Boys Seniors-Only San Diego Section Finals Highlights
100 Dash
Isaiah Smith (Lincoln) takes the win in this event, calmly pulling away from Ace Jones (Ramona) over the final 40 meters. Adrian Chavez (Brawley Union), whose 2019 season ended just before he had a chance to drop time at the SDS prelims and finals, holds off a fleet of challengers to take third.
200 Dash
Having saved some energy at the end of the 400, Eric Parker (Helix Charter) uses this race to prep for the state meet, blazing through the curve and onto the straight before dialing it back and floating to the win. Meanwhile, Jones is battling Chavez and Bryce Beeson (Poway) over the final 50 for the right to move on to the state meet. Jones holds on to second, as Beeson slips by Chavez and into the final qualifying spot.
400 Dash
As mentioned above, Parker is able to shut down early in the 400 and still post a 47, leaving no doubt that he is capable of running a 46 next week. Kodiak Ketcham (San Pasqual) takes a big step forward today, running under 48.5 to claim second ahead of Tre Apodaca (Oceanside) as they separate from Edric Picatoste (Otay Ranch).
800 Run
As expected, Drake Prince (High Tech CV) pulls away early, dropping a 55 first lap as he works on his potential state meet pacing. The rest of the field is smart enough to hold back a bit and battle for second, which leads to a fantastic finish. Nick Melanese (Scripps Ranch), who moved up from the 400 this season, shows his speed by pushing past AJ Castellanos (Torrey Pines) and Andrew Sager (El Capitan) with 100 to go - but Castellanos rallies back to take second as Melanese holds onto third.
1600 Run
Caleb Niednagel (La Costa Canyon) is able to cruise through this race, pushing the pace on the third lap to separate and then simply holding pace to the finish. He elects to stay in this event at the state meet, signaling that he wants the chance to break 4:10. About 7 seconds behind his calm finish, the rest of the race devolves into total chaos as five contenders race frantically for the remaining two qualifying spots. Nick Salz (Torrey Pines) is able to get a few steps ahead and avoid the jostling and bumping in the pack, allowing him to take second. In a bit of a surprise, Jaden Forester (Helix Charter) swings wide to pull just ahead of Riley Burns (Maranatha Christian) and the Poway duo of Zak Beckwith and Josh Ligas, putting Forester into the state meet.
3200 Run
Niednagel also pulls away in the middle of this race, although the chase pack is able to stay within 10 seconds of him. Salz fades just a bit down the stretch, perhaps tired from that mad dash in the 1600, and that allows Andrew Schulz (Canyon Crest) to get by him for second place and Henry McClish (San Diego High) to slip into third place.
110 Hurdles
Jarel Sayles (Steele Canyon) almost faces disaster as he hits the third hurdle hard, forcing him to recover quickly and losing some momentum. He is back on rhythm by hurdle five and holds on for the win, giving himself another chance to finish his year with a clean race and a PR. Zion Jackson (El Camino) almost gets by Sayles but settles for a close second place finish, comfortably ahead of teammate Jayden Kennedy, who had to fight off Anthony Gilpin (Olympian) for the final qualifying spot.
300 Hurdles
This is one of the most exciting finishes of the meet, with four athletes in striking range of the win as they come off the curve. Levi Knobloch (Granite Hills) is on perfect rhythm over the final three hurdles, taking the title and returning to Clovis. Matteo Babic (La Jolla) is also smooth as he moves up to second place, punching his ticket to his first state meet. Sayles holds off Jackson for third with a big push over the last hurdle.
Long Jump
We anticipated this event being a glorious, exciting mess, and it doesn't disappoint. No less than four jumpers hold the lead at some point during the six rounds, and the order of finish wasn't set until the final jumps of the competition. Shamar Martin (Rancho Bernardo), who has had a sensational senior season, puts the pressure on the field early by going over 22-6 on his opening jump. Ramahn Yokley (El Capitan), the top returner in the section, responds almost immediately with a 22-10, upping the stakes. A few rounds later, Deandre Smith (Central Union) pushes into 23-foot territory - and all of this is before the final three rounds! Jalen Bainer (San Marcos) makes his statement on his fourth attempt, moving into the lead, while Chris Carter (Steele Canyon) moves up into the top three with a big jump of his own. In round five, Martin finally breaks 23 for the first time, while Ethan Hughes (Cathedral Catholic) inserts himself into the competition with a new PR in the upper 22's. Yokley gets his 23-footer at the end of the fifth round, going past 23-6 and making four in that range with one jump to go. After all that excitement, only one athlete changes place on his sixth jump: Smith moves up into second, leaving Yokley on top and putting Martin into third place, with Bainer unfortunately left in fourth.
Triple Jump
After all the fireworks in the long jump, this is a fairly quiet event. John Gibbs (Oceanside) takes over early and is never challenged, using his final three attempts to work on technique for next week. Hughes busts out a new PR in the 46 foot range to claim second, and Yokley holds off Justin Boisey (Escondido Charter) for the final qualifying spot.
High Jump
Travis Lewis (Point Loma) gets over 6-4 on his first attempt to take the lead, and then clears 6-6 to lock down the section title. Creed Picar (Point Loma), Nicholas Slight (Torrey Pines), Ellijah Johnson (Otay Ranch), and Julius Jackson (San Marcos) all require three attempts at 6-4, tiring themselves out as only Picar goes on to clear 6-6 (giving Point Loma a 1-2 finish). Out of the resulting three-way tie, Jackson is eliminated on total misses, leaving Johnson and Slight to jump off for the final qualifying spot. Slight clears on the first attempt, taking third after a long competition.
Pole Vault
Familiar rivals Zachary Volpe (San Marcos) and Evan Dudley (Poway) go head to head once more, but the competition between them today doesn't feel very intense - they both know they can advance, and seem to be working on technique in preparation for the state meet. Both clear 16 feet and miss at 16-6, leaving Dudley in first place based on misses.
Shot Put
Joshua Boamah (Scripps Ranch) takes control early with a 54-foot throw, which stands up for the win once all is said and done. Jonathan Tuitasi (El Camino) hits 52 on his fifth attempt, allowing him to separate from Owen Lenz (Del Norte) and Chris Hunter (Oceanside) in the battle for second. Hunter puts up a new PR on his final attempt to take third.
Discus
Boamah is on his game today, cracking the 170 foot barrier and emphatically claiming the crown. Hunter also continues his strong performances, throwing over 160 for second place. Cesar Salazar (Sweetwater) has to hold off Chris White (Horizon Prep) to secure third place and return to the state meet.