BOYS SPRINTS
San Diego Section champion Kenan Christon is the one to beat in the short sprints. (Clark Kranz photo)
100 Meters
- 2018 Champion: Kazmier Allen | Tulare (CS) Sr. | 10.44 (0.7)
- Meet Record: 10.30 | Riley Washington | Southwest (SD) | 1992
Madison senior Kenan Christon is the only sprinter to win medals in both the 100 and 200 at last year's State Meet. Christon, a USC-bound football player, has emerged as the runner to beat in both of the short sprints. In the 100, he has a season best of 10.26 (2.6) from the San Diego Section prelims and just ran 10.33 wind legal at Saturday's section final. Weather permitting, Christion is capable of not only breaking the meet record note above, but also of challenging the 1985 state record of 10.25 by Henry Thomas of Hawthorne. Christon was sixth at the state final last year whereas fellow SDS sprinter Moray Steward of Orange Glen was fourth. Steward returns with a 10.75 qualifying time and a 10.57 (2.7) all-conditions season best. David Phillips Jr. of Dixon (SJ) was eighth last year. He qualified at 10.84. Among those with top qualifying times are Sherman Oaks Notre Dame senior Christian Grubb (10.58), Bellflower St. John Bosco freshman Rayshon Luke (10.65) and Clovis North senior Naythn Scruggs (10.74). Grubb has a season best of 10.40 (1.4) and has beaten Christon twice in head-to-head meetings. Armauni Archie of El Cerritos (NC), fifth last year, didn't make it out of sectionals.
200 Meters
- 2018 Champion: Christian Shakir-Ricks | Murrieta Mesa (SS) Sr. | 20.98 (0.2)
- Meet Record: 20.30 | Michael Norman | Vista Murrieta (SS) | 2015
Three of the four non-seniors from the 2018 final in the 200 meters have made it this far, led by Christon and Clayton Valley senior Cameron Reynolds. Christon is tied for U.S. No. 3 (with Houston Strake Jesuit sensation Matthew Boling) at 20.55, which he ran to break his own San Diego Section record. Christon was 6th in the finals last year (21.51) and has the top qualifying time (20.65). Reynolds, 5th in 2018, appears close to all the way back from an injury-interrupted season. He has the No. 7 qualifying time (21.61) which is a tad slower than his 21.50 from last year's final and his 21.44 PR from the NCS Prelims. Del Oro junior Ryan Mulholland was seventh in the finals last year (21.75) and has a qualifying mark of 22.05. That time is not indicative of his potential here. He has a PR of 21.34 and went sub-22 eight meets in a row this spring. Among those with top qualifying times are Notre Dame's Christian Grubb, the Southern Section Masters Meet champion in both sprints. He comes in with a qualifying time of 21.24 and a PR of 20.93 (1.0). Orange Glen's Moray Steward went 21.45 in qualifying, Hemet West Valley's Ismail Turner (21.50), Long Beach Poly's DeAngelo Chester (21.55) and Monterey's Azjani McGill (21.56) round out those with faster qualifying times than Reynolds. Only five runners among the top 10 fastest 200 times this season have made it this far. Aside from Christion (CA No. 1), Grubb (No. 2) and Turner (No. 10), Long Beach Poly senior Kenyon Reed has the No. 3 time (21.09/1.7), and Dixon senior David Phillips Jr. is No. 6 (21.25/NWI). Reed qualified at 21.70 and Phillips Jr. at 22.56.
400 Meters
- 2018 Champion: Max Glasser | Marin Catholic (NC) Sr. | 46.97
- Meet Record: 45.19 | Michael Norman | Vista Murrieta (SS) | 2015
Reynolds (in video interview above) is the only returner from the 2018 finals where he was second in 47.27. He has overcome a balky knee that sidelined him in April to make it back, however he's only run one sub-48 race this season. The field of qualifiers includes three who have run sub-47 this season: State leader Zachary Larrier (Monterey Trail/SJ) who has gon 46.49, Harvard Westlake senior Brayden Borquez (46.67) and Hemet West Valley Ismail Turner (46.74). Add to that list West Ranch junior Solomon Strader, who won the Southern Section Masters Meet with the top overall qualifying time (47.04, PR). Three others from SS Masters went sub-48 in qualifying: Turner (47.49), Borquez (47.62) and Long Beach Poly junior Everett Steward (47.95).