Boys Field Events
With one exception, the name of the game in SJS boys throws this year is "new faces." That's because eight of the top nine athletes in last year's Masters discus, plus ALL TEN of the top finishers in the shot put, graduated last spring. The one exception is defending Shot Put champion Taniela Fisilau (Luther Burbank), who holds a whopping 4-foot advantage on any other returner's PR. Fisilau is a threat to make the finals at this year's state meet, and he should be dominant within the section. Behind him, who knows? Tim Spence (Marysville) is the next-best returning shot putter, and also the top returner in the section in the discus. He will have quite a lot of competition there, with Nick French (Vacaville) and Larry McDowell (Lodi) leading several athletes that should be within striking range. Chris Gilmer-Wren (Bella Vista) started off the current season with a throw of 147', which puts him right in the mix with the other top contenders.
The boys pole vault also lost several top performers from the Class of 2018, but the returning talent is a bit more established there. Silas Fredeen (Turlock) cleared 15' 3" last spring, putting him just ahead of James Baker (Del Oro) in returning rankings. Samuel Wright (Lodi) opened his 2019 season with a 15' 3", establishing himself as a legitimate challenger. Fredeen's teammate Nate Garibay could also be in the hunt, making four jumpers with top marks within 5" of each other. The field in the high jump is a bit perplexing: three returning jumpers cleared 6' 3" or better at some point in 2018, but none of them could do any better than an even 6 feet at the Masters. Donovan Jones (Roseville) should be considered the narrow favorite with his PR of 6' 6.5", but Quincy Butler (Mountain House) and Aidan Doms (Davis) are definitely close enough to threaten. Favour Nnaji (Patterson) should also be considered a contender after finishing 5th in last year's section final, as should Jai Williams (Nevada Union) with his current section-leading mark of 6' 2".
Natomas' Deandra McDaniel (above) is one of the best triple jumpers in California, a fact he established by finishing 2nd in the prelims and 4th overall at the 2018 state championship. He could be the most dominant athlete in a single event in the section, as the nearest competitors are in the low 45's or upper 44's, nearly 4 feet behind him. John Kroeger (River Valley) wants to lay claim to the #2 spot in the section, opening this spring with a 44' 3" after peaking at 45' 4" last year. The long jump, however, appears to be much more muddled - especially since the 2018 Masters champ, Elijah Harris, is no long in the section due to Benicia's move to the North Coast. That leaves McDaniel as the top returner, with just a 3.75-inch advantage over Kroeger. Tyler Vargas (Orestimba) posted a 23' jump already this spring, which would represent a HUGE improvement for him, but it didn't come with a wind reading; if that turns out to be a fair representation of his ability this spring, he is a legitimate title threat. Tramayne Paster (Buhach Colony) could also be in contention for a podium finish and a trip to Clovis.