TRACK AND FIELD Sac-Joaquin Section Year in Review

We celebrate the success of those who made it through the long spring season to compete at the State Meet. But not all of the elites in the SJS were able to get that far.

The story of disappointment for some of the area's brightest stars allowed for the emergence of a new crop of athletes poised to take their place next year. Six of the 14 individual event winners at the two-day SJS Masters are non-seniors, including Harris in the hurdles and Mellion in the throws. The boys returners for 2023 aren't as deep but include McDowell in the long jump, Moreno in the 1600m, and Hughson junior Joseph Lighthall, who reached the State Meet final in the 800m.

The SJS Division 1 Championship meet in mid-May saw two of the best in the state in their respective events go down with injuries that would keep them from continuing their season and reaching the State Meet where they were projected to end up high on the podium.

Jadyn Marshall - St. Mary's (Stockton), Sr. 

Despite an injury cutting short his season, there is no denying that Marshall was among the best hurdlers in the United States and one of the all-time best from the Sac Joaquin Section. His PRs are 13.35 in the 110m high hurdles and 36.73 in the 300m hurdles.

Distances

Zachary Ayers - Davis, Sr.

The Air Force Academy-bound Ayers followed a SJS Division 1 and SJS Masters titles with a State Meet championship in the 3200m, running his first sub-9 to win in 8:56.93. He also won the section D-1 title for 1600m running a 4:13.81 PR.

Jumps

Ray Oldham - Davis, Sr.

Oldham did it all for Davis, competing in the 100, 200, 4x100, and long jump, though his best event was clearly the high jump where he finished tied for second place at the CIF-State Championships with a clearance at 6-5 just short of his PR of 6-8. Oldham was the choice over Edison senior Jonathan Taylor, who capped a fine year in his specialty of the triple jump by winning at SJS Masters and reaching the State Meet final where he placed seventh.

Throws

Abayomi Babalola - Enoch, Sr.

The Sac Joaquin Section Masters champion in both the shot put (53-10 PR) and discus (185-2 PR) will be taking his considerable talents to the Ivy League where he will be a linebacker on the Dartmouth University football team. 

Babalola was the choice over the Yuba City pair of juniors, Noah Dunham (50-5) and Nick Afato (49-0), who will be the top two returning shot putters in the SJS after finishing second and third at the SJS Masters. 

Relay

Rocklin 4x400

Isaac Ja, MacGregor TeSelle, Kyle Hall, and Nathan Kent deserve a special mention as the late-season addition of Kent was the final piece needed to put together this SJS Masters winning relay. The quartet went on to the State Meet and placed fourth in the final in 3:15.72 where anchor Naval Academy commit Kent brought it home in a blistering 45.60

GIRLS

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Sprints/Hurdles

Harris saved the best for last as she was the runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles at the State Meet (14.12), an event where her SJS colleague Giselle Kirchner (Rocklin, So.) finished fourth just .03 back of Harris. Harris also made the podium in the 300m hurdles, placing fifth in 43.19.

Distances

Riley Chamberlain - Del Oro, Sr.

The Brigham Young University commit ends her high school career as one of the most decorated distance runners in Sac-Joaquin Section history. Among her laurels are two State Cross Country division titles and one runner-up medal, as well as a Stanford Invitational title in the 3200 (10:14.56) and a PR of 4:47.13 in the mile. 

The graduations of Chamberlain, State Meet 3200 finalist Cate Joaquin (St. Francis, Sr.), Tatiana Cornejo (St. Francis, Sr.), and Ava Maier (Oak Ridge, Sr.) could make it seem like next year will be a rebounding year for the girls distance contingent out of the SJS, but rising stars like Whitney junior Katie Kopec (10:34.95/3200) and Granite Bay junior Carly Foster (5:06.39/1,600) as well as the anticipated return McClatchy junior Anna McNatt, the D-1 State Cross Country champion who has run 4:57.20 for 1600 on the track, ensure that the legacy of strong distance competitors from the Sacramento area continues. 

Jumps

Cameron Fields - St. Mary's Sr.\

Alison Sahaida - Oak Ridge, Sr.

We almost had to come up with a new category for Cameron Fields, the do-everything star from the Stockton school, who competed in four events at the CIF State Championships and came home with three medals. Her top finish was in the triple jump where she was the runner-up, with a best of 39-5. She anchored her Rams 4x100 relay to a third-place finish in 46.78 and also placed sixth in the 100m dash (11.80). Fields will be attending Harvard University where she was recruited to play rugby. 

Sahaida emerged as one of the state's elite pole vaulters and placed third at the State Meet with a clearance of 13-5. She had a PR of 13-9, is one of only 10 girls in CA to vault at least 13 feet and one of only 13 girls nationally to clear at least 13-9. 

Throws

Galadriel Mellion - Weston Ranch Jr.

Mellion capped a great junior season by doubling up at the Sac-Joaquin Masters in the shot put (40-4) and discus (137-6), then followed up that performance by finishing sixth in the shot put and seventh in the discus at the State Meet.