ALL-COUNTY GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD 2024
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Keaton Robar, Newport Harbor, Junior
Newport Harbor junior Keaton Robar finished third in the 800 meters at the CIF State Track and Field Championships.
No Orange County girl finished higher in any event at this year’s state meet.
But wait, there was more from her during the high school track and field season.
She was the CIF Southern Section Division 2 champion in the 800. The following week, at the CIF-SS Masters Meet, Robar finished first with a personal-record of 2 minutes, 7.01 seconds – the fourth-best time in Orange County history in the 800.
Newport Harbor’s Keaton Robar paces herself during the 104th CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High School in Clovis on Friday, May 24 2024. (Photo by Joseph Vasquez, Contributing Photographer)
Robar was first in the 1,600 at the Orange County Championships where she also won the 800. Her personal best of 4:49.93 in the 1,600 at another meet was the second-best time in Orange County this season and the 20th-best all-time in county history.
She ran the 3,200 once, in the Wave League championships. Robar won it in 10:28.76, the second-best time in the county this year and the 22nd-best in county history.
She said getting the personal-best in the 800 was her highlight.
“All season I was waiting for that,” Robar said. “So when it did happen, that was pretty cool.”
The 800 is her favorite event.
“I’ve been doing it since my freshman year,” Robar said. “I’ve gotten good at it and I’ve learned to enjoy it and love it although it’s really tough.”
Sometimes track athletes who run a variety of events reduce their races to one for their senior year. Robar might go the opposite way.
“I do want to run the 1,600 more,” she said. “I wish I would have run the 1,600 later in the season because then I would have improved my time in it more.
“I like the 1,600. It’s different, and I’m still learning how to race it. I want to do more 1,600s and 3,200s because I want to get the school records in those two.”
She is six seconds off the Newport Harbor 1,600 record set by Amber Steen in 2001, and two seconds off of Steen’s school record in the 3.200 set in that year.
Robar has set goals for her senior year of cross country and track.
“I just want to get better at everything,” she said. “I have some pretty good goals including the team goal of making CIF with our cross country team. I would love to experience that. And I’d like to run in some 400s next track season.”
If her senior year is like her junior year, Robar will accomplish all of that, and more.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Brandon Thomas, Rosary
The Rosary girls track and field program continued its ascent this season, its third under coach Brandon Thomas.
The Royals finished second in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 championships team standings with 48 points, second to the 75 points collected by St. Mary’s Academy of Inglewood.
Rosary finished second to Trinity League rival JSerra in the Orange County Championships team standings. The Royals’ top athlete was sophomore Justine Wilson, a sophomore who was sixth in the 400 at the CIF State meet.
FIRST TEAM
(Selections made based on top marks and level of performance in the CIF Southern Section Finals and CIF State meet.)
100: Ava Simos, Corona del Mar, Sr.
200: Justine Wilson, Rosary, So.
400: Justine Wilson, Rosary, So.
Rosary’s Justine Wilson, right, wins the 200 meters at the Orange County Championships on Saturday, April 13, ahead of second-place Ava Simos (left) of Corona del Mar. Wilson also won the 400 and was named the girls sprinter of the meet. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)
800: Keaton Robar, Newport Harbor, Jr.
1,600: Annie Ivarsson, Dana Hills, Jr.
3,200: Sydney Rubio, Huntington Beach, Fr.
100 hurdles: Natalie McCarty, Newport Harbor, So.
300 hurdles: Natalie McCarty, Newport Harbor, So.
4×100 relay: Santa Margarita
4×400 relay: JSerra
4×800 relay: JSerra
High jump: Julia Teven, Brea Olinda, So.
Long jump: Roxy Meyer, Dana Hills, Sr.
Triple jump: Roxy Meyer, Dana Hills, Sr.
Pole vault: Olivia Bettinger, Los Alamitos, Jr.
Aliso Niguel’s Jaslene Massey makes her first shot put throw during 104th CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High School in Clovis on Friday, May 24 2024. (Photo by Joseph Vasquez, Contributing Photographer)
Shot put: Jaslene Massey, Aliso Niguel, So.
Discus: Samantha Chang, Mission Viejo, Sr.
SECOND TEAM
100: Avery Groves, Santa Margarita, Sr.
200: Ava Simos, Corona del Mar, Sr.
400: Maya Woolforde, JSerra, So.
800: Georgia Jeanneret, JSerra, Sr.
1,600: Annie Packard, JSerra, Jr.
3,200: Summer Wilson, JSerra, So.
100 hurdles: Chloe Waters, San Clemente, Jr.
300 hurdles: Audrey Kays, Mission Viejo, Jr.
4×100 relay: Mater Dei
4×400 relay: Newport Harbor
4×800 relay: Los Alamitos
High jump: Isis Salazar, Ocean View Sr.
Long jump: Maya Woolforce, JSerra, So.
Triple jump: Karalyn Cheng, El Dorado, Sr.
Pole vault: Sophia Chiaverini, JSerra, Sr.; Sydni Harden, Dana Hills, Jr.
Shot put: Alexa Sheldon, Edison, Sr.
Edison senior Alexa Sheldon won the shot put and discus at two meets this past week. (Courtesy of Edison High School)
Discus: Alexa Sheldon, Edison, Sr.
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