Scotts Valley senior Ava Decleve was on a mission to defend her 800-meter title at last weekend’s Central Coast Section Track and Field finals.
The Falcons star runner accomplished her goal in a dramatic manner, winning the race in a season-best 2 minutes 10.43 seconds at Gilroy High School on May 23.
Decleve slightly edged Evergreen Valley junior Sivani Kaliki (2:10.74) in second place and Crystal Springs senior Anna Salter (2:10.78) in third.
“It was sort of bittersweet because this is our last race near home,” Decleve said. “We wanted to come out here, show up for my team and my coaches, and just give it my all. Every race I’m trying to give it my all, but especially this one.”
Decleve added, “I wanted one last hurrah here, so it was really good to go out here and take the title.”
Decleve put on quite the performance as she took control of the race following the first 400 meters. She jumped ahead of a tight pack that included Kaliki and Salter, along with fourth place finisher Elizabeth Carroll of Burlingame, and Lily Symon and Brinley Pickett of Saint Francis (Mountain View).
“I wanted to stay with the top front runners and, of course, I love kicking,” Decleve said. “So, the final 200 I wanted to just give it all I got and finish strong.”
It was neck-to-neck until the final 300 meters of the race as Decleve kicked it into high gear for that one last hurrah.
“When you take the lead, there’s pressure because you just gotta keep going, you can’t slow down,” she said. “The girls are right behind you. We’re all in a pack within three steps of each other.”
Decleve, Kaliki and Salter each earned an automatic qualifying spot to compete in the California Interscholastic Federation State Championships inside Veterans Memorial Stadium at Buchanan High School in Clovis.
The preliminaries are set for Friday at 3pm, while the finals are scheduled Saturday at 4:30pm.
“[Decleve’s] really figured it out,” Scotts Valley head coach Todd Hoffman said. “She really bought into it, and she just raced today. She’s been doing that, which puts her in a better position and it makes it more fun.”
The University of California–Los Angeles commit was more determined than ever to defend her section title following last year’s win at the CCS finals.
“But I knew it’d take work,” Decleve said.
Decleve earned her first title in the 800 in 2:18.85 at the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Championships on May 2. Prior to that, she won the prestigious CCS Top 8 Invitational in 2:11.26 at Los Gatos High on April 8.
The Falcon star runner captured her fourth consecutive title in the 400, but she opted to sit that race out at last week’s CCS finals.
Instead, she focused on the 200 dash. Decleve placed seventh in 25.20 in a highly competitive race that was won by Los Gatos senior Kaylee Cross in 24.77.
Santa Clara senior Siena Sylstra (24.80) placed second, while Valley Christian senior Christine Agbonbhase (24.83) took third to advance into the CIF Championships.
“The 200 compared to the 800 is so short, so going out there and running it, it’s over before you know it,” Decleve said. “Definitely not my best race I ran in the 200, but it was alright, and these girls sort of carried me.”
Hoffman, along with assistant coaches Bradley Hartman and Jay Avenmarg, encouraged Decleve to try something different, as in the 200 dash.
“She needed something to just relax and go have fun,” Hoffman said. “Forget about pressure and just run.”
Whether it’s racing in the 200 or 800, Decleve seems to be having a blast during her final season donning a Scotts Valley track uniform.
Next up, the CIF State Championships and at least one more chance to surpass her personal best of 2:09.56 in the 800, which she set in 2025.
“It’s so hard going to State in California,” Decleve said. “There are some incredible runners, and being at such a high performance level with these other athletes, I feel so lucky to be able to be with them…. I just want to, as I said before, give it all I have and just compete with grit and determination. And know that all my training is going to pay off.”
