2 Chargers earn second at State

Tori Pena and Joe Gatel of Edison High each earned a second-place

finish in their respective events at the CIF State Track and Field

Championships in Sacramento.

Pena, a junior, cleared 13 feet in the girls’ pole vault for the

second straight week. She finished behind senior Brysun Stately of

Cordova, who won the event at 13-feet-4.

Gatel actually finished the boys’ 1600 meters in third place, with

a time of 4:13.24 but was awarded second place when A.J. Acosta of El

Camino in San Diego was disqualified for cutting off Gatel during the

race.

“Joe had an incredible state meet,” Edison boys’ coach Jim Roldan

said. “His state meet was a picture-perfect finale to an incredible

career as a Charger.”

Gatel, Roldan said, will race one more time as a Charger when he

competes in two weeks at the Nike Outdoor National Championships.

Marina senior Tony Guadagnini turned in a sixth-place finish in

the boys’ 800 meters with a time of 1:55.70. Guadagnini had won his

preliminary heat the previous day.

“This is a great accomplishment considering this is the entire

state of California,” Marina coach Dick Degen said. “He has had a

tremendous season.”