Armando Bryson of Long Beach Wilson, a CIF-State Meet medalist in the 800m and 4x400 relay, is a second team choice in the distance group. (Credit: Jeffrey Parenti)
SPRINTS (4)
KENYON REED | Long Beach Poly/SS/Sr. | 100/200/Relays |Reed made the final of both short sprints at the State Meet and ran second leg on the 4x100 relay that placed third (41.56). Reed placed eighth in the 200 (21.62/2.5) and ninth in the 100 (10.73/1.2). MileSplitCA All-Senior second team.
EVERETT STEWARD | Long Beach Poly/SS/Jr. | 400/Relays | Steward placed sixth at State (in the 400m (47.79). His 400m PR of 47.61ranks CA No. 3 in the junior class. He won five 400m races during the season. Steward placed fourth at the SS Division 1 final (47.99) and fourth at SS Masters (47.95). He anchored the 4x400 relay team that placed second at State (3:17.68) and previously ran a CA No. 2 and U.S. No. 11 time of 3:13.93. MileSplitCA All-State Junior second team.
MORAY STEWARD | Escondido Orange Glen/SD/Sr. | 200 |Steward medaled at the State Meet for the second consecutive year, placing fourth in the 100m (10.54/1.2) and sixth in the 200m (21.49/2.5). His 100m PR from the State Final ranks tied for CA No. 4 for wind-legal marks. He placed second to Kenan Christon in both sprints at the San Diego Section Division 2 Finals. Steward placed fourth in the 100m at the State Final as a junior. MileSplitCA All-Senior second team.
SOLOMON STRADER | Stevenson Ranch West Ranch/SS/Jr. | 200/400 | Strader placed third at the State Meet in the 400m with a then-PR of 47.10. He recently lowered his PR and went sub-47 for the first time, running 46.59 at Brooks PR. That time ranks CA No. 1 in the class, CA No. 2 overall, and U.S. No. 6 among all returners for 2020. Strader won the 400m title at both the Southern Section Division 1 (47.11) and SS Masters meets (47.04). His 200m PR of 21.61 (0.6) ranks CA No. 3 in the class. SS D1 200m runner-up (21.55). MileSplitCA All-Junior first team.
CAMDEN WHEELER | Elk Grove Monterey Trail/SJ/So. | 400/Relays | Wheeler placed fifth in the State Meet in the 400m final, running 47.45. In the prelims, he crossed in 47.82, the fifth-fastest qualifying time. Wheeler ran the third leg on the 4x100 relay team that won the State Meet title (41.47). He placed second in the 400m at the Sac-Joaquin Section Meet of Champions in 48.88 behind senior teammate Zachary Larrier, who went on to win the State 400m title. Wheeler's PR from the State final ranks CA No. 1 in the sophomore class, U.S. No. 3 in the class and CA No. 6 regardless of class. MileSplitCA All-Sophomore first team.
DISTANCE (8)
EVAN BATES | Stevenson Ranch West Ranch/SS/Sr. | 3200 |Bates placed sixth in the 3200 meters at the State Meet (9:02.03). That personal record time ranks CA No. 6. He placed fourth at SS Masters (9:03.24). He is a two-time Southern Section divisional finalist. MileSplitCA All-Senior second team.
ARMANDO BRYSON | Long Beach Wilson/SS/Sr. | 800/Relay |Bryson placed sixth in the 800m at the State Meet (1:52.97/CA No. 5) and anchored the 4x400 relay team that placed third (3:18.02). He ran his 800m PR of 1:52.51 at SS Division 1 Prelims, ran 1:52.98 for fourth a D1 Finals and 1:55.47 for second at SS Masters. Bryson anchored 4x400 relay to SS Division 1 title in CA No. 1 time of 3:13.86 (U.S. No. 10). MileSplitCA All-Senior second team.
ANTHONY GROVER | San Juan Capistrano JSerra/SS/Jr. | 800/1600 | Grover placed fourth in the 1600m at the State Meet (4:10.60). He ran all three distances at the Southern Section Division 3 finals, placing third in both the 1600m and 3200m and second in the 800m. Grover ran the 800m and 1600m at SS Masters and advanced to State in the 1600m. At State, Grover barely qualified for the 1600m final, grabbing the 12th and final spot at prelims by .08 seconds. He has top-10rankings in the junior classfor all three distances -- No. 6 for 800 (1:54.09), No. 4 for 1600 (4:10.60), No. 9 for 3200 (9:10.53). MileSplitCA All-Junior first team.
