Other event winners included frosh Dustin Samms in the hammer throw (161'9") with the fifth best toss in school history, fellow frosh Tori Teraji in the discus (112'10.75"), Gavilan College transfer frosh Frankie Gutierrez in the shot put (46'3.50"), and the men's 4x100 relay team of Hector Jimenez, Quentin Minor, Alex Azevedo, and Isaiah Russell (45.17).