Senior State Championship: Girls CIF-SS D2 Prelims

Seniors-Only Girls CIF-SS Division 2 Prelims Highlights


100 Dash

This is a wide open event in this division, and that means opportunity for some of the best athletes around. For example, Taylor Shorter (Norco), normally focused on the hurdles, has been running a few 100's this year. She has a real chance to win this at finals (setting up the possibility of a triple), and with teammate Kirstin Light also in contention she can help her team score big points. We're sure she will drop this race at some point, but today she cruises through to the next round. Kaylin Ayers (J.W. North) is the top returner, having made it to the division finals in 2019 (as did Light). 


200 Dash

Shorter could also score here and in the 400, but these would definitely interfere with her main events, so she opted out. Even if she had run, she would have been chasing Anisa Rind (Dana Hills), who breezed through to the final having run consistently in the low 24's. Her pursuit of a 23 continues next week, and she will almost certainly make a return to Masters, where she has a good chance to qualify for the state meet. Light is the closest competition with a handful of sub-25's on her resume, but she has a lot of work to do to catch up to Rind. Nicole Blue (Cerritos) is back after a shortened 2019 season - remember, she made division finals two seasons ago.


400 Dash

Rind is also the heavy favorite here, especially with Amari Jenkins opting not to run as she focuses on the hurdles. She has run under 56 this season, and you have to wonder if Rind will drop this one at some point to focus on the 200. Mia Lawrence also chose to drop the 400 and put all her effort into the 800 in the championship season, so that leaves a pretty substantial gap from the top two back to the rest of the field, which should make for an intense battle for third next week. 


800 Run

Ashley Johnson (Mission Viejo) is the top returner, coming oh-so-close to breaking 2:12 as a junior. This spring she has been in the 2:11's, and she has her sights firmly set on getting to the state meet. Mia Lawrence (Dana Hills), the only other athlete in the division in close enough range to Johnson to potentially upset her, has the exact same goal, and we're hoping they can push each other to PR's in the finals. Angelee Berganio (Canyon Country Canyon) and Grace Fulwiler (Mission Viejo) also advanced to the next round, both of them hoping for a fast race up front to pull them under 2:14 for the first time.


1600 Run

Carly Corsinita (Capistrano Valley) was the top returner in the division BEFORE she had a monster cross country season. Now, she is a prime contender to make it all the way to the state meet - that is, if she stays in the 1600 and doesn't drop it down the line to focus on the 3200. She has sub-4:50 potential, though, and the Masters race will be tempting for her. In the meantime, she cruises through to finals. Rebecca Schultz (Westlake) broke 5:00 during the regular season, which was a relief after coming within a second of that goal in 2019, and she also advanced with ease. Madeleine Locher (Ventura) also broke 5, but she has chosen to focus all her attention on the 3200 for a push to the state meet. Sally Silengo (Kennedy) leads the next group, the runners looking to break 5:05, a race that is shaping up to be very competitive. 


3200 Run

This could be the most competitive event of the day next weekend, with Corsinita, Locher, and Schultz all at 10:35 or faster as juniors. Locher won the division finals over Corsinita in 2019, then the Capo Valley senior paid her back the next week at Masters, as both advanced to the state meet (where both seemed to run out of magic). Add in Azalea Segura-Mora (Claremont), Alexis Neuville (El Toro), and Maribel Aguilar (Serrano), and you have the makings of a fantastic race. Marisa Gaitan (Dana Hills) has put herself in the conversation with a strong 2020 season, as well.


100 Hurdles

No need to dance around this point: Taylor Shorter (Norco) is dominant in this event. As the only sub-14 senior in the entire Southern Section, let alone the division, she was able to dial it back early and advance easily. The next group behind her will be very competitive with each other, even if they're battling for second place. Nia Jones (Hesperia) has been closing in on 14.50 during the regular season, while Victoria Plummer (Moorpark) and Amari Jenkins (J.W. North) are also sub-15. 


300 Hurdles

Shorter is also a stud in the low hurdles, but so is Jenkins, so with both advancing to the final we're looking forward to a showdown. Shorter finished a surprise 2nd in the state meet in 2019 and has since run in the high 41's, so she is still the favorite, but Jenkins finished 5th and has been knocking on the door of a sub-42 for several races. One thing is certain: nobody else in the section can stay with these two. Tori Olera (Northwood) advanced to the final as the fastest of the next group, and also as the only athlete in that group under 45 on the season. 


High Jump

Plummer actually cleared 5-8 as a freshman, then didn't get there again until her junior year - but in 2019 she achieved a much higher degree of consistency at elite heights, getting 5-6 or better 8 times. In 2020 that consistency has continued, but her pursuit of 5-10 has been frustrating so far. She won't be pushed in the final, but we're looking forward to the Masters meet and the state championship to see whether she can get over. Skylar Legaspi (Northwood) leads a fleet of 5-3 and 5-4 jumpers that will be competing for silver and a possible spot in Masters. Sara Lindenthal (Mission Viejo) is also in that category, and we expect her experience (she made Masters in 2019) to pay off next week.


Pole Vault

There is no clear favorite here, as the top two vaulters have gone back and forth all season. Jenny Kroeger (Mission Viejo) and Sophia Zarcone (Mater Dei) have been hunting 12 feet this spring, and we're hoping they will push each other past that barrier in the final. Laura Sangiacomo (Ventura) and Ashley Hagihara (El Toro) both have season bests of 11 feet, so they're close enough to threaten for the top 2.


Long Jump

Jodeci Weems (Rancho Verde) jumped over 18 feet once in 2019 and several times in 2020, making her the favorite in the final. Elizabeth Jezek (Mission Viejo) has an 18-foot jump on her resume, as well, but not with a legal wind; still, she is definitely capable of contending for the win. The Moorpark duo of Ginger Fontenot and Victoria Plummer advanced to the next round, as did Avery Benitez-Fanslow (Thousand Oaks).


Triple Jump

Weems jumped 36 feet a ton of times in 2019, but she was frustrated in her effort to get past 37 - until the start of 2020, when she hit that mark right out of the gates. Now she is threatening the 38 foot barrier, and she has a real chance to not only return to Masters but also advance beyond. Benitez-Fanslow also started this spring with a PR, and she is the only true challenger to Weems after posting several 37 foot marks. Sangiacomo also moves on to the final at the head of the next group, composed of 35-foot jumpers looking to move up.


Shot Put

Leneah Olsingch (Elsinore) is the top returner in both throws, and her 2020 has been a pursuit of the 40-foot mark. Likewise for Blake Lilly (Moorpark), both of them posting multiple 39 foot puts this spring. They have separated from the rest of the field by enough to think it will be a two-person contest for the division title next week, although the gap is not too large for a challenger to emerge. Ilaisaane Tovi (San Gorgonio) is a good candidate with a 37-foot season best; so is Ruby Siaosi (Moreno Valley), who has been consistently in the 36's this spring. Shaylah Robinson joins her teammate Olsingch in the final, as well.


Discus

Olsingch and Tovi appeared to be the clear favorites coming into the season, having mid-to-upper 120's on their profiles from 2019. They have lived up to that in 2020, with Olsingch throwing over 130 several times and Tovi a handful of times (on top of consistent upper 120's). Robinson is the only other athlete in the division with a chance to crack the top 2, although she has some work to do to improve from the low 120's into contention. Kaja Boas (Ventura) is our sleeper candidate to break through and challenge for a top 3 finish next week.