College roundup: MPC's Thrasher advances to state track finals in four events
SANTA ROSA — The heptathlon is her target at the state championships in two weeks. Yet, Lillian Thrasher is also among the state leaders in four individual track and field events.
“She’s a smart enough athlete to know where her priorities lie,” Monterey Peninsula College track and field coach Nick Cunningham said. “She will see where she has the best opportunities and make her decision based on that.”
For now, the sophomore is headed to the Community College State Championships in everything, having qualified this weekend in the 100-meter hurdles, the high jump, pole vault, and long jump at the Northern California finals at Santa Rosa Junior College.
“If it all works out, I know I can do it,” said Thrasher, who could find herself juggling events simultaneously, as the heptathlon is a two-day, seven-event competition. “But if it’s not in my favor, my main goal is the heptathlon.”
The state championships will be held May 15-16 at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.
Having missed all of last year with an injury, the sophomore appeared glued to the track this spring, having competed in eight events at last week’s Coast Conference finals, taking part in six events at the NorCal finals.
“Last year crushed me mentally, and obviously physically,” Thrasher said. “Honestly, I told my teammates the other day it was a true blessing in disguise. If it weren’t for the injury, I wouldn’t be here with these teammates. It’s been so much fun.”
A Hollister High product, Thrasher won the high jump Friday with a mark of 5-feet-3, was third in the pole vault with a lifetime best of 11-1 3/4, and fifth in the long jump with a mark of 18- 1/2.
The 20-year-old blistered the 100 hurdles Saturday in a lifetime best of 14.68 seconds to finish second, and was seventh in the javelin, giving her 40 points by herself in the meet. Her 30 points after Friday’s first day would have put her in second by herself.
“That was crazy,” Thrasher said. “My teammates added up the points after Friday and said you’re in second place by yourself. I said ‘no way!’ ”
As a team, the Lobos finished third overall behind team champion Modesto and runner-up American River with 77 points.
“We brought eight girls to this meet,” Cunningham said. “It shows their drive and athleticism. We’re not focused on a massive team. We try to recruit talent and compete on the highest stages of our sport. We put up a lot of personal bests.”
That included Hannah Bocanegra, who beat a deep field in the 400, capturing the event in 57.97. Teammate Daniella Macias placed fifth in 59.98. Both had set personal records 24 hours earlier in the trials.
Pole vault school record holder Ariel Ferrell is returning to the state meet after finishing sixth with a mark of 10-8. The sophomore has a best of 11-5. Natalie Tonascia also earned a spot in the state finals, finishing fifth in the shot put (37-feet).
In his first season throwing the javelin, Pacific Grove product Gideon Llantero is a NorCal champion for the Lobos after unleashing it a lifetime best 177-10.
Oliver Ottmar is returning to the state meet in the high jump for MPC after finishing sixth with a modest mark of 6-2 3/4. The Pacific Grove graduate has a best of 6-7, having finished third at last year’s state finals.
Hartnell, which won the men’s and women’s Coast Conference team titles last week, saw Nathaniel Aceves-Aguilar advance to the state meet in the long jump, sailing 22-11 1/2, as well as placing sixth in the javelin (162-6).
Aceves-Aguilar, a Watsonville product, had already qualified for the men’s decathlon last month, finishing second at the Northern California finals.
Adrian Manriquez ran a career best 53.73 in the 400 hurdles to finish third for the Panthers, while Corbin Osborn jumped a career best 45-9 1/2 in the triple jump to finish sixth.
“Going to a two-day format, you have to compete,” Hartnell coach Chris Zepeda said. “In previous years, the trials and finals have been held in separate weeks. If our kids are going to compete at the next level, they need meets like this.”
Julian Vargas is headed to the state meet in the 5,000, while Ivan Martinez qualified in the 3,000 steeplechase. Hartnell’s Joshua Na extended his season in the discus, as did teammate Aiden Ishimaru in the hammer throw.
Jenna Emerson is returning to the state meet in multiple events, placing third in the 100 hurdles in a lifetime best of 14.79. She also extended her season by taking third in the 400 low hurdles (63.94) and was sixth in the triple jump (35-1 1/2).
