CA Throwers Win JO Titles

USATF National Junior Olympic Championships

Jul 27, 2019

Ryan Mulhollad (6), a double-medalist at the CIF State Championships, has advanced into the finals of the short sprints at the USATF National Junior Olympic Championships in Sacramento. (Credit: Pat Rhames/file)

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The USATF National Junior Olympics Track & Field Championships are underway this week at Sacramento State University. Age group competition is scheduled through Sunday at Hornet Stadium.

This article updates results for California high school athletes through Friday's events.

James Wright, a rising junior at Temecula Great Oak competing unattached, placed third in the Boys 15-16 Discus Throw with a best of 151-08. Wright, who earlier in the week placed third in the hammer throw and fifth in the shot put, had his best throw on the fourth of his six attempts. Brett Schwartz, a rising sophomore from Carbondale (KS) Santa Fe Trail HS, won the event with a throw of 157-11.

Caiden Macktinger, a rising senior at Loomis Del Oro (SJ), placed third in the Boys 17-18 Pole Vault with a top clearance of 15-05. Macktinger, whose PR of 16-00 places him among the top five returners for 2020, needed all three attempts to get over his opening height of 14-05.25. He then cleared his next two heights of 14-11 and 15-05 on his first attempt before being eliminated at 15-11. Keaton Daniel, a 2019 graduate of Henderson (NV) Coronado HS, won the event at 15-11.

Ishaan Singh, a rising senior at San Jose Evergreen Valley (CC), placed third in the Boys 17-18 3000 meter run with a time of 8:51.61. Tobias Wolfson, a rising senior at Bronx (NY) Riverdale Country Day School, won in 8:42.51.

Omodiaogbe Oboh, a rising senior at San Jose Santa Teresa (CC), had to top qualifying time in the Boys 17-18 400 prelims, running the lap in 47.56. That's a.04 PR for Oboh and ranks him as the No. 3 returner in the state for 2020.

Gabrielle Spencer, a rising senior at Stockton Franklin (SJ) and Trinity Bolden, a rising senior at Pittsburg (NC) HS, are among the Girls 17-18 100-meter finalists. Spencer ran 12.02 (-0.9) and Bolden 12.05 (0.1) to qualify among the final nine. Kaylah McCall, a rising senior from Homewood-Flossmoor (IL) HS, has the top qualifying time of 11.96 (-0.9)

Ryan Mulholland, a rising senior at Loomis Del Oro (SJ) moved into the final of the Boys 17-18 100 meters. His 10.89 (-1.7) is the No. 2 qualifying time heading into the final. Jamhad Booth, a 2018 graduate of Houston (TX) Nimitz competing for CL Athletic Stars TC out of Missouri City, Texas, ran the fastest qualifying time, 10.80 (-1.6). Mulholland had previously advanced to the final in the 200m.

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This article will be updated daily through the end of the meet. Below are previous posts.

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Buchanan rising senior Kyler Van Grouw won the Boys Discus Throw in the 17-18 division at the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships. (Credit: Pat Rhames/file)

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This article updates results for California high school athletes through Thursday's events.

Natalie Ramirez, a 2019 graduate of Valencia West Ranch HS (SS) headed to UCLA, and rising senior Kyler Van Grouw at Clovis Buchanan HS each claimed discus throw titles in the 17-18 age division during Thursday's competition.

Ramirez won with a throw of 155-08, the best of her six legal throws. Van Grouw hit 181-09 on his first of his six attempts, three of which he scratched.

Ramirez placed third in the CIF-State Championships in the discus throw (159-00) and has a PR of 163-02.

Van Grouw, who has a PR of 187-08, also placed third at State (177-09). He is the No. 3 returner for 2020 in CA and No. 10 nationally in the discus throw.

Other highlights among CA high school athletes from Thursday:

Rising Westlake junior Paige Sommers placed second in the Girls 15-16 Pole Vault with a best of 12-09.50. Payton Phillips, a rising junior at Carrollton (GA) HS and Pole Vault Atlanta won the competition with a record clearance of 13-05.75. Phillips broke the record of 13-04.25 on her second attempt at 13-04.50 and then cleared her winning height on her third attempt.

Sommers, a two-time State Meet medalist who has a PR of 13-06 established during the CIF season, cleared her runner-up height on her second attempt and was knocked out after three attempts at 13-03.50. She was competing in her 21st pole vault event since the start of the CIF season in late February and 24th dating to the National Pole Vault Summit (Jan. 18-19).

Garrett Brown, a rising junior at Carlsbad La Costa Canyon (SD), placed second in the Boys 15-16 Pole Vault with a clearance of 14-11. Landon Helms of Emmett (ID) HS competing for YMCA Team Idaho won with a vault of 16-01.25. Brown has a PR of 16-00, which is tied for the third best returning mark for 2020.

