Stanford junior Allie Jones, a San Marcos High graduate, set a personal best in the heptathlon last weekend in a multi-events competition at Westmont College. Her 5,272 points are the most scored by American so far this year.
Former San Marcos High star Allie Jones had a breakout meet in her hometown last weekend.
The Stanford junior set a personal best in the heptathlon while finishing as the top collegian and third overall at the Adams-Klein Combined Events Invitational at Westmont College.
Jones set four personal bests in seven events to score 5,272 points — a 174-point improvement on her previous best from the U.S. Junior Championships in 2018. Her total moves her to No. 8 on Stanford’s all-time performers’ list and is the school’s highest score in a dozen years.
She scored personal-bests in the high jump (5-4, 1.63 meters), the 200 meters (24.91). the javelin (113-5 ¾, 34.59 meters) and 800 (2:21.98). Her time in the 800 was a five-second improvement on her previous best.
Former UCSB star Barbara Nwaba FitzSimons, a member of the 2016 Olympic team, made her debut in selected events. She ran a time of 14.12 in the 100-meter hurdles and cleared 5-11.25 in the high jump while competing for the first time since the Rio Games.
Juanita Webster-Freeman of the Santa Barbara Track Club won her first Adams-Klein heptathlon title with 5,875 points. Steven Bastien won the men’s decathlon title with 8,009 points
Thirteen schools competed along with several unattached athletes.
Westmont’s Sydney Marr took first place in the hammer throw with an NAIA National Championship automatic qualifying mark of 52.05 meters (170-09), edging out UCSB’s Tori Palma (51.19 meters, 167-11).
UCSB’s Emma Barthel won the long jump (5.37 meters, 17-7.5) while Westmont’s Tori Davis finished second (5.30 meters, 17-4.5). Davis was also the top NAIA finisher in the 100 meters (13.25).
UCSB’s Ryan Fegan edged Westmont’s Seth Wilmoth in the pole vault. They both cleared 4.85 meters (15-11) but Fegan had fewer misses at lower heights.
Gauchos sign volleyball recruits
UCSB has signed three high school girls volleyball stars —Grace McIntosh, Jazmin Nason, and Julia Shepherd — to national letters of intent.
“It seems so long since we have seen this group, due to Covid, but fortunately they have been able to play quite a bit of volleyball to sharpen their skills over the past year,” Gaucho coach Nicole Lantagne Welch said. “These three and their engaging personalities are ready to bring hard work, competitiveness and drive to help Gaucho volleyball keep raising the bar.”
McItosh is a 5-foot-11 setter from Tesoro High who won league most valuable player honors as a junior. Nason is a 5-3 libero from Vista’s San Marcos High who set a league record for digs in back-to-back seasons. Shepherd is a 6-3 attacker who led Chico’s Pleasant Valley High to back-to-back CIF-Northern Section Championships.
GSAC honors Westmont’s Netz
Westmont College’s Daniel Netz was named as Golden State Athletic Conference Baseball Player of the Week after hitting three home runs in the Warriors’ four-game sweep of San Diego Christian.
Netz went 5-for-13 with all five hits going for extra bases. His biggest hit was a grand slam homer which rallied Westmont from a 10-2 deficit on Friday. He drove in 11 runs during the series.
“Daniel has had to work hard for everything he has accomplished,” Westmont coach Robert Ruiz said. “Nothing has been handed to him. Daniel’s work ethic and commitment are really paying off and I’m happy for him.”
Ingvarson wins soccer award
Westmont College men’s soccer goalkeeper Mans Ingvarson was voted as the GSAC’s Defensive Player of the Week for the second straight time.
He recorded five saves in 110 minutes last week in a tie against Hope International and has allowed only one goal in the entire GSAC season. His goals-against average dropped to 0.50.
“To be a top goalkeeper you have to make saves you are supposed to make, and on occasions saves no one thinks you can make,” Warriors coach Dave Wolf said. “That’s what he did last week against Hope International, and that’s one of the reasons we’ll have a postseason this spring.”
Warriors’ duo honored by GSAC
Westmont’s Jessie Terlizzi was named as the GSAC’s Attacker of the Week while teammate Madison Morrison won Defender of the Week honors in women’s volleyball.
Terlizzi had 26 kills in two matches against Hope International, averaging 4.33 per set with an attack percentage of .434. She committed only three errors in 53 attempts.
“With Jesse you can see it in her eyes, just how bad she wants it,” coach Ruth McGolpin said. “And she’s really been running an opportunity playing on the right side. She’s athletic, she’s got good size, and she’s just hungry to get after it.”
Morrison had 36 digs and committed only one receiving error in the two matches.
“Maddy has relished in her new role as Libero,” McGolpin said. “And she has just shown so much confidence this year, without a doubt more than I’ve seen her with in her first three years here.”
email: mpatton@newspress.com
