Girls Seniors-Only Southern Section Division Finals Highlights
100 Dash
Taylor Shorter can help Norco score well today with minimal effort in this race, and as the only returner with a sub-12 time she is able to claim the win (we expect her to drop this race before next week). Kirstin Light makes it a 1-2 sweep in Division 2 for the Cougars, just missing her first 11 second time. With such a broad field of contenders behind her, though, several hopefuls are going to get left out of the final nine. Chrystal Aluya (Valencia Placentia) emerges from the crowd in Division 1 to take the win, barely holding off Janae Oneal (Quartz Hill) as both go under 12 seconds. Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck (St. Anthony) doesn't show in the returning rankings because she wasn't in California until this year, but she came into 2020 with a personal best of 12.23 (set in 2018). She goes under 12 to take the Division 4 title today, winning by a comfortable margin of a few tenths. Megan Chen (Oak Park) holds off Sophia Grant (Bishop Alemany) to earn the Division 3 championship as Lauren Davis opted not to move on from prelims (more on that later). Unfortunately for the D3 winner, several D1 sprinters ran fast enough to keep her out of the Masters meet. Raquel McDaniel (Rancho Cucamonga), Naomi Kilson (Long Beach Wilson), Sierra Smith (Vista Murrieta), and Kennedy Peppers (Corona) all move on to next week, where they will have another chance to break 12.
200 Dash
Nobody was going to get past Egbe Ndip-Agbor (Corona) in this race, and she used it to make a statement, going under 24 as she dominates D1. Anisa Rind (Dana Hills) takes the Division 2 victory and posts the next best time, but sub-24 continues to elude her; perhaps the head-to-head match-up with Ndip-Agbor next week will do the trick. Nia Mosby (Archer), who has broken 24, eases up just a bit at the end to save her legs but still advances comfortably as the Division 4 champ. Division 3 puts two athletes into the Masters meet, with Valeia Payne (Chino) holding of Lauren Davis (El Segundo) also going well under 25 - she continues to be the breakout athlete of 2020 in this event. Aluya, Nakiya Buckner (Centennial Corona) and Iman Babineaux (Quartz Hill) all advance easily with mid-24 times, while Sierra Smith has to dig hard at the end to claim the final Masters spot.
400 Dash
Babineaux pulls away from Ndip-Agbor to win Division 1, although in retrospect it seems likely that the Corona sprinter eased up to save for a big 200 (it will be interesting to see if she carries the 400 beyond Masters). Mosby rolls easily through Division 4 and still puts up the third-fastest time of the day. That sets up a three-girl battle next week, with the rest of the field likely racing for fourth place. Rind goes into the 55's to claim the D2 crown, leading the next group of times. Payne adds a second Division 3 win in this event, keeping pace with Buckner and Amari Jenkins (J.W. North) out of Division 1. Jenna Krostag (Thousand Oaks) advances from Division 2, and Lauren Davis makes it through from D3.
800 Run
With a season best under 2:10, Hannah Wilson (Oaks Christian) is zeroed in on getting into the top 3 at the state meet; today, that process involves saving her legs as she cruises through Division 4 with the win. Hailey Golmon (Newbury Park) doesn't have that luxury with Makayla Fick (Vista Murrieta) and Sarah Collier (Quartz Hill) gunning for her - Golmon wins the D1 title as all three go under 2:13. Mia Lawrence (Dana Hills) wins a Division 2 duel with Ashley Johnson (Mission Viejo) in a mild upset, but we expect Johnson to be right back in the hunt next week. Rylan Engels (JSerra) continues her big season in this event by taking the D3 crown, holding off Gianna Beasley (South Pasadena) as both advance. Grace Fulwiler (Mission Viejo), Katelyn Vuong (Covina), Angelee Berganio (Canyon Country Canyon), and Chelsea Romo (Redlands) emerge from the crowd of contenders to claim the final spots at Masters.
1600 Run
What could have been a really incredible Division 1 race turned strategic instead, as the top three competitors paced each other to ensure advancing without having to exert maximum effort. You can bet that the Great Oak duo of Tori Gaitan and Arianna Griffiths will not hold back their final gear next week, which is what allows Hana Catsimanes (San Clemente) to claim the title without resistance down the final stretch today. However, Catsimanes then elects NOT to move on to Masters in this event, preferring to focus on the 3200. Whitney Valenti (Brea Olinda) looks super strong in dominating the Division 3 competition, posting the fastest time of the day without seeming to give her all - she will be hard to beat next week. Likewise for Carly Corsinita (Capistrano Valley) in Division 2, which makes at least 5 athletes capable of breaking 4:50 at Masters, if the race goes fast enough. Rebecca Schultz (Westlake) pulls along behind her to also lock in a spot next week, with Maria Hernandez (Santa Ana) and Savannah Scriven (Palos Verdes) running similar times in their races to advance as well. Aubrie Nex (Great Oak), Bailey Watts (Trabuco Hills), and Carly Schuerger (Aliso Niguel) move on in D1, beneficiaries of several runners that opted to focus on either the 800 or the 3200. Mia Douge (Brea Olinda) and Division 4 winner Jasmine Ramirez (Nordhoff) round out the 12 qualifiers for next week's race.
