JUMPS
Upland junior Namir Hemphill leads the state in the long jump and triple jump. (Clark Kranz photo)
Girls Long Jump/Triple Jump:
Top girls to watch in the jumps include defending state long jump champion Alysah Hickey (Coronado/SD), Silver Creek senior Jazlynn Shearer and Upland freshman Caelyn Harris. Shearer is also among the state's best triple jumpers. That field is expected to include Calabasas sophomore Jade McDonald and Woodbridge junior Madison Lyon. Bullis' Aniella Delafosse was one of the country's top long jumpers indoors, so she'll try to transition that work to this meet.
Girls High Jump:
Long Beach Wilson junior Rachel Glenn, the defending state co-champion, highlights the girls high jump field. Will this be the meet where the versatile Glenn clears 6-feet? This event will also feature Valor Christian's Anna Hall -- competing in her fourth event -- and Pendleton's (SC) Kamiya Dendy. Both Hall and Dendy have the potential to go over 6-feet.
Boys Long Jump/Triple Jump:
In the boys jumps, defending state long jump champion Malcolm Clemons is entered in the triple jump. Clemons hasn't jumped since an injury in mid-February and wasn't expected back until the end of the month. If he's healthy and competing in either of the jumps, he certainly as the ability to go big. Other jumpers expected include Selma's Deandra McDaniel, South Pasadena's Tianhao Wei, Upland's Namir Hemphill and Clovis North's Caleb Foster. Hemphill leads the state in both the long jump (23-11) and the triple jump (48-6.25). The boys high jump could be an opportunity for San Marcos (SS) senior Beau Allen to clear 7-feet for the second time this season and the first time since March 9.
Girls Pole Vault:
The girls pole vault field includes two of the top three places in the 2018 State Meet in defending champion Laurel Wong and silver medalist Paige Sommers. Wong, a senior from Santa Catalina headed to Stanford, has a season best of 13-1.50 from earlier this week. Sommers, a sophomore from Westlake, and Rancho Bernardo' sophomore Ashley Callahan lead the state at 13-4. Following a disappointing no-height performance at the Texas Relays, West Seattle's (WA) Chloe Cunliffe, the top returning pole vaulter from 2018, will look to rebound and win the competition with a mark over 14-feet.
Boys Pole Vault:
The top three on the boys state leaderboard are scheduled to compete led by Lodi senior Samuel Wright who cleared a state-leading 16-8 at the March 22 County Clash VII. That mark ranks fourth nationally. St. Francis Mountain View junior Scott Toney has cleared 16-1.50 and Rancho Bernardo senior Jacob Rice has a best of 15-8.