NOAH HIBBARD | El Monte Arroyo/SS/Sr. | 1600 |Hibbard ran the fastest 1600m in the state during the season and concluded his senior year with a 10th place finish in the four-lapper at State (4:17.26). His 4:07.25 from the APU Distance Meet of Champions ranks U.S. No. 6 and his 4:08.69 mile also ranks CA No. 1 (U.S. 16). He is the Southern Section Division 2 champion for 1600m (4:11.65) and SS Masters Meet runner-up (4:11.99). Hibbard ran 4:11.09 for seventh at State Prelims. MileSplitCA All-Senior second team.
GARRETT MacQUIDDY | Campbell Westmont/CC/Jr. | 800 | MacQuiddy placed fourth in the 800m at the State Meet with a PR of 1:52.25. His previous PR was 1:54.05. He won four times in nine races including the Central Section Finals and Dublin (beating eventual State runner-up Chase Gordon). MacQuiddy's PRranks CA No. 2 in the junior class, No. 4 regardless of class, and U.S. No. 14 in the class. MileSplitCA All-Junior first team.
CHRISTOPHER MIDDLETON-PEARSON | Dublin/NC/Jr. | 1600 | Middleton-Pearson placed fifth at State in the 1600m (4:10.96). He ran a 4:09.46 PR to qualify third at State Prelims. That timeranks CA No. 3 in the class, CA No. 4 regardless of class, and U.S. No. 8 in the class. He ran 4:12.48 in the mile for third at Arcadia, a clocking that ranks CA No. 3 overall and U.S. No. 13 in the class. Runner-up toLiam Andersonat the North Coast Meet of Champions (4:17.09). MileSplitCA All-State Junior second team.
CALEB NIEDNAGEL | Carlsbad La Costa Canyon/SD/Jr. | 3200 | Niednagel placed fifth at the State Meet with a PR time of 9:01.76. That timeranks CA No. 3 in the junior class, CA No. 5 regardless of class and U.S. No. 12 in the class. At the San Diego Section Division 1 Finals, he placed second in the 3200m a (9:17.30) and placed third for 1600m with a PR of 4:13.80. MileSplitCA All-State Junior second team.
MASON RATKOVICH | Los Angeles Loyola/SS/Sr. | 800/Relay |Ratkovich placed third in the 800m at the State Meet (1:52.22) and ran second leg on the winning 4x400 relay (3:17.56). His 800m time from the State final ranks CA No. 3. It was only the third time he had run sub-1:53. The others were 1:52.38 for second at the Southern Section Division 2 final and 1:52.67 for ninth at the State final as a junior. MileSplitCA All-Senior first team.
HURDLES (4)
JOEY MONTI | Los Gatos/CC/Sr. | 110 Hurdles |Monti placed fourth at the State Meet in the 300 hurdles with a huge PR of 37.39 that ranks CA No. 6. As with so many of the athletes, Monti saved his best for last, running the only two sub-38s of his prep career, hitting 37.71 for seventh in qualifying. His previous PR was 38.09 to win the Central Section title. MileSplitCA All-Senior second team.
MASAKI WADA-LAW | Los Gatos/CCSr. | 110 Hurdles/300 Hurdles |Wada-Law placed fifth at the State Meet in both the 110 hurdles (14.11/3.3) and the 300 hurdles (37.62). Both of his times at the State Finals are PRs that rank CA No. 6 and No. 9, respectively. MileSplitCA All-Senior second team.
DEREK PEKAR | Ventura/SS/Sr. | 110 Hurdles/Long Jump/Pole Vault/Decathlon |Pekar reached the State final in two events, qualified in three events at Southern Section Masters and competed in four events at SS Division 2 Finals. He also posted the second-best score in the decathlon in CA high school history when he scored 7,021 points in the two-day multis competition at Arcadia. At State, Pekar made the finals of the 110 hurdles (placing ninth in 15.53/3.3), and the long jump (placing eighth, 22-08/-0.4). He also qualified for State in the pole vault (placing 18th in prelims, 14-09). MileSplitCA All-Senior second team.
JUMPS (5)
TYLER CASH | Canyon Country Canyon/SS/Jr. | High Jump | Cash placed second in the high jump at the State Meet (6-10). That mark is equal toCA No. 1 in the junior class, CA No. 2 regardless of class and U.S. No. 9 in the class. Cash won the Southern Section Division 2 title with a then-PR-equalling clearance of 6-8. Cash's clearance at State was a two-inch PR and a six-inch gain from his sophomore PR. MileSplitCA All-Junior first team.
