Trabuco Hills TC (CA)

Team Website / NTN Profile

Top Athletes: Percylla Nared (sprints & throws), Monica Todd (hurdles & jumps), Kamilah Foley (distances), Makeena Smith (distances), Melissa Christiansen (jumps), Brierra Winfrey (sprints) and Tanya Flink (pole vault).

Team Strengths: The strength of this team runs through sprinter/thrower Percylla Nared and hurdler/jumper Monica Todd.  Both athletes offer versatility and big points in their respective events.  Trabuco Hills faced some of the stiffest competition all season long, coming out of California, which should leave them battle tested and ready to test their best against the best teams in the nation.

Key to Success: While Todd and Nared get much of the attention, distance runners Kamilah Foley and Makenna Smith could be the surprise heroes of Friday’s event.  Both athletes have strong PRs, with Foley running 2:13.91 for 800m and Smith going 4:58.62 for 1,600m.  Both athletes could finish top three in their respective events, which could push Trabuco Hills into a top three contending spot.

Q&A with Coach Dennis Kelly

NTN: Your squad had one heck of a year, complete with your upcoming trip to NTN. What are the team's goals heading into Nike Track Nationals?

Dennis Kelly (DK): As cliché as it sounds, perform to the best of our ability. The timing of this meet makes it difficult to achieve PRs since all of my athletes last competed four to seven weeks ago...plus graduation, end of school, other sports, etc.; however, we will give it our best.

NTN: California is such a strong state, with three teams at NTN, and four of the top ten ranked teams in the NTN rankings.  What do you think makes California so strong in track and field?

DK: Lots of talented athletes, lots of strong coaching, great weather, and seriousness to achieve in the sport of track and field.

NTN: On the track, Percylla Nared and Monica Todd seem to be very versatile athletes, who can score strong points in a variety of events.  How have Percylla and Monica been as leaders for this squad, both on, and off the track?

DK: Both Monica and Percylla possess steadfast work ethics and a resolve to perform to the best of their abilities, which makes them stellar athletes, and this leading by example transcends to the rest of the team.

NTN: The team seems very strong on the track, but could use a little help from the field events.  How are you getting your athletes ready to perform at their very best on July 2?

DK: Practicing. Hartzell Alpizar will handle high jump, long jump, discus, shot put, and pole vault, and we hope to score well.

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