3200 Run
Catsimanes claims another Division 1 title, this time looking as though she had enough in the tank to handle whatever Gaitan and Great Oak teammate Audrey Dang could throw at her. Corsinita and Schultz traded off the lead with Madeleine Locher (Ventura) throughout the D2/D3 race, with Locher (on fresh legs) eventually taking the win down the final stretch. Samantha Steman (Palos Verdes) is able to stick with that group of runners and thereby separate herself from the Division 3 competition. Clara Meade (Tesoro), hugely improved through both cross country season and this spring, surges past Archana Mohandas (Newbury Park) and Griffiths right at the finish of the D1/D4 race. Hailey Rutter (Saugus), Diane Molina (Costa Mesa), and Sarah Auther (La Canada) advance from the D2/D3 race, just ahead of Maria Hernandez and Danielle Gee (Yucaipa) out of Division 1. Jasmine Ramirez wins her second Division 4 title but falls short of advancing to Masters.
100 Hurdles
The two top hurdlers are also pushing to help their teams claim division titles, which makes it even more important for them to each hold serve and win their respective races. Taylor Shorter (Norco) takes Division 2 and posts the top time of the day, while Rachel Glenn (Long Beach Wilson) rolls to the Division 1 victory and edges closer to breaking 14. Division 3 champ Jazmin Jackson (Chaminade) also has an easy win, as does Yanla Ndjip-Nyemack in Division 4 - it's rare to see all four division winners post the top 4 times without significant challenge. The competition for the next four spots is more intense, with Deaira Jackson (Rancho Cucamonga) barely holding off Madison Lyon (Woodbridge) and Myah Hatcher (Eleanor Roosevelt) as all three advance from the D1 race. Nia Jones (Hesperia) and Victoria Plummer (Moorpark) get through to next week in Division 2.
300 Hurdles
The top two qualifiers are the same, but the order is switched: Glenn posts the best mark in running roughshod over the Division 1 competition, while Shorter has to hold off Amari Jenkins (J.W. North) to claim the #2 seed for Masters out of Division 2 (we expect Jenkins to drop the 400 to focus on this race at some point). Demia January (Upland) pushes past Hatcher and Jackson in the D1 race, all three running under 44 to advance. Santa Margarita Catholic teammates Sophia Morris and Jessica Elizalde-Rendon pushing each other into qualifying spots down the stretch of the Division 3 race, with Morris taking the title at the line. The final Masters position goes to Tori Olera (Northwood) by the slimmest of margins.
Shot Put
Abby Venglass (Rancho Cucamonga) and Caitlyn Dawson (Murrieta Mesa) both opened the 2020 season with new PR's, so it's no surprise that they end up competing for the Division 1 title here at the end of the year. Both throw over 40 feet, with Venglass holding on to claim the title. Alejandra Rosales (Marina) has come on strong at the end of the season and continues to close on the top two, so don't be surprised if she moves up next week. Daphne Ebenhack (Village Christian) dominates the Division 4 competition, throwing right in the same range as Rosales. The same is true of Leneah Olsingch (Elsinore), who held off Blake Lilly (Moorpark) to win Division 2 - the three of them (with Ebenhack) are all capable of breaking 40 and getting into the top 3 at Masters. One very interesting development: there is a clear break point after the top six throwers, which means the rest of the field will be competing for one final place at the state meet (that is, in the absence of a breakthrough performance by someone). Ilaisaane Tovi (San Gorgonio) looked the strongest of that group today, finishing third in D2 ahead of D1 challenger Saloni Khandhadia (Beckman) and D4 runner-up Quincey Valle (Santa Ynez). Ruby Siaosi (Moreno Valley) and Shaylah Robinson (Elsinore) also advanced from Division 2, while Haily Rodriguez (Coachella Valley) slipped past a few better ranked Division 1 competitors to grab the last Masters spot.
Discus
Rosales claims the Division 1 crown as expected, posting the top mark from all divisions. She will be very familiar with her top challenger for the Masters title, because they faced off today: Khandhadia broke 140 feet for the first time, setting up what looks like a two-person battle for supremacy next week. Double D2 winner Elsingch leads the rest of the field, all of them at 135 or below, making it hard to see them in the top two and also intensely competitive for spots 3-7. Division 3 champion Emma O'Connell (Orange Lutheran) should be able to lock in a state meet spot, and likewise for Tovi. Behind them it gets pretty crazy, with the remaining 7 advancers all throwing right around 120 feet, give or take a little. Division 4 winner Olivia Vande Vegte (Valley Christian) and runner-up Noelle Chavez (Aquinas) both move on to Masters to compete for one of three tickets to the state meet.
