Julian High School Track Season Begins
by Keith Antigiovanni

A major summer attraction is the Julian Athletic Festival with all-comers competing in all-events on Julian’s all-weather track.

The Julian High School track team has nearly doubled its size since the 2003 season, and it now boasts a roster of 33 members — a major increase from 19 last year.

"This is our fifth season, and fourth season with the new facilities," said Bill Porter, track coach at Julian High. "Word has spread over the past few years to give us a big team, when you consider that Julian High School has about 150 students."

Julian, which already has competed in non-scored track meets earlier in March, competed in its first scored track meet March 25 at Escondido in the inaugural Coast Conference Carnival, a countywide track meet invitational. Team members were joined by some smaller private schools such as Bishops and Horizon.

Julian High School also hosted an "All-Comers" track meet on April 2.

Julian is led this year by a couple of standout seniors, Brad Daugherty and Clare Hutchinson. Daugherty jumped 6 feet, 2 inches off grass at Calvin Christian on March 19, while Hutchinson, captain of the girls team during the past couple years, holds the school record in all distances: 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

Julian wraps up its season on May 14.

Julian Athletic Festival

The third annual Julian Athletic Festival is in the planning stages.

"We’re looking at around late July or early August for holding it," Porter said. "The only difference this year is that we will not have the 5K run but will possibly have an art festival in its place."

The event will be open to anyone, at any age, who would like to compete.

"This is actually going to be the fourth year for the event, because we didn’t have it in 2002," Porter added.