It was a decidedly golden moment for the San Diego Section at last weekend’s track and field state championship meet in Clovis with a combined 10 gold medals. Tack on one silver medal, four bronze medals and four copper medals (fourth place) and it was a veritable treasure trove of shiny hardware coming back south.
Eastlake sophomore Jaelyn Williams helped the local contingent bask in its golden moment by winning the girls 3200-run with a new personal and school record time of 9:57.11 after finishing fourth as a freshman the previous year.
Dipping under 10 minutes had been discussed throughout the spring season but her best to date on the track was 10:00.30 at the Jaguar Invitational on April 13. She ran 10:02.56 at the Arcadia Invitational on April 6.
She coasted to the 3200 title at the Mesa League finals in 10:26.38 on May 2.
But she was persistent in her goals.
Williams had also qualified to compete in the 1600 run, winning both distance events at the section finals, but elected to drop that event at the state meet in favor of an extra day of rest as the 3200 is byed to Saturday’s finals.
“I wanted to attempt going for a sub-10 time in the 3200 one last time in my school season since that was my main goal for this season and to get the best shot at meeting this goal I was going to need as much energy as possible,” she said.
She practiced calm before the storm.
“There are always nerves before a big race like that, but I was calmer than normal because I had confidence knowing that I had been able to demonstrate my ability to go under 10 through my workouts and other races,” she explained. “Also, I felt that if I could accomplish this goal then I would be in the running to win. I also knew that I shouldn’t worry because I knew God would be with me during the race.”
She said time was on her side.
“My strategy was more towards the time than it was the competition,” Williams said. “I came up with a race plan that would place me under that 10-minute mark. I felt that I could sustain my pace after the type of workouts that I did this year versus last year. Although I focused on a time goal, I also understood that I would probably need to go under 10 minutes in order to secure the win.
“I started out in first from the very start and I stayed first during the rest of the race, creating somewhat of a wide gap between the rest of the girls and me.”
That “wide gap” turned out to be 2.8 seconds.
Montgomery junior Hanne Thomsen finished runner-up in 9:59.81 while also dipping under 10-minutes. Santiago Corona junior Rylee Blade placed third in 10:06.26 while La Canada junior Maya DeBrouwer was fourth in 10:09.23.
“I am very happy and satisfied that I broke the 10-minute barrier in the 3200, as I have been working at this goal ever since my freshman year,” Williams noted. “It was also a goal to win the state title in the 3200 and I was able to achieve that as well. Additionally, I wanted to get the San Diego CIF record in the 3200 (10:11.38 by La Costa Canyon’s Kristin Fahy in 2019), which I did. I also was able to reach my goal of running 4:40 in the 1600 when I raced in the sectional meet the previous week. So that was rewarding. I feel very happy and satisfied at achieving all of these goals.
“As far as future goals, I hope to race well against some great competition at Brooks PR up in Seattle this summer and I also have a goal of achieving All-American status at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Ore., this summer as well. So I will be chasing after those goals in the next few weeks as I approach those meets in mid-June.
“Next year, I hope to continue to drop and improve my times and maybe win some more titles/championships or records.”
Sounds like a well conceived plan.
Also famous
Three Metro Conference athletes made the state finals last weekend in Clovis.
Olympian senior Angel Cordero, the section’s boys 800-meter champion, advanced to Saturday’s finals with a time of 1:53.64 in Friday’s prelims. He placed 12th out of the 12 runners in the championship heat with a time of 1:57.62.
Carlsbad senior Cain Evans, who Cordero shaded in the section title race, won the state 800 in a personal record 1:50.21.
Cordero had posted a 1:52.02 PR in winning the section title ahead of Evans (third, 1:53.22). Sage Creek sophomore Josiah Bowman, who took second to Cordero at the section finals, finished 11th in the state final in 1:54.82.
Otay Ranch senior Gabriella Colon Gipson, who finished second in the section shot put final with a 39-10.25 mark, recorded a 40-11.25 mark in Friday’s state prelims to push through to Saturday’s finals. However, Colon Gipson was unable to improve on that to place 11th at 39-4 on Saturday.
Her best on the season remains 41-10.75 in a league dual meet against Chula Vista on April 4. She won the Mesa League title with a 41-2 mark.
Bonita Vista senior Natalie Guevara (girls triple jump), Otay Ranch junior hurdler Zamaria Mack (girls 300 low hurdles) and the Otay Ranch girls 4×100 relay all competed in Friday’s state prelims, though none advanced to the finals.
Eastern exposure
Mt. Miguel sophomore Brandon Arrington netted two gold medals by doubling in the sprints – winning the 100-meter dash in a near record 10.33 and returning to the oval to capture the 200-meter distance in 20.55.
Arrington entered the 200 final with the top time in the nation after winning the section title the preceding week in 20.40. He won the section title in the 100 sprint in 10.50.
The Mt. Miguel transfer (from Helix Charter) began his quest for double gold by placing first in the state prelims on Friday in both the 100 dash (10.27) and 200 dash (20.55).
He bettered Bakersfield sophomore Jalen Ford by 0.07 seconds in the 100 and Granada Hills senior Jordan Coleman by 0.28 seconds in the 200.
in the finals, Arrington set a PR in the 100 with his winning time by eclipsing Coleman (10.43) by 0.10 seconds and came back to beat Coleman (21.04) in the 200 by 0.09 seconds for the state title.
There were no other San Diego Section runners in either event.
Both the 110 high hurdles and 300 intermediate hurdles featured East County medal-winners.
El Capitan senior Jonathan Tskeo-Biffle placed third in the high hurdles with a time of 13.98 while Helix senior Shon Martin was right behind in fourth place in 14.07. The El Capitan hurdler had posted the fourth-best time (13.99) in prelim qualifying while Martin had the eighth-best time (14.20).
