Joe Lighthall won three events and ran a key leg in a relay race and Nathan Horton and Ivan Flores also won two events each to help the Hughson boys hold off Ripon for the team title at the Trans-Valley League Track and Field Championships on Thursday at Husky Stadium.

The Hughson girls – led by Logann Meyer – finished third behind Ripon and Hilmar.

The top three finishers in each event Thursday qualified for Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV/V Meet on May 9 and 11 at Weston Ranch in Stockton, the next step toward the Masters Meet on May 19-20 in Davis and the State Meet May 26-27 at Buchanan High School in Fresno.

The boys team title came down to the final event, the 4x400-meter relay. Thanks to big days from Lighthall, Horton and Flores, Hughson had a narrow lead over Ripon. All the Huskies needed to do was not finish more than three places behind Ripon in the relay, but that looked like a possibility when Lighthall took the baton to run the anchor leg.

He was 50 meters behind the Ripon runner, but nearly caught him by the end of the race. Ripon won in 3 minutes, 34.06 seconds, with the Hughson quartet of Sergio Romero, Dominic Haupt, Horton and Lighthall next in 3:35.07.

That result was enough to earn Hughson the team title with 153 points and edge out Ripon (149.5). Hilmar (107.5) was third, followed by Escalon (41), Livingston (37), Riverbank (4) and Modesto Christian (2).

Lighthall’s three victories came in the 200 (22.89), 400 (51.99) and 800 (2:02.35). Horton swept the distance races, winning the 1,600 (4:36.15) and 3,200 (10:14.60). And Flores won the shot put with a personal-best heave of 48 feet, 4½ inches and later added the discus (140-1).

Larkin Meyer also had a strong day, winning the 110 high hurdles (15.66), placing second in long jump (20-5) and finishing third in 300-meter hurdles (43.25).

Hughson’s Case West won pole vault (11-4), Navi Arretche was second in shot put (42-5½) and Michael Parnell was third in pole vault (9-4).

Ripon girls dominated their meet and easily won the team title with 212 points, followed by Hilmar (102.67), Hughson (82.33), Riverbank (45), Escalon (25), Modesto Christian (16) and Livingston (11).

Logann Meyer set two personal bests, winning 100 hurdles in 15:08 and placing second in 300 hurdles (47.34). She also set a school record with a leap of 16-8 in the long jump.

Hughson’s Liliana Silva was second in pole vault (8-8), Alejandra Gonzalez was third in the 3,200 (13:26.05) and Evyn Moore was third in triple jump (31-0).

The 4x100 relay team of Moore, Meyer, Hope Thompson and Madi Duron also finished third (51.10) as did the

4x400 relay team of Emily Yarbrough, Raegan Barstow, Abigayle Onate and Duron (4:22.54).