BOYS FIELD EVENTS
Liberty senior Daniel Viveros is the defending champion and U.S. No. 1 in the shot put. (File photo)
BOYS
HIGH JUMP
- Meet Record: 7-0.325 | Lee Balkin | Glendale (SS) | 1979
- 2018 Champion: Sean Lee | Trabuco Hills (SS) | 7-2
The 2019 State Title is up for grabs in this event as it is, perhaps, the most wide open competition in the meet. Earning the silver medal a year ago, Clayton Valley junior Daylon Hicks comes with a seasonal best 
of 6-10. But, it's Beau Allen of San Marcos who is the only one in California that has cleared the 7-0 watermark this season as he was fourth in this event in 2018. The Duke-bound Allen is tied for fourth in the United States but as we witnessed last weekend, there are several others in the hunt ! Morro Bay junior and 2018 State Meet qualifier Joseph Ruddell has cleared 6-10 but at the Southern Section Masters Meet, two others joined the club. Allen's teammate at San Marcos, Jadyn Mata and Huntington Beach's Jack Wiseman easily qualified with 6-10 clearances. This is Mata's second year of taking the trip north to Clovis while Wiseman's previous best had been 6-6 until last Saturday. Like Ruddell, Boron's Kelton Chenworth switched from the Southern Section to the Central this season. His best of 6-9 also puts him in the conversation of those projected to advance to Saturday's final. Six others have cleared 6-8.
BOYS POLE VAULT
- Meet Record: 17-10 | Sondre Guttormsen | Davis (SJ) | 2018
- 2018 Champion: Sondre Guttormsen | Davis (SJ) | 17-10
One of the pleasant surprises of the 2019 season has been the ascension
of Samuel Wright of Lodi. Whereas
he did not qualify for the State Meet in 2018, he has improved up over the 16-8
bar this season (tenth in the United States) as the Sac-Joaquin Section Champ
comes in as the favorite. But, equipped
with the experience of earning the fourth-place medal a year ago, Rancho Bernardo's
Jacob Rice owns a best of 16-04. Rice
has been the most consistent of any other vaulter in California as he has
cleared the 16-03 five times in the past six weeks, including last weekend's San
Diego Section Championships. Oak Ridge's
Tyler Burns has also cleared 16-03 for his seasonal best while Scott
Toney of Mountain View St. Francis (pictured) has cleared the 16-01.50 bar. Miramonte's Marcus Young is coming off
a 16-01 North Coast Section championship while the Turlock duo of Nate Garibay and Silas Fredeen have both cleared 16-00 along with Del Oro's
Caiden Macktinger and La Costa Canyon sophomore Garrett Brown. Marina's Skyler Magula was fifth in
this competition in 2018 but has been frustratingly stuck at the 15-06 bar om
2019. Meanwhile Loyola's William O'Brien
(15-07), Roosevelt's Ethan Amata (15-06) look to join Fredeen once
again in Saturday's State Meet Finals.
BOYS LONG JUMP
- Meet Record: 26-04.75 | James Stallworth | Tulare (CS) | 1989
- 2018 Champion: Malcolm Clemons (St. Mary's College) 25-01w
Clovis North will be relying on some pivotal points from junior Caleb Foster in regard to its quest for the 2019 team championship. At the Arcadia Invitational, Foster soared out to a 25-01.50, which is the second best 
wind-legal mark in the United States. He also brings the experience of finishing fourth at the 2018 State Meet. But, look no further than the reigning champion, Malcolm Clemons of St. Mary's College. The junior is back from injury and captured the North Coast Section title with a 23-09.75 effort. His lifetime best was a wind-aided 25-01 performance to capture the 2018 State title. Deondre Ruth returns to the State Meet, this time representing Menifee Heritage -- he previously attended Oceanside HS in the San Diego Section -- and gets onto the runway with a wind-legal best of 23-08.25 this season. Clovis West's Dante Chachere will also be in contention for one of those top three spots. Derailed by injury for most of the 2019 season, Elsinore's Kamari Maddox erupted for a 23-05.25 effort last weekend to capture the Southern Section Masters Meet. Watch for Drake Nguyen of Woodbridge and Selma's DeAndra McDaniel, who both come in with 23-08.25 and 23-06 bests (with no wind readings). Another expected to earn a medal is Bralyn Lux of King's Academy (23-04.25) while River Valley's John Kroeger and Jordan Aubert of California Military Institute both own personal bests out beyond the coveted 23-foot line.