Long Jump
Sophia Hartwell (Orange Lutheran) is back in the 19's and back on top of the Division 3 final, winning her second straight title. She will have a target on her back in the Masters meet, but if she keeps performing this well it may not matter. Madison Lyon (Woodbridge) is the Division 1 champ, and though she didn't jump 19 today she has done it this season, making her the principal challenger. D3 runner-up Ryann O'Bannon (St. Joseph Lakewood), Division 2 winner Jodeci Weems (Rancho Verde), and D1 runner-up Sheredyn Pfeiffer (King) all post upper-18 marks today, putting them in strong position to advance to the state meet. That would leave the next group competing for just 2 remaining spots. Elizabeth Jezek (Mission Viejo) staked her claim to being in the top 6 by jumping in the 18's today, although Kelsey Ehinlaye (Ayala) and Rionna Wallace (Lakewood) are right behind her. Division 4 winner Charlotte Allison (La Reina) also breaks 18 for the first time, putting herself in the mix for a trip to Clovis.
Triple Jump
Lyon came into this meet as the favorite in Division 1, but today it was Kerrington Smith (Upland) claiming the title. Expect Lyon to bounce back and fight for the Masters win (and she will have another week after that for revenge, as well). They are joined in 40 foot territory by Hartwell, earning her second D3 victory of the day. This three-person competition will be exciting to watch next week! O'Bannon and Weems are on top of the next cluster of athletes, with 4 state meet spots available (assuming the top 3 take care of business as expected). Avery Benitez-Fanslow (Thousand Oaks) and Chrystal Aluya (Valencia Placentia) appear to be the next two athletes in, if everything stays the same; Katelyn Lowry (Mira Costa) hopes to break up that order and take one of the spots. Kaili Yanagisawa (Los Amigos) jumped well in D3 today, setting a new PR and positioning herself as a sleeper to make the state meet.
High Jump
For the third straight year, Rachel Glenn (Long Beach Wilson) and Victoria Plummer (Moorpark) will square off in the Masters Meet. Glenn wins her third Division 1 title, while Plummer (suprisingly) claims her first in Division 2. Jazmin Jackson (Chaminade) takes the crown in D3, setting herself up along with Aaliyah Mendoza (Etiwanda) as the chief contenders to break into the top 3. O'Bannon and Division 4 winner McKenna Bushong (Valley Christian) jumped well today, both showing the potential to hold down one of the 7 state meet slots while threatening to move up. With Madison Lyon opting out of this event to focus on the horizontals (and the hurdles), the door is open for someone like Jayda Reid (Hillcrest) or Jillian Kolarik (Newbury Park) to crack the top 6. Count Charlotte Allison, the runner-up in Division 4, as a contender next week, as well.
Pole Vault
Division 1 showed its strength in this event (as usual), but Division 4 put two girls into top 4 today in Bryn Polly (Oaks Christian) and Kaelyn McCann (Linfield Christian). Both cleared 12-6 today with McCann winning on misses (and making a very good attempt at 13). That put her third behind overall favorite Morgan Flynn (Aliso Niguel) and her Division 1 rival Kaitlyn Swenson (Great Oak), who both got over 13. Flynn looked like she might have some effort left in the tank, but this is a long road and she was happy with the result. Sierra Meier (Vista Murrieta) finished 3rd in D1, clearing 12-6 to match the D4 jumpers and positioning herself for a run at the top 3 next week. In Division 2, Sophia Zarcone (Mater Dei) and Jenny Kroeger (Mission Viejo) both topped out at 12 feet. Zarcone claimed the title on the tiebreaker, but Kroger had three very clean attempts at 12-6 that showed she is ready to take the next step. Brianne Camarena (Great Oak), Ashley Harritt (Foothill Santa Ana), and Morgan Yee (Trabuco Hills) also advanced from Division 1, while Carly Leandro (Foothill Technology) made it three qualifiers from D4. Division 3 champion Savannah Baca (Hillcrest) just barely squeezed into Masters as the final qualifier, giving her another chance to clear 11-6.
Team Results
With Gaitan back up to speed, Great Oak's distance and field events power the Wolfpack to the Division 1 win over Long Beach Wilson. Shorter's 100 Dash points make the difference for Norco in Division 2 as they hold off Dana Hills and Mission Viejo. Orange Lutheran runs away with the D3 crown; the same is true of Valley Christian (Cerritos) in Division 4.