MALCOLM CLEMONS | Berkeley St. Mary's College HS/NC/Jr. | Long Jump/Triple Jump | Clemons is one of only three in the 2020 class to qualify for State in both horizontal jumps. Despite an injury-abbreviated season, Clemons, the 2018 State Meet champion in the long jump, posted the No. 3 long jump (23-09.75) and No. 9 triple jump (46-06/0.0) in the class. He took only two long jump attempts at State Prelims and qualified to advance at 22-03.75 (-0.3) but, because injury forced him to scratch out of triple jump prelims, he was subsequently denied an opportunity to compete on in the long jump final on a technicality. He still managed to win the North Coast Section MOC title for the second year in a row and placed second in the triple for the second year in a row (46-02). MileSplitCA All-State Junior second team.
NAMIR HEMPHILL | Upland/SS/Jr. | Long Jump/Triple Jump/300 Hurdles | Hemphill placed fourth at the State Meet in the triple jump (47-05.75) and eighth in the 300 hurdles (44.88). Heranks CA No. 2 in the classin the long jump (23-11) and No. 3 in the triple jump (48-08.50/-0.5). He was the Southern Section Masters runner-up in both the 300 hurdles (38.06) and triple jump (47-04). Hemphill ran leadoff on both the 4x100 relay team that ranks CA No. 9 (41.72) and the 4x400 relay team that ranks CA No. 3 (3:13.95). MileSplitCA All-State Junior first team.
ALLAN HUNTER | Tracy Kimball/SJ/Jr. | Long Jump | Hunter placed second at the State Meet with a long jump PR of 23-09.25 (4.2). That mark ranks CA No. 5 overall. He also qualified in the triple jump, placing 15th in prelims (44-10.75). Hunter competed in four individual events at Sac-Joaquin Masters, winning the triple jump (45-11.50), placing second in the long jump (22-11.25), 15th in the high jump (6-02), and 11th in prelims of the 110 hurdles (15.43). MileSplitCA All-State Junior first team.
DEANDRA McDANIEL | Selma/CS/Sr. | Triple Jump | McDaniel placed second at the State Meet in the triple jump (48-02.75/2.6). This was his third trip to State Final in the triple and second top-four finish. His season-best mark from State ranks CA No. 5 for all-condition jumps. His wind-legal best of 47-10.75 (0.8) for fourth at Arcadia ranks CA No. 4. MileSplitCA All-Senior first team.
THROWS (4)
CARLOS AVILES | Ventura/SS/Sr. | Discus Throw/Shot Put |Aviles placed ninth in the shot put (57-08) at the State Meet. He also qualified in the discus throw but was not able to get a legal mark in qualifying. His season-best of 191-09 ranks CA No. 4 and U.S. No. 17. His shot put season best of 62-06.25 ranks CA No. 5. MileSplitCA All-Senior second team.
JEFF DUENSING | Anaheim Esperanza/SS/Jr. | Discus Throw/Shot Put | Duensing placed fourth at State in the discus throw (177-00) and eighth in the shot put (58-03.50). His discus PR of 190-09 ranks U.S. No. 2 in the junior class behind Aidan Elbettar. Duensing's shot put PR of 66-08 also ranks U.S. No. 2 in the class. Duensing won the Southern Section Division 3 title in both throws and the SS Masters title in the shot. MileSplitCA All-Junior first team.
SEAN RHYAN | San Juan Capistrano San Juan Hills/SS/Sr. | Shot Put |Rhyan placed third at the State Meet in the shot put (61-06.50). His 63-03.50 to win at Orange County Championships ranks CA No. 3. Fhyan placed first in eight of 13 meets during the season including five meets with throws of at least 60 feet. He was the Southern Section Division 1 champion (59-05) and SS Masters Meet runner-up (61-10.75). Rhyan is a football offensive lineman headed to UCLA. MileSplitCA All-Senior first team.
KYLER VAN GROUW | Clovis Buchanan/CS/Jr. | Discus Throw | Van Grouw placed third at State in the discus throw (177-09). His 187-08 ranks CA No. 7 overall and U.S. No. 8 in the class. In 10 meets during the season, he exceeded 180 feet five times. Hit his shot put PR of 56-07 for third at Central Section Masters but was not able to get a legal attempt at State Prelims. That PR ranks CA No. 6 in the class. MileSplitCA All-Junior first team.