“Jenna (Emerson) had found her own in the triple jump,” Zepeda said. “And she keeps dropping time in both hurdle events. Gabby (Cardenas) is getting a chance to focus on her primary events.”
Cardenas is heading to the state meet in the 5,000 and 3,000 steeplechase, finishing second in 11:46.46. Teammates Angelina Tran and Deisy Gracida Gabriel also advanced in the steeplechase.
3C2A Regional baseball playoffs
In the postseason for the first time in 21 years, the Panthers’ season was extended another week after winning their bracket in the 3C2A Regional playoffs at Delta College.
Hartnell (25-18) went 3-0 in their bracket, defeating host Delta and Sacramento City twice, including an 11-4 decision Saturday to advance in the Super Regionals, slated for next Friday at a site and opponent yet to be determined.
“As of today, we have the program where we want it,” Hartnell coach Kyle Czaplak said. “This is a big deal for our program, to go on the road and beat two Big 8 teams, including the Big 8 champion in their yard.”
Czaplak, a former Pacific Grove High and Cal State Monterey Bay shortstop, is in his fifth season at Hartnell, taking the program to its first winning season in 15 years.
“The goal from day one was to have a winning season and make the postseason,” Czaplak said. “We felt like we were moving the program each year from a cultural standpoint, putting a foundation and system in place.”
The Panthers turned to their pitching on Saturday as George Jewell tossed a five-hitter in a 3-1 win over Delta, with Ethan Stelzer and Jameson Rios combining their efforts to end Sacramento City’s season later in the day
“Our offense has been our strength the entire year,” Czaplak said. “But come postseason, you need pitching. You can only hit your way so far in the postseason. We hit three home runs, but also bunted the ball and stole bases. We were aggressive.”
Kaden Raymond had a big day at the plate in the title clincher for Hartnell, homering and driving six runs, with Stelzer adding two hits and two RBI.
Setlzer, who pitches and hits for Hartnell, also homered against Sacramento City in Friday’s opener, along with John Clinkenbeard, as the Panthers scored 22 runs in two games against them.
Hayden Orrill knocked in a pair of runs in the win over Delta, while Kayden Myslicki and Logan Akaka each had two hits. Akaka also drove in two runs in the Panthers first game against Sacramento City.
“I told the group, seeing how they’re playing for each other since Day 1 is what I’m most proud of,” Czaplak said. “To sweep a series against two Big 8 teams on the road — it’s kind of how we’ve been doing it all year, and that’s together as a group.”
MPC was eliminated from the 3C2A playoffs, falling 7-4 to American River and 6-5 to Feather River, finishing the year 24-18.
Andrew Wasilchuk homered and drove in three runs against Feather River, while Blake Young finished with four hits in the season-ending loss.
3C2A Regional softball playoffs
Mikayla Sanchez pitched a pair of gems iand produced at the plate as the Panthers swept two games from Folsom Lake to advance in the 3C2A Regional playoffs.
The former Greenfield High hurler homered in the Panthers 8-1 win over Folsom Lake on Friday, then added two hits and an RBI in Saturday’s 8-3 win in a best-of-three series.
Hartnell, which finished third in the Coast Conference behind state powers San Mateo and West Valley, are 32-9 on the season.
Hanna Sanchez homered and drove in three runs in the first game and collected two hits and three RBI in the second game for the Panthers. Kalea De Leon knocked a pair in the opener.
3C2A Northern California Beach volleyball tournament
Monterey Peninsula College will be sending three pairs to the state beach volleyball championships, finishing third as a team among 23 schools at the Northern California finals.
Anna Eldredge and Ella Child teamed up to finish fourth overall for the Lobos, with Elisa Heikkala and Lindsey Timm placing in the Top 10, and Vera Hojanki and Hannah Child taking 14th.
The Top 14 among 120 pairs advance to the state championship, slated for May 7-8 at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut. Just missing a spot was the Lobos’ Elizabeth Irvin and Lacey Manzano. All eight players were named to the Coast Conference team last month.
Heikkala and Timm went 5-1 in the tournament, with Eldredge and Child finishing 5-2. Hojanki and Child were 4-2, as was Manzano and Irvin.
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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 10:00 PM.