French, DiMartino win CIF state titles

Lydia French, Johnathan Cabral and Niko DiMartino are state track and field champions.

They also add their own dose of international flair.

A Thousand Oaks High senior, French moved to the United States from Kazakhstan when she was 12. Dual citizens Cabral and DiMartino hope to one day compete in the Olympics for Canada and Italy, respectively.

French claimed the girls’ high jump title with a career-high leap of 5 feet, 10 inches last weekend at Veterans Memorial Stadium at Buchanan High in Clovis.

Cabral of Agoura secured first in the boys’ 110-meter hurdles in 13.54 seconds.

Oaks Christian junior DiMartino snared a state title in the boys’ long jump with a leap of 23-10.5.

All local student-athletes. All champions.

“I’m still in shock,” French said. “I can’t really believe it. It’s really surreal.”

The Lancer was 12th at state last year before making her big move this season. Back at school on Monday, French received congratulations from students in the halls and friends blitzed her with text messages.

Just before the four-person jump off during Saturday’s high jump finals, “The Star-Spangled Banner” blared and the stadium announcer honored former Arcadia coach Doug Smith.

French didn’t let interruptions hinder her concentration.

“Honestly, I didn’t think about that,” she said. “I was trying to focus mentally. I blocked everything out.

“I didn’t try to over-think everything. I told myself that this was just another jump. Don’t let it get to your head. I was in my own little corner.”

None of the four competitors cleared 5-10 on their first jumps after the anthem.

French was up first on the next 5-10 attempt. She cleared the bar.

“Lydia peaked at the right time,” said TOHS high jump coach Imre Santha. “She made the first jump, and that put total pressure on all three girls. All the others failed.

“After she made that jump . . . I went nuts. Her family went nuts. We all went nuts. She was really emotional. I’m very proud of her. It was just incredible.”

French is Santha’s first state champion in 21 years of coaching, including 12 at Thousand Oaks. Santha, who competed for Coach Smith at Arcadia, reached the state tournament as an athlete in 1975.

“It’s a dream come true,” Santha said. “Lydia’s a natural athlete, which means she can do anything easily without too much coaching—and do it well. She’s a jack-of-all-trades. She’s fast. She’s strong. And she has great concentration.

“Her focus from last year to this year is like night and day . . . . She can do fantastic at any sport. Lucky for me, she decided to do the high jump.”

French was beginning to grasp the magnitude of her accomplishment.

“I came into the U.S. seven years ago from Kazakhstan,” French said. “It was a blessing coming from a rough childhood into being No. 1 in the state. I guess I proved that this kind of stuff can happen to anyone.”

Cabral dominated the 110 hurdles all season. He lived up to the hype at Clovis.

“That was our focus this year, to take that down,” said his father and Agoura hurdles coach John Cabral. “He got what he wanted to do.”

The victory was bittersweet, however.

Cabral clipped the second hurdle in the 300 hurdles final but regained his composure to finish fifth.

The Charger has shaved about a half-second each year in the 110 hurdles since entering high school. If he can continue his steady progression, Cabral could break the state record of 13.39 seconds for his senior season in 2011.

“As a coach and a dad, there’s just nothing better,” the elder Cabral said. “You can’t buy it. I could have never imagined this.”

DiMartino became the first state track and field champion in the 10-year history of Oaks Christian.

“It’s obviously a big deal,” said Lions head coach Wes Smith, who has guided the program since its inception. “We’re really excited about that.”

DiMartino competed with a stress fracture in his right foot. The junior told Smith that the injury was bothering him the morning of the finals, and he was afraid he could break it at any time.

Smith allayed the youngster’s fears.

“God knows what’s going to happen to you,” the coach said. “You have to be the best you can be. . . .He’s our athlete of the year. He was it in every way.”

Other state finalists included Rio Mesa’s Valexsia Droughn (third, girls’ 100) and Jamison Jordan, LaDarrin Roach, Steven Richards and Blake Selig (second, boys’ 4x100 relay; fourth, 4x400). Jordan was fourth in the 100.

Simi Valley’s Liberty Miller and Oak Park’s Melissa Skiba placed second and fourth, respectively, in the girls’ 3,200.

Oak Park’s Tayler Johnson (ninth, girls’ high jump) and Connor Stark (10th, boys’ pole vault), and Royal’s Travis Edwards (seventh, boys’ 1,600) and Sean Davidson (13th, boys’ 3,200) also competed.