100 Hurdles/110 Hurdles
Jada Hicks (in front) and Danae Dyer (hurdling) are 1-2 in the 100 hurdles. (Scott Padgett photo)
Girls 100 Meter Hurdles
Favorite: Jada Hicks, Upland (SS) 13.54
Leading Contenders: Aaliyah Wilson, Stockdale (CE), 13.70; Danae Dyer, Temecula Valley (SS), 13.65
State Meet Record: Vashti Thomas Mt. Pleasant (CCS) 13.03, 2007
Third place as last year's State Championships, Upland's Jada Hicks remains undefeated against Californians this season as she captured the SS Masters Meet in 13.54. She has now run that exact time FOUR times this season with three of them being wind legal. Temecula Valley's Danae Dyer (13.65) has closed the gap on Hicks throughout the season, as the two were right next to one another all throughout their match up in the SS Div. 1 Finals. But, Hicks again prevailed with the well timed lean driving off that last hurdle. Hicks and Dyer finished just head of Stockdale's Aaliyah Wilson at the Arcadia Invitational. Wilson set a new Central Section record with her best of 13.70. Breanna Bernard Joseph of Roosevelt (SS) and Allie Jones of San Marcos (SS) were also state meet finalists a year ago, finishing 6th and 7th place, respectively. Dyer was 8th place while Wilson did not advance to the finals. Nikki Merritt of Santa Margarita became only the 3rd girl in Orange County history to break into the 13's for wind legal efforts while a sleeper here could very well be Jazlynn Shearer of Silver Creek (CC).
LA City winner Andre Butt II (5) also won the 60H at the CA Winter Championships. (Jeffrey Parenti photo)
Boys 110 Meter Hurdles
Favorite: Andre Butt, Carson (LA) 14.17
Leading Contenders: Masaki Wada-Law, Los Gatos (CC) 14.14; Sondre Guttormsen, Davis (SJ) 14.15; Riley Hunt, Simi Valley (SS) 14.18; Caleb Robertson, Upland (SS) 14.15; Caleb Foster, Clovis North (CE) 14.12w
State Meet Record: Kevin Craddock James Logan (NCS) 13.39 2004
With the entire field from last year's finals graduated, we anticipated the new crop that would step forward this season. Without a clear favorite, this is one of the toughest events to predict. We're going out on a limb with our choice here as Carson's Andre Butt II captured February's Winter Championships and has a seasonal best of 14.17. Taking seasonal bests, only .04 separates our top five wind legal marks. Los Gatos (CC) junior Masaki Wada-Law comes his 14.14 CCS title, while Simi Valley (SS) junior Riley Hunt came on strong over the last two hurdles to capture the SS Masters Meet in 14.18. Davis' (SJ) Sondre Guttormsen isn't just the California state record holder in the pole vault but can easily claim another title here in the high hurdles. Upland junior Caleb Roberson comes in with state meet experience and that may very well be the difference in the finals. Finally, Clovis sophomore Caleb Foster is making the trip back to Buchanan where he captured the Central Section title in a wind aided 14.12. Once the field lost it's only sub-14 second hurdlers over the past month, it can be anyone of six (seven...eight?) that came bring home the title.