The Islander Track and Field season got underway last Saturday with the Elmer Runge Invite.
Head coach Cameron Gary supplies the details below:
February 28 Elmer Runge Invitational
The 2026 Islander Track & Field team opened the competition season at the Elmer Runge Invitational held at University City high school on February 28. There were 50 high school teams in attendance from throughout San Diego and Imperial counties.
Due to the overlap of winter sports and several Islander athletes who have yet to report, we took a relatively small contingent to the meet. It was an opportunity to give the newer/younger athletes an opportunity to compete in a varsity invitational setting.
Top Islander athlete performances were turned in by senior half-mile runners Vincent Russo and Andrew Buck. They finished third and eighth, respectively, in the men’s 800-meter run. They ran personal best (PB) times of 2:00.42 and 2:02.67, respectively. It is still early in the season, and many teams have not yet competed. But of the 400-plus 800-meter times that have been recorded in the San Diego section this season, Russo and Buck’s times rank fifth and 13th.
Junior sprinter Maya Wilson won the open women’s 200-meter dash, with a PB time of 26.02s. She also finished ninth in the women’s 100-meter dash, with a PB time of 12.88s. Wilson’s 200m time ranks sixth amongst the 500-plus times that have been recorded in the San Diego section this season. Her 100 time ranks 17th.
Senior sprinter Davin Collins finished ninth in the men’s 100m dash, with a PB time of 11.10s. His time ranks 11th among the 600+ times that have been recorded this year. Collins also contributed a leg on the Islander men’s 4×100 Relay. They finished seventh overall with a time of 44.75s, despite a small error on one of the baton exchanges. Collins was accompanied on this relay by junior Xavier Marsh, senior William Heyen, and sophomore Noah Jones.
Other notable performances were turned in by senior sprinter Micaela Gistaro, who finished fifth in the open women’s 100m dash, and fourth in the invitational women’s 200m dash. Her times were 12.75s and 26.37s, respectively. Gistaro’s 100 and 200 times currently rank ninth and 10th in the San Diego section. Marsh finished seventh in the open men’s 200m with a PB time of 23.18s. Out of the 500-plus 200-meter times that have been recorded in the San Diego section thus far, Marsh’s time ranks 25th.
Freshman newcomer Landon Nesbitt impressed by throwing 91’11” to finish 28th in the men’s discus. This was Nesbitt’s first time competing in this (or any) track & field event. This is notable because this performance ranks him second in the San Diego section among all freshmen discus throwers (so far, just over 30). Even more notable is that he threw from a “standing” position… without a spin or other preparatory movement. This is analogous to a baseball pitcher throwing a baseball in a game without winding up.
The Islanders return to action on March 7, competing at the Mt. Carmel Field & Distance Carnival. This event will be held at Mt. Carmel High School. Again, the Islanders will take a partial squad consisting of a few distance athletes and some field event athletes.
