Before California gets to showcase it's abundant Track and Field talent outdoors, a strong contingent will perform indoors at the Save Mart Center in Fresno (145 yard track, photo above courtesy of The Collegian) this extended weekend. The events will begin on Sunday, February 15th starting at 5pm with the Girls 4 x 145 meter relay and concluding with the Boys 2 mile at 8:30pm. Sundays events will take place between 8am and conclude at 1:45pm with the Boys 4 x 400 meter relay. You can check out a full tentative schedule at this link.

Running Events (Girls and Boys)
4 x 145 Meter Relay
4 x 800 Meter Relay
600 Yard Run
2 Mile Run
55 Meter Hurdles
55 Meter Dash
300 Meter Dash
1 Mile Run
1450 Sprint Medley (3-1-2-4)
800 Meter Run
4 x 400 Meter Relay

Field Events (Girls and Boys)
Pole Vault
Long Jump
High Jump
Triple Jump
Shot Put
Weight Throw (25# for boys, 20# for girls)

As you can see above, the meet will have a multitude of events, some of which are not contested outdoors. There are three relay events that will take place but we will focus on the top contenders in the individual events.

SUNDAY EVENTS

600 Yard Run (Girls 6:55pm/Boys 7:20pm)
Girls Record: Michaela Smith Edison Fresno TC 1:26.23 2014
Boys Record: Joe Herrera Tulare Western 74.08 2014

The first running event will be the girls 600 yard run which will pit two of the top 800 meters runners in the state vs one of the top long hurdlers. Cassie Durgy of Huntington Beach HS has the fastest qualifying time (1:25.48) and finished in 9th place at the CA state meet last year in the 800 meters with a PR 2:11.54. Finishing in 8th place, just ahead of her, was the 2nd place finisher at last year's meet, Chloe Jenkins of St. Mary's Berkeley, who also recorded a PR (2:11.31) in the same race. She has the 2nd fastest qualifying time here (1:25.89) as she faces off against two very familiar opponents (Durgy and Maya Miklos). Miklos (Gunn HS) finished a very close 2nd to Jenkins at the Cal All-Comers meet last weekend running 1:25.93. Last season, she qualified for the CA state meet in the 300 meters hurdles and finished in 6th place, making the podium. She recorded her PR during the qualifying race of 42.54 and followed that up with a supremely consistent 42.55 in the final.

It appears that two boys will contend for the individual championship and are the class of the field. The fastest qualifying time belongs Isaiah Jewett who recorded 1:11.81 (71.81) at his qualifying meet in Redondo. Jewett ran 49.0 and 1:54.40 as he made it to the SS Division 3 final in the 900 where he finished in 4th place. His main competitor will be Great Oak runner, Isaac Cortes, who easily won his qualifier at Corona with a time of 1:13.59 (73.59). As a sophomore, Cortes ran 1:52.79 at the SS Division I final. He will be the 6th fastest returning 800 meter runner in the state as a junior this coming season.

2 Mile Run (Girls 7:50pm/Boys 8:30pm)
Girls Record: Jessie Peterson 11:06.75 2011
Boys Record: Justin Vilhauer Visalia 9:27.94 2010

The 2 mile is contested outdoors and even with only 8 laps, the lap counting can become an inexact science especially when runners get lapped by the leaders. You can multiply that by a significant amount when you place this event indoors. At last year's meet, confusion reigned supreme as Haley Dorris of Great Oak won in 10:21.52 but finished the race a lap short. The 2nd place runner, Kimberly Coscia of South Torrance is back this year and will be the favorite to win. She has the fastest qualifying time coming into this meet (11:13.04) as well as the 3rd fastest returning 3200m. time in the state (10:18.57). She will face off against another Great Oak runner, freshman Sandra Kay Pflughoft. She has the 2nd fastest qualifying time (11:18.19) and was a key member of the Great Oak Cross Country team in the fall as they finished as the 2nd best team in the nation at NXN.

