San Diego Section Finals Preview

Girls Preview

Events to Watch

Two of the distance races stand out as being particularly interesting. In the 800 Run, two girls with serious speed will square off, both of them focusing solely on this race. Kiley McCarthy (above) and Sakura Robinson both could have made the Finals (and scored) in the 400 and 200, but with season bests of 2:10 and 2:11 they each have a legitimate shot at a podium finish next weekend. And if that head-to-head match-up isn't enough for you, how about 4 girls that have run 2:14 or 2:15 battling for the final qualifying spot? The last 100 of this race should be intense!

Several of the top girls in the section opted out of the 1600 to focus on the 3200 Run instead, and as a result that race is loaded. Kristin Fahy leads the field with a 10:33, and she has the ability to pull away for the win unless Kira Loren can stick with her. Behind her, there are 4 more sub-11 runners (plus three others that have run 11:02) that will duke it out for two spots in the state meet.

You should definitely try to catch the Long Jump, where you can watch a pair of 19-footers fight for the win. Mya Cross has the top mark this season at 19' 1.5", but Jazmine Scott's best is just a scant half-inch behind. They will be hotly pursued by three upper-18's jumpers, which should make all six jumps important. Also in the field events, the Shot Put is worth a visit: Nu'u Tuilefano is the heavy favorite, but the battle for 2nd and 3rd should be impressive. You have Lily Lagoy at just over 40 feet on the season, with Jillian Coronado in the 39's and two more that have thrown 38 feet.

It looks like the trend in the sprints this year was to push up, as several athletes abandoned the 100 and 200 to run the 400 Dash. A deep race puts pressure on top-ranked Olivia Firsching, whose 55.78 makes her the favorite. Paige Richard has the best chance of pulling the upset, and behind here there 4 57-second quarter-milers all hoping to capture the last advancing slot. In similar fashion, a handful of hurdlers decided to focus solely on the 300 Hurdles, making it very competitive. Alia Scott is the only entrant that has broken 44 this season, but her 43.98 is only 0.35 seconds better than the season best by Kate Thomas. If either one falls back from their battle up front, she will be under threat from four other athletes that have run right around 45 seconds! 

Athletes to Watch

With some of the contending sprinters opting to move up, Alysah Hickey could have a relatively easy win in the 100. She needs to save her energy there, because she will need all of it to win the high jump: although she is the top seed there with a mark of 5' 7", she has a contender at 5' 6.5" as well as three that have cleared 5' 5".

Kayla Meyers is the only vaulter in the section that has a real chance to compete for a medal in Clovis next weekend. The Poway senior has a season best of 12' 6", which ties her for 10th in the state right now. She needs to use this weekend to try to work up to 13 feet, which is likely to be what it takes to get on the podium at the state meet.

La Costa Canyon teammates McKenna Brown and Jessica Riedman are the top 2 in the 1600, but will they race all-out there? They're also both entered in the 800, and might be served by working together to go 1-2 in the mile while saving energy. That's not without risk, of course, but with several 5-minute girls opting for the 3200, they have more of a cushion than they would otherwise.

Although Jazmine Scott (above) is seeded second in the long jump (see above), if she wins there she could pull off the double - she's a 39-foot triple jumper as well. Likewise for Tuilefano, who also holds the top mark in the discus throw.