College state track finals: Thrasher wins state heptathlon title for MPC

WALNUT — Becoming an All-American and State champion – leaving a legacy at Monterey Peninsula College with her record-setting achievement in the heptathlon. It was all on hold for the moment.

Lillian Thrasher’s historic day wasn’t over. After two days of grinding out seven events in winning the 3C2A track and field heptathlon title Saturday, she had one more individual event — what had been her speciality.

“I did enjoy the feeling of finishing the 800,” Thrasher said. “I didn’t cry. But I was super thankful to be done with the heptathlon. It’s starting to hit me now.”

Setting personal bests in five of the seven events contested, Thrasher piled up 4,846 points to become the first MPC state champion in the heptathlon, outdistancing the runner-up by 227 points at Mt. Antonio College in Walnut.

“I had a pretty good day,” Thrasher said. “I was really happy about the shot put. Usually, I can’t ever get the ball out there. Besides the 800, it’s my weakest event. They make me so upset.”

The Hollister High graduates’ decision to compete in two individual events simultaneously during the final day of the heptathlon was not a distraction. Instead, it kept Thrasher focused.

With the heptathlon wrapped up with one event remaining, Thrasher celebrated — albeit briefly — becoming an All-American in the high jump when she cleared 5-feet-5 1/4 to place third, before returning to the heptathlon to run the 800.

“It was a true blessing getting to jump again,” Thrasher said. “After I got off the (high jump) pit, I said ‘no way’. I hit the entire bar with my body. But the bar stayed on. I went from fifth to third. I was locked in.”

While Thrasher didn’t win any of the seven events contested over two days in the heptathlon, she set personal bests in five of them, to produce a 250-point improvement.

“I had a mission, and it was to PR point-wise, drop into the 25s in the 200, hit double digits in the shot. I was a little disappointed in the high jump in the hep. In the hurdles, I wanted to run a low 14’s. But I’m learning to take small accomplishments.”

The MPC sophomore established an early lead after the first day with 3,022 points, holding a 150-point lead going into Saturday’s final three events.

Thrasher clocked the second fastest time in the 100 hurdles in 14.64, was second in the high jump (5-4 1/4), fourth in the shot put with a massive PR (35-5 1/4), and fifth in the 200 in a career best 25.75.

Rather than protect the lead, Thrasher went out with the intention of extending it, recording the fourth-longest long jump (17-4 1/4) and the second-best toss in the javelin (114-5). She ended the day by gutting out an 800.

“Last night it was hard to sleep,” Thrasher said. “I couldn’t stop thinking about Day 2. I also had the individual events. In my head, I was already preparing for Day 2. I’m just so happy.”

Having qualified as an individual in the long jump, pole vault, high jump and 100 hurdles, Thrasher reluctantly withdrew from the pole vault and long jump to keep her attention on the heptathlon.

“It sucked because I had been vaulting so well,” Thrasher said. “But I would have set myself up for failure trying to go back and forth. It made the most sense. What I’ve learned through track is that with success comes sacrifice.”

Thrasher wasn’t the only All-American from MPC as two-sport standout Gideon Llantero tossed the javelin 177-feet-9 to finish third overall.

“Coach knew I had a history in baseball,” said Llantero, who is headed to West Point in the fall. “I was a dual sport athlete at PG in the spring. He asked me to come out and try it after football season.”

Llantero, who played football last fall for the Lobos, was just an inch off his career best, set two weeks ago in winning the Northern California title.

“I just fell in love with it,” said Llantero, who hopes to continue throwing next year for Army. “Having the lights on out there tonight, having all eyes on you, it was a mix of anxiety and excitement.”

School record holder Ariel Ferrell finished sixth in the pole vault for the Lobos with a mark of 11-1 3/4, while Hannah Bocanegra took seventh in the 400 (58.84) and ninth in the 200.

Having missed the end of last year with a broken foot, Aidan Ishimaru returned with a purpose this spring for Hartnell, earning All-American honors in the process in the hammer.

The former Salinas High thrower unleashed the second-longest hammer throw in Hartnell school history Friday to finish second with a mark of 171-3.

“I felt a little apprehensive coming in,” Ishimaru said. “I knew I had to throw at least a meter further to get to the podium. I could feel after my first throw, it felt good. I knew it was going to be a good day.”

Teammate Julian Vargas became the Panthers second All-American on the men’s side, when he raced to a fourth place finish in the 5,000 meters, dipping under 15 minutes at 14:56.14.

“He led the majority of the race,” Hartnell coach Chris Zepeda said. “I had a lot of coaches say he made the race. It was a fast race. It was not a jog feast. He felt a little redemption after being disqualified two years ago.”

Freshman distance ace Gabriela Cardenas led for most of the race before finishing third overall in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, gathering All-American status.

“She was diagnosed with strep throat after NorCal,” Zepeda said. “She had to power throw some workouts. She led the race until the last barrier. If she had been 100 percent, Gabriela might have blown the field away. The nice thing is she’s a freshman.”

A former Rancho San Juan standout and state meet qualifier in cross country, Cardenas was clocked in 11:51.89, with teammate Angelina Tran placing sixth in 12:03.85.

Returning to the state meet for the second straight year, Jenna Emerson was fifth in the 400 low hurdles (65.44), and sixth in the 100 hurdles (14.93).

Nathaniel Aceves-Aguilar finished sixth in just his second decathlon for the Panthers with 6,323 points. The Watsonville graduate won the long jump on the first day at 22-5 3/4. He was second in the javelin at 178-9.

Aceves-Aguilar set personal bests in nine of the 10 events from the Northern California finals. The 6,300 makes him eligible for the USA under-20 championships in June in Eugene, Oregon.

“He’s up there with some Hartnell legends,” Zepeda said. “And he’s just a freshman.”

Coast Conference champion Adrian Manriquez covered the 400 intermediate hurdles in 53.76 to finish fifth for the Panthers.

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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 8:20 PM.