Eight Blu-Jays head to state track meet on Friday

Blu-Jay Ashlan George vaulted a personal best 9'6" to win rhe girls pole vaulting event and earn a trip to state (Billy Roudybush / Special to the Journal)

By Roger Sims with reporting by Billy Roudybush

EUREKA – Pleasanton High School senior Ashton Gratton swept the sprint events, Aiden Patrick won the boys high jump and Ashlan George took first in the girls pole vault to lead the Blu-Jays track team in the Class 2A regional meet at Eureka on Thursday, May 22.

Those performances along with a second-place finish by Maria Neal-Cox in the 400-meter run, a fourth-place finish by Mario Davis in the high jump and state-qualifying performances in the 4x100-meter relay teams for both boys and girls mean that about a dozen Blu-Jay athletes will be headed to the State Track and Field Championship meet on Friday and Saturday, May 30-31.

The Blu-Jay 4x100-meter relay team placed third at the regional meet to qualify for a trip to state. Relay team members are, from left, Aiden Patrick, Hayden Mell, Mario Davis and Ashton Gratton. Patrick was regional high jump champ, Davis also qualified for state high jump and Grafton was regional champ in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. (Pleasanton USD 344 Facebook)

For the boys team, Gratton took first place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.95 seconds, and first place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.59. It has been a record-setting season for Gratton who has remained strong throughout the spring.

In the high jump, Patrick, a sophomore, cleared the bar at 6’2” for the regional title. However, Davis, a junior, wasn’t far behind with a leap of 6’0”. Davis jump qualified him for state as well.

The top 16 times in the regional running events qualify for the state meet, however, because vertical events like high jump can have several competitors at the same height, those events can take more qualifiers.

The boys 4x100 relay team placed third with a time of 44.47.

The girls 4x100 meter relay team placed first and earned an automatic berth in the state race. Team members include, from left, Ashton George, Maria Neal-Cox, Makaila Thomas and Makya Neal-Cox. Maria Neal-Cox will also compete in the 400-meter run at state. (Pleasanton USD 344 Facebook)

Junior Ashlan George’s vault of 9’6” for first place was the top placing for the girls team. 

George started the event by passing on the initial height of 8'. She continued through the next few heights as the other contenders struggled. Finally, at 9', the remaining contenders fell out. Ashlon continued to vault. On her third attempt, she cleared 9' 6" for a personal best vault.

Afterwards, she reflected how happy she was about winning the vault. She said she was overjoyed with making a personal record and going to the state track meet. She is looking forward to competing with the best from the state, with a goal to make the podium.

Sophomore Maria Neal-Cox crossed the finish line in the 400-meter run with a time of 1:05.62, earning her a second-place medal.

The girls 4x100 relay team placed fourth and earned a trip to state with a time of 52.32.

Here are other results for the boys team:

• Sophomore Myles Alvarez placed fifth in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:49.14.

• In the 100-meter dash, Aiden Patrick placed 12th and junior Gage McGinnis was 16th.

• Freshman Antonio Bustillos placed 10th in the long jump.

• Junior Gauge Cowan was eighth in the javelin.

• The boys 4x400 relay team placed seventh.

For the girls, 

• Sophomore Makaila Thomas placed fourth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 28.66, just out of contention for the state race. Makya Neal-Cox was fifth.

• Junior Mia Meik placed sixth in the 100-meter hurdles and seventh in the 300-meter hurdles.

• Sophomore Pyper Hill placed seventh in the high jump.

• The girls 4x400 relay team placed eighth.