By Neil Farrell

Morro Bay High recently wrapped up one of its more successful track and field seasons in recent years, with two athletes making it all the way to the State Meet and one coming home with some hardware.
In the Los Padres League Girls’ Championships, Madeline Ogle was champion in the 1600 meters in 5 minutes 19.7 seconds and third in the 3200M in 11:56.4. Eliza Lewis was second in the 1600M (5:21.93). Shannon McClish was second in the 3200M at 11:56.1; Ellis Vavra was third with 4 by 400M relay team; Natalie Marquardt won the high jump at 4-feet 11-inches and Sierra Emrick won the pole vault at 11’6” and was second in the high jump. The girls scored 96 points to finish second at League Finals behind Santa Ynez.
“The girls made a very strong showing,” said coach Chuck Ogle. “They were led by a great senior class, and supported by promising underclassmen. Our sophomore sprinter, Hannah Wiese (third in the 100, bested by two accomplished seniors, one of whom, Jackie Chandler from Santa Ynez, went on to qualify for the State Meet in the 400), pencils in as the top sprinter in the league next season.
“Our young thrower, Marissa Farelas, qualified for League Finals in both the discus and the shot put.”
The girls’ distance squad dominated their events, scoring 40 points to runner-up Templeton’s 26. Overall, the girls finished third in the LPL after dual meet records were added in for the Lady Pirates’ best league finish in many years, the coach added.
For the Boys’ Team, Austin Lay was champion in the 1600M at 4:22.8 and the 3200M in 9:37.4. He also finished third in the 4 by 400M relay team at 3:37.9. Andrew Stafford was second in the 1600M at 4:23.59 and third in the 4 by 400M. Brandon Amato was second in the 800M at 2:01.87 and was also part of the 4 by 400M relay team.
“The guys’ distance crew prevailed as well,” Ogle said, “with 36 points to Santa Ynez’ 25. For the guys, our focus at league was in getting athletes in to the post-season [CIF], where they could push down their marks and, hopefully, challenge some school records.”
Five athletes qualified for CIF Southern Section Div. 4 Finals — Emrick and Marquardt in the pole vault, Amato in the 800M, Lay in the 3200M, and Stafford in the 1600M.
Emrick won CIF clearing 12’7” and setting a new division record. Marquardt was third with a personal best of 10’6”. Amato was fifth in the 800M at 1:58.68. Stafford was third in the 1600M at 4:17.96, and Lay took second in the 3200M at 9:11.7.
“This was an exceptional meet for Morro Bay,” Ogle said. “All of our athletes won medals. Sierra set the record she had been aiming for all season, and we sent two [Austin and Sierra] through to the CIF Masters Meet. Andrew [Stafford] is in good position to challenge the school record in the 1600 next season [4:14.36, Bryan Rayburn, 2002]. The Top 12 finishers in the field events and races longer than 800 meters, regardless of division, advanced to the Masters Meet.”
With the Southern Section loaded with track and field talent, the Master’s Meet is considered the Southern California Championships and a huge hurdle to overcome to get to the prize — the State Championships.
At Masters, Ogle said Lay, “locked himself into a fast pack. All of those guys were working together to meet the automatic State Meet qualifying time [9:07.38]. Austin charged with 300 meters to go and that ignited a stretch drive that carried a bunch of guys into State.”
Lay’s time of 9:02.01 set a new school record, breaking the previous mark set in 1996 by Isaiah Festa — 9:06.06. “This was the most iconic record in Morro Bay boys’ track and field,” coach Ogle said, “as it was such an outstanding mark when it was set. Festa was the State Champion in the 3200 and the toast of California high school track and field at the time.” Festa also won two State Cross Country Championships during his prep career and went on to star at the University of Wisconsin in both cross country and the steeplechase.
Lay also wanted to break 9-minute mark this season, but could not do so at the State Meet, Ogle said. “The epic Master’s Meet race took too much out of the young men from the Southern Section. Eight of the 10 who qualified for State ran slower at the State Meet, most significantly so.” Lay finished 22nd at State.
The highlight for the track season came with Emrick, who cleared 12’3” at the State Meet and took home a sixth place medal. Both were seniors and graduated from MBHS in June. Emrick and Lay have both signed letters of intent to attend and compete at U.C. Santa Barbara next year.