This Spring, we're trying out a new mid-week pair of featured articles: the SoCal and NorCal Reports! We will shine the spotlight on some of the top performances from the previous weekend, then look ahead to the top upcoming meets.
Looking Back at Weekend 6:
Stanford Invitational - FRIDAY
The race schedule was a light one this past weekend but with the Stanford Invitational, the performances were spectacular with many new state and national leaders. Leading off the high school competition were the boys and girls 3000 meter runs. Morgin Coonfield McKinleyville-NCS (Thomas Benjamin photo above) and Eduardo "Lalo" Herrera Madera South-CS were the winners in the respective races. Coonfield battled Gillian Meeks Gunn-CCS over the majority of the early laps but eventually pulled away to record the 2nd fastest time in the nation, 9:44.43. Meeks also dipped under the 10 minute mark with her 9:52.30 which is the 5th fastest time in the nation. Herrera coming off his spectacular double at the APU/Arroyo Distance Meet of Champions led most of the way and finished in a new meet record of 8:15.01. The first 6 runners in the field (Herrera, Brody Smith Cody, Michael Vernau Davis-SJS, Justin Robison Lynbrook-CCS, Miguel Villar Madera South-CS and Ian Hutchinson Newark Memorial-NCS) now have the 6 fastest time in the nation. Following the 3000 meter races, the 400 meter hurdles took center stage with Maya Miklos Gunn-CCS winning for the 2nd year in row, just missing the meet record with a winning time of 60.62. That time leads the nation by a significant margin. Joshua Hall James Logan-NCS won the boys competition with a time of 54.37, the 2nd fastest time in the nation.
Next came the distance medley relays on Friday. Davis-SJS (photo above courtesy of Davis HS) won the girls' competition with a new national leader, 11:52.87. They led wire to wire with Sofia Castiglioni (1200), Abigail Fisk (400), Olivia O'Keeffe (800) and Fiona O'Keeffe (1600). They were followed by Monte Vista-NCS in 2nd with the 2nd fastest time in the nation at 12:00.07. In the boys race, Armijo-SJS stunned the field as they surpassed two of the fastest teams in California this year, Davis-SJS and Bellarmine-CCS. Armijo led off with Alec Woodson (1200) who handed off to George Dix (400) with the lead. Freshman Nixon McKenzie (800) kept Armijo in the hunt and within striking distance of Davis. Luis Grijalva used a big first lap to close the gap and put down the hammer during the 3rd lap to storm in the lead which he maintained through the finish line. Armijo's final time was 10:06.31. That time was a new meet record as well as the fastest time in the nation.
Out on the field, Isaiah Holmes Oakmont-SJS (Kirby Lee photo above) won the long jump with a wind legal mark of 23'3.5". That jump is the 2nd longest jump in California this year as well as the 5th best in the nation. Holmes was a busy competitor at this meet as you will see later. Jonon Young Carson-LA won the girls competition with a jump of 19'1.25", a new lifetime best. That mark ranks her 3rd in California and 9th in the nation. In the boys pole vault, Travis Kurtz Granite Bay-SJS won with a mark of 15'6.25", clearing the bar with less efforts than 2nd place finisher, Esteban Suarez South Pasadena-SS. Both athletes now have the 6th best mark in California.
