By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Here are 10 storylines involving female athletes to keep an eye on Friday, May 27 and Saturday, May 28 at the 102nd CIF State Championships at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis:

Engelhardt looks to emerge with rare distance double

Despite it being her first state track and field championship meet, Ventura High freshman Sadie Engelhardt is no stranger to achieving success at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

She ran 4:47.90 for 1,600 meters as an eighth-grader in a middle-school race last year and she clocked a personal-best 2:05.66 in the 800 meters April 2 at West Coast Relays in her first high school competition at the same venue.

Now, Engelhardt is attempting something that no female athlete has achieved in state history, regardless of grade, by trying to capture the 800 and 1,600 state championships in the same year.

Although she has run 4:33.29 in the 1,600 on April 9 at the Arcadia Invitational, Engelhardt faces a significantly more challenging path in the 1,600 versus the 800.

Dalia Frias, a Mira Costa senior and Duke signee, has run 4:33.54 in the 1,600 and Newbury Park senior Samantha McDonell, an Alabama commit, has clocked 4:38.91. McDonnell prevailed May 21 at the Southern Section Masters meet at Moorpark High, with Arizona-bound Mia Chavez of Chino finishing second.

Although Chavez, Mackenzie Browne of JW North, Arielle McKenzie of La Canada and Tessa Buswell of Poway – all with sub-2:10 credentials – are all in the 800 field, Engelhardt is the clear favorite, especially with Monte Vista junior Cate Peters, who has run 2:06.89, resting a sore foot in preparation to compete at national meets in June.

Chavez and Browne both prevailed against Engelhardt at the Southern Section Masters meet.

Prior to the Masters competition, Engelhardt had only lost once during the regular season, when Frias rallied to triumph by a 4:35.06 to 4:36.63 margin in the mile March 26 at the Azusa Pacific Distance Meet of Champions.

Engelhardt is expected to have nearly two hours in between races during the May 27 prelims and should have approximately 90 minutes in between events for the May 28 finals.

Alex Morgan is the last female athlete to secure a state championship for Ventura in the discus throw in 2011.

Isaac Cortes of Great Oak is the last male athlete to sweep the 800 and 1,600 championships in 2016.

Pole vault depth raises bar to unprecedented heights

Tori Anthony of Castilleja was the first female athlete in California prep history to achieve a 14-foot clearance at the state championship meet in 2007, winning with a 14-1 (4.29m) performance.

Rachel Baxter of Anaheim Canyon accomplished the goal to secure back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017, clearing 14-2 (4.31m) and 14-0 (4.27m), respectively.

But there has never been a state final with multiple female competitors producing 14-foot clearances, however that could change in the May 28 final.

Three of the seven female prep vaulters to achieve a 14-foot mark all-time in California are entered in the field, including two that accomplished the feat to advance to the state meet.

Lexi Evans of Scripps Ranch won the San Diego Section Division 2 title by clearing 14 feet on her first attempt May 21 at Mount Carmel High.

Jathiyah Muhammad of Dublin, a sophomore, achieved her first career 14-foot performance May 20 at home at the North Coast Section Meet of Champions.

Allison Leigh of Del Norte, who cleared 14 feet last year to place runner-up at the San Diego Section Division 1 final behind Ashley Callahan of Rancho Bernardo, is also entered in the state field.

Alison Sahaida of Oak Ridge has cleared 13-9 (4.19m) this season and is also a top 10 all-time competitor in California.

Aspen Fears of Vista Murrieta, Evangeline Thomson of Poway, Lily Mulligan of Maria Carrillo, Madisyn Negro of Murrieta Valley, Jordan Leveque of Buchanan and Rose Wagner of Fallbrook have all achieved 13-foot clearances this year, adding even more depth to such a memorable competition.

Evans won the California Winter Outdoor Championships in January with a 13-2 (4.01m) clearance and also prevailed April 16 at the Mt. SAC Relays by clearing 13 feet (3.96m).

Muhammad won April 2 at the West Coast Relays with a 13-2 clearance, with Evans, Leigh and Muhammad all clearing 13-4 (4.06m) on April 9 at the Arcadia Invitational to finish behind junior twins Amanda Moll and Hana Moll from Capital High in Washington.

