Encinitas Advocate |

San Dieguito track team celebrates senior athletes

San Dieguito Academy High School track and field team honored 37 senior athletes at its April 27 home meet with Carlsbad and Mission Vista. The class of 2023 was celebrated for their spirit, passion, effort and persistence. For a quick ceremony before the meet began, track teammates made a tunnel at the center of the field and the seniors ran through one by one to applause from parents, friends and fans.

Head Coach Steve Edwards described this senior class as resilient and determined: “The seniors went through some tough times and lost seasons. They came back with some goals to go faster and get stronger.”

There were PRs a plenty for this year’s SDA track and field team, made up of 140 students., “I was impressed how the ninth to 12th grades integrated as a team,” Edwards said.

Speedy Mustangs set school records in the sprints this season. Senior Leon Goodridge set the mark in the 100 meters and was part of the record-breaking all-senior 4 by 100 relay squad of Jake Kluka, Alejandro Anguiano and Mukunda Leahy-Paragiri.

The girls broke the 4 by 100 relay record twice this year, a time that had stood since 2011. The team was made up of freshmen Mia Pullman and Makena Howard with seniors Cassandra Cinzori and Carly Renison.

Cassandra, part of the record-breaking relay team also broke the record this year in the 100 meters and at 12’2” ranks second all time in the pole vault—the former gymnast who now launches into the air in the pole vault will compete for Northeastern University in the fall.

The future of SDA track looks bright as the Mustangs qualified 24 participants and one relay for the 37th Dick Wilkins Frosh-Soph Championships at Del Norte High School on April 22—only four qualified last season. “The team took home lots of medals!” Edwards remarked. Makena Howard won both the freshman 100 and 200 meters and Carly Renison took the sophomore 200 meter open.

At the Bronco Invitational, freshman Dylan Yarborough broke SDA’s all-time freshman record in pole vault at over 13’8”— the fourth best mark for ninth graders in the country.

The SDA team will next compete at the Avocado League Finals on May 5 with the CIF prelims set for May 13. Edwards said the team will be focused on “owning their lane”, working on what they can control and not worrying about the other athletes. Keeping it fast and keeping it funky, SDA style.