Tseko-Biffle posted the top qualifying time of 37.48 in the intermediate prelims while Martin was 12th in 38.70. The Vaquero hurdler made t he cut to the finals while Martin did not. Canyon junior Jordehn Gammage, who finished fourth in the prelims at 37.76, rebounded to top the field in the finals with a winning time of 37.35, a PR. Tseko-Biffle settled for seventh place with a time of 38.37.
Cathedral Catholic senior Vincent Atilano was the top San Diego Section finisher in the 300 finals at 37.62 to capture the bronze medal; Atilano had placed seventh in the prelims at 37.97.
Biffle placed in both hurdles events.
Martin also competed in the boys long jump, placing 24th in a field of 34 entrants with a jump of 21-10.5
On the girls side, San Diego Lady Caver junior Anisa Bowen Fontenot captured the 100 low hurdles with a 13.59 PR while Carlsbad junior Morgan Herbst won the 300 low hurdles in 41.26, another PR. Bowen Fontenot was third in the longer distance at 42.76.
Herbst had run the top qualifying time of 41.93 in the prelims
Steele Canyon senior Lilian Cook turned in some strong times — a 14.24 PR for sixth-best in the 100 LH and 43.96 for 12th best in the 300 LH.
Otay Ranch junior Zamara Mack was 13th in the 300 LH prelims in 44.10.
Steele Canyon senior Nicoletta Burkhardt posted the sixth-best time (55.45)in the girls 400-dash prelims behind eventual finals champion Payton Smith, a senior from La Jolla (53.39). Steele Canyon sophomore Ilay Barclay was 28th in the 200 prelims in 26.98, an event won by Madison senior Amirah Shaeed (23.53).
Steele Canyon’s Ily Barclay trails North Salinas’ Clara Adams in the girls 200 dash prelims.
Mt. Miguel senior Vincent Jones just missed the boys 400 dash finals after running 48.02, a PR, in the prelims to place 10th. Jones later joined teammates James Gross, Garrett Cloyd and Dason Hege in the boys 4×400 relay, placing 20th out of 28 teams in 3:28.56.
Steele Canyon (ninth, 47.00), Helix (13th, 47.97) and Otay Ranch (21st, 48.64) all represented San Diego in the girls 4×100 relay. Steele’s unit was comprised of Kailey Fuller, Ily Barclay, Brionna Dickens and Nicoletta Burkhardt while Helix’s quartet included Aaliyah Payne, Asia Brouchard, Shaelynne Swift and Chanel Burton. Otay Ranch was led on the track by Zamaria Mack, Arynn Sanders, Shilah Coco and Anaya Carter.
Sharing the spotlight
Carlsbad senior Cain Evans (800-meter run) and University City junior Kai Anderson (pole vault) each claimed gold medals in boys events.
Evans won the half-time in 1:50.21 while Anderson cleared 16-8 in the vertical vault. The 800 race was a blur with two seconds separating eight runners and just 0.05 separating first and second place. Long Beach Wilson sophomore Wyland Obando claimed the silver medal in 1:50.26.
Overall, nine section athletes competed in the boys pole vault prelims and four medaled. Torrey Pines senior Joey Weisman was fourth at 15-8, Fallbrook senior Aiden Bernier was sixth at 15-2, Westview senior Vincent Farenc was seventh also at 15-2.
Section girls seemed on fire by collecting a heavy load of six gold medals.
Madison senior Amirah Shaheed won the 200 dash in 23.53 while La Jolla senior Payton Smith won the 400 dash in 53.39.
Poway senior Tessa Buswell clocked 2:06.51 to win the 800 run while Eastlake’s Williams made history with the winning time of 9:57.11 in the 3200 distance.
San Diego junior Anisa Bowen-Fontenot won the 100 low hurdles in 13.59 and Carlsbad junior Morgan Herbst made it a section sweep in the event by winning the 300 low hurdles in 41.26.
Del Norte junior Paige Echsner placed runner-up in the pole vault at 13-5.
Herbst also was second in the 800 run (2:07.23) while Bowen-Fontenot was third in the 300 hurdles (42.76).
Collecting bronze medals at the two-day meet were El Capitan senior Jonathan Tseko-Biffle in the boys 110-meter high hurdles (13.98), Cathedral Catholic senior Vincent Atilano in the boys 300-meter intermediate hurdles (37.62) and La Jolla sophomore Chiara Dailey in the girls 1600 meters (4:43.30).
Fourth-place medals went to Helix Charter senior Shon Martin in the 110 high hurdles (14.07), Weisman in the pole vault, Mission Bay senior Brandon Cheeks II in the boys long jump (23-5) and Westview junior Kaitlyn Arciaga in the girls 800 run (2:08.08),
San Diego Section Track & Field State Champions
Boys Running Events
100 dash: Brandon Arrington (Mt. Miguel) 10.33
200 dash: Brandon Arrington (Mt. Miguel) 20.55
800 run: Cain Evans (Carlsbad) 1:50.21
Boys Field Events
Pole vault: Kai Anderson (University City) 16-8
Girls Running Events
200 dash: Amirah Shaheed (Madison) 23.53
400 dash: Payton Smith (La Jolla) 53.39
800 run: Tessa Buswell (Poway) 2:06.51
3200 run: Jaelyn Williams (Eastlake) 9:57.11
100 low hurdles: Anisa Bowen-Fontenot (San Diego) 13.59
300 low hurdles: Morgan Herbst (Carlsbad) 41.26
Note: personal, school record for Eastlake’s Jaelyn Williams.
