CALIFORNIA STATE MEET

Neal and Washington guide Serra girls past Cenci-led Clovis North and Long Beach Wilson; Walker inspires Central to rally past Upland for thrilling one-point win, with Pleasant earning sprint sweep to help Cavaliers take third in boys final

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

For all the significant showdowns in the distance races, all the memorable matchups in the throwing events and all the quality clashes in the jumping competitions, the one common theme for all three girls teams in contention for podium positions Saturday at the 102nd CIF State Track and Field Championships was the need for speed.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS | PHOTOS by Jimmy Su

Gardena Serra captured its second girls team championship, following a victory in 2018, relying on winning the 4x100-meter relay for the fourth time in program history by clocking 46.08 seconds, and standout junior sprinters Brazil Neal and Jordan Washington both placing on the podium in the 100 and 200, including a victory from Neal in the latter in a wind-aided 23.68, to triumph with 37 points at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis.

Jaiya Fletcher and Mia Flowers ran the remaining legs of the victorious 4x100 for Serra, which also won in 2012. 2017 and 2018

Clovis North punctuated its runner-up performance with 32 points by winning the 4x400-meter relay for the first time in 3:45.38, which provided the necessary support for USC-bound senior Takiya Cenci securing the 400 crown in 54.01 and placing second in the 200 in a wind-aided 23.78, as well as San Diego State signee Tatum Zinkin taking fifth in the 800 in 2:13.19.

Emerson Parks and Maya Cordoba also contributed to the 4x400 championship for Clovis North, which defeated Long Beach Wilson for the first time in three head-to-head meetings this season.

And Wilson, which finished third overall with 28 points following a runner-up effort in the 4x400 in 3:47.92, also received a second-place finish in the 400 in 54.90 and third-place performance in the 200 from Aujane Luckey in 23.97, plus freshman Kaylin Edwards capturing fourth in the 300 hurdles in 43.16 and TCU-bound senior Samarra Monrroy earning eighth in the 400 in 56.60.

Fresno Central also relied significantly on sprints and relays to secure its first boys team title with 41 points, rallying behind a runner-up finish in the 4x400 relay to edge Upland and its hurdling highlight show with 40 points.

JEREMIAH WALKER SHOWS HE'S MADE FOR BIGGEST MOMENTS, WILLING HIMSELF AND FRESNO CENTRAL TO STATE TITLE by Landon Negri

Central won the 4x100 relay for the first time in 41.36 and fed off one of the most inspirational performances in meet history from San Jose State commit Jeremiah Walker, who overcame competing with a right hamstring injury to win the 400 in 47.49, as well as placing sixth in the 200 in 21.42 and anchoring the 4x400 relay to second in 3:14.78 behind champion Cathedral and its quartet of Jake Preston, William Mullins, Antonio Wallton and Adonyss Currie running 3:13.87.

Cameron Tarver, also signed with San Jose State, finished third in the 200 in a wind-aided 21.28 and placed fifth in the 100 in a wind-aided 10.55 to account for the remaining scoring for Central, which scored the same amount of points as Clovis North did to capture the 2019 boys team title in the last state meet held at Veterans Memorial Stadium before its return Friday and Saturday.

Elijah Lindsey and Imari Conley also contributed on the winning 4x100 for Central.

Upland made history of its own, becoming the only team in the state to have teammates win the 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles in the same year.

The Highlanders had Kai Graves-Blanks prevail in the 110 hurdles in a wind-aided 13.75 seconds and Davis Davis-Lyric place second in 14.13. Graves-Blanks returned to finish second in the 300 hurdles in 37.33, with teammate Delaney Crawford capturing the championship in 37.11.

It marked the fourth straight 300 hurdles crown for Upland, the longest streak in the event in state history.

Christopher Coats contributed to Upland’s total by achieving sixth in the 400 in 48.10 and Davis-Lyric accounted for the remaining production by grabbing eighth in the 300 hurdles in 39.19.

Serra received the first sweep of the sprint titles in program history, with junior Rodrick Pleasant clocking wind-aided efforts of 10.30 in the 100 final and 20.56 in the 200 championship, in addition to a second-place finish in the 4x100 in 41.50 to account for its third-place total of 28 points.

Carson junior Reign Redmond accounted for the remaining sprint title, winning the girls 100 in a wind-aided 11.56, before choosing not to compete in the 200 final.

Charlize James of San Diego High won the girls 100 hurdles championship in a wind-legal 13.95, but decided not to race in the 300 hurdles final.