BOYS TRIPLE JUMP
- Meet Record: 52-05.75 | Marcus Hooks | Lakewood (SS) | 1986
- 2018 Champion: CJ Stevenson | Great Oak (SS) | 49-11.75
Upland junior Namir Hemphill has been consistent this season after qualifying for the 2018 State Meet in this event. Hemphill will have his work cut out for him as he may be competing in the 300 hurdle finals 
while simultaneously looking to capture the triple jump title. His wind-legal best of 48-08.5 tops the California lists but watch out for Clovis North junior Caleb Foster. He is coming off a 49-01.25 nwi effort to capture the Central Section Championship. Foster (pictured) may also the additional motivation as his points could be the ones that solidify his squad's team title. Although holding seasonal bests behind those two, Selma's DeAndra McDaniel plans on being home the gold after taking fourth place in 2018. Junior Tianhao Wei of South Pasadena comes into the action with a 47-11.50 best while having the experience of placing fifth at last year's State Meet. Meanwhile, Sanger junior Kosi Agina (47-08 seasonal best) took sixth place at the 2018 State Meet. While competing for Oceanside in 2018, Heritage's Deondre Ruth was 11th in last year's competition and bounded out to a 47-10 seasonal best. Point Loma's Altan Mitchell captured the San Diego Section title with a wind-legal 47-10.5 best. He also measured to a 48-06 (nwi) back in March. Do not count out Etiwanda's Trevor Harris as he is coming off taking first at the Southern Section Masters Meet, as he 47-09.50 was a season''s best.
BOYS SHOT PUT
- Meet Record: 74-04.75 | Brent Noon | Fallbrook (SD) | 1990
- 2018 Champion: Daniel Viveros | Bakersfield Liberty (CS) | 62-05.50
Four of
the top six from the 2018 State Meet and have exceeded lofty preseason expectations! Defending State Champion, Liberty of
Bakersfield senior Daniel Viveros launched a 71-03 earlier this month to move him 
atop the national lists. Not only was it a Central Section record but it is the fourth best throw ever in state history. You can have to scroll back to the 2017 State Meet to find where Viveros did NOT take first place in a regular season competition as he earned the bronze that year! The University of Mississippi can't wait to see him step onto their campus this Fall. Esperanza junior Jeff Duensing may have to wait one more year as he earned the silver medal here last year and although, fourth in the nation and its top junior, his 66-08 best may only be good enough for second once again. As sophomores, Quinten Lyons (61-01.50 best) of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Newport Harbor's Aidan Elbettar (62-09.50 best) earned fifth and sixth place medals, respectively, at last year's State Meet. But, ranked above them in seasonal bests, San Juan Hills' Sean Rhyan advanced for the first time with a 63-03.50 best. With the fifth best mark in the state this season, Ventura's Carlos Aviles was a finalist in 2018 and comes into the ring with a 62-06.25 best. He is headed off to Ohio State this upcoming Fall. Meanwhile, Buchanan's Christian Johnson looks to improve upon his eighth place finish a year ago, as he is seventh in California with a 60-06 best. Johnson is headed off to the University of Texas this Fall. On the rise and projected to compete for a medal is Jacob Lopez of Canyon of Canyon Country, who has also cleared the 60-foot threshold with a 60-03 best.
BOYS DISCUS
- Meet Record: 213-07 | Bo Taylor | Newport Harbor (SS) | 2006
- 2018 Champion: Christian Lavalle | Mission Viejo (SS) | 182-7
Not quite the overwhelming favorite like he is in the shot put, Liberty's Daniel Viveros and his 195-05 seasonal best look to put last year's 12th place finish in the distant past. He is currently 11th in the nation but will have his work cut out for him. Last year, only two feet separated the top six medalists. Expecting another close competition (less than five feet separate the top six in California), Newbury Park's Gino Cruz 
comes in with a 194-11 best. He was seventh in this competition in 2018 and is currently 12th in the United States. Meanwhile, Newport Harbor junior Aidan Elbettar (pictured) has improved by over 25 feet in 2019 and qualified with a 193-03 best (14th best mark in the country). Placing 10th a year ago, Ventura's Carlos Aviles (191-09) is still seeking to improve upon his 194-01 lifetime best from the middle of his junior year. Buchanan's Christian Johnson will look defend his home ring as his 191-07 best puts him, along with Aviles, in the top 20 in the nation. Johnson was eighth here a year ago. But his teammate, a transfer from Central, Kyler Van Grouw, is the top returner from the 2018 State Meet, where he was fifth. His 187-08 is the seventh best mark in California this Spring. One to not overlook is Pittsburgh's John Maka who advanced with a 183-01 seasonal best to his name.
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Photos in this article by Josh Barber, Frank Bellino, Patrick Corsinita, Clark Kranz, Kirby Lee, Jeffrey Parenti, DeAnna Turner.