The boys race appears to be more wide open with several runners in the mix for the individual title. The fastest qualifying time belongs to Kaleb Kunes of Buena HS who ran 9:37.80 at his qualifying meet. His outdoor PR is 9:25.66 from last season. The two other runners would sub 9:40 qualifying marks are Michael Powell, Agoura (9:39.00) and Duncan Reid, Palos Verdes (9:39.38). Those times are both very close to their 2014 marks which bodes well for their upcoming outdoor season. The rest of the field includes 13 runners who ran between 9:40 and 9:50 at their qualifying races which means there could be a large pack still remaining after the early fury that takes place during the beginning of most indoor races. Two freshmen also qualified for this meet with Robert Miranda of Menlo (9:48.34) and Samuel Boone of Mount Carmel (9:50.08) both showing outstanding potential.

Boys Pole Vault
Meet Record: Michael Woepse Mater Dei TC 16'7" 2010
BEST QUALIFIERS: Christopher Doerr Trabuco Hills 15'6" (SS), Zach Bethel Clovis West 14'8" (CS), Justin Navarro Mt. Pleasant 14'6" (CCS)
OPENING HEIGHT: 11'6"

Girls Long Jump (4 Attempts)
Meet Record: Traci Hicks Long Beach Poly TC 19'3.25" 2012
BEST QUALIFIERS: Tara Davis Agoura 18'4" (SS), Lovie Burleson Vista Murrieta 18'3" (SS), Kennedy Jones Castro Valley 17'11.75" (NCS), Christina Chenault Carondelet 17'7" (NCS)

Girls High Jump
Meet Record: Madeline Fagan Los Gatos TC 5'10" 2013
BEST QUALIFIERS: Aine McNulty Los Gatos 5'4.25" (CCS), Jessica Lange Mission Viejo 5'4" (SS), Erinn Beattie Bueno 5'4" (SS), Chianne Warner El Camino 5'4" (SS), Maya Hutchinson Oaks Christian 5'4" (SS)
OPENING HEIGHT: 4'8"

Boys Long Jump (4 Attempts)
Meet Record: Devin Harrison Dana Hills TC 23'10" 2010
BEST QUALIFIERS: Greg Vann Rio Mesa 23'2" (SS), Kurt Felicitas Mt Pleasant 23'1.5" (CCS), Matthew Runels James Logan 22'3" (NCS)

MONDAY EVENTS

55 Meter Hurdles (Girls 8:00am/Boys 8:20am)
Girls Record: Sasha Wallace Holy Names TC 7.94 2012
Boys Record: Misana Viltz Millikan TC 7.36 2014

The first event on Monday will be the prelims of this hurdles race. At the writing of this preview article, 55 hurdlers are entered with many hoping to qualify for the finals. With such a short event, there will be a fine line between qualifying or turning your attention to 100 meter version of this race in less than a month. The favorite may be Jaela Williams of E. Roosevelt who was one of two California hurdlers last year that run faster than 14 seconds in the 100 meter hurdle race and 12 seconds in the 100 meter race. Williams sported PRs of 13.78 and 11.93 while Reonna Collier of Piedmont Hills recorded times of 13.76 and 11.79. With Collier not competing at this meet, it looks like the biggest threat to Williams will be Sydney Mosley of Monrovia who had a PR of 13.88 during the outdoor season and has a qualifying time of 8.18 (Williams has fastest qualifying time at 8.11).

The boys race last year pitted Misana Viltz vs. Marquis Morris in the finals with Viltz taking the individual title with a speedy 7.36. He went on to win the outdoor title so the victor here may as well be the favorite for the CA State Meet in early June. The favorite will be the 5th place finisher from last year's race, Justin Collins of Carson (7.71 qualifying time). He is one of the top returning hurdlers in the state coming out of the Los Angeles Section. The fastest time coming into this meet belongs to Aubry Mosley-Laughlin of Monrovia who ran 7.61 at the Paramount All-Comers meet.

55 Meter Dash (Girls 9:05am/Boys 9:45am)
Girls Record: Jenna Puterbaugh Santa Fe Christian TC 7.02 2010
Boys Record: R.J. Frasier Elk Grove TC 6.38 2010

This event is wildly popular with 115 entrants in the preliminary races. The fastest qualifying time coming into this meet is the 7.02 recorded by Zaria Francis of Rio Mesa who ran 11.74 in the outdoor 100 meters in 2014. Hot on her heels will be Suzie Acolatse of Mission Hills, San Diego Section who has run 7.13 in the qualifying races and was an 11.59 sprinter last year. Sydney Mosley, already mentioned in the hurdle preview, has a 7.21 qualifying mark and will be in contention in both races. The rest of the places are up from grabs in the always exciting race.