Kapiolani Coleman of Cathedral Catholic produced the Dons’ first title in the 300 hurdles since 2014 by clocking 42.23.

A pair of freshmen prevailed in the girls 1,600 and 3,200 finals, with Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura winning one of the deepest races in state championship history by clocking 4:36.67 to edge Mira Costa’s Dalia Frias (4:37.09), Newbury Park’s Samantha McDonnell (4:37.37) and Chino’s Mia Chavez (4:41.71).

Hanne Thomsen of Santa Rosa Montgomery triumphed in the 3,200 in a personal-best 10:06.89, ahead of Albany’s Sophia Nordenholz (10:10.49) and McDonnell (10:12.76).

Thomsen joined Sara Hall in winning the title as a freshman, in addition to becoming the first female athlete from Montgomery to secure the crown since Hall in 2001. Simi Valley’s Sarah Baxter in 2011 and Mission Prep’s Jordan Hasay in 2006 also triumphed as freshmen.

Engelhardt attempted to become the only female athlete in state history to win the 800 and 1,600 in the same year, but J.W. North junior Mackenize Browne edged the Ventura standout by a 2:08.66 to 2:09.64 margin to capture the first girls championship for the Huskies since 2003.

Sydnie Vanek became the first Clovis long jumper to win the state title since Jenna Prandini in 2010-11, producing a sixth-round mark of 20-8.50 (6.31m).

Alyssa Hope, who was second behind Vanek in the long jump at 20-4 (6.19m), emerged victorious in the triple jump with a wind-aided mark of 40-2.75 (12.26m) to achieve the first state title for Martin Luther King.

Jathiyah Muhammad, a sophomore, secured the first championship for Dublin since 2014 by clearing 13-9 (4.19m) in the pole vault to prevail against Lexi Evans of Scripps Ranch based on fewer misses earlier in the competition.

Hannah Slover of Los Gatos became the first Northern California female athlete to triumph in the high jump since 2009 with a first-attempt clearance at 5-6 (1.67m).

A pair of Central Section standouts captured the girls discus throw and shot put crowns, with Nailea Fields producing the first championship in any event for Caruthers following her 157-1 (47.87m) fourth-round performance.

Feyi Olukanni became the first female competitor from Clovis East to capture a state title in any event, earning the shot put victory with a mark of 44 feet (13.41m). Olukanni also finished third at 154-2 (46.99m) in the discus.

April Fontenette of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame was second in the discus at 155-8 (47.44m) and took third in the shot put at 41-5.25 (12.63m).

Cade Moran of Murrieta Mesa won a state title in the shot put at 64-3.25 (19.58m), holding off Aiden Pastorian at 60-4 (18.38m) for Great Oak. Moran also placed second in the discus at 199-6 (60.80m), with JSerra junior Brendon See producing a personal-best 203-10 (62.12m) to earn the first state championship in any event for the Lions since 2008.

Seth Johnson was the only high jumper in the field to clear 6-7 (2.00m), with all other finalists only managing 6-5 (1.95m), capturing the first state crown for Cajon since 1973.

Hunter O’Brien of Eastvale Roosevelt prevailed against Buchanan’s Hilton Green in the pole vault after both individuals cleared 16-5 (5.00m). O’Brien became the first winner in any event from Roosevelt since 2018.

St. John Bosco’s Camryn O’Bannon rallied on his final attempt in the triple jump to edge Great Oak’s JC Stevenson for the championship by a 47-6.75 (14.49m) to 47-4 (14.42m) margin.

Jason Plumb triumphed in an even tighter battle in the long jump final, matching Elijha Ellis of Golden Valley for the best mark with a wind-aided 24-5.75 (7.46m), but the Corona del Mar standout held the tiebreaker based on almost a foot separation involving their secondary jumps.

Ellis Delvecchio secured the first state title for any Thacher athlete, clocking 1:50.82 in the 800 final to hold off Jai Dawson of Dana Hills at 1;51.28.

Clovis junior Christopher Caudillo surged late in the boys 1,600 final to emerge victorious in 4:10.42, ahead of Jeremy Kain of Scotts Valley in 4:11.40, securing the first championship in the event for a Central Section male athlete since 2014.

Caudillo tried to achieve a second title in the 3,200 final, but Davis Senior’s Zach Ayers produced a sub-9 performance for the first time by clocking 8:56.93, ahead of Newbury Park’s Daniel Appleford in 8:58.42. Caudillo clocked 9:00.11 to take third.