Great recap by Saugus HS alumni Brandon Jauragui from yesterday's Foothill League Championship meet.
Here's our top 12 distance highlights from the 2014 Foothill League Track & Field Championships. What was your favorite highlight at COC last night? Vote below:
1. We're hoping someone got the boys varsity 1,600-meter final on video, as is was without a doubt the best 1,600-meter final in Foothill League Championship history. After missing a large chunk of time at the beginning of the season, Saugus' Alex Pearson repeated as 1,600-meter champion, running a mind-boggling, and a unexpected, 4:14.01, a four-second personal best and 10-second season best in becoming the first repeat 1,600-meter champion since former Centurions runner Baxter Frick won back-to-back Foothill League titles over Valencia's Cody Massie in 2007 and 2008. That mark now ranks #6 in Santa Clarita Valley high school history, only trailing Hart's Ron Bahara, Brett Strahan, and Austin O'Neil, as well as Saugus' Joe Devine and Kirk Stonerock. The senior also just got edged for third over 800 meters, finishing in 1:58.55, forty-five hundredths of a second off his personal best, and split a 50.1-second PR in helping Saugus to the Foothill League 4x400-meter relay championship. Pearson will graduate from Saugus in June with nine Foothill League cross country and track titles (four team and five individual) to his name.
| 1,600 Meter Run (Graph) | 4:18.93 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:32.33 | 38th | 2014-03-22 | adidas Azusa Meet of Champions | » | |
| 4:20.45 | 8th | 2013-05-18 | CIF Southern Section Finals | » | |
| 4:18.93 | 5th | Prelims | 2013-05-11 | CIF Southern Section Prelims | » |
| 4:26.70 | 1st | Prelims | 2013-04-30 | Foothill League Prelims | » |
| 4:25.77 | 3rd | 2013-03-23 | adidas Meet of Champions | » | |
| 4:35.80 | 1st | 2012-05-04 | Foothill League Prelims & Finals | » | |
| 4:45.11 | 1st | Prelims | 2012-05-04 | Foothill League Prelims & Finals | » |
| 4:30.90 | 10th | 2012-03-24 | Distance Meet of Champions | » | |
| 4:45.54 | 7th | 2012-03-04 | Don Green Invitational | » | |
| 4:59.30 | 12th | 2011-03-25 | adidas Meet of Champions | » | |
| 5:11.54 | 55th | 2011-03-05 | Don Green Memorial Track Meet | » | |
| 2.x Mile Run (CC Short Course) (Graph) | 15:22.00 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:31.00 | 24th | 2013-11-23 | CIF Southern Section Finals | » | |
| 15:22.00 | 5th | 2013-11-16 | CIF Southern Section Cross Country Prelims | » | |
| Two Mile Run (Graph) | 10:43.00 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:43.00 | 1st | 2012-08-30 | Palo Verdes CC Mini Meet | » | |
| 3,200 Meter Run (Graph) | 10:14.51 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:14.51 | 53rd | 2013-03-15 | Redondo Nike Festival | » | |
| Three Mile Run (Graph) | 15:01.00 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:32.66 | 2nd | 2013-10-17 | Foothill League Meet #2 | » | |
| 16:06.00 | 1st | 2013-10-04 | Dos Pueblos Invitational | » | |
| 16:39.81 | 2nd | 2013-09-26 | Foothill League Meet #1 | » | |
| 15:58.09 | 7th | 2013-09-07 | Saugus Showdown CC Meet | » | |
| 15:01.00 | 0th | 2012-11-17 | CIF Southern Section Division Finals | » | |
| 15:57.00 | 0th | 2012-10-19 | Mt SAC Invitational | » | |
| 16:01.70 | 11th | 2012-10-06 | Central Park Invitational | » | |
| 16:12.94 | 8th | 2012-09-20 | Foothill League Cluster Meet | » | |
| 15:32.00 | 5th | 2012-09-14 | Woodbridge Cross Country Classic | » | |
| 15:38.47 | 12th | 2012-09-07 | Seaside Invitational | » | |
| 17:24.44 | 3rd | 2011-11-03 | Foothill League Championships | » | |
| 16:52.00 | 37th | 2011-10-21 | Mt SAC Invitational | » | |
| 17:12.00 | 1st | 2011-10-13 | Foothill League Cluster Meet | » | |
| 17:48.24 | 20th | 2011-10-01 | Staub Barnes Invitational | » | |
| 16:49.10 | 19th | 2011-09-09 | Seaside Invitational | » | |
| 18:15.00 | 25th | 2010-10-22 | Mt SAC Invitational | » | |
| 19:25.00 | 21st | 2010-09-14 | Crescenta Valley Mid Week Mini Invitational | » | |
| 17:42.00 | 13th | 2010-09-11 | Great Cow Run | » | |
| 5,000 Meter Run (Graph) | 15:56.00 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:56.00 | 37th | 2013-11-30 | CIF California State Cross Country Championships | » | |
| 16:15.00 | 48th | 2012-11-24 | CIF California State Cross Country Championships | » | |
| 800 Meter Run (Graph) | 2:00.42 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:00.86 | 1st | Prelims | 2013-04-30 | Foothill League Prelims | » |
| 2:06.24 | 1st | Prelims | 2012-05-04 | Foothill League Prelims & Finals | » |
| 2:00.42 | 1st | 2012-05-04 | Foothill League Prelims & Finals | » | |
| 2:06.38 | 4th | 2012-03-04 | Don Green Invitational | » | |
| 2:24.72 | 54th | 2011-03-05 | Don Green Memorial Track Meet | » | |
| High Jump (Graph) | 4-10 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-10 | 10th | 2011-03-12 | Ventura Invitational | » | |
| 4-10 | 22nd | 2011-03-05 | Don Green Memorial Track Meet | » | |
| One Mile Run (Graph) | 4:27.99 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:27.99 | 15th | 2014-04-17 | Mt. SAC Relays | » | |
2. Teammate Brian Zabilski was impressive as well, just getting caught at the line in the 1,600-meter final by Pearson. His runner-up finish of 4:14.22 is a seven-second personal best, #7 in SCV high school history, and just missed Brett Strahan's SCV HS junior record by fourteen hundredths of a second. Zabilski returned a few hours later, easily claiming the 3,200-meter title in 9:32.13, though, the fourth Foothill League championship (two team and four individual) of his prep career.
