Like ominous storm clouds, the COVID-19 pandemic hung over 2020 and dominated every aspect of high school track and field and cross country from the middle of March through the end of December. While hope for a return to play continued to be washed away as the virus surged across the Golden State, athletes and coaches, organizers and parents somehow found opportunities among the raindrops for competitions, time trials, and any way possible to keep the faith.
Below is a month-by-month sampling of headlines, headliners and newsmakers that shaped the year that was, 2020: A year of heartbreak, hope, disappointment, and achievement.
JANUARY
20 -- Callahan, Toney Soar As CA Vaulter Rule Summit
FEBRUARY
22 -- Westlake's Paige Sommers Soars To 14-6 CA Pole Vault Record
MARCH
13 -- Multiple Events Canceled; Coronavirus Related Updates
15 -- CDC Recommends Limits On Gatherings For Next 8 Weeks
17 -- State Commissioners Not Ready To Cancel Spring Season
31 -- Hope For Return Of Spring Sports Takes Another Hit
APRIL
4 -- Matt Strangio Chases That Elusive Sub-4
7 -- Boys Virtual TF Championship: Mission Viejo vs. Trabuco Hills
8 -- Girls Virtual TF Championship: Buchanan vs. Santa Margarita
17 -- Historical Crystal Springs Course In Danger Of Closing Forever
MAY
8 -- Track Athletes Dominate CIF Spirit Of Sport Honors
11 -- Oakland's Wikstrom Selected CIF Scholar Athlete Of The Year
11 -- Poll: Saugus Grad Mariah Castillo Voted Decade's Top Girls Distance Runner
21 -- Poll: Big Bear Grad Caleb Webb Voted Decade's Top Boys Distance Runner
23 -- Leo Daschbach Becomes 11th High Schooler To Break 4 In Mile (race video; Event at Oak Ridge HS included CA boys)
JUNE
7 -- Sommers, Colella Soar At Big Red Barn Pole Vault Meet
12 -- CIF Commissioners Push Decision on Fall Sports To July
13 -- John Lester Drops Third-Fastest Junior 800m Ever
23 -- Breaking Down John Lester's Elite 800m Win At Desert Dream
23 -- Newbury Park's Nico Young Runs Fourth-Fastest 5K In History
25 -- Paige Sommers Named Gatorade's Top CA Girls T&F Athlete
27 -- Leah Pasqualetti Smashes PV National Record With 14-8.25 (Event at Vaulter Club Facility in CA included Paige Sommers also clearing 14-feet)
29 -- Nico Young Named Gatorade's Top CA Boys T&F Athlete
JULY
2 -- Record-Setting Girls Pole Vault Competition At Big Red Barn (video)
2 -- Nico Young Becomes Gatorade's First Male Double POY Winner
4 -- John Lester Runs Away With Independence Day Mile
13 -- CA's Largest School Districts Commit To Fall Classes Online
16 -- XC Team Nationals Officially Canceled For 2020
17 -- Fall Classes Will Start Online For Most CA Schools
20 -- CIF Delays All Sports, Condenses Seasons
21 -- Tentative 2020-21 Cross County, Track and Field Schedules
22 -- Rob Wigod: Focus Was Always On Student-Athletes
AUGUST
1 -- Meacham, Brown, Starkey Highlight High School Pole Vault Nationals
8 -- Strong Day for Californians At AAU Junior Olympics
8 -- Watch Ventura Teen Sadie Engelhardt Set AAU 1500m Record (video)
10 -- Golden Moments For Californians At AAU JOs
20 -- Saugus Coach Rene Paragas Retires After Years of Dominance
22 -- Coaches Scrambling and Adjusting To New Schedules
SEPTEMBER
1 -- Deep Dive Into Sadie Engelhardt's AAU National Record
2 -- Impressive Time Trials To Finish Off The Summer
21 -- Poll: Claudia Reigns As Greatest XC Champion
OCTOBER
2 -- Foot Locker Nationals Is Canceled For 2020
3 -- Newbury Park Dominates Desert Twilight Club Sweeps Race
8 -- Top CA Boys At Desert Twilight XC Festival
9 -- Ranking CA Girls At Desert Twilight XC Festival
26 -- Trio From Bellarmine Prep All Going NCAA DI
27 -- Stormy Wallace Leads CA Runners At AZ Showdown
31 -- Poll: Nico Young Officially