Division 2
In what ended up being the closest girls' team battle, Mater Dei earned the Division 2 Girls crown. In scoring 60 points, they finalized the six-point victory by claiming the top two spots in the triple jump. While earning 17 points in the long jump only to come back to dominate the triple jump with 18, that was enough to compliment what they achieved on the track.
After starting it off with an ever so close 2nd place finish in the 4x100 Relay (47.56), Kelli Godin took 4th in the 100 and 200. She also went over to assist in the long jump with a 5th place finish while Dominique Ruotolo and Jade McDonald did the rest of the work. McDonald took 2nd in the long jump while Ruotolo, competing with a balky ankle, captured the triple with the 4th best wind-legal mark in California at 40-09.25. All three qualified for the Masters Meet in the jumps. That wasn't all freshman McDonald achieved as she also took 3rd place in the 100 hurdles, earning over 24 points altogether.
By only six points, Calabasas was the Division 2 runners-up. Deanna Nowling performed as expected with the 2nd fastest mark (11.74) of the day in her 100 meter victory that was contested into a -1.0 wind. With the wind being more supportive, she captured the 200 meters in a time of 24.10. Nowling was the D3 champion in the 100 and 200 in 2017.
Opening the meet, Nowling led her squad to victory in the 4x100 relay in 47.54. Also on that relay, Kyla Robinson Hubbard prevailed down the stretch to capture the 300 hurdles in 43.71. This was after her 4th place finish in the 400 meters. Janiah Brown qualified for the Masters Meet with her 3rd place finish in the 800 meters (2:15.02). She is another former D3 champ now competing in the larger-school D2.
Calabasas was the runner-up in Division 3 the past two years and yet, again in 2018 in Division 2. We questioned in our meet preview if they would regret not having a 4x400 team in the mix ... their seasonal best would have been 2nd in that last event.
Individually, Saugus' Mariah Castillo absolutely stole the show.
Top ranked in the nation for the 1600 meters, she stayed with the crowd for the first half before embarking upon a 2:28-2:15 negative split workout for her 4:43.73. Recent workouts have shown her to be in sub-4:40 shape. Then the real fun began as admittedly, not pushing it full throttle in the earlier event, she motored home that last lap with a Division 2 CIF record of 10:06.47! That's CA #1 and US #5.
But, Capistrano Valley's Haley Herberg maintained contact all throughout and finished with a 10:09.54!! That's CA #3 and US #7!!
Herberg's time would have also set the previous record of 10:15.54, held by Woodbridge's Christine Babcock in 2007. With Herberg moving up to #3 on the all time Orange County charts, this was the fastest ever in Southern Section history for a divisional finals 3200.
Note that Castillo was 5th in the 1600 and 9th in the 3200 at the D2 finals in 2017. Herberg was the 1600 winner last year but previously opted to drop the four-lapper for the eight-lapper.
In that same 3200, Sara Leonard of Anaheim Canyon is coming on strong with it counts most with her 3rd place 10:29.65 effort that easily advanced her to next weekend. Leonard, 3rd in 2017, too. Off to a slow start this season, she looks to qualify back to the State finals.
After being disqualified in the 400 meters, Bonita's Amari Prude came home with a 2nd place finish in the 200 (24.58) before her squad erupted with a new California state leading time of 3:44.92. Bonita freshman Alisha Wilson captured the long jump (18-08.5), which was the 2nd best effort of the day. Meanwhile, Josie Hipwell took 3rd place in the high jump, helping Bonita to the 3rd place team finish.
West Ranch's Natalie Ramirez won the rematch against her league rivals for the discus. Her 147-00 measurement was the top mark on the day. In another close competition, Ramirez captured the shot put with a 44-08 best. Right behind her was Golden Valley's Shyann Franklin (44-06.25). Franklin was 3rd in the discus with a 143-05 throw that was the third best of all divisions. Right between those two was Gabriela Sanchez of Canyon Country Canyon, the defending champ, at 146-09. The Foothill League was responsible for the three best marks in the discus for the day.
Creating her own stage and continuing to improve, Westlake freshman Paige Sommers elevated up over 13-00.5 for the victory in the pole vault. She ranks CA #3 and is the top-ranked freshman in the US! And, she had some solid attempts at 13-4. Apple Valley's Darla Gonzalez cleared 12-0 while three others cleared 11-06 to advance on to next weekend.
With four girls together with 150 meters to go, Mission Viejo's Ashley Johnson held on for a 2:13.93 victory in the 800 meters. Capistrano Valley's Alyssa Bautista was 2nd in 2:14.16, thus qualifying for another trip to the Masters Meet. Bautista was runner-up in 2017, too. South Torrance freshman Rania Gomaa, who stunned with a CA #5 2:11.79 a week ago at prelims (an 8.37-second drop from her previous PR), was not able to duplicate it, coming across in 2:16.41, the second-fastest 800 of her life.
The Citrus Valley duo of Cienna Norman-Thomas (56.28) and Kyrah Johnson (56.82) claimed the top two spots for the 400 meters.
San Marcos' Allie Jones, racing into a -0.8 wind, easily ran away with the victory in the 100 hurdles in a time of 14.07. Jones was 7th at the 2017 State finals for the event. Behind her, Saugus' Abbey Bryant took 2nd in 14.63. Challenging for the win, Bryant also finished in 2nd place for the 300 hurdles (44.30).
Jones also placed 3rd and qualified for the Masters Meet in the long jump (18-7.00).
Behind Nowling in the 100 meters, Redlands East Valley's Emerald Bowens advanced to another Masters Meet with a runner-up time of 11.97. Bowens, the 2017 D2 champ at 100m, will be running in her fourth consecutive Masters. She was a State finalist last June.
Dos Pueblos' Josephine Morales captured the high jump with a 5-05 clearance. Tied with Moorpark's Victoria Plummer, previous misses decided the victory. Plummer was 3rd a year ago. Two others cleared 5-03 and advanced onto next weekend.