A host of Malibu High athletes claimed first place in multiple events as the track and field regular season concluded at the Frontier League finals at Santa Paula High School last week.
The Malibu girls team placed second behind Santa Paula for the league title and the boys took third.
Junior long distance star Caroline Pietrzyk won the 1,600- and 3,200- meter races in easy fashion as she began preparations to defend her CIF Division IV title in the 3,200.
“Caroline has had a great season this year and has continued to surpass her past record times throughout the season,” assistant coach Shawn Waco said. “With a personal best of 10:30.45 in the 3,200, she will have no problem moving on to the State Championships. The competition will be tougher in the 1,600, though, since many of the other girls have run sub-five minutes while Caroline’s best is 5:01:30.”
Two weeks ago, Pietrzyk won the 1,600 meters at the Ventura County Track and Field Championships in 5:02.79. She followed up that performance by cruising to the league titles with times of 5:09.59 in the 1,600- meter race and 11:25.70 in the 3,200.
“I felt pretty strong during the events, but a little tired afterwards. The whole event was really exciting and fun to be at,” Pietrzyk said.
For her accomplishments, Pietrzyk was named the Co-Most Valuable Runner in the Frontier League, along with Patricia Ramirez of Santa Paula. Leilani Dudoit-Lopez (Santa Paula) earned MVP honors for field events.
Malibu junior Michaela Cosentino was voted the girls overall MVP for the Frontier League after finishing first in the 100-meter hurdles (17.03), second in the high jump (4’10”), second in the long jump (14’10.5”) and third in the triple jump (30’5”).
Earlier this season, Cosentino broke the school record in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, breaking Kaleigh Shafer’s mark of 4’11” back in 2000.
Sharks freshman Abby Blackwood won the 800-meter race in a time of 2:37.23 while freshman Hannah Maier and sophomore Joie Cosentino tied for first in the pole vault with a height of 7 feet.
Other standout performances included junior Jenna Weinberger taking third in the 400-meters (1:05.55) and fourth in the 100-meters (13.82), and sophomore Madeleine Ward finishing in second in the 300-meter hurdles in 51.59.
On the boys’ side, the duo of Malibu seniors Linus Gordon and Dyer Pettijohn stole the show. Gordon placed first in the high jump (5’10”) and triple jump (41’9.5”), and second in the long jump (20’2.5”) and 300- meter hurdles (45.33).
Pettijohn won the long jump (20’4.5”), took second in the triple jump (41’6”), and fourth in the 400 meters (53.76).
Sophomore Devin Sarantinos won the pole vault with a height of 12’6”. Junior Julian Paige finished second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:09.73 and senior Cooper Barton placed third in the shot put with a throw of 36’4.5”.
Gordon was named the league MVP for field events with Grace Brethren’s Andre Bannister, receiving Most Valuable Runner honors. Oscar Cancino of Santa Paula was the boys overall MVP.
“We have an emerging exceptional young talent base that is sure to guarantee an exciting track team for Malibu in the next few years,” Malibu coach John Cary said. “We lost some excellent seniors but our 11th-graders are well prepared to represent our program. They are also good role models for the upcoming athletes for their work and academic ethics.”
CIF prelims are on Saturday, May 17, at Carpinteria High School with the CIF finals set for May 24 at Cerritos College