CIF State Meet Preview: Field Events

Boys Discus Throw

Favorite: Carlos Aviles (Ventura)

Here is an interesting fact: no thrower in this contest has more than ONE mark in his highest 10-foot interval. In other words, every single top thrower has popped a single big throw, while consistently throwing 10 feet or so less than that season best. Take Carlos Aviles: in contrast to his slumping shot put marks, he has been throwing the discus solidly in his last few meets (though he has been far from dominant). After his state-leading 194' 1" throw in April, Aviles has been beyond the 180-foot mark 4 times, including last weekend, but never farther than 188 feet. California's #2 mark this season (191' 9") was set by Christian Johnson way back in late February; since then, Johnson has thrown over 180 three times, but not since the last weekend in April and never more than 182'. Those two seem to have the highest potential in the field, but both have shown that they can be beaten by athletes like Dexter Stephens, Dominique Navarrette, Gino Cruz, or Jaime Navarro, who all have consistent upper-170's marks with high-180's potential. Any of those four could make the podium on a good day. If consistency is the key (and that is often the case during the prelims), then it may be hard to beat Daniel Viveros, who has not thrown less than 171 feet since March 2nd. Southern Section Masters champ Clifford McMullen enters the state meet after making a huge leap forward, going from 170 to 184' 6". Is that kind of progress sustainable for him, or did he simply catch a good one last weekend? As was the case in the shot put, a pair of stellar sophomores will be looking to crack into the top 5 ahead of schedule: Jeff Duensing and Kyler Van Grouw have a chance to be the present as well as the future.

Girls Discus Throw

Favorite: Jocelynn Budwig (Fowler)

This is shaping up to be one heck of a competition! Erica Grotegeer has the top mark in the state, but Jocelynn Budwig is definitely within striking range. Comparing them over the course of the season, we see that Grotegeer has been beyond 160 three times, including last weekend; however, she has also thrown in the 130's and 140's in recent weeks. Budwig, on the other hand, has been an absolute machine: she has broken 150 in 16 of 17 meets this spring, topping 160 in four of them. If Grotegeer is at her best, she can win, but if she's even a little bit off you have to give Budwig the advantage. And then there's Faith Bender, the super frosh who has also thrown over 160 three times (and hasn't thrown less than 148 all spring). Those three are set to duke it out for the title, and everyone else may be battling for fourth place. If anyone can bridge the gap and make the podium from the next tier of athletes, it is Hannah-Sophia Hall, whose season best of 158 puts her in striking range. Natalie Ramirez, Nu'u Tuilefano, and Emily March (Granada) CA #9 are the only other athletes in the field that have been further than 150 feet this spring.