In its first all-team meet of the season, the Menlo School track and field team got off to a strong start with personal-best times and marks Saturday at the K-Bell Invitational at Westmont High.

The Knights head to the John Owens Invitational at Willow Glen on March 14.

Menlo sophomore Tres Onyejekwe ran away with gold in the 300 hurdles in 39.02. He took fourth overall in the 100, finishing in a personal record 11.06 seconds. Knights senior Maxwell Johnson ran his 400, finishing in 55.46 for 27th in a field of 62 runners.

In girls’ events, freshman Adrianna Ananyi ran her first prep 100-meter dash in 13.20 for 11tth among 98 runners.

Junior Marissa Louie placed fourth in the high jump with a personal-best mark of 4 feet, 6 inches, Junior Lauren Rukavina tied for seventh with a PR of 4-4

Senior Braden Rock was second in the high jump, clearing 6 feet, 2 inches for a PR an Jacob Elkes, also a senior, was sixth at 5-8. Rock took ninth and Elkes 20th in long jump.

In the 1600-meter race, seniors Ariya Kaushek was 14th with a time of 5:31.89 and  Halle Blanchard secured an 18-second PR to finish second in her 1600 heat in 5:48. Lisa Huhs ran the 1600 in 6:03 to win her heat and reach a :22 PR. 

In the boys’ events, the 4x800 relay of Amay Srinivasan, Jack Harman, Oliver Olbekson and Henry Hauser ran a meet-record 8:02.65, dipping under the Arcadia standard, and showing great fight across each of the legs.

In the 1600, a Menlo trio finished top 10: Hauser won silver, Olbekson took fifth, and Srinivasan 10th. Harman ran a personal-best and Jonah Block was just 2 seconds off of his in a great season opener for the distance.

Toliver Bates ran an evenly paced 3200m, dipping under the 10-minute barrier with a great last 200 meters and setting himself up nicely for big gains to come this year.

The JV athletes ran bold, competitive races, setting PRs while many demonstrated dedication, for example, several were the last athletes to leave so they could complete a full cooldown after the 4x800. The frosh-soph girls 4x800 finished in second place in 11:53. In the JV boys and girls 1600 - “we had so many first time races and PRs and everyone showed up and competed.

“I couldn’t have been happier,” First-year head coach John Dagata said. “I witnessed athletes - both new and returning this year - engaging, communicating, and achieving personal bests in all event groups.”