NHS Ranger runners top track podium
by Misty Volaski

Nordhoff took 18 athletes to the Ventura County League Championships at Moorpark High School last Friday.
"This is a much higher-level competition than our normal Frontier League meets'" said Danny Everett, co-head track coach and former Olympic gold medal-winner. "We compete against every school in the county, including the much larger and powerful teams from schools like Thousand Oaks and Ventura."
Despite the high level of competition, Nordhoff's top performers were undaunted, led by double winner senior Jordan Hawkins with a season topping 52 feet, 8 inches in the shot put, and 152 feet, 8 inches in the discus. He was joined on the awards podium by co-teammate senior Justin Haney who took the bronze medal.
Not to be outdone, co-team captain Shannon Popp brought home gold in the shot put with her season-high of 36 feet, 1-3/4 inches. She was also awarded a silver medal in the discus with a toss of 116 feet, 5 inches.
The Lady Ranger runners sprinted into first in front of a cheering stadium in the 4x800 meter relay. Freshman Alyssa Robinson led the team, passing four competitors on the last turn to hand the baton to teammate, sophomore Lauren Lansing. Lansing passed to sophomore Lindsey Owen, who is a cross-country state champ in addition to excelling in track, ran the fastest leg of two minutes, 30 seconds before giving the stick to the anchor-lady, sophomore Tayler Johnson. Johnson crossed the finish line ahead of the pack, bringing the Ranger girls to a first-place win with a combined time of 10 minutes, 16.1 seconds.
"We're very optimistic for the future of our running program," said distance head coach Bill Scobey. "All of these young ladies are freshman and sophomores."
The other Nordhoff medal winning team was the boys' 4x800 meter team of Luis Robles, Severo Lara, Alex Hernandez, and anchorman, Danny Bolanos, who took a fourth-place medal with a time of eight minutes, 49.5 seconds.
The Frontier League Championship is next up for the Rangers, today at 3 p.m. at Oaks Christian High School in Thousand Oaks.

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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