Stanford Invitational - SATURDAY
The girls mile led off on Saturday with Brooke Starn Monte Vista-NCS (Kirby Lee photo above) winning in 4:49.12 over Morgin Coonfield McKinleyville-NCS 4:49.55. Those two performances rank 3rd and 4th in the national respectively. In the boys mile, Eduardo "Lalo" Herrera Madera South-CS had to rally on the last lap to defeat Brody Smith Cody-WY with a new meet record of 4:11.41. Carson-LA won the girls 400 meter relay in 46.53 although they did run 46.29 in the trials which is the fastest time in California and 9th overall in the nation. Bellarmine-CCS won the boys competition with a season best time of 42.17. In the 800 meter races, Allie Schadler of Rio Rico-AZ upset pre-meet favorite and defending California champion Erica Schroeder San Marcos-SS. Schadler's time of 2:10.11 was a new meet record which was set last year in the first year of the event. In the boys competition, Connor Dunne San Clemente-SS roared to another victory with a winning time of 1:50.53. That time established a new meet record and new national leader. Willie Hall Davis-SJS in 2nd (1:51.76) and Ben Micallef Bellarmine-CCS in 3rd (1:52.48) now rank 3rd and 8th in the nation respectively. Kaelin Roberts Carson-LA won the CA state meet in the 400 meters as a freshman at Long Beach Poly and now as a junior won the competition in the same event in 55.24. Mason Mitchell Santa Margarita-SS won the boys 400 meters with a time of 48.46 which just missed his best performance of the season at 48.03. Kaylah Robinson El Cerrito-NCS was a double winner in the 100 meter hurdles (14.06) and the 100 meters (11.97). Khalil Dorsey Colony-SS won the boys 110 meter hurdles with a time of 14.17, the 3rd fastest time in California. Nathen Francisco James Logan-NCS won the boys 100 meters with a time of 10.80 after an earlier 10.71 in the trials. St. Mary's Berkeley-NCS, the defending state champions in the 4 x 400 meter relay won the final girls' competition here with a time of 3:53.19. That time ranks them 5th in California. Bellarmine-CCS made it a clean sweep in the short relays winning in 3:21.87 just head of section rival Los Gatos-CCS (3:21.88).
Out on the field, Kyle Carrillo Westlake-SS won the discus competition with a mark of 179'5". His season best mark of 185'10" ranks him 6th in California. Kathleen Young Warrensburg-Latham-IL won the girls shot put competition with a mark of 48'1.75" (4th longest throw in the nation). Erika Malaspina Pacific Collegiate-CCS repeated as Stanford Invitational champion in the pole vault with a winning effort of 12'6". Isaiah Holmes Oakmont-SJS won the triple jump competition with a winning jump of 47'5" over fellow high jumper Darius Carbin Mt. Pleasant-CCS (47'1.75). Kali Hatcher St. Mary's Berkeley (above courtesy of Kirby Lee) won the girls triple jump competition with a winning mark of 39'1.25". That is the 2nd longest jump in California trailing national leader Tara Davis Agoura-SS. In the high jump, Cassidy Palka Oaks Christian-SS (5'4.25") won by taking few jumps than Julie Zweng Scotts Valley-CCS. Darius Thomas St. Francis-CCS won a jump off with Isaiah Holmes Oakmont-SJS by clearing 6'9.75". Pamela Amaechi Lincoln-SF won the girls discus competition with a winning mark of 158'10". She is currently ranked 2nd in the nation trailing only Elena Bruckner Valley Christian SJ-CCS. More on her later. Finally, Jack Root Oak Ridge-SJS won the boys shot put competition with a winning effort of 53'0.25"
TEXAS RELAYS
Some of the best athletes in California made the eastern trip to Texas to test themselves against some of the best performers in the nation. Elena Bruckner Valley Christian SJ-CCS, a future Texas University Longhorn, won both the shot put and discus with marks of 51'1" and 170'4".
Jurnee Woodward Vacaville-SJS (black top below) finished in 2nd place in the 300 meter hurdles with a new lifetime best of 41.01. She came back and finished in 4th place in the 100 meters hurdles with a time of 13.94. 
Looking Ahead to Weekend 7:
The long awaited Arcadia Invitational will take place this weekend. Many of the top athletes from Northern California will make the trip down south to test themselves against the best athletes in and out of California. The Hornet Invitational will take place at Enterprise High School-NS. The Santa Rosa Twilight Invitational will take place at Santa Rosa Junior College. Leland HS will be the host of the Don Bell "Quicksilver" Classic. Finally, Rocklin HS will host the Thunder Invitational for SJS athletes
All meet directors should send results to Jeff George at jgeorge@milesplit.com. Photos and videos should be sent to jgeorge@milesplit.com and albertjcaruana@gmail.com.