The league finals meet determines all-league athletes and is the qualifier for the Divisional Finals to be held at Valley Center next Saturday. Head coach Cameron Gary supplies the details below.
The Islanders were in action on May 9 at Madison High School for the 2025 Central League championships. The City Conference realigned for the 2024–2025 school year, and the Islanders moved over from the City League. The other schools in the conference are Madison, Morse, Kearny and Crawford high schools.
The Islanders were led by senior standout Lauren Gilhooly, who swept all the girls sprint events with victories in the 100m Dash (11.96 seconds – Meet Record), 200m Dash (25.33 seconds), and running legs on the victorious 4×100 and 4×400 Relays. Those teams notched times of 48.86 seconds (Meet Record) and 4:24.06. For the former relay, Gilhooly was joined by junior Micaela Gistaro, sophomore Maya Wilson, and junior Summer Little. For the latter relay, Gilhooly was joined by Wilson, Little and sophomore Nadia Roos.
Junior Nathan Ayan was another multiple event winner. Ayan repeated as the league champion in the 800 meters (although the Islanders were in the City League), with a time of 1:59.83. Ayan also notched victories as a member of the Islanders’ victorious 4×400 (3:35.45) and 4×800 (8:58.72) Relay teams. In the former, Ayan was joined by sophomore Emiliano Marquez, junior Mason Gibbs, and sophomore Xavier Marsh. In the latter, Ayan was joined by senior Jack Letcher, and fellow juniors Andrew Buck and Vincent Russo.
Bottom L-R: Emiliano Marquez and Xavier Marsh
Coronado Runners top (L-R) Vincent Russo and Andrew Buck
Bottom Jack Letcher and Nathan Ayan
The Islander boys swept all the relay events. In addition to the previously mentioned 4×400 and 4×800 Relays, the Islanders also were victorious in the 4×100 Relay. This relay was manned by senior David Castillo and juniors Davin Collins, William Heyen, and Mason Gibbs. They notched a time of 44.30 seconds, which is the fastest time in the Central League this year. It is also the third-fastest time in Islander school history and the fastest Islander 4×100 Relay time in 25 years.
Top L-R: David Castillo, Willian Heyen, Davin Collins
Bottom: Mason Gibbs
The Islander boys swept the hurdle events, with victories notched by senior Reif Souder in the 110m Hurdles (16.85 seconds) and Marquez (43.68 seconds) in the 300m Hurdle events. Other Islander individual event league champions crowned at this meet included Roos in the Girls 800m Run (2:43.78) and freshman Claudia Wagner in the Triple Jump (31’2”).
Other medalists (Top 3 finishers) in this meet included Collins in the Boys 100m Dash (3rd; 11.45 seconds), Little in the Girls 100m Dash (2nd; 12.78 seconds – Personal Record, or “PR”) and 300m Hurdles (2nd; 52.84 seconds), Wilson in the Girls 200m (3rd; 27.39 seconds) and 400m Dash events (3rd; 61.20 seconds), Gistaro in the Girls 400m (2nd; 59.76 seconds), Wagner in the Girls Long Jump (3rd; 15’4”), Gibbs and Marsh in the Boys 400m Dash (2nd and 3rd; 53.91 and 54.15 seconds, respectively – both PRs), Russo and Buck in the Boys 800m Run (2nd and 3rd; 2:02.83 – PR, and 2:07.68, respectively), Souder in the Boys 300m Hurdles (44.47 seconds), junior Garret Shumaker in the Boys Discus (3rd; 110’6.50” – PR), and sophomore Trey Stallworth in the Boys Triple Jump (3rd; 38’3” – PR). The Islander Girls 4×800 Relay team of Roos, freshman Ava Schlomer, sophomore Edie Alicandri, and senior Olivia Monette finished 2nd with a time of 12:37.26.
Event winners are designated as Central League Champions for 2025. They are further designated as members so the 2025 Central League “All League” team. Event winners automatically qualify for the CIF Division 3 Championships, scheduled for next Saturday, May 17 at Valley Center high school. After the league champions, further CIF divisional championship qualifiers are determined by virtue of their performance results in their respective league championship meets. CIF Divisional Championships are limited to the top 27 qualifiers, per division, in the San Diego CIF section. The Islanders are poised to qualify several athletes into this meet. The final accepted entries will not be determined until midweek.
