USC signee will attempt to balance football and track in the future, but first he has aspirations of a sprint sweep at California state meet, pursuing 100-meter records of Washington and Thomas

By Landon Negri for Dyestat

CLOVIS — Kenan Christon isn’t short on confidence, but even he has to pinch himself when he looks back on his senior year at James Madison High in San Diego.

He ran for 11 touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards as a running back for the Warhawks’ football team. He earned a scholarship to USC. And in track and field, he has top-five national marks in both the 100 and 200 meters. In fact, his time of 20.55 seconds in the 200 is the country’s best wind-legal mark in that event.

Christon has always been a good sprinter. But had he been told last year that all this was coming in 2018-19, would he have believed it?

“I probably wouldn’t have,” he said, “but I would be glad that you would have (told me).”

Christon’s amazing senior year continued Friday, as he ran the top qualifying times in both the 100 and 200 in the first day of the 101st CIF-State Track and Field Championships at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium. He’ll be the favorite in both events in Saturday’s final.

Christon topped the 100 in 10.32 and the 200 in 20.67. His seasonal best entering Friday was a wind-aided 10.26 and wind-legal 20.55, marks that rank fourth and second in the country, respectively.

The 200 mark is already a San Diego Section record, making him the No. 5 performer in state history. He is still pursuing the section 100 mark, which also stands as the state meet record of 10.30 held by Riley Washington of Southwest High since 1992.

He has been a solid sprinter, having made the podium with sixth-place finishes in both events a year ago. Christon took it to a whole new level this year, and explained the difference.

“I would say I wasn’t pushing myself in practice to run as hard out in the meets,” he said. “And then this year, I kind of did the same thing starting out (the season). And then I lost a couple of times, and it really just lit the fire inside of me to go harder in practice and make sure I was doing everything at 100 percent.

“It just worked out for me, and it showed out here (Friday).”

It also didn’t hurt what he’s seen nationally, just as he had entered that national conversation. He paid attention to Houston Strake Jesuit’s Matthew Boling, who made headlines last month when he ran the 100 in a wind-aided 9.98 seconds at a meet in Texas.

“I do believe that I could do that with maybe a little longer here,” said Christon, who added that he has been told he can run track at USC.

“But my time is short here, so I’m going to play football next year, and maybe if I was 100 percent, do track. But I have to split 50 and 50 with football, and most of it lifting (in football).”

Christon said his goals for Saturday are to go under 10.3 and 20.4, with the possibility of challenging the 1985 wind-legal state 100 record of 10.25 held by Hawthorne legend Henry Thomas.

A new lofty goal also emerged Friday of a potential Madison sweep in one or both events. Sophomore Aysha Shaheed ran third in the girls 100 (11.71) and fifth in the 200 (24.21).

“That would probably be one of our best school accomplishments by far,” Shaheed said. “And that would be something we are personally proud of.”