Taking the advice of her coach, Alyssa Lopez began keeping a running journal to mark her progress as a track athlete at La Quinta High School. The journal soon became a place where she could not only write down her goals, but also any thoughts that she had about how she could improve.
On Thursday at the Desert Empire League track and field finals, that played into how the senior broke the league record in the 800 meters.
Lopez said that at first she was skeptical about journaling after coach Brian Ansley suggested it. But she gave it a try and now it’s kind of like her secret weapon.
“I did it and I saw the progression,” Lopez said.
Also on Thursday, La Quinta senior Rudy Mendoza set a new league record in the 800 meters, and La Quinta senior Luis-Fernando Martinez broke his own league record in the 1600 meters.
“I think I took a big jump last year,” Mendoza said. “Then, this year it was all about consistency. I’m just happy that I’m getting the results after the work.”
Junior Malia Strange, transferred from Xavier Prep to Shadow Hills this year, but the record-breaking results didn’t stop. She broke multiple league records during her first two years of high school, and on Thursday broke her own league record in the 100 hurdles and in the triple jump.
Palm Desert junior Kingston Penny set a new league mark in the 300 hurdles.
On Tuesday, Palm Desert senior Jonah Toland broke his own league record in the high jump and Shadow Hills senior Joaquin Sterling smashed the previous league record in the discus throw.
So, it was obviously a big day and week for several DEL athletes.
For Lopez, who was also a part of the winning 4×100 relay team, it was a moment years in the making, she said. She had been working and planning, in her journal, how to break the league 800 meters record. She took the time two write down the goal, to strategize the best way to do it and then worked hard to achieve it.
“It helps to remind me that I’ve done the work,” Lopez said of her running journal. “It’s like a confidence builder. I make notes, mentally. It helps me to not think about the races when I’m on the line and to not get into my own head.
“I know that it helped me today.”
Results
* = new league record
Girls’ 100 meters
1. Naomi Long, La Quinta, 12 (12.76)
2. Audrey Burt, Palm Desert, 11 (13.09)
3. Dahlia Iosza, Shadow Hills, 12 (13.26)
Boy’s 100 meters
1. Jake Harris, Palm Desert, 11 (11.30)
2. Jaydan Lewis, Xavier Prep, 9 (11.34)
3. Jesse Valle, Rancho Mirage, 9 (11.39)
Girls’ 200 meters
1. Naomi Long, La Quinta, 12 (26.17)
2. Audrey Burt, Palm Desert, 11 (26.42)
3. Chloe Villarreal, Rancho Mirage, 10 (27.29)
Boy’s 200 meters
1. Jaydan Lewis, Xavier Prep, 9 (23.03)
2. Jake Harris, Palm Desert, 11 (23.31)
3. Aiden Simo, La Quinta, 12 (23.32)
Girls’ 400 meters
1. Ava Hyatt, Shadow Hills, 11 (1:00.86)
2. Cielo Verduzco, La Quinta, 12 (1:00.87)
3. Chloe Gervin, Rancho Mirage, 10 (1:02.82)
Boy’s 400 meters
1. Kingston Penny, Palm Desert, 11 (51.00)
2. Erick Oceguera, Xavier Prep, 10 (52.50)
3. Joshua Acha, Rancho Mirage, 10 (52.83)
Girls’ 800 meters
1. Alyssa Lopez, La Quinta, 12 (2:18.28)*
2. Marina Avila, Palm Desert, 10 (2:26.35)
3. Sienna Coffin, La Quinta, 12 (2:27.91)
Boy’s 800 meters
1. Rudy Mendoza, La Quinta, 12 (1:58.88)*
2. Luis-Fernando Martinez, 12 (1:59.07)
3. Kaden Rivera, La Quinta, 11 (1:59.61)
