The lack of a clear favorite in the 1600 only serves to make the race more exciting. Wesley Walsh (Canyon) has the fastest season best, having run 4:16.50, but there are 3 other guys under 4:18 (plus two more under 4;20). Nick Liebmann (Hart) will have the pole position when the gun fires, as his 4:18.30 was the fastest at last weekend's prelims, but Brian Zabilski (Saugus), Ethan Comeaux (Redondo Union), and Chandler Ross (Agoura) could all win.
A similar situation exists in the 400, where there are 7 contenders that are between 48 and 49 coming into the meet. Gabe Warner (Woodbridge) is the closest to breaking into the 47's with his season best of 48.08, and he will probably have to do that to hold off Isaiah Jewett (Cathedral City), Stephen Hernandez (Thousand Oaks), and the other challengers.
Would you believe that the top 3 guys in the 100 Dash actually have the exact same time? It's true here, where 10.68 seems to be the magic number (although none of the three times are verified as wind-legal). Scott Patton (Woodbridge) is NOT one of the three to have run that time, but he did run 10.72, the fastest of the prelim heats last weekend. Greg Vann (Rio Mesa), Andre Baccellia (Westlake), and Zamore Zigler (Wilmer Amina Charter) have the 10.68's, and 7 of the 9 advancers from prelims ran between 10.72 and 10.89 under wind-legal conditions. In the 200, it's Warner with the top seed again, but Vann is just a heartbeat behind.
The 4x400 is shaping up to be very competitive, with top seed Woodbridge actually having the third-fastest time on the season. Westlake (3:18.57) and Rio Mesa (3:19.15) will make it tough up front, though.
The triple jump could become a real back-and-forth competition, as the top athletes are not separated by much coming into the meet. Aaron Berry (Perris) has a season best of 46' 6" which makes him the pre-meet favorite, but Blair Robinson (Kennedy) has been 45' 6.5". Joshua Rennick (Murrieta Mesa) has also been over 45 feet this season.
Athletes to Watch
Woodbridge has the top time in the 4x100 at 41.56, with Redlands being the only other team under 42 so far.
Alex Billing (Simi Valley) has already gotten his Golden Ticket to the Brooks PR Invitational, and he is a heavy favorite to win the 110 Hurdles.
Ryan Finch (Westlake) is the only 800 runner in the field to have broken 1:54 this season, although he will have to run well to stay in front of two low-1:54's runners.
In the 300 Hurdles it's Connor Meech (San Juan Hills)with the top seed, although Cole Paton (Mission Viejo) is within striking range.
Zabilski and Walsh have almost identical 8:56 3200 times, although Walsh did not have one of the fastest qualifying times from the prelims.
If Elijah Hughes (J.W. North) jumps well, he should dominate the high jump - his season best is 6' 9", while nobody else in the section is better than 6' 4".
Jett Gordon (Marina) is the top vaulter in the section, regardless of classification, and should be able to win handily - his 16' season best is a foot and a half beyond the next-best jump in the division.
Although he is highly ranked in the 100 and 200, Vann's best event is the long jump, where his 24' 10.5" season best (with a barely-legal wind) is more than 2 feet beyond his closest competitors.
If things go according to plan, Malik McMorris (Mater Dei) won't be seriously threatened in either throw. He is the only shot-putter with a mark over 60, 4 feet beyond the 2nd-best competitor, and his closest challenger in the discus is nearly 10 feet behind.
