CIF-SS DIVISION 1 PRELIM - FIELD EVENTS PREVIEW
Girls High Jump (5-2)
Defending California State Champion, Rachel Glenn will come back from the hurdles to headline this event. She is currently second in the state with a 5-08.50 clearance. From there, it is a logjam of sorts. Kendra Duffey of Aliso Niguel, Hannah Bevan of Trabuco Hills and Aaliyah Mendoza of Etiwanda have all cleared 5-06 this season. Mendoza is the most recently with her effort coming three weeks ago. With those three all tied for 12th in California, three others have a seasonal best of 5-04. Downey's Chiamaka Ikejiofor is the most recent when she captured the San Gabriel League Finals. Roosevelt's Talia Brandon and Newbury Park's Jillian Kolarik join her at that 5-04 line, while Brandon is seeking important team points for her squad. Hana Chin of Huntington Beach, Brittney Livermore of Santiago, Trinity Haywood of Camarillo, Saugus' Kylee Davis, San Clemente's Natalie Vissman has all elevated up over the 5-03 bar this season.
Girls Pole Vault (11-1)
Aliso Niguel's Morgan Flynn, ranked seventh in the state and second in the Southern Section with a 13-00 clearance, is the favorite and should advance rather easily. This division has witnessed a marked improvement from the days when the at-large standard was 9-10. Now it is an impressive 11-01 as an 11-06 did NOT advance to the finals in 2018! The defending Division 1 champion is Redondo Union's Amari Turner (second at State as a junior on misses). Her seasonal best of 12-07 ranks CA No. 11. In a battle that may affect the outcome of the team scoring, Great Oak's Kaitlin Swenson has elevated up over 12-06 while Roosevelt's Erika Flaherty (12-00 best) plans on matching her at next week's finals. Vista Murrieta's Nicole Silverlake was able to capture the Southwestern League title over Swenson with a 12-04 personal best last week. She is now 14th in the state. Also in that same competition, Tamara Bader of Vista Murrieta has a seasonal best of 12-00 while Amber Racina of West Ranch comes down the runway with an 11-07 seasonal best.
Girls Shot Put (37-5)
Natalie Ramirez of West Ranch is the class of the field. She was the Division 2 champion in 2018 and now
gearing up to take the Division 1 title next week. Her best mark is 47-05.25 which places her
second in California, while she earned the third place medal at the 2018 State
Meet. One of the most improved throwers
in the state, Roosevelt's Lydia Liu seeks valuable points in this event next
week. Now out to a 43-01.25 best, she is
12th in the state. Rancho
Cucamonga's Abby Venglass looks to return back to the finals while her 2019
best if 39-04. Dayanara Cendejas of
Warren has measured out to 39-02 while the rest of the top qualifiers are
looking to eclipse the 39-foot line.
Elizabeth Anigbogu of Santiago leads a large group all seeking to go out
beyond 39 feet for the first time this Spring.
Girls Discus (118-8)
West Ranch's Natalie Ramirez returns in her quest for a second title in as many
years, as she captured the Division 2 top medal a year ago. Her seasonal best of 163-02, like in the shot put, places seventh in the United States!
Lydia Liu exploded onto the statewide scene this past month where she
has improved out to a 147-08 seasonal best.
That is currently sixth in California while not too far behind her,
Lakewood's Cherish Washington in ranked ninth in the state at a 141-07
best. A State Meet finalist in 2018,
Trabuco Hills' Kyliegh Wilkerson is currently 14th in the state with
her 140-01 seasonal best and ready for another great postseason. Alejandra Rosales of Marina has been measured
at 138-8 while Trabuco Hills' Abby Klinge will step into a familiar ring with a
137-8 best in 2019.
Girls Long Jump (17-4)
Upland freshman Caelyn Harris came in from the club ranks with a strong
reputation and has lived up to the 
expectations. She has also been very successful on this pit
as she had her second-ranked effort here in late March. Her wind-aided best is 20-02.50 with her
wind-legal best at 19-11. On that same
day at the Trabuco Hills Invite, Redondo Union's Mahkaia Lee also burst out to
a 19-09.50 personal best. That is the
third best mark in California.
Meanwhile, already a seasoned veteran to the postseason, Great Oak
sophomore Summer Stevenson owns a wind-aided best of 18-2.5, which is currently
20th in the state. But,
Stevenson flew to a 19-05 effort to capture her league title a week ago, but
there was no wind measurement. Anyssa
Romo of Ayala has gone out to an 18-00.50 best while Katherine Kluver of Redondo
Union has a wind legal best of 18-0.
Romo has a best of 18-06.50 with a wind measurement while Kluver is listed
at 18-05. Four-time CIF qualifier,
Chaselyn Amos of Roosevelt, seeks her first trip to the finals as she has a
wind legal best of 17-10.50 to her name.
