A pair of Gilroy track and field athletes advanced through stage two of qualifying over the weekend at Bob Mathias stadium at Tulare Union High School and will participate in the USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships at Hughes Stadium, Morgan State University in Baltimore from July 23-29.
Needing to finish in the top five in their respective events, Rachel Allen took second in the intermediate division (which consists of 15 and 16 year olds) 3000-meter run while Haley Romero won the long jump in the youth division (13 and 14 year olds) to clinch spots at nationals.
Romero recorded a 4.94-meter – or 16-feet, 2.50-inches – mark in the long jump, out-leaping the second-place finisher by one quarter of an inch, for the gold. She also made the cut in the 100-meter hurdles, qualifying fifth.
Facing top-notch competition, Ally Foster was sixth in the long jump, sixth in the 100 hurdles and seventh in the triple jump with a personal record of 34-02.
All three athletes competed unattached (no club or school affiliation) but attend Christopher High during the school year.
