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Orestimba track and field shines at division finals
samantha de la cruz
Samantha De La Cruz, an Orestimba sophomore, won first place in the 800 meters at the Division 4 and 5 finals held at Riverbank High on May 14. - photo by Photo courtesy of StanCo Distance

Orestimba High School’s track and field athletes delivered strong performances at the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division 4 and 5 Finals, held Wednesday, May 14, at Riverbank High School. The women’s team secured a seventh-place finish in Division 5, while the men’s team took 11th.

A standout moment came from sophomore Samantha De La Cruz, who claimed first place in the 800 meters final, clocking 2:22.60—a slight improvement over her prelims time of 2:23.29. She also notched a personal record in the 1600 meters final, finishing third with a time of 5:12.92.

On the men's side, Patricio Kearney demonstrated endurance and skill, securing second place in both the 1600 meters final (4:30.26) and the 3200 meters final (9:37.78), behind Broen Holma of Sonora, who won both races.

Israel Ramirez impressed in the 110 meters hurdles, recording a personal-best time of 15.81 in the finals to take third place—an improvement over his fourth-place prelims finish at 16.13.

Orestimba’s relay squads also made their mark. The women’s 4x400 team, featuring Mariah Moreno, Samantha De La Cruz, Marian Quevedo, and Imelda Beltran-Pelayo, took fourth place in the finals with a time of 4:10.54, following a second-place prelims finish of 4:09.24.

Quevedo excelled in the hurdles, setting a personal record of 16.15 in the 100 meters hurdles finals to claim second place. She also earned seventh in the 300 meters hurdles finals with a time of 49.00.

In field events,Maddie Perez tiedd for fifth place in the long jump with a jump of 16-02.00,  Beltran-Pelayo secured 13th in the long jump (15-04.00) and ninth in the triple jump (32-11.75).

Athletes who placed first in their respective divisions automatically qualified for the Masters meet, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Folsom High School. The next four fastest times across divisions will also advance.

Orestimba High will be well represented at the Masters meet at Folsom High School, with Patricio Kearney, Israel Ramirez, Samantha De La Cruz, Marion Quevedo, and the women’s 4x400 relay team all qualifying to compete. The Warriors will look to build on their success and make an impact at the event.