Girls’ 1600 meters
1. Alyssa Lopez, La Quinta, 12 (5:10.60)
2. Marina Avila, Palm Desert, 10 (5:18.49)
3. Sienna Fernandez, Shadow Hills, 10 (5:36.01)
Boy’s 1600 meters
1. Luis-Fernando Martinez, La Quinta, 12 (4:23.74)*
2. Ethan Stockdale, La Quinta, 12 (4:25.86)
3. Kaden Rivera, La Quinta, 11 (4:26.29)
Girls’ 3200 meters
1. Marina Avila, Palm Desert, 10 (12:22.31)
2. Jaquelyn Ayala, Shadow Hills, 9 (12:32.40)
3. Sophia Arvizu Mondragon, La Quinta, 10 (12:39.15)
Boy’s 3200 meters
1. Luis-Fernando Martinez, La Quinta, 12 (9:54.41)
2. Ethan Stockdale, La Quinta, 12 (10:05.13)
3. Kaden Rivera, La Quinta, 11 (10:05.64)
Girls’ 100 hurdles
1. Malia Strange, Shadow Hills, 11 (15.20)*
2. Cielo Verduzco, La Quinta, 12 (15.94)
3. Melise Moore, La Quinta, 12 (17.23)
Boy’s 110 hurdles
1. Nick Dangleis, Palm Desert, 12 (14.79)
2. Mathew Rivas, La Quinta, 11 (15.17)
3. Oliver Carr, Palm Desert, 12 (15.31)
Girls’ 300 hurdles
1. Cielo Verduzco, La Quinta, 12 (47.60)
2. Jordyn Emmer, Palm Desert, 9 (47.95)
3. Xitlalli Fregoso, Shadow Hills, 12 (48.52)
Boy’s 300 hurdles
1. Kingston Penny, Palm Desert, 11 (38.38)*
2. Mathew Rivas, La Quinta, 11 (39.19)
3. Oliver Carr, Palm Desert, 12 (40.93)
Girls’ 4×100 relay
1. Shadow Hills (50.42)
2. Rancho Mirage (51.56)
3. Palm Desert (51.97)
Boy’s 4×100 relay
1. Palm Desert (42.77)
2. Rancho Mirage (42.79)
3. Shadow Hills (43.76)
Girls’ 4 x400 relay
1. La Quinta (4:08.70)
2. Shadow Hills (4:15.01)
3. Palm Desert (4:22.80)
Boy’s 4×100 relay
1. La Quinta (3:30.29)
2. Xavier Prep (3:35.25)
3. Shadow Hills (3:39.72)
Girls’ triple jump
1. Malia Strange, Shadow Hills, 11 (40-07.00)*
2. Cindi Hordista, Palm Desert, 12 (35-00.75)
3. Jaylah Hawkins-Alvaraz, Rancho Mirage, 11 (34-02.00)
Boy’s triple jump
1. Pedro Padilla, Rancho Mirage, 12 (43-00.00)
2. Sylvester Garban, Palm Desert, 12 (42-01.00)
3. Roman Ansley, La Quinta, 12 (40-11.00)
Girls’ long jump
1. Malia Strange, Shadow Hills, 11 (17-07.00)
2. Dahlia Iosza, Shadow Hills, 12 (16-07.50)
3. Cindi Hordista, Palm Desert, 12 (15-11.00)
Boy’s long jump
1. Nate Williams, Shadow Hills, 12 (21-02.00)
2. Kade Ramirez, La Quinta, 12 (20-10.00)
3. Jeremiah Johnson, Rancho Mirage, 12 (20-09.00)
Girls’ high jump
1. Quinn Barnes, Palm Desert, 12 (5-00.00)
2. Ava Hyatt, Shadow Hills, 11 (5-00.00)
3. Stephanie Barney, Shadow Hills, 12 (5-00.00)
Boy’s high jump
1. Jonah Toland, Palm Desert, 12 (6-06.00)*
2. Jacob Vanbeers, La Quinta, 12 (6-00.00)
3. Rece Smith, La Quinta, 11 (5-10.00)
Girls’ discus throw
1. Paulina Baez, La Quinta, 12 (95-01)
2. Belize Ortega, Shadow Hills, 11 (81-07)
3. Audrey Torres, La Quinta, 10 (81-04)
Boy’s discus throw
1. Joaquin Sterling, Shadow Hills, 12 (168-05)*
2. Ryan Jones, La Quinta, 11 (161-09)
3. Tristan Salas, La Quinta, 12 (128-07)
Girls’ shot put
1. Paulina Baez, La Quinta, 12 (33-08.50)
2. Kaylee Romero, Shadow Hills, 11 (32-09.00)
3. Audreana Salter, La Quinta, 9 (31-00.00)
Boy’s shot put
1. Andrew Pedromo, La Quinta, 11 (44-04.50)
2. Roman Ansley, La Quinta, 12 (43-11.00)
3. Tristan Salas, La Quinta, 12 (43-05.25)
Reporter Andrew John writes for The Desert Sun and USA TODAY. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Eight league records fall this week at DEL track finals
Reporting by Andrew John, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