CA had five top qualifiers on the track in the older two age divisions:

Harper McClain (rising junior at St. Helena HS (NC) competing unattached) Girls 15-16 1500m with a time of 4:41.32
Kyra Pretre (rising senior at Atherton Menlo HS (CC) competing for Menlo i Greyhounds Track) Girls 17-18 1500 with a time of 4:45.29
Jadyn Marshall (rising sophomore at Stockton St. Mary's HS (SJ) competing for God Speed Track Club) Boys 15-16 110 Hurdles with a time of 14.62 (1.5)
Jamar Marshall (Jadyn's brother and a rising senior at Stockton St. Mary's HS (SJ) competing for God Speed TC and the state record holder) Boys 17-18 110 Hurdles with a time of 14.00
Kenroy Higgins, a 2018 graduate of Brentwood Liberty HS (NC) now at UCLA in the boys 17-18 100m dash with a time of 10.55.

Ryan Mulholland, a rising senior at Loomis Del Oro (SJ) competing unattached, who was a double sprint medalist at the State Meet, moved on in both 17-18 division short sprints. He was fourth in 200m semifinals (21.69/0.8) and seventh in the 100m prelims (11.03/-1.3).

The same is true of Gabrielle Spencer, a rising senior at Stockton Franklin competing for the Stockton Saints. Spencer reached the 200m final with a seventh-ranked 24.58 (-0.5) qualifying time, and she ran 12.06 (-0.3) to move on in the 100m.

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This article will be updated daily through the end of the meet. Below are previous posts.

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This article updates results for California high school athletes through Wednesday's events.

Dorsey's Christian Rodriguez (2) has the top 800m qualifying time in the 17-18 division at the USATF Junior Olympics in Sacramento. (Credit: Lizette Adams/file)

Markayla Billings, a rising senior at Cosumnes Oaks (SJ) competing for Golden State Throwers, won the Girls 17-18 Hammer Throw with a 12-04 PR of 178-06 (54.41m). Billings' winning throw came on the first of her six attempts, two of which she fouled. She also had a throw of 177-04.

Moorea Mitchell, a rising senior at Palo Alto Castilleja (CC) competing unattached, placed fifth in that same girls hammer competition (154-02/47.00m).

The Southern California-based Pacific Coast Shock Waves won the Girls 15-18 4x800 relay (9:30.69) with the NorCal-based Menlo i Greyhounds placing third (9:58.88). The winning quartet for Shock Waves: Mia Barnett (Sun Valley Villiage Christian/2021), Ellaney Matarese (La Canada/2021), Maya Bryson (Long Beach Wilson/2021), Madison Chavez.

Menlo got the win over Pacific Coast Shockwave in the Boys 17-18 4x800 race and it was Menlo's 'B' team with the victory (7:52.81). PCSW was second (7:57.22). Menlo's 'A' team was fifth (8:00.18).

James Wright, a rising junior at Temecula Great Oak (SS) competing unattached, placed third in the Boys 15-16 Hammer throw (178-09/54.49m). Tarik O'Hagan, a rising sophomore at Woonsocket (RI) HS competing for Ocean State Hammerheads, won the event (188-03/57.39m).

Ryan Mulholland, a double sprint medalist at the CIF-State Championships at the end of May, moved on in the Boys 17-18 200m prelims running 21.54. Mulholland, competing unattached, is a rising senior at Loomis Del Oro (SJ). Dominick Yancy, a 2019 graduate of Euless (TX) Trinity competing for True Buzz Track Club, posted the top qualifying time of 21.36.

In the Girls 17-18 200m prelims, Gabrielle Spencer, a rising senior at Stockton Franklin (SJ) running for the Stockton Saints, posted the No. 4 qualifying time (24.38). Taylor Gilling, a 2019 graduate of Highland Park (IL) HS headed to the University of Wisconsin and competing for TNT Track & Field Academy, ran 24.01 as the fastest qualifying time.

Christian Rodriguez, a rising senior at Los Angeles Dorsey (LA) running for the Pacific Coast Shock Waves, posted the fastest qualifying time in the Boys 17-18 800m prelims. Rodriguez's time of 1:55.48 is the third-fastest time he's posted in the two-lap race. He ran a PR of 1:53.80 at the State Meet prelims to earn a spot in the final where he ran 1:55.90.

In the Boys 15-16 800m prelims, Antonio Abrego, a rising junior at Santa Clarita Golden Valley (SS) competing for Ghost Elite, posted the fastest qualifying time (1:56.58). He posted his PR in the two-lap race of 1:53.76 in March and and placed second in the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 Finals in 1:54.45.

Phillip Jefferson, a rising junior at Long Beach Wilson running for Pacific Coast Shock Waves, has the No. 3 qualifying time (1:57.66) in the Boys 15-16 800m.

Malcolm Clemons, the 2018 CIF-State champion in the long jump as a sophomore whose junior season was essentially lost to injury, placed third in that event with a best of 23-03.25 (0.5). Clayton Keys, a rising senior at Katy (TX) Tompkins HS competing for Track Houston Youth Track, was the winner 24-03.50 (-0.1). Clemons is a rising senior at Berkeley St. Mary's College HS (NC) competing for Oakland PAL.

All CA high school athletes compete for clubs or unattached. Every effort is made to identify CA athletes who place among the top three finishers in the 15-16 and 17-18 age group categories. If we miss any CA athletes in those categories (or in 13-14), please email jeffrey.parenti@flosports.tv with the name of the athlete(s), event, place and high school. Those who placed among the top three will be added to this report.

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