The boys field will be a bit smaller than the girls with 70 entries. Despite the smaller number, the competition will still be fierce for the individual title. Among the favorites to at the very least make the finals will be Alex Young of Woodbridge who finished as the 5th fastest competitor at the 2014 meet. Damion Marshall of Great Oak qualified to the final and finished with the 10th fastest time overall. The fastest qualifying time coming into this meet belongs to Zach Shinnick of Damien (6.42), who as a 9th grader last year ran 49.00 in the 400 meters. He may be sharpening his speed indoors in a shorter race and considering his grade may be a runner to watch this season.

300 Meter Dash (Girls 10:45am/Boys 11:15am)
This race will have a clear favorite as Zaria Francis will double back from the 55 meter race with the fastest qualifying time, 38.32. With no other runner in the field under 40 seconds, it would take a monumental upset for someone to beat her. The next fastest qualifier is Schantell Williams of Lodi with a time of 40.53. She was a sprinter last season who turned her attention to the 300 meter hurdles late in the season which resulted in a state meet qualifying effort (43.25). Sarah Johnson of Oaks Christian finished in 4th place at last year's CA state meet 400 meter race and will be in contention here as well.

The 300 meter race seems to be the most popular race for boys with a 106 entrants. The distance seems to be sprinter friendly for those 100/200 meter runners as well as the 400 meter runners looking for a shorter race. Sophomore Zach Shinnick will be racing here as well and indeed does have one of the fastest qualifying times at 34.93. The fastest qualifying time belongs to Gabe Warner of Woodbridge who has run 34.42 and last year was very impressive with 21.23 and 47.86 PRs. Those two sprinters appear to be the class of the field with the race decided at the line.

1 Mile Run (Girls 11:40am/Boys 12:05pm)
Girls Record: Emma Abrahamson La Costa Canyon 4:57.66 2014
Boys Record: Jantzen Oshier Trabuco Hills TC 4:16.97 2010

One of the more popular race distances in the indoor scene will be part of the program here as well. This may also be the coming out party for one of the top freshmen in California, Rylee Bowen of Sonoma Academy. She has the fastest time coming into this meet (5:00.35) although she ran a faster 4:58.57 mile outdoors as an 8th grader. She was the Division V Cross Country state champion in the fall and will be the favorite here. Her closest competitor will be Claire Graves of Citrus Valley scored a new 1600 PR in her last meet, 5:03.36. Also in the mix is another sub 5 minute 1600 runner from the 2014 season, Morgin Coonfield of McKinleyville. She is a fearless competitor who is not afraid to lead or follow a hot pace. Kimberly Coscia of South Torrance will double back from the 2 mile run the previous day and could be another worthy challenger with a 4:55.80 PR from 2 years ago.

The boys mile should have a terrific battle between one of the rising stars in California, Great Oak's Isaac Cortes and one of the top runners from Nevada, McQueen's Kai Benedict. Cortes, already mentioned in 600 yard preview, has run several races in the low 4:20s and may be looking to dip under the 4:20 mark with an honest pace. Benedict ran a 4:16.77 1600 last year and may have been overshadowed by some of his teammates last year but could make a major statement here with a win. Michael Teran of Jurupa Hills, an impressive cross country runner with a 9:00.52 3200 PR, is focusing in the mile here and may surprise both Cortes and Benedict with a strong finish.

800 Meter Run (Girls 1:00pm/Boys 1:25pm)
Girls Record: Savannah Camacho Templeton TC 2:12.30 2012
Boys Record: Connor Ross McQueen TC 1:56.93 2014

The final individual running event will be an interesting one with several runners in contention for the win with sub 2:20 clockings in the qualifying races. The fastest time belongs to Jessica Gallardo of Bishop Amat, 2:17.66. That is very close to her PR from last season which should result in some faster times in the spring. Overall, Bianca Alonzo of Marlborough has the best PR with her 2:13.85 from two seasons ago. Kalea Ibarra of Riverside Poly had a solid rookie cross country season this past fall but may make a major statement in track already recording a 2:17.85 at her qualifying race. Rylee Bowen won her heat at the Cal All-Comers last week at 2:19.40 and will be doubling back from the mile with short rest but she has to be counted as one of the contenders.

