Student-athletes from the San Diego Section seemed destined to have a somewhat bleak showing at this year’s California state track and field championship meet as darkness began to engulf Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis on May 27.
Then runners, throwers and jumpers seemingly came alive with their best efforts as the last few events rolled around.
Scripps Ranch senior Lizzie Tarczy placed third in the girls high jump by cleaning 5-9 to start the medal explosion. Then San Diego sophomore Anisa Bowen-Fontenot followed by placing second in the girls 300 low hurdles in 41.88. The girls discus throw featured two section medalists – Canyon Crest Academy junior Elisabeth Driscoll (sixth, 144-8) and Cathedral Catholic junior Brenna Williams (ninth, 128-11).
The eight-lap 3200 run always seems to produce its drama annually, and this year was no different.
Eastlake freshman Jaelyn Williams led the field until the final two laps before placing fourth in the 23-deep field in 10:11.01. LCC junior Gioana Lopizzo was among the three runners who passed her to place third in 10:08.32.
Liberty Charter senior Micah Sanchez placed fifth in the ensuing 30-deep boys race with a personal best time of 8:58.26.
But section qualifiers were still left without a gold medal to take home until the end of the two-day meet.
That suddenly changed in the girls pole vault when La Costa Canyon junior Iliana Downing cleared 13-1. Poway senior Evangeline Thomson followed in third place at 13-1 for good measure while two more section vaulters earned medals in the event: Poway senior Avery Hilliard (fourth, 13-1) and Del Norte sophomore Paige Echsner (sixth, 12-5).
Del Norte, powered by the legs of sophomore Emily Russo, junior Ella Echsner, Riggins and Paige Echsner, won the inaugural running of the girls 4×800 relay in 8:55.99 to snare the section’s second gold medal in the finals and set the standard in the event.
The finals day had started with some promise as Torrey Pines senior Ryan Thomas engineered a close second-place finish in the boys 1600 run in 4:08.82 while Del Norte senior Hannah Riggins finished third in the girls half of the race in 4:41.42.
Valhalla senior A.J. Cornthwaite then nabbed the bronze medal in the boys long jump with a personal record leap of 23-4.75 while Poway junior Tessa Buswell finished third in the girls 800-meter run in 2:08.53.
The boys pole vault event featured three section medalists: Sage Creek junior Jacob Emerson (fourth, 15-6), University City sophomore Kai Anderson (fifth, 15-6) and Torrey Pines junior Joey Weisman (sixth, 15-6).
Then a long dearth started in the quest for gold.
Precious metals
This year marked the first time that medals were presented to the top nine place-finishers in each event. Previously, only the top six-place finishers had received state medals.
East County qualified athletes in 17 events, notched finalists in seven events and scored four medals over the course of the two-day meet, which took place under rather mild weather conditions in the notoriously hot Central Valley.
Cornthwaite was the highest East County placer with his third-place medal. He had qualified as the section champion with a personal best mark of 23-2.25. He extended that after jumping 23-2.75 in the preceding state prelims on May 26. When the last jump had been taken, the Norseman standout had upped his mark by two inches from the section finals.
Sanchez eclipsed his best time in the 3200 by eight seconds at the state finals. Highland senior Matthew Donis won this year’s race in 8:51.37, followed by Millikan junior Jason Parra in 8:53.69.
Sanchez was among seven runners in the field to dip under the celebrated nine-minute mark.
“It’s unbelievable from the middle of the season,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to be here. I’m so stoked. This race I wanted to stay positioned and let everyone push me. I just told myself to stay in the front pack. I knew they would take me with them. I knew I could finish real strong.”
Eastern exposure
Steele Canyon entered the state meet after having won the Division I girls team championship at the section finals while qualifying athletes in six events for the state prelims. But the prelims were generally unkind to the Lady Cougars with athletes in just two events advancing to the finals.
The women of Steele did leave their mark with a ninth-place finish in the 4×100 relay in 47.77.
The quartet of freshmen Kaliani Ewing and Ily Barclay and juniors Brionna Dickens and Nicoletta Burkhardt had set the school record in the event in the preceding day’s prelims at 47.48.
Among individuals, Burkhardt placed seventh place in the girls 400 dash in 55.91.
Among those who passed through to the finals, Santana senior Jenna Fields placed 11th in the girls long jump at 17-0.75.
The prelims were unkind to other East County athletes, however.
Steele Canyon senior Kennedi Jones finished 16th in the girls shot put with a mark of 38-5 while Helix’s Shani Ford (39-1) Tesa Liafau (36-1) were 13th and 21st out of 24 throwers in the field.
Fields finished 18th in the girls triple jump (36-0.75) to miss qualifying for the finals in two events. Barclay finished 21st out of 30 entrants in the girls 100 dash in 12.20.
Steele Canyon junior Lillian Cook finished 20th in the 300 low hurdles (45.83) while placing 23rd in the girls 100 low hurdles (15.35).
Grossmont senior Ian Rosen finished 27th in the boys 800 in 2:01.51.
Helix Charter athletes were especially snake-bitten over the weekend. After winning the Division I boys title at the section finals on May 20 at Mt. Carmel High School, the Highlanders experienced nothing short of a meltdown at the ensuing state meet.
Senior Adren Parker felt something wrong when running a leg on the meet opening 4×100 relay and withdrew from his two individual events – the 400 dash (where he had set a new section record the previous weekend in 46.48) and the 200 dash.
Instead of challenging for a state medal in the 4×100 relay, the Helix foursome that also included sophomore Laurence Burston, junior Shon Martin and sophomore Spencer Gray finished a disappointing 21st out of 26 teams with a time of 42.69. The Scotties had posted a 42.04 time at the section finals.
