Local trio reaches CIF finals

CLOVIS – Newport Harbor High 300-meter hurdler Emma Kratzberg, Costa Mesa discus thrower Felicia Crenshaw and Sage Hill high jumper Chance Kuehnel each advanced out of the CIF State track and field preliminaries in their respective events on Friday to the finals at Buchanan High.

Kratzberg qualified sixth in the girls’ 300 hurdles in 42.83 seconds, making her one of nine in her event to move on to Saturday’s finals.

Crenshaw took the 12th and final qualifying spot in the girls’ discus. The sophomore advanced with a throw of 133 feet, nine inches.

Kuehnel, a senior, finished 12th in the boys’ high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 6 inches.

Kratzberg, a senior, came up short of reaching the finals in the 100 hurdles, finishing 11th in 14.57. Only the top nine in the event qualified for the finals.

Newport Harbor’s Cole Smith was one spot away from advancing out of the preliminaries in the boys’ discus. The junior placed 13th with a mark of 170-5.

Smith also competed in the boys’ shotput, but he fouled each of his three throws.

Sage Hill’s Alex Escalera did not qualify for the finals in the boys’ pole vault. The junior’s only mark was 14 feet, 8 inches.

— From staff reports