CLOVIS -- Anna Maxwell made the 1,600 meters her own.

Following the same strategy that has kept her among the nation's top runners at the distance all season, the San Lorenzo Valley High junior bolted to the front of the pack in the final at the CIF State Track and Field Championships on Saturday evening at Buchanan High.

In many ways, it was a risky move. Defending state champion Nikki Hiltz of Aptos had been closing the gap between them all season and was guaranteed to scrap tooth and spike to retain her title. Plus, the odds are usually against a runner who leads wire to wire. And, as much as she would like to forget it, the last time she competed at a state meet -- the Division IV cross country championships -- she fell and, devastated, almost finished last.