Boys 800 meters (7:06 pm)
Meet Record: Sean Krinik, Valencia (2010) 1:50.16Break into Top 10: 1:53.94
Over the past decade, the focus on the Meet of Champs has found most of its talent opting to focus on the Mile or the 3200 meters. But this year's version of the boys 800 is packed full of some of California's best. Three of California's current top five headline the field, led by Bakersfield's Peter Handy. Handy is coming off his California Winter Championships victory as he also qualified for the state meet as a junior. His personal best of 1:53.35 leads a group where 11 boys come in with sub-1:57 credentials.
Mater Dei senior Sam VanDorpe is coming off a 1:54.78 while Los Alamitos' Brandon Bandley has a personal best of 1:55.11. Adding to the clash of Orange County's best, Tesoro senior Ryan Bush (Ben Crawford photo) is fresh off a 1:55.18 personal best last weekend to move up to No. 4 on California's current list. Do not overlook the junior from La Serna in Jesse Montez. He rolled to a 1:55.87 as a sophomore last year and is coming off an unmatched solo effort of 1:56.98 last weekend.
West Torrance senior Caleb Terrill opened up his season with a sub-1:58 effort. St. Joseph's (SM) junior Joseph Domingues, Great Oak's Jacob Korgan, and Clovis East' Sebastian Medina have all recorded 1:56.8. In an Orange County-dominated group here, Dana Hills' Josh Dowdy and Mission Viejo's Brett Hickman are also coming off of sub-1:58 efforts. Hickman is the current California state leader with a 4:15.95 so the strength is there for a sub-1:55 effort. Also watch for Sanger senior Mohamed Saleh who joins the affair with a 1:56.78 personal best.