GIRLS SPRINTS
Jazmyne Frost (5) medaled in both sprints last year in leading Serra to the team title. (Jeffrey Parenti photo)
100 Meters
- 2018 Champion: De'Anna Nowling | Calabasas (SS), Jr. | 11.47 (1.2)
- Meet Record: 11.14 | Marion Jones, Thousand Oaks (SS) | 1992
Calabasas senior De'Anna Nowling has reached the 100 meter final at the State Meet each of the previous three years. She placed fourth her first two years and won the title as a junior last June. Nowling, headed to the University of Miami, is a four-time Southern Section Division champion. Her 11.43 from the Texas Relays in late March ranks U.S. No. 4. She ran 11.54 to win at Arcadia and a put up a windy 11.40 to open the season at Redondo. It will likely take another sub-11.50 if she were to repeat. Her 11.69 to win at SS Masters is only No. 3 among qualifiers behind Madison sophomore Aysha Shaheed (11.57 PR for CA No. 3) and Amador Valley senior Chinyere Okoro (11.65). Serra senior Jazmyne Frost, who was second to Nowling at last year's final (11.61) has a season best of 11.60 and a qualifying time of 11.91. Shaheed made the State Final as a freshman, placing eighth (12.00). Okoro's 11.57 (2.2) from the Sacramento MOC, is the No. 2 in the state this season. Trinity Bolden, a junior from Pittsburg (NC), was seventh here as a sophomore (11.99). She has yet to break 12 this season and comes in with the No. 17 qualifying time (12.18). Among others to watch, Sophia Alexander, a senior at St. Mary's College HS (NC), has a CA No. 5 best of 11.74 (-1.2), Shelby Daniele, a senior at Clovis Buchanan, put up the No. 4 qualifying time at the Central Section Masters Meet (11.82, CA No. 7), Saundria Martin, a senior at Long Beach Poly, who 11.83 from the SS Division Final ranks CA No. 8, and Jaymie Ruskovich, a sophomore at Scripps Ranch (SD), whose 11.87 from the section final ranks tied for CA No. 10.
200 Meters
- 2018 Champion: Tierra Robinson-Jones | Bishop O'Dowd (NC) Sr. | 23.66 (0.3)
- Meet Record: 22.52 | Allyson Felix | North Hills LA Baptist (LA) | 2003
While the names are the same as in the 100, the positioning may be quite different. Nowling is the state leader at 23.64 (-0.9) from Arcadia with Okoro second (23.94) from that same race, Frost third (24.00/3.2 from Mt. Carmel) and Martin fourth (24.01/0.1 from league finals). Frost was third last year at State (2376), Nowling fourth (24.02) and Vista del Lago's Ceonna Pipion is also a returning finalist. She was eighth as a sophomore. Nowling, who returns to the State Meet in the 200 for the third year in a row, has the No. 2 qualifying time (24.10) after getting edged out by Martin (24.03). Madison's Shaheed has the No. 3 qualifying time (24.16) followed by Ruskovich (24.30) and Corona junior Egbe Ndip-Agbor (24.34). Ndip-Agbor's 24.12 from SS Divisionals ranks CA No. 4. Buchanan senior Shelby Daniele has the No. 6 qualifying time (24.36) and has gone 24.18 (CA No. 7); Archer junior Nia Mosby went 24.41 in qualifying and 24.22 (CA No. 10) the week before, and Murrieta Mesa senior Chioma Okonkwo has a qualifying time of 24.47 and a season best of 24.19.
400 Meters
- 2018 Champion: Tierra Robinson-Jones | Bishop O'Dowd (NC) Sr. | 52.37
- Meet Record: 50.74 | Monique Henderson | San Diego Morse (SD) | 2000
The list of those with a legit shot to do what Tierra Robinson-Jones did last year and sweep the 200 and 400 titles is probably better framed as those with a legit shot at medaling in both of the longer sprints. That list certainly includes Murrieta Mesa's Okonkwo, Archer's Mosby and Corona's Ndip-Agbor, all with top-nine qualifying times and top-nine season best ranking spots. Long Beach Millikan freshman Samarra Monrroy and Quartz Hills junior Iman Babineaux ran the two fastest times in the state this year, going 54.16 and 54.21, respectively, at Saturday's Southern Section Masters Meet. It was a .56 PR drop for Monrroy and her third consecutive sub-55 effort. And she did it setting a torrid pace in a race that produced the top five and eight of the top nine qualifying times heading to Clovis. That list also includes St. Bernard senior Sydney Bentley (54.54), Eastvale Roosevelt freshman Naomi Johnson (54.57) and Santa Margarita sophomore Lauren Memoly (54.99). The top non-Southern Section qualifier is San Diego University City sophomore Katrina Wright (54.83). Madeline Cramer, a freshman from La Jolla The Bishop's School (SD), is the No. 10 overall qualifier (55.50). Clovis North freshman Takiya Cenci has a best of 54.86 (CA No. 11). Vista del Lago sophomore Ceonna Pipion, ninth at the State Final last year (56.19), has a No. 18 qualifying time of 56.72 and a PR this season of 55.45. Chaminade's Bailey Umans, who was seventh here last year as a junior, didn't make it out of Southern Section Divisionals despite running a season best 55.99.