Poly boys capture first championship since 2011, state-record 11th overall, with Wilson girls securing first back-to-back crowns in program history, matching Berkeley for second all-time with fifth title, as Moore League rivals win in same season for first time since 2006 and third time overall

By Pete Marshall for DyeStat

CLOVIS, Calif. – Two new state championship trophies will be arriving to the city of Long Beach this weekend.

And for the first time since 2006, Moore League rivals Long Beach Poly and Long Beach Wilson were both celebrating team titles together at the CIF State Track and Field Championships.

The Poly boys and Wilson girls both rallied for victories Saturday at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium, marking the third time they have both triumphed in the same season, including 18 years ago, along with the first occasion in 1998.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS | PHOTOS by Ken Martinez

The Poly boys won their state-record 11th team title and first since 2011 by scoring 33 points, edging out Clovis North (28) and Wilson (27).

The Wilson girls won their fifth state team title, tying them with Berkeley for the second-most in state history and trailing only Long Beach Poly (15). The Bruins’ 36 points edged out Ventura (30) for the crown.

It was also the first time any girls team repeated as state champions since Long Beach Poly in 2013-14.

The boys title wasn’t decided until the 4x400-meter relay, where the Jackrabbits needed to finish at least fifth to secure the title. Poly finished second in 3:13.03, trailing only Wilson at 3:12.54..

“Even though we placed second (in the 4x400) we ran a season-best,” Poly coach Crystal Irving said. “Right now with the young team we have, I feel like it’s a very special group and I think in the years to come we may see this (team state title) happen again.”

The one big loss for the Poly boys will be Georgia-bound Xai Ricks, who won the 400 (46.79) and anchored the 4x400 relay.

“It feels great. Last year here, last race. I’m proud of myself through the ups and downs of the season. I’m just glad I was able to come out here and do what I was able to do,” Ricks said of winning state.

And he believes the future is bright for Poly.

“We have great talent coming in with the youngsters,” Ricks said. “They’re coming out ballin’. They’re just going to keep getting faster by the years.”

In addition to the eight points from Poly’s 4x400 and 10 points by Ricks in the 400, the Jackrabbits secured second place in the 4x100 in 40.80, a fifth-place finish by freshman Benjamin Harris (10.56) in the 100 and a sixth-place finish by ninth-grader Julius Johnson (21.64) in the 200.

Wilson trailed Ventura entering the girls 4x400, with the Cougars relying on Sadie Engelhardt and Valentina Fakrogha to accumulate their 30 points from victories in the 1,600, 4x800 relay and high jump.

Ventura did not compete in the 4x400, so Wilson needed at least a fourth-place finish to secure the team title. The Bruins ended up winning the race in 3:41.40, their first victory in the 4x400 since back-to-back titles in 2005-06.

“I think after yesterday (Friday’s prelims) we had some adversity,” Wilson co-coach Neil Nelson said. “Our first race (4x100) we had four girls go into the chute, CIF told us one of the girls wasn’t on (the list). So we didn’t run our four fastest girls. We didn’t let it bother us. We put our alternate in and we were able to finish the day. It was a rough day with Kaylin Edwards falling off in the 300 hurdles, but we knew we had to talk to them, get it right.  Even after the 100 hurdles (Saturday), Kaylin not doing so well, we had the sophomore Brooke Blue with Saniah Varnado and they stepped up.”

The Bruins got a sixth-place finish from the 4x100 relay (46.64), an eighth-place finish from Edwards (14.88) in the 100 hurdles, the first girls long jump championship in program history from Loren Webster (20-5.25/6.22), a fifth-place finish by Blue (55.52) in the 400 and a second-place finish by Varnado in 42.11 in the 300 hurdles.

It marked the first time Wilson had captured back-to-back state championships in program history, winning its other girls crowns in 1996, 1998 and 2006.

The Poly boys secured a state title in a remarkable eighth different decade, with the Jackrabbits winning their first championship in 1928.