The boys 800 meter race should quite exciting with the potential for a great finish. The favorite should be another McQueen, Nevada runner, Conner Ross, the defending champion and record holder. He has outstanding 400/800 PRs with 48.07 and 1:52.41 from last season. Two North Coast Section runners will challenge him with Nicholas Rauch of Casa Grande (1:54.35) and Cristian Monsalud of James Logan (1:57.79) who has been winning the all-comer meets in the Bay Area. Cameron Kunde of Nordhoff has run 1:56.71 at his qualifying race and has a 1:55.41 PR to his credit.

Girls Pole Vault
Meet Record: Kate Zingheim Granite Bay TC 12'7" 2011
BEST QUALIFIERS: Kaitlyn Merritt Santa Margarita 13'0" (SS), Erika Malaspina Pacific Collegiate 12'8" (CCS), Nicole Trenchard Pacific Collegiate 12'7" (CCS)
Opening Height: 9'0"

Boys Triple Jump (4 Attempts)
Meet Record: Jeffrey Protho James Logan TC 49'4" 2013
BEST QUALIFIERS: Kurt Felicitas Mt. Pleasant 45'11.75" (CCS), Michael Burke Lemoore 44'5" (CS), Michael Mitchell Tesoro 44'1" (SS), Paul Touma Menlo 44'0.75" (CCS)

Girls Shot Put (4 Attempts)
Meet Record: Tanya Sapa La Sierra TC 48'3.75" 2013
BEST QUALIFIERS: Nikaela Harris Golden Valley 40'11" (SS), Megan Dulaney Rodriguez 39'9" (SJS), Hannah-Sophia Hall James Logan 38'4" (NCS), Samantha Ruggles St. Francis 38'0" (SJS)

Boys Weight Throw (4 Attempts)
Meet Record: Brad Bolton El Toro TC 73'4" 2011
BEST QUALIFIERS: Tyler Merkley Los Osos 67'2" (SS), Steven Tofanelli Elk Grove 64'4" (SJS), Silviu Bocancea Corona del Mar 63'9" (SS), Trevor Hamilton Del Campo 59'8" (SJS)

Girls Triple Jump (4 Attempts)
BEST QUALIFIERS: Christina Chenault Carondelet 39'11" (NCS), Kennedy Jones Castro Valley 38'4" (NCS), Lovie Burleson Vista Murrieta 37'7" (SS), Ciynamon Stevenson Great Oak 37'7" (SS)

Boys High Jump
Meet Record: Harrison Steed JSerra TC 6'10" 2010
BEST QUALIFIERS: Michael Burke Lemoore 6'10" (CS), Darius Carbin Mt. Pleasant 6'9" (CCS), Tanner Torrez Hemet 6'7" (SS), Brian Graber Granite Bay 6'6" (SJS)
Opening Height: 5'6"

Boys Shot Put (4 Attempts)
Meet Record: Nicholas Scarvelis Dos Pueblos TC 63'4.5" 2011
BEST QUALIFIERS: Charles Lenford Oceanside 57'0.25" (SS), Miguel Martinez Jesuit 55'7.25" (SJS), Tyler Merkley Los Osos 54'2" (SS), Griffin deFlores Heritage 53'7.5" (NCS), Nick Coghill Valencia 53'2.5" (SS)

Girls Weight Throw (4 Attempts)
Meet Record: Katie Kraychir Desert Hot Springs TC 60'1.5" 2010
BEST QUALIFIERS: Emelda Malm-Annan Monterey Trails 53'6" (SJS), Isabella Marini Elk Grove 42'10" (SJS), Hannah Chappel Oakdale 40'6.25" (SJS)

The rest of the preview will include the rest of the final running events taking place on Monday. Feel free to add other contenders and their statistics.