The California state high school track and field championship meet is widely regarded as the most prestigious event of its kind in the United States with a deep history of producing national records and Olympians.
The 106th edition took place May 29-30 at Buchanan High School in Clovis. For once, temperatures were on the milder side. There was no repeat of last year’s infamous 103-degree finals on the synthetic running surface that rooted many to the spot from casually moving about.
Perhaps given a reprieve from the extreme heat, records continued to fall at this year’s meet, including several spectacular performances from East County qualifiers as well as the San Diego Section as a whole.
The top nine place-finishers in each event are awarded medals to conclude the second day of competition. The first day of competition involves preliminary qualifying to pare down the field of entrants.
Overall, it was an enlightening haul with 34 medals — 18 on the girls side and 16 on the boys side.
Mater Dei Catholic sophomore Jasir Fontenot (boys 110 high hurdles, 13.33) and La Jolla senior Chiara Dailey (girls 3200 run, 10:01.91) keyed the section with gold medals while Otay Ranch senior Dane von Guenthner (boys pole vault, 16-4) and Dailey (girls 1600 run, 4:38.82) both collected silver medals.
Bronze medals went to Sage Creek senior Josiah Bowman (boys 800 run, 1:50.72), Patrick Henry junior Kymani Joseph (boys long jump, 23-0), Rancho Buena Vista senior Justian Richardson (boys triple jump, 48-11), Helix freshman Ava Parker (girls 400 dash, 53.70), Grossmont senior Gabrielle Thomas (girls 100 low hurdles, 13.72) and Del Norte senior Caitlin Khieu (12-6).
Steele Canyon’s record-setting girls 4×100 relay also spirited away a bronze medal with a third-place finish in 46.10.
Fontenot entered the meet as the defending champion in the 110 high hurdles after timing 13.31 last year as a freshman at San Diego High School. Transplanted to Chula Vista, he overcame an early injury to repeat free of pain in 13.33 to rank third in the nation. But it was close. He finished 0.13 seconds ahead of San Jose Harker senior Brady Tse.
Dailey clocked the top prelim time (4:46.00) in the girls 1600 and finished second in 4:38.82 in the finals. She came back to win the 3200.
Von Guenthner cleared 15-6 in the state prelims to advance to the finals where he placed runner-up to Arroyo Grande junior Riley Gash (17-1.5). The Otay vaulter finished ahead of San Dieguito Academy senior Dylan Yarbrough (fourth place, 16-0), the section champion at 16-6.
East County qualifiers included Granite Hills junior Damian Jones (boys 200 and 400 dashes) and sophomore Niko Williams (boys 110 high hurdles), Helix senior Aiden De Hoyos (300 intermediate hurdles), Grossmont senior Taim Alobaidi (300 intermediate hurdles), Helix sophomore Trey Edwards (boys high jump), West Hills senior Grayson Lewis (boys pole vault), Santana senior Maddox Esoo (boys long jump), Steele Canyon sophomore Aniyah Scott (girls 100 dash), Helix’s Parker, Steele Canyon freshman Livia Allison (girls 200 dash, long jump), Santana junior Harper Diaz (girls 800 run), Steele Canyon junior Evie Allison (girls 100 and 300 low hurdles), Grossmont sophomore Miley Christenson (girls discus throw) and Christian junior Elliana Patterson (girls 3200).
Qualified relay teams included those from Helix (boys 4×100 and 4×400 and girls 4×400), Steele Canyon (girls 4×100 and 4×400 and boys 4×400) and Granite Hills (boys 4×100).
Medalists included De Hoyos in the 300 intermediate hurdles (ninth, 38.90), Helix’s Parker in the girls 200 dash (sixth, 23.93) and 400 dash and Patterson in the girls 3200.
Relay medals went to Helix in the boys 4×400 (eighth, 3:20.47) and girls 4×400 (seventh, 3:53.50) and Steele Canyon in the girls 4×100.
Athletes competing in the prelims included Jones (15th in the 400 dash in 48.28 and 30th in the 200 dash in 22.07), Williams (16th in the high hurdles in 14.47), Lewis (tied for seventh in the pole vault, 15-0), Esoo (21st in the long jump, 20-11.75), Scott (25th in the 100 dash in 12.21), Livia Allison (19th in the 200 dash in 24.57 and 16th in the long jump at 18-0.5), Diaz (23rd in the girls 800 in 2:12.29), Evie Allison (10th in the girls 300 hurdles in 43.35) and Grossmont’s Christenson (19th in the discus, 120-7).
Relay prelim marks included Helix boys in the 4×100 (21st, 42.24), Granite Hills boys in the 4×100 (24th, 42.39) and Steele Canyon girls in the 4×400 (14th, 3:53.65).
