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Dual meets haven’t exactly been a top priority for the Berkeley High girls track and field team this season. But after losing to Granada last week, the Yellowjackets entered Thursday’s meet at Foothill competing for their East Bay Athletic League reputation. 

Though BHS head coach Darrell Hampton once again fielded an incomplete squad in hopes of resting some athletes for this weekend’s Mt. SAC meet, he admitted that victory was more of a priority for the team in light of the stinging loss to Granada.  

“We still don’t want to deplete the team in dual meets,” Hampton said. “But after the way everyone felt after the last dual meet, we wanted to win (today).” 

The Yellowjackets would get their redemption – though just barely – edging the fleet-footed Falcons, 70-66. The BHS win was keyed by fine performances by Aisha Margain, who won the 200m and shotput events, and T’Carra Penick, who leapt 35-1 to take first place in the triple jump. Laura Winnacker echoed her first-place performance from last Thursday, elevating five feet in the high jump, while sprinter Katrina Keith took home top honors in the 200m. According to Hampton, the team triumph will mean momentum going into this weekend’s competition in Walnut.  

“It’s tough (to stay focused on league meets). They look past dual meets to invitationals,” the coach said. “We’re at a stage where we have to identify what we want to be. We still want to be league champions, but we want to be champions in both dual and (the) league (tournament).” 

The incomplete Berkeley High boys contingent had considerably less success against talented Foothill, dropping the meet, 93-36. Senior Daveed Diggs highlighted the BHS effort, posting an impressive 15.2 to win the 100m hurdles. Though the BHS coach admitted the boys team’s lack of wins may be discouraging for top athletes like Diggs and Justin Cary, he insists that these runners are pushed by other factors. 

“They’re seniors, they just want to cut their times,” Hampton said. “Daveed Diggs wants to qualify for junior nationals, and Justin Cary wants to get his time down to go to (college). There are other ways to motivate them.”  

Both the boys and girls squads head south this weekend to take on competition from all over the state and beyond at the annual Mt. SAC meet held at Mt. San Antonio College. The two-day event is also expected to feature the Chinese and Mexican national teams. 

“We have an opportunity to run against the best in the state again,” Hampton said about this weekend’s action.