Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) is known for many things, including its strong academic pathways, stellar teachers and small campus, but one of its standout features is its Track and Field team. Despite being a smaller school, the Track and Field program consistently excels, with individual athletes and the team as a whole achieving remarkable success in California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) competitions and setting school records.
The team continued to push the boundaries of excellence during the Tri-Valley League Finals meet on May 2, 2025, where Foothill Tech competed against St. Bonaventure High School, Bishop Diego High School and Cate School in their last league meet of the season.
Brandon Wofford ‘25 reflected on the season, stating, “We have a team where we all like each other; we’re all great friends, and I think that really helped carry our team to have a lot of success here and throughout this year.”
Isabella Efner ‘25 went on to detail why the team had so much historical success and what continues to make them great, commenting, “Our community is very tight-knit, we’re all like a second family, and I think that’s something we thrive in more than other teams.”
Standing on the shoulder of the team’s legacy, the race started with a bang for those competing in track events. The 100-meter relay brought the heat as on the boys side Ian Clayton ‘25 took second place (11.46), and Alex Lawson ‘25 was just behind him in fifth (12.22). For girls, Lauren Kaller sped to second (12.98), followed by Alinah Rodriguez ‘27 in sixth who secured a new PR (Personal Record) of 14.01 and finally Amy Martinez Toledo ‘27 in seventh (14.11).
The 800 meter event saw similar success, as Efner placed third (2:34.5), Evelyn Whately ‘28 took fourth (2:41.75) and Julia Alkov ‘25 secured fifth (2:45.13), with Efner and Whatley earning PRs.
The boys team saw fierce competition, with Viggo Bortolin ‘27 and Conor White ‘25 neck-in-neck for first place as crowds began to form near the finish line. However, White pulled through in first with a PR of 1:59.17, Bortolin in second (2:01.44), followed by Andres Hernandez ‘26 in third with a PR of 2:02.30 and Gavin Leedy ‘26 in fifth (2:07.73).
Foothill Tech also dominated the 1600 meter events, where Keera Wallace took first (5:29.14), Auden McCoy placed second with a PR of 5:46.47, and Emma Anderson took fifth with a PR of 6:23.43 for the girls team.
As for the boys, Chance Leandro ‘25 led the team in first place (4:29.97), Wofford shortly after in second (4:30.77) and Cayden Winterstien ‘25 securing fourth with a PR of 4:39.48.
When asked about the team’s performance throughout the meet, coach Carol Leandro stated, “I think that in the past there has been this thought that at some of the bigger invitationals, you set a PR (personal record) there and you can’t for the rest of the season, and today I’ve seen a lot PRs a lot of really great competition and I’ve just been incredibly impressed with our athletes.”
Efner shared this sentiment, stating that,“Since it’s my last season I really want to go all out and hopefully PR, and really just cherish these last few races”
Field Events carried the same prowess as track, beginning pole vault where Clayton secured a new PR of 11-05.00 (3.48m), along with Bennet Rodman ‘26 who jumped 9-00.00 (2.74m) and Kaller with 7-.06.00 (2.29m).
As for Long Jump, more PRs were hit as Clayton took first at 20-04.5 (6.21m), and Lawson sat behind him in third at 18-10.50 (5.75m). On the girls side, Kaller took second with 15-.06.25 (4.73m) and Toledo secured fourth with a PR of 14-09.00 (4.50m).
Foothill Tech then went on to compete in shot put, where Spencer secured third with a 41-07.00 (12.67m), followed by Ali in seventh with a PR of 35-03.75 (10.76m)
To round out the meet, girl’s discus saw Amelia Gerk ‘26 earn first with 94-09 (28.88m), Ariel Montejano ‘25 with a PR of 86-01 (26.24m) shortly behind in second place and Lorena Escobar ‘25 in fourth with 61-09 (18.82m).
The boys saw sharp competition, as Spencer led Foothill Tech in third at 116-07 (35.53m), and just behind him was Ali with 114-05 (34.87m).
While this meet saw the last of their high school for some, many qualified to compete in CIF, the first round of which is on May 10, 2025. What keeps the team motivated and ready to perform when entering CIF is, “The competitive environment, and everyone pushing each other to do their best, just getting to improve every day,” Wallace said. Carol Leandro expanded on this, saying, “We’re certainly going to take the energy from today and carry it into CIF. We’re ready.”
