Khoury, Riley, Weber, Grantham, Bermudez, Gaul win events in track and field season opener

Fallbrook High School track and field athletes Sahara Khoury, Savannah Riley, Gavin Weber, Sam Grantham, Johnny Bermudez and Maddy Gaul won events during the Warriors’ season opener March 25 at Carlsbad.

Khoury and Riley shared first place in the girls’ pole vault, Weber won the boys’ pole vault, Grantham had the longest boys’ discus throw with Bermudez taking second in that event, Bermudez had the furthest shot put distance, and Gaul was the girls’ 3,200-meter race winner.

“I think right now our strongest event as far as numbers is pole vault,” Fallbrook head coach Marco Arias said.

Fallbrook swept the three scoring positions in the girls’ pole vault. Khoury and Riley were the only pole vaulters to clear 7 feet, 0 inches, March 25, and since the two were from the same school, there was no need to decide first-place and second-place team points. Khoury is a freshman, and Riley is a sophomore. Elizabeth Riley, who is a freshman, gave Fallbrook the third-place point with a distance of 6 feet, 6 inches.

Weber, who is a senior, opened the 2021 season with a height of 12 feet, 0 inches.

Grantham is a junior and Bermudez is a senior. Grantham threw the discus 97 feet, 9 inches, while Bermudez landed a discus 75 feet, 4 inches, past the throwing circle. Bermudez had a shot put throw of 31 feet, 4 inches.

Gaul, who is a junior, completed the 3,200-meter race in 15 minutes, 24.44 seconds. Fallbrook freshman Avery Lynas took second place in the other two girls distance races with times of 2:40.16 in the 800-meter event and 5:54.72 in the 1,600-meter competition.

In the boys’ 1,600-meter race, senior Danny Contreras had the second-place time of 5:00.83 and junior Dawson Fluck finished in 5:00.84 for third place. Fluck gave Fallbrook second-place points in the boys 800-meter race with a time of 2:19.97. The high school track debut of freshman Fisher Phillips included a 3,200-meter run which took him 11:32.25 and gave him second place.

“We competed fairly well against their distance team,” Arias said.

Fallbrook’s combined boys’ and girls’ program has approximately 50 athletes.

“It’s going to be interesting,” Arias said.

A school is allowed up to three runners or field athletes in each of the individual events, and in many events against Carlsbad, the Warriors did not utilize the maximum number of allowed athletes.

“We’re going to see what we can fill this year,” Arias said.

Arias is seeking additional boys’ and girls’ for the track and field teams.

“We’re still looking for anybody who wants to come out,” he said.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].