Local Digest: Gregori’s Drew wins girls 100 at Modesto JC Invitational

Gregori High School senior Danielle Drew sensed she had not made sufficient progress this season in the 100 meters.

A hamstring injury held her back, for starters, but Drew needed a sign that she was back on course. She got it Saturday at the 10th Modesto Junior College Invitational.

Drew edged Modesto Christian junior Nicole Warwick and East Union freshman Jadyn Snaer, and her time of 12.56 seconds – a meet record and personal best – indicated progress.

“The improvement is good because I know I’m on track to hitting my goals (sub-12 seconds),” she said. “I want to hit those by (Sac-Joaquin Section) Masters. It feels good to know I’m back on pace.”

Drew’s powerful sprint was one of six meet records logged in ideal conditions, as athletes from 25 schools compared times and marks at MJC Stadium. Young athletes often emerge in early April, and one is Gregori freshman Briseida Garcia, who outlasted Cosumnes Oaks senior Kendall Herod in the 800 with a meet-record 2:21.69.

Local athletes also received an up-close-and-personal look at Cosumnes Oaks senior Derrick Griffith II, the meet’s boys MVP and one of the section’s ranked hurdlers. Griffith annexed meet records in the 110 (14.85) and 300 hurdles (39.77). Manteca senior Juan Gomez turned in a nifty double in the 400 (49.97) and 800 (1:59.16), the latter a meet record.

Cosumnes Oaks sophomore Devin Bright scored a triple in the 100 (11.41), triple jump (43 feet, 9 inches) and long jump (21-5). Bright beat Modesto freshman Zaire Eugene in the 100.

The girls MVP was Lodi senior Haley Boynton with victories in the 1600 (5:15.71) and 3200 (12:36.73). Ceres junior Julia Pata won the shot put with a meet-record 39-2.

Other Modesto City Schools winners were Elijah Jackson of Grace Davis in the 200 (23.37), Michael Keith of Enochs in the 1600 (4:32.82), Grace Davis’ 4x100 relay team (44.3), Gregori’s Antonio Castillo in the high jump (5-10), Modesto’s Zayn Largent in the pole vault (13-0), Claire Seymour of Enochs in the 800 (58.88) and Modesto’s Destiny Tolliver in the 100 hurdles (15.91).

Also victorious were Javier Canela of Central Catholic in the shot put (44-8) and Warwick in the long jump (17-11).

Stanislaus logs sizzling relay at Texas – Cal State Stanislaus’ Ian Brooks, Robert Hixon, Ramon Vargas and Abraham Alvarado were timed in 7:28.13 to place third in the 4x800 at the Texas Relays in Austin. The Warriors, the only Division II relay team in the event, beat quartets from Clemson, Oklahoma, Connecticut and Kansas.

Tennis

Pirates advance to state – The MJC men (8-1), who upset Fresno earlier this week to clinch their second consecutive Big 8-South Conference co-title, qualified four singles players and all three doubles teams for state competition this month in Ojai.

Advancing from the league meet in Fresno were the Pirates’ Mike Lopez, Nick Reilley, Nathan Saragoza and Tom Geaney in singles, along with pairs Lopez and Zaragoza, Reilley and Geaney, and Alex Wolski and Octavio Padilla.

MJC also opens NorCal team playoff action Tuesday.

Teves, Parker win at league meet – MJC’s Vanessa Teves and Parker Pilati defeated Fresno’s Marifar Ofer and Mila Hyland 7-6, 6-3 to take the doubles title at the Big 8-South tournament. Other MJC players advancing to state are Kaitlynn Mayfield, Monica Poole, Barbara Beasley and Ariel Walsh.

Warriors blank UC Santa Cruz – Stanislaus stretched its winning streak to four with a 9-0 win, all via straight sets, at UC Santa Cruz.

Softball

Tournament of Champions – Ruby Quiralte’s hot bat has carried host Stanislaus to a 3-1 record thus far at the Tournament of Champions. The Warriors (20-17) defeated Academy of Art 3-0, thanks to Quiralte’s walk-off three-run homer in the eighth, and Holy Names 6-3.

Karina Callazo, who tossed a one-hit shutout, topped Brenna Mitchell in the well-pitched first game. In the nightcap, Quiralte tripled and Amy Pedretti and Bryanna Meno doubled as Stanislaus pulled away. Quiralte, a sophomore from Merced, is 6 for 12 with five RBIs and two homers and has scored four runs in the tournament.

On Sunday, the Warriors meet Hawaii Hilo at 11:15 a.m. at Warrior Field and Chaminade at 4:30 p.m. at Pedretti Sports Complex.

Golf

Mantecan at Drive, Chip and Putt – Manteca eighth-grade student Tyler Griggs is one of 80 qualifiers – representing 30 states and two Canadian provinces – at the third annual Drive, Chip and Putt Championship National Finals on Sunday at Augusta National.

Griggs qualified at three venues – Spring Creek Country Club in Ripon, Haggin Oaks in Sacramento and the regional at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. He’ll compete against nine other boys in the 12-13 bracket on the famed grounds of Augusta, the site of the Masters this week.

This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 9:58 PM with the headline "Local Digest: Gregori’s Drew wins girls 100 at Modesto JC Invitational."