McCormick, Harris ready to return to championship form

The only two athletes to secure state titles at the 2019 final at Veterans Memorial Stadium were Upland long jumper Caelyn Harris and Aaliyah McCormick of Scripps Ranch anchoring the victorious 4x100-meter relay.

Both competitors have an opportunity to secure another state championship, with McCormick pursuing a rare double that hasn’t been achieved in 35 years.

McCormick is entered in the 100-meter dash and 100-meter hurdles, along with Mari Testa of Campolindo, and is looking to match the success of Pomona’s Janeene Vickers in 1987 by winning both championships in the same year.

McCormick is the all-conditions state leader in the 100 hurdles with a wind-aided 13.46 performance May 14 at the San Diego Section Division 2 prelims. She boasts a wind-legal mark of 13.61 from May 6 at the Western League finals.

McCormick has also produced a wind-aided 11.71 in the 100-meter dash, along with an 11.76 wind-legal effort May 21 to capture the San Diego Section Division 2 title.

Although Scripps Ranch only has pole vaulter Lexi Evans, high jumper Lizzie Tarczy and McCormick competing at the state meet, the Falcons could be a sleeper in the pursuit of a team plaque.

Harris has yet to surpass 20 feet this season in the long jump, with her top mark a wind-aided 19-9.75 (6.03m) performance April 16 at the Mt. SAC Relays, but she is ready to challenge Southern Section Masters meet winner Kylee Davis of Golden Valley and her state-leading 20-4.50 (6.21m) effort, along with a strong group challengers including Emily Psarras of Mission Viejo, Sydnie Vanek of Clovis, Kailah McKenzie of Orange Vista, Alyssa Alumbres of Vista Murrieta and Eve Divinity of Redondo Union.

The only Upland female athlete to win multiple state titles in an event is Kari Gosswiller in the high jump in 1976-77.

Thomsen tries to go the distance again

Hanne Thomsen, a freshman at Santa Rosa Montgomery, has already captured a Division 3 cross country title in her first state championship experience at Woodward Park in November.

Thomsen will attempt to become the best 3,200-meter competitor from all divisions combined May 28 when she will be the lone ninth-grader in the field.

Thomsen has the fastest time among all entries with her 10:12.03 effort April 9 at the Arcadia Invitational, since fellow freshman Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura and Mira Costa senior Dalia Frias – the top two performers in California this season at 9:50.69 and 9:55.50, respectively – are focusing on other events.

Jordan Hasay of Mission Prep in 2006 and Sarah Baxter of Simi Valley in 2011 were the last two freshman female competitors to capture state 3,200 titles.

Thomsen will be challenged by Washington-bound senior Sophia Nordenholz of Albany, Del Oro senior and Brigham Young commit Riley Chamberlain, Los Altos junior Lauren Soobrian, Buchanan junior Grace Hutchison, Arkansas-bound Mackenzie Rogers of Poway, Payton Godsey of Oaks Christian and Georgetown signee Cate Joaquin of Sacramento St. Francis, in addition to Alabama-bound Samantha McDonnell of Newbury Park, who won the Southern Section Masters meet.

Destiny Collins of Great Oak was the last 3,200 state champion to produce a sub-10 performance at Veterans Memorial Stadium, clocking 9:53.79 in 2015.

Hurdling heroics

Jasmyne Graham of Eastvale Roosevelt was the last female competitor to secure a sweep of the state championships in the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles in the same year when she achieved the difficult double in 2015.

There are 10 athletes entered in both events at the state meet, with the trio of Y’Vette Harris from Stockton Lincoln, Charlize James of San Diego High and Kapiolani Coleman representing Cathedral Catholic the leading contenders among the group.

James has run a wind-legal 13.92 in the 100 hurdles and has clocked 42.71 in the 300 hurdles.

Coleman boasts a wind-legal 14.05 performance in the 100 hurdles, along with running 42.19 in the 300 hurdles.

And Harris has personal-best efforts of 14.06 and 42.61.

