Boys Seniors-Only Central Section Masters Highlights
100 Dash
As expected, Ramon Henderson (Liberty Bakersfield) and Jalen McMillan (San Joaquin Memorial) staged a monster race, going toe to toe and shoulder to shoulder all the way to the finish line. It takes the timers a few moments before they return 10.5's for both athletes, with Henderson taking the win by 0.01 to avenge his 4th-place finish last year. The battle for the third qualifying spot is almost as intense, with Morgan Dutton (Centennial) holding off Isaiah Bell (Garces Memorial) and Mark Smith (Tulare Western) to extend his season by one more week.
200 Dash
As if McMillan didn't have enough motivation already, his loss in the 100 seems to have lit a fire under him. He separates from Henderson over the final 50 meters to win convincingly, clocking an eye-opening 21.3 in the process. Bell holds off a late charge by Smith to claim third place, although the two of them come in more than a half-second behind the front runners.
400 Dash
Ryan Troutman (Kerman) has been a man on a mission this season and he will not be denied in this race, pulling away from the field down the stretch to claim the title with his first sub-49. The real competition happens a second behind him, as Sky Blue Gonzales (Liberty Bakersfield) fights off a spirited effort from Isaiah Villalobos (Caruthers), both of them advancing to the state meet. The rest of the field is left to battle for fourth, all of them over 50.
800 Run
When you don't have to go all-out to make the state meet it's a huge advantage - less stress on the legs and on the mind. That's the case for Ryan Hemphill (Redwood CS), who is able to stalk the early leaders and then move authoritatively to the lead with 300 to go, opening up enough space to coast through the finish in the mid-1:53's. That sends a clear signal that he is ready to break 1:53 in a fast race, which he should get next weekend. Ronnie Barrett (Buchanan) does his best to stay close, separating from the pack to claim second place. Brian Trujillo (Clovis) slips past Abel Teffra (Central) at the line to take third and move on to states.
1600 Run
For the second straight year this race produces a wild finish. Teffra takes Isaiah Galindo (Clovis North) all the way to the line before Galindo can get by for the win. Adham Maher (Stockdale), after finishing just out of the final state meet spot in 2019, punches his ticket in third place, a few second ahead of the second wave of athletes crashing over the finish.
3200 Run
Galindo doesn't have to battle in this race, and honestly doesn't even have to win - all he needs is to advance to the state meet. Pride is a powerful motivator, though, and after 7 laps of looking like he is just riding along with the pack, he does pull away for the win. The somewhat tactical race results in several moves being made over the last 600, eventually thinning down to three contenders for two spots. Ethan Jones (Liberty Bakersfield) advances to the state meet again, and Joshua Ochoa (Clovis North) holds off Alex Cuevas (Ridgeview) for the final qualifying spot.
110 Hurdles
Like Hemphill in the 800 (but even more so), Caleb Foster doesn't have to bring 100% effort today - just focus on a few keys, relax, and roll. The Clovis North Superstar makes it look easy today, cruising to an easy mid-13's win. Brandon Andrade (Redwood) runs well in the final, dropping a new PR and continuing to close on the 14 second mark. In one of the closest finishes of the day, Jadin Turner (Frontier CS) edges out Tamar Archie (Buchanan) for third place.
300 Hurdles
Andrade isn't quite as dominant in the intermediate hurdles as Foster is in the highs, but he has more than enough to secure the win while saving some energy at the end. Turner gets to the state meet in a second event, and Zach McNaughton makes it two for Frontier by taking third over Anazjae Simpson (Central).
Long Jump
In contrast to the hurdles, Foster is taking the long jump very seriously, continuing to work on technique in an effort to add even more distance. Since his two jumps over 23 in 2019 were both windy, he has been on a mission to hit 25 feet with a legal wind. That quest will continue, as he produces another in a series of 24 footers. While Foster operates on another level from the rest of the field, there is an intense competition for second and third. Jesus Alvarez (Arvin) avenges a poor performance in the 2019 Masters, taking the silver and breaking 23 feet. Adrian Hodges (Golden Valley) and Kosi Agina (Sanger) go back and forth through all six jumps before Hodges claims the final state meet berth by less than 2 inches.
Triple Jump
Another event, another win, and another approach for Foster. This time, he is clearly in "save the legs" mode, and he ends his day after two jumps and a third gold medal. Agina, shut out of the state meet in the long jump, roars back to take second in this event and move on to the state meet. Hodges overcomes a fleet of challengers for third place, posting a new PR in the 46's in addition.
High Jump
Joseph Ruddell (Morro Bay) and Kelton Chenworth (Boron) bring out the best in each other, and today that means a shiny new 7 foot PR for Ruddell to go with back-to-back titles. He had to earn it, with Chenworth also posting a new lifetime best of 6-10. It will be fun watching these two get after it one more time next week! Don't overlook Alvarez, who is now going to states in two events; he clears 6-6 today, which will likely be enough to make the final next week.
Pole Vault
This event goes as expected for the top two places, with Clay Wilshusen (Paso Robles) winning and Jarrett Lowe (Frontier) in second. That's when the craziness started: three competitors cleared 14 feet, all vying for one spot in the state meet. Jonathan Hopkins (Taft CS) was eliminated based on misses, leaving Elijah Martorana (Clovis North) and Ryan White (Lemoore) in a jump off for third place. After they both clear on the first attempt, then both miss at the next height, the bar comes down a second time before Martorana emerges with the bronze and a ticket to states.
Shot Put
In one of the biggest upsets of the day, Tobin Phillips (San Joaquin Memorial) takes the section title over Kyler Van Grouw (Buchanan). Phillips, who had a frustrating junior year after finishing 10th at the 2018 state meet, really caught his groove late this spring and caps it by going over 60 feet today. Van Grouw's quest to break that barrier will have to wait one more week, and we imagine this will add motivation to his week of training. Dirk Nelson (Central Valley Christian) also has a good day, responding to the competitive atmosphere and big throws by his opponents with a new PR in the upper 58's. Those three are able to separate from the rest of the field, which is led by fourth-place finisher Jesse Franco (Kerman).
Discus
Though the shot may not have gone how he envisioned, Van Grouw is in complete control of this event. As one of three throwers in California with 190 feet on his resume and 200 potential (and one of only two to consistently hit the former mark this season), he is a legitimate title contender next week. Today, he leads an attempt at a 1-2-3 sweep by Buchanan as Max Wilson and Jack Skinner find themselves in a four-way battle for two state meet spots, with Aaron Tejeda (Tulare Western), Gabriel Katches (Paso Robles). Wilson makes up for a rough day at the 2019 Masters meet by taking second today, while Katches caps his breakout season by taking third and moving on to next week. Skinner and Tejeda are victims of one of the deepest groups of throwers in any section; they put up a tremendous fight, both throwing in the upper 160's.
Team Results
Two heavyweights went head to head for the section title today, both teams performing well. Clovis North edges out Buchanan by 5 points, breaking 70 points on the backs of stars Foster and Galindo and a strong supporting cast. Liberty finishes third, way ahead of the rest of the field but a good distance back from the top two.