All-Area Girls Track and Field: St. Paul’s Sarah Hernandez is Athlete of the Year

St. Paul High School's Sarah Hernandez won a CIF Southern Section shot put title and is the Daily News Athlete of the Year. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News)

St. Paul High School’s Sarah Hernandez won a CIF Southern Section shot put title and is the Daily News Athlete of the Year. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News)

By Keith Lair
Championships are not supposed to have a relaxed atmosphere.But St. Paul High School senior Sarah Hernandez was not feeling any anxiety or nervousness during the CIF Southern Section track and field championships at Cerritos College. Hernandez showed that in the shot put competition. She had a personal-best throw of 39 feet, 9 3/4 inches to win the CIF-SS Division 4 crown.The title, the only one earned by a Whittier-area athlete, earned her Daily News track and field Athlete of the Year honors. It was her first CIF-SS Finals appearance.“I had felt really relaxed,” she recalled. “That had never happened before in a meet. At the (CIF-SS) prelims I was a nervous wreck. I was surprised that it happened.”
COACH OF THE YEAR
Mando Padilla, California
FIRST TEAM
Symone Addo, La Serna, senior (100, 200, long jump)
Lauren Anderson, California, sophomore (discus, shot put)
Stephanie Cortez, California, senior (800, 1,600)
Brenda Dorantes, Whittier, junior (1,600, 3,200)
Kelsey George, California, sophomore (200, 400)
Samantha Huerta, La Mirada, junior (400, 800, 1,600, 3,200)
Michelle Reed, La Serna, senior (200, 400)
Crystal Rodriguez, El Rancho, senior (discus, shot put)
Gabriella Smith, La Mirada (100, 200 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles)
Rochelle Viramontes, Whittier, sophomore (1,600, 3,200)
SECOND TEAM
Giselle Burgos, El Rancho, senior (800, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles)
Suyan Carcedo, California, senior (high, long, triple jumps)
Jasmyn Crawford, California, junior (100, long, triple jumps)
Leslie Flores La Habra, sophomore (800)
Kassandra Herrera, El Rancho, senior (100, 300 hurdles)
Lauryn Jordan, La Habra, sophomore (shot put)
Piper Lowinger, La Serna, junior (100, 300 hurdles)
Madison Ortiz, El Rancho sophomore (100, 200)
Diana Phimpasouk, Montebello, senior (high, long, triple jumps)
Sophia Sousa, Whittier, sophomore (800, 1,600)
HONORABLE MENTION
Ilse Cacho, California, senior (1,600, 3,200)
Maddison Fitzpatrick, La Serna, senior (shot put)
Alexis Garfias, Schurr, senior (800, 1,600)
Alexis Kolshefski, La Habra, senior (discus)
Na’lon Smith, St. Paul, sophomore (100, 200)

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