CALIFORNIA STATE MEET

Pleasant becomes first California male sprinter since Muhammad in 2012-13 to sweep 100 and 200 in back-to-back years, with See doubling up in discus throw and shot put for runner-up JSerra; Stanley helps Granada Hills secure team victory with 400 title and 4x100 triumph

By Landon Negri for DyeStat

Photos by Ken Martinez

CLOVIS, Calif. – Rodrick Pleasant delivered as he always does Saturday night. Quick on his feet and quick with his legs, his attention is also quickly shifting, as he finishes his high school career.

The Garden Serra High senior became the first California sprinter to win state titles in both the 100 and 200 meters in consecutive seasons in 10 years. He won the 100 in a wind-legal 10.20 seconds and the 200 in a wind-legal 20.67 seconds at the 103rd CIF State Track and Field Championships at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Both victories were against star-studded fields.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

The team score was a considerably closer competition, as Granada Hills Charter needed every bit of its third-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay – the meet’s final event – to overtake second-place JSerra for its first state championship in school history.

Pleasant, an Oregon commit, had just one word when asked about his future.

“Football,” he said.

He did, however, reflect on a season that included the all-conditions fastest 100 in state history (10.09) and a wind-legal performance of 10.14 at the Southern Section Masters meet a week ago, which tied his own state record.

Saturday, he outraced Long Beach Jordan junior Jordan Washington, who ran 10.30 for second place in the 100. El Cerrito senior Robert Stitts was third in 10.31. South Torrance senior Anthony Flowers, who appeared to false start in Friday’s prelims before having it overturned, was fourth in 10.44.

Pleasant won the 200 in a showdown with Granada Hills Charter senior Dijon Stanley, who ran 20.95. Clovis North senior Nickolas Miller was third in 21.02, and Washington was fourth in 21.06

“Just a blessing to be here,” Pleasant said. “I’m excited about everything and to finish off my last high school meet like this is amazing.”

The last boys athlete to claim repeat state titles was Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s Khalfani Muhammad in 2012-13.

“It means a lot,” Pleasant said of the accomplishment. “Just happy to be here to celebrate with my family.”

Stanley did get a win in the 400 (45.77), and he also was a part of the Highlanders’ winning 4x100 relay (40.39) with Jordan Coleman, Jayden Davis and Kanye Martin, and third-place 4x400 relay team (3:15.14) behind winner Long Beach Poly (3:12.99).

The Highlanders tallied 36 points to JSerra’s 33, becoming the first L.A. City Section boys program since Dorsey in 2005 to capture the team title.

Buchanan was third with 30 points and Long Beach Poly was fourth with 28.

“Resilience from start to finish,” Granada Hills Charter coach Johnny Wiley said. “I’m incredibly proud to be their coach. They’re just amazing kids – just amazing. I’m at a loss for words right now.”

Long Beach Jordan was fifth with 23 points and Concord De La Salle was sixth with 21. Senior Chukwunonso Udeh either scored or had a hand in scoring all of them for De La Salle.

That included a gigantic win in the long jump with a wind-aided effort of 23 feet, 9.75 inches (7.25m) and a tie for fifth place in the high jump at 6-4 (1.93 m).

JSerra senior Jake Stafford won the high jump with a 6-7 (2.00m) clearance. Udeh was also fifth in the 100 hurdles and fifth as part of the 4x100 relay.

Amazingly, Udeh just started long jumping a month ago.

“I was begging my coach, ‘Please, Coach, can I do the long jump?,’” Udeh said. “Can I do the triple jump? Can I run the 200? So he eventually caved in and let me do the long jump.”

JSerra senior Brendon See made it 2 for 2 on California male athletes trying to repeat, and he did it with a double in the shot put (62-9.50/19.13m) and discus throw (196-4/59.84m). See became the first back-to-back discus winner since Newport Harbor’s Ethan Cochran in 2011-12, along the first competitor to sweep both titles in the same year since Cochran in 2012.

“I worked a lot of my shot in the offseason to make it more even with the discus,” said See, an Oklahoma commit.

“You can’t be expecting to PR every day,” he added. “But you know, I definitely came out with the win today, so I’m happy about it.”

After just losing out on a state title a year ago, Buchanan senior Hilton Green won the boys pole vault with a 16-6 (5.02m) clearance, becoming the first vaulter in state history to secure a championship at his home venue. Green cleared 17-1 (5.21m) on May 12 for the No. 2 performance in Central Section history.

Hughson senior Joseph Lighthall won the 800 meters in a close finish over Cathedral junior Ambodai Ligons in 1:52.06. Santa Barbara junior Andreas Dybdahl won the 1,600 in 4:08.64, and Palmdale Highland senior Matthew Donis outraced Long Beach Millikan junior Jason Parra for the 3,200 title in 8:51.37.

Moments after the girls 4x800 relay was run as a scored event for the first time in state meet history, the boys followed suit. San Clemente won that event in 7:38.59 featuring an all-junior lineup of Brett Ephraim, Jackson Brownell, Pierce Clark and Taj Clark.

The remaining field event, the triple jump, was won by Redlands East Valley senior Jeremiah Bolanos with a wind-aided mark of 48-3.75 (14.71m) in the fifth round.

Upland senior Davis-Davis Lyric won the 110 hurdles in 13.83. The win made the Highlanders the first program in state history to have different athletes win consecutive 110 hurdles titles.

Davis-Lyric didn’t fare as well in the 300 hurdles, as he was disqualified for a lane violation. Still, the race was razor close, as Long Beach Jordan senior Darryll Stevens prevailed in a three-way battle separated by just five one-thousandths of a second.

Stevens won in 37.432. Monrovia senior Devin Paton was second in 37.435, and Eastvale Roosevelt junior Caden Robinson was third in 37.437.