On the afternoon of May 16, the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) track team continued its strong drive into the postseason with a sharp performance at the CIF Southern Section Finals. The girls team, represented by just two athletes, took overall second place in Division IV, while the boys 4×800‑meter relay team claimed the division title.
The day for the Dragons started strong as Keera Wallace ’26 took to the line in the girls’ 1600‑meter championships. Wallace gradually worked her way up through a field of experienced racers, and by lap two, she was up into second place. Despite closing with a 73‑second final lap, the division title was not to be, and she finished in second place with a gap of less than two seconds to first.
At the same time, Bennett Rodman ’26 competed in the high jump finals. Rodman came into the meet ranked third in the Southern Section, and she surpassed that expectation. She cleared the first three heights before hitting the bar all three times at 5 feet, 4 inches. Despite this, Rodman would still take home the division title for the second year in a row.
Just minutes later, Rodman competed in her second event of the day, the pole vault. Despite early trouble at 9’ 7”, she managed to jump 10’ 1” and secured a sixth‑place finish.
Elijah Spencer ’26 competed in the discus throw. His first attempt was a violation, but on his second attempt, he threw more than 135 feet, which broke the school record on his way to a fourth-place finish.
The boys’ 4×800 was the next event on the track for the Dragons. Composed of Asher Field ’28, Jaden Prillhart ’26, Baker Carlisle ’26 and Andres Hernandez ’26, the team was looking to qualify for the CIF Masters Meet the following weekend.
The race started well for the Dragons, with Field coming through 800 meters in third place. Prillhart held onto third for the first lap, then moved into second before Carlisle ran a steady, controlled leg to give the Dragons first place going into the final leg. Hernandez then closed it off to secure the title and a ticket to the CIF Masters Meet.
Next on the track was Wallace in her second event of the day, the girls’ 3200. She held onto second the entire race and earned her second runner‑up position of the day.
The final race of the day for the Dragons was a disappointing one for Viggo Bortolin ’27, who was unable to finish due to illness.
“I think everybody ran what they had in them today … the boys 4×800 [relay] was one of the highlights. I think those boys ran some of the best they ever have, and they were rewarded for that run with the win,” Braedon Elliot, assistant coach, said.
The track and field team will take on the CIF Masters Meet on May 23 to see if they can move on to the 2026 CIF State Championships.