Martin, the Division I section champion, suffered disqualifications in both the boys 110 high hurdles (prelims) and 300 intermediate hurdles (finals). His 300 time of 38.18 in the prelims, the seventh fastest, was a personal record.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Martin said in obvious disappointment. “I thought I’d be in the finals in the 110 and not the 300. I was looking to set the school record of 38.00.”
Helix bounced back to earn a spot in the inaugural boys 4×800 relay but finished 15th out of 19 teams in 8:11.77. Juniors Alex and Adam Freshley and seniors J.B. Kouwonou and Joshua Caneday each ran legs.
California State Track & Field Championship Meet
May 26-27 at Buchanan High School, Clovis
San Diego Section Qualifiers
Boys Finals
RUNNING EVENTS
4×100 relay: 1. Granada Hills 40.39
1600: 1. Andreas Dybdahl (Santa Barbara) 4:08.64; 2. Ryan Thomas (Torrey Pines) 4:08.82
110 high hurdles: 1. Davis Davis-Lyric (Upland) 13.83
400: 1. Dijon Stanley (Granada Hills) 45.77
100: 1. Rodrick Pleasant (Serra) 10.20 (state record)
800: 1. Joseph Lighthall (Hughson) 1:52.06
300 intermediate hurdles: 1. Darryll Stevens (Jordan) 37.44; 4. Vincent Atilano (Cathedral Catholic) 37.73; 5. Danny Tragarz (Del Norte) 38.41; Shon Martin (Helix) DQ
200 dash: 1. Rodrick Pleasant (Serra) 20.67
4×800 relay: 1. San Clemente 7:38.59; 15. Helix 8:11.77; 17. Del Norte 8:12.68
3200: 1. Matthew Donis (Highland) 8:51.37; 5. Micah Sanchez (Liberty Charter) 8:58.26; 13. Tom Bell (Mt, Carmel) 9:06.91; 24. Adrian Welton (Westview) 9:23.56
4×400 relay: 1. Long Beach Poly 3:12.99; 8. Mt. Carmel 3:19.81
FIELD EVENTS
Pole vault: 1. Hilton Green (Buchanan) 16-6; 4. Jacob Emerson (Sage Creek) 15-6; 5. Kai Anderson (University City) 15-6; 6. Joey Weisman (Torrey Pines) 15-6
High jump: 1. Jake Stafford (JSerra) 6-7; 10. Brandon Cheeks (Mission Bay) 6-4
Shot put: 1. Brendon See (JSerra) 62-9.5; 5. Tyler Knowles (Rancho Buena Vista) 59-7.25; 12. Trey Vergenz (Mission Hills) 48-0.5
Discus throw: 1. Brendon See (JSerra) 196-4
Long jump: 1. Chukwunonso Udeh (De La Salle) 23-9.75; 3. A.J. Cornthwaite (Valhalla) 23-4.75
Triple jump: 1. Jeremiah Bolanos (Redland East Valley) 48-3.25; 8. Kesean Goodson (Oceanside) 45-6
Santana’s Jenna Fields, long jump.
Girls Finals
RUNNING EVENTS
4×100 relay: 1. Carson 45.61; 9. Steele Canyon 47.77
1600: 1. Sadie Engelhardt (Ventura) 4:33.45; 3. Hannah Riggins (Del Norte) 4:41.42; 11. Chiara Dailey (La Jolla) 4:52.82
100 low hurdles: 1. Kori Fields (St. Mary’s) 13.79; 4. Anisa Bowen-Fontenot (San Diego) 13.89
400: 1. Aujane Luckey (Long Beach Wilson) 53.26; 3. Payton Smith (La Jolla) 53.86; 7. Nicoletta Burkhardt (Steele Canyon) 55.91; 9. Makenna Herbst (Carlsbad) 56.35
100: 1. Niya Clayton (Oaks Christian) 11.45; 5. Amirah Shaheed (Madison) 11.73
800: 1. Sadie Engelhardt (Ventura) 2:07.22; 3. Tessa Buswell (Poway) 2:08.53; 10. Dominika Janik (Torrey Pines) 2:12.18
300 low hurdles: 1. Kaylin Edwards (Long Beach Wilson) 41.47; 2. Anisa Bowen-Fontenot (San Diego) 41.88
200: 1. Joelle Trepagnier (Culver City) 23.62; 3. Payton Smith (La Jolla) 23.78
4×800 relay: 1. Del Norte 8:55.99; 13. Sage Creek 9:28.55
3200: 1. Rylee Blade (Santiago) 10:02.19; 3. Gioana Lopizzo (La Costa Canyon) 10:08.32; 4. Jaelyn Williams (Eastlake) 10:11.01; 5. 19. Scarlett Martin (Cathedral Catholic) 11:04.83
4×400 relay: 1. Culver City 3:41.08; 8. Carlsbad 3:53.46
FIELD EVENTS
High jump: 1. Ashanti Elie (Whitney) 5-10; 3. Lizzie Tarczy (Scripps Ranch) 5-9
Pole vault: 1. Iliana Downing (La Costa Canyon) 13-5; 3. Evangeline Thomson (Poway) 13-1; 4. Avery Hilliard (Poway) 12-9; 6. Paige Echsner (Del Norte) 12-5
Shot put: 1. Aja Johnson (Notre Dame) 44-0.75
Discus throw: 1. Nailea Fields (Caruthers) 167-6; 6. Elisabeth Driscoll (Canyon Crest Academy) 144-8; 9. Brenna Williams (Cathedral Catholic) 129-11; 11. Mairead Frankel (Sage Creek) 126-2
Long jump: 1. Sydnie Vanek (Clovis) 20-7.75; 11. Jenna Fields (Santana) 17-0.75
Triple jump: 1. Dajeauna Williams (Elsinore) 40-7.25