Summer Stevenson of Great Oak is continuing the long line of triple jump excellence in her family. Earning valuable points towards her Division 1 team title squad, the Great Oak sophomore has a wind-legal best of 40-05 this season. She is currently third in the state with that mark. But Upland senior Kerrington Smith has been consistently all season and has bounded out to a wind-legal 40-00 effort, placing her fifth in California. Burbank's Jayla Flowers is one of the most improved in the Southern Section, improving by over three feet and lining up with a wind legal best of 38-08. This has her 14th in the state. Great Oak's Sami Bollinger and Ayala's Madison Moneymaker were fourth and fifth, respectively, in this event in 2018. Both have hovered right around 37 feet all season. Right there with them is Tesoro's Maddie Tocson, who qualified with a wind legal best of 36-10.50.
For the first time 2015, we will have a new Division 1 High Jump champion! With Sean Lee of Trabuco Hills graduated after earning the title all four years, the title is completely up for grabs between a group of athletes. Leading the way is Jack Wiseman of Huntington Beach, who is coming off earning the Sunset Conference title last week with a 6-07 clearance. This now ties him with Vista Murrieta sophomore Darius Hill, with both sharing the ninth best mark in California. Not too far off from these two, Millikan's Alan Tabales has arched up over the 6-06 bar along with Diamond Bar's Kailen Smith. Both are ranked 13th in the state. Those four have been consistent this Spring. Also looking to vie for the title next week, Aliso Niguel's Austin Muirbrook has gone up over the 6-05 bar. Will Riviere of Dana Hills, Nohl Williams of Pacifica and Justin Yaskowitz of Redondo Union have all cleared 6-4 this season as well.
Boys Pole Vault (14-3)
title from a year ago is Beaumont's Brady Ho. Meanwhile, the 2018 Division 2 champion,
Skyler Magula of Marina, moves back to Division 1 this season. Tied atop the Southern Section rankings,
Magula and Loyola's William O'Brien have both soared over the 15-07 bar. Together, they are ranked ninth in
California. Magula was fifth at the 2018
California State Meet while O'Brien was ninth.
Also qualifying all the way to the State Meet Finals, Roosevelt's Ethan
Amata has a seasonal best of 15-06, ranking him 12th in the
state. His teammate, Jacob Camarena,
looks to match him this weekend as he laces up with a 15-03 best (17th
in the state). Great Oak's Jack Wright is
one of the top sophomores in California with a 15-02 best. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Ho and Daniel
Palacio of Quartz Hill have both countered with 15-00 bests in 2019.
Meet
finals. The only underclassman finalist
from 2018, he was third in Division 1 a year ago, but performed at his best
when he placed seventh at the California State Meet. Coming on strong this past month, the Vista
Murrieta duo of Edward Ta'amilo and Alex Oyawale has formed themselves into the
most lethal teammates in California. Ta'amilo
is eighth in California with an 182-08 best, while fellow Bronco joins him in
the ring with a 172-1 best. This ranks
Oyawale 13th in the state. Jose Cisneros of Downey owns a best of 169-07,
pushing him up to 15th in California while Saugus' Gaetano Ferrera
is 16th with a seasonal best of 167-03. Great Oak sophomore James Wright comes in as
a 'wild card' entry but do not be fooled because his 165-3.5 best is sixth in
the division and 21st in the state.
Millikan's Imhotep Pryor has also gone out beyond 160 feet with a 164-01
best.
Boys Long Jump (21-9)
As a State Meet finalist representing Oceanside in 2018, Deondre Ruth has made himself at home with a great 2019 campaign thus far at Heritage. Referencing wind legal marks, Ruth is the Southern Section leader with a 23-08.25 best. This ranks second in California. Just down the road, Vista Murrieta sophomore Darius Hill has been measured at 23-02.50, which places him fifth in the state. Staying in the Inland Empire, Los Osos' Oluwatobi Adegoke owns a wind legal best of 22-07.50 (12th in the state) while Upland sophomore Jailen Burrell is at 22-01. Sean Ayale of Los Alamitos (21-11) leads the way to those trying to eclipse the 22-foot threshold. Now, using wind-aided efforts, one cannot overlook Upland's Namir Hemphill, who's 23-11 effort in February places him third in California under all conditions. His teammate, Burrell was measured at 22-10 at the same meet (contested on these same Trabuco Hills' pits).
Upland junior Namir Hemphill has been consistent all of 2019 and comes in with a wind-legal best of 48-8.5
after qualifying for the State Meet a year ago. He is the current California state leader and achieved it against a very talented field at the Mt. SAC Relays two weeks ago. Heritage's Deondre Ruth was a State Meet finalist in the event last year and continues to shine with a 47-5.75 best, which is fifth in California. Eighth ranked in the state, LaSalle Jackson of Paramount has improved out to a 46-9.75. Trevor Harris of Etiwanda lines up with a 46-0.25 seasonal best, moving him up to 13th on the statewide rankings. Taking fourth at the 2018 Division 2 finals a year ago. He moves over to Division 1 and is currently ranked fifth in the division with a 45-0 best mark. Oliver Reed (Tesoro), Sean Ayale (Los Alamitos) and Elijah Schultz-Minton (Great Oak) are looking to break that 45-foot barrier this Saturday as well. Photos in this article by Lizette Adams, Louis Amestoy, Frank Bellino, John Hays (AZ), Dave Low, Stuart Kantor (TX), and Jeffrey Parenti.