The future of the Marmonte League girls' sprinters were on display at the Southern Section Div. II track and field prelims Saturday at Moorpark High.
The underclass trio of Westlake's Abigail Smith and Brooke Edell and Simi Valley's Madisen Richards combined to qualify for 10 events in next Saturday's section finals at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut.
Freshman Smith and sophomores Edell and Richards each qualified for the 100 and 200 meters and the 4 x 100 relay with their respective teams.
"It's exciting to see the three of us advance," said Richards, who also made the cut in the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 2 inches. "We have a camaraderie. It's nice that we're able to continue to run against each other at the finals."
Smith won her heats in the 100 (11.93 seconds) and 200 (24.41), with Edell also winning her heats in the 100 (12.30) and 200 (24.96).
Edell and Smith combined with Sara Schwartz and Nicole Greenberg to clock 48.04 in the 4 x 100 relay.
"I am really exciting to be going to the finals," Smith said. "I know going against older people is going to make me want to run faster. I think with what the three of us did today, it's a sign of things to come in the Marmonte League."
Simi Valley's Amanda Hamilton advanced in four events, including the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays. The senior made the cut in the triple jump with a leap of 39-9 1/4 and won her heat in the 300 hurdles (44.61).
Canyon's Taylor Thomas and Tiffini Stone combined to qualify in six events.
Thomas, the Foothill League hurdles champion, advanced in the 100 hurdles (14.47), 300 hurdles (45.48) and also ran a leg in the 4 x 400 relay (3:58.87).
Stone advanced in the long jump (17-10) and triple jump (39-9 1/2).
Newbury Park's Savannah Sipes was a qualifier in the 300 hurdles as she clocked 46.0.
Golden Valley also made the cut in the 4 x 400 with a time of 3:58.84.
In the distance races, Simi Valley's Sarah Baxter was a double qualifier, winning her heats in the 1,600 (4:51.12) and 3,200 (10:21.17).
Saugus' Karis Frankian (10:47.79) and Westlake's Nicki Ghazarian (10:53.19) also advanced in the 3,200.
Golden Valley's Chelsey Totten made the cut in the 1,600 with a time of 4:53.95 and also ran the opening leg of the Grizzlies' 4 x 400 relay.
Thousand Oaks' Caitlin Tuner was the area's lone qualifier in the 800 with a time of 2:15.73.
Camarillo's Geraldynn Leaupepe advanced in the shot put (39-6) and discus (127-10), as did Newbury Park's Kendall Mader with tosses of 40-4 and 127-8, respectively.
Geralynn Leaupepe also made the cut in the shot put (38-9 1/2).
Moorpark's Brandon Hughes and Camarillo's Ahmed Obed each qualified in two events.
Hughes advanced in the 110 hurdles (14.75) and ran a leg in the Musketeers' 4 x 100 relay (43.31).
Obed clocked 11.05 in the 100 and 21.81 in the 200. Newbury Park's Terry Pagano also qualified in the 200 with a time of 21.97.
Simi Valley's Travis Goodwin was the area's lone qualifier in the 300 hurdles at 39.76.
Golden Valley's Kristian Martinez advanced in the 800 (1:55.06) and 1,600 (4:20.45).
Martinez's teammate, Juan David Garcia (9:22.03), and Saugus' A.J. Yarnall (9:23.41) qualified in the 3,200.
Camarillo's Joel Gonzalez advanced in the 1,600 in 4:19.95, with Canyon's Joel Estrada (1:57.55), Newbury Park's Kendall Esparza (1:57.05) and Thousand Oaks' Tommy Lopez (1:58) advancing in the 800.
Lopez also will be part of the Lancers' 4 x 400 relay team that clocked 3:25.15 to qualify along with Newbury Park at 3:24.26.