Lauren Thai of Thousand Oaks, Daniela Ruelas of Arroyo Grande and Madeleine Conte of Monrovia have all run under 45 seconds in the 300 hurdles, along with achieving sub-14.50 performances in the 100 hurdles.

Mari Testa of Campolindo, Riley Costales of Fresno Central, Mia Jamerson of Carson and Giselle Rodriguez-Sanchez of Fall River have also qualified for both hurdling events.

Pomona’s Janeene Vickers in 1986-87, Felice Lipscomb of Santa Monica in 1990, Lompoc’s Twila Sims in 1992, Joanna Hayes of JW North in 1995, Natasha Neal and Talia Stewart, both of James Logan, in 1998 and 2004, respectively, and Kori Carter of Claremont in 2009-10 have also achieved the state championship hurdling double. 

Seeking sprint supremacy

Jordan Washington of Gardena Serra is the most likely female athlete to be in contention to produce a sweep of the 100- and 200-meter titles for the first time since Ariyonna Augustine of Long Beach Poly in 2017.

Augustine followed a stretch of six consecutive years from 2010-15 when a single female sprinter captured both the 100 and 200 championships in the same year, a group that included Ashton Purvis of St. Elizabeth, Jenna Prandini of Clovis, Ariana Washington of Long Beach Poly and Zaria Francis of Rio Mesa.

But Takiya Cenci of Clovis North, Aujane Luckey of Long Beach Wilson and Naomi Johnson of Eastvale Roosevelt have the potential to achieve an even more prestigious double by competing in the 200 and 400, with only four female competitors in state history capturing both titles in the same year.

Cenci is the state leader in the 400 at 53.19, with Luckey running 53.83 and Johnson clocking 53.87.

Cenci has run a wind-legal 23.90 in the 200, with Johnson posting a wind-aided 23.69 and Luckey clocking a wind-aided 23.82. Adonijah Currie of Golden Valley is the all-conditions state leader with a wind-aided 23.45.

Tierra Robinson-Jones of Bishop O’Dowd accomplished the sweep in 2018, following Monique Henderson of San Diego Morse in 2000, Long Beach Wilson’s Kinshasa Davis in 1997 and Denean Howard of Granada Hills Kennedy in 1980.

Despite winning three state titles in the 400 meters and another three in the 4x100 relay, Serra has never crowned a girls champion in either the 100 or 200. Washington has run a wind-legal 11.55 in the 100 and a wind-aide 23.62 in the 200.

Primed for a big show in the throws

A San Diego Section showcase or a clash of Central Section powers are potential narratives that could unfold in the girls throwing events.

Another could be the depth of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on display in the shot put.

But whatever the outcomes are, they should be historically significant, with several teams seeking their first state championships for a female athlete, or in some cases, in program history.

Clovis East senior Feyi Olukanni, a UC San Diego signee, has posted marks of 44-5.50 (13.55m) in the shot put and 153-7 (46.81m) in the discus. She is looking to become the first female state champion for the Timberwolves.

The biggest challenge for Olukanni in the discus could come from junior Nailea Fields of Caruthers and her personal-best 162-7 (49.55m), the top mark in the state, which could fuel her to become the first state champion in program history.

Kennedy Clarke of Cathedral Catholic is the state leader in the shot put at 47-5 (14.45m), along with throwing 147-9 (45.03m) in the discus. The Dons’ last state championship came in 2014, when Hannah LaBrie-Smith triumphed in the 300-meter hurdles.

Notre Dame had Hope Gordon, Aja Johnson and April Fontenette all advance to the state meet in the shot put, becoming the first girls program since Arroyo Grande in 1998 to achieve the feat.

Stephanie Brown, Vanessa Shields and Karen Freberg competed that year for the Eagles, with all three athletes placing in the top 12, including Brown capturing the shot put title.

All three Notre Dame competitors have surpassed 42 feet this season, led by Gordon at 45-4.50 (13.83m). The Knights have never secured a state championship in either girls throwing event.

