Boys individual performances were every bit as impressive across the landscape but, regardless of the gender, it was clear the fast championship-only schedule of the Masters Meet took it's toll on multi-event athletes not used to such minimal turn-around time.
Hampton, for one, had his right hamstring wrapped in ice after finishing the 200. Maintenance, precaution, he said, more than injury concern. Multiple athletes hit the track and the ground hard after exhausting efforts. Murrieta Mesa's Okonkwo spoke of being tired afterward, because he simply was not used to such limited between-events recovery time.
Aside from the aforementioned Great Oak duo, Esperanza's Jeff Duensing and Ventura's Carlos Aviles advanced in both throws. Duensing won the shot (60-01.75). Hart's Clifford McMullen won the discus (184-06/CA #7). The Southern Section qualified 11 of the 12 in the shot and 10 of the 12 in the discus.
Mater Dei senior Sam VanDorpe lowered his CA #1 time to 1:51.44 with senior Brett Hickman (Mission Viejo) at 1:52.89 and senior Ryan Bush (Tesoro) at 1:52.96 posting big PRs and CA top-seven times.
MiraCosta senior Xavier Court ran negative splits for a 3200 PR of 9:01.78 (CA #6) in a field that advanced nine.
Riverside King's Reyte Rash saw an opportunity and took it to win the 300 hurdles (37.50). That time now ranks CA #2 and CA #1 Aiden Jackman is no longer competing. Caleb Roberson (Upland) was second in both hurdles. Blake Hennesay (Santa Margarita), who is No. 3 in CA in the 300s, qualified in both the long hurdles and the 100m dash.
Jagdeep Chahal (Burbank Burroughs) won the 1600 (4:11.09) to lead a field of nine who are headed to Clovis. That list includes JSerra sophomore Anthony Grover, who was on the outside looking in after last week's divisionals but got in as an alternate (after Hickman dropped the event) and made the most of it, leaving nothing to chance running 4:13.35 and slotting himself into that 6th-place automatic qualifier position.
Riley Hunt (Simi Valley) won the 110s (14.18). Hunt's season best of 14.16 ranks CA #8 in a a statewide pool depleted by injury to a point where it shouldn't surprise anyone if a certain pole vaulter from Davis Senior HS pulled off an improbable double. Nationally-ranked pole vaulter Sondre Guttormsen is CA #7 in the 110s but with the state's only two sub-14 high hurdlers this spring done for the season, it appears to be an event ripe for the taking.
King's Rash, Moreno Valley Vista del Lago's Jaden Ellis, La Serna's Aaron Mahlow and Vista Murrieta's Hunter Escorcia (14.75) rounded out the top six and only qualifiers.
Speaking of pole vault, the boys field got seven through, with the aforementioned Collazo (Great Oak) clearing at the 14-9 at-large standard for 7th in a field that saw four clear 15-9 and five overall hit PRs. Marina junior Skyler Magula, Mission Viejo senior Mason Gariepy, and Canyon Country Canyon senior Christian Valles each hit the 15-9 PR (ties five others for CA #7). Harvard/Westlake senior Tiber Seireeni, CA #4 at 16-2, also cleared 15-9.
All photos by Jeffrey Parenti