| 1,600 Meter Run (Graph) | 4:39.59 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:39.59 | 6th | Prelims | 2013-04-30 | Foothill League Prelims | » |
| 5:05.73 | 46th | 2012-03-04 | Don Green Invitational | » | |
| Two Mile Run (Graph) | 10:55.00 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:55.00 | 3rd | 2012-08-30 | Palo Verdes CC Mini Meet | » | |
| 3,200 Meter Run (Graph) | 9:41.79 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:41.79 | 4th | 2013-03-23 | adidas Meet of Champions | » | |
| 10:00.11 | 2nd | 2012-05-04 | Foothill League Prelims & Finals | » | |
| 10:13.60 | 7th | 2012-03-24 | Distance Meet of Champions | » | |
| Three Mile Run (Graph) | 15:04.00 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:42.00 | 1st | 2013-10-04 | Dos Pueblos Invitational | » | |
| 16:29.50 | 1st | 2013-09-26 | Foothill League Meet #1 | » | |
| 15:38.22 | 3rd | 2013-09-07 | Saugus Showdown CC Meet | » | |
| 15:04.00 | 0th | 2012-11-17 | CIF Southern Section Division Finals | » | |
| 16:02.00 | 0th | 2012-11-10 | CIF Southern Section Cross Country Prelims | » | |
| 16:30.00 | 0th | 2012-10-19 | Mt SAC Invitational | » | |
| 16:08.00 | 16th | 2012-10-06 | Central Park Invitational | » | |
| 16:58.12 | 1st | 2012-09-20 | Foothill League Cluster Meet | » | |
| 15:38.00 | 1st | 2012-09-14 | Woodbridge Cross Country Classic | » | |
| 15:30.82 | 2nd | 2012-09-07 | Seaside Invitational | » | |
| 17:42.12 | 7th | 2011-11-03 | Foothill League Championships | » | |
| 17:36.00 | 6th | 2011-10-13 | Foothill League Cluster Meet | » | |
| 18:51.92 | 4th | 2011-10-01 | Staub Barnes Invitational | » | |
| 17:23.04 | 8th | 2011-09-09 | Seaside Invitational | » | |
| 5,000 Meter Run (Graph) | 16:30.00 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16:30.00 | 73rd | 2012-11-24 | CIF California State Cross Country Championships | » | |
| 800 Meter Run (Graph) | 2:20.44 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:20.44 | 34th | 2012-03-04 | Don Green Invitational | » | |
3. The biggest upset may have been Hart's Alex Bernal winning the 800-meter final over Canyon's Jason Hillquist in 1:56.07, the 15th fastest in SCV high school history. Apologies to Bernal, as we didn't think he had any chance of winning the championship. Hillquist was second in a personal best of 1:56.72, while Bernal's teammate, Bailey James, nipped Pearson and West Ranch's Ashton Garciafor the last spot on the podium, 1:58.38 to 1:58.55 to 1:58.68.
| 1,600 Meter Run (Graph) | 4:32.28 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:32.28 | 35th | 2014-03-14 | Redondo Nike Festival | » | |
| 4:39.35 | 8th | 2014-02-08 | Simi Valley All Comers #3 | » | |
| 3,200 Meter Run (Graph) | 10:11.05 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:11.05 | 6th | 2014-03-27 | Golden Valley vs. Hart | » | |
| Three Mile Run (Graph) | 17:37.47 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17:37.47 | 35th | 2013-10-17 | Foothill League Meet #2 | » | |
| 5,000 Meter Run (Graph) | 17:16.90 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17:16.90 | 1st | 2013-10-04 | Rose City Running Classic | » | |
| 17:24.00 | 131st | 2013-09-28 | 40th Stanford Cross Country Invitational | » | |
| 800 Meter Run (Graph) | 1:59.48 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:01.42 | 1st | 2014-03-27 | Golden Valley vs. Hart | » | |
| 1:59.48 | 16th | 2014-03-22 | adidas Azusa Meet of Champions | » | |
| 2:00.36 | 11th | 2014-03-14 | Redondo Nike Festival | » | |
| 2:02.82 | 4th | Prelims | 2013-04-30 | Foothill League Prelims | » |
| One Mile Run (Graph) | 4:37.98 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:37.98 | 7th | 2014-01-18 | California HS Indoor State Meet Qualifier - Westmont | » | |
To view the rest of the recap, go to this link.