Experiencing how the other half lives

Since Adrienne Johnson of Carondelet captured the state championship in the high jump in 2009, no female athlete from Northern California has secured the title, but that drought has the potential to end May 28 with Elizabeth Churchill from Aptos, Ashanti Elie of Rocklin Whitney and Hannah Slover from Los Gatos all among the leading contenders for the crown.

Elie is the only female athlete in the state with a 5-10 (1.77m) clearance this season. Churchill achieved a personal-best 5-9 (1.75m) on May 21 at the Central Coast Section finals, with Slover producing a 5-8 (1.72m) clearance.

In addition to the dominance by the Central, San Diego and Southern Section competitors in the girls high jump for more than a decade, there also hasn’t been a 6-foot clearance achieved at the state meet since Rachel McCoy of A.B. Miller produced a winning height of 6-0.75 (1.84m) in 2013.

Meagan Humphries of Golden Valley, who has cleared 5-9, is the strongest candidate for the Southern Section to capture another title after winning four in a row from 2015-18. Her teammate Kylee Davis and Long Beach Poly’s Zharia Taylor are also championship contenders.

Macaria Moore-Bastide of Eastlake and Lizzie Tarczy of Scripps Ranch, both 5-7 competitors, are looking to follow the success achieved by San Diego Section standout Alysah Hickey of Coronado, the 2019 state high jump champion.

Joining relay royalty

In addition to being in contention for team plaques, Golden Valley and Clovis North both have opportunities to make history May 28 with potential relay titles.

Golden Valley, the California leader and No. 9 nationally in the 4x100 at 45.98, is seeking the first state championship in any event in program history.

Clovis North, ranked No. 3 in the state in the 4x400 at 3:46.56, is attempting to become the first program from the Central Section to capture the championship.

Although Eastvale Roosevelt has produced a pair of individual girls state champions in Jasmyne Graham and Breanna Bernard-Joseph, the Mustangs are also looking for their first relay title and enter the meet No. 2 in California in the 4x400 at 3:46.17.

Long Beach Wilson is the state leader in the 4x400 and No. 6 in the country this season at 3:43.87. The Bruins are pursuing their first state championship in the event since 2006 and the seventh overall in program history.

Serra, which has won three state titles in the girls 4x100, should present a significant challenge to Golden Valley after the teams took the top two spots at the Southern Section Masters meet. The Cavaliers, who won back-to-back state crowns in 2017-18, clocked 46.19 on May 21 at Moorpark High.

The outcome of the 4x100 and 4x400 finals could also go a long way toward determining the girls state team champions as well, with Golden Valley, Serra, Roosevelt, Long Beach Wilson and Clovis North all in contention.

A unique mission for Diablos’ duo

Following their performances at the Southern Section Masters meet, Mission Viejo juniors Emily Psarras and Jada Gatlin have the potential to become the first teammates in state championship history to capture the long jump and triple jump titles.

Former Agoura star Tara Davis swept the long jump and triple jump crowns in 2017, but no teammates have ever joined forces to secure both championships for the same program in one year.

Gatlin has a personal-best 40-3 (12.26m) effort, one of three female athletes in the state this season to surpass the 40-foot barrier.

Psarras jumped 19-7.75 (5.98m) at the Southern Section Masters meet to put herself in title contention at Veterans Memorial Stadium. She will likely have to surpass 20 feet, with Kylee Davis of Golden Valley and Upland’s Caelyn Harris both in the long jump field.

Alyssa Hope of Martin Luther King is the athlete with the most significant potential to duplicate Davis’ achievement from five years ago. Hope is the state triple jump leader at 41-3 (12.57m) and has produced a mark of 19-8.25 (6.00m) in the long jump.

Mackenzie Kirk of Los Alamitos, Alyssa Alumbres from Vista Murrieta, Lauren Reed of Long Beach Poly, Etiwanda’s Alaya Robinson, Buchanan’s Maddie Passmore and Cameron Fields from Stockton St. Mary’s have achieved 39-foot efforts this season and are all capable of producing a big performance in the final.

Alumbres, Reed and Fields are all entered in both events, along with Hope.

Jacque Norton remains the only female state champion in Mission Viejo history, winning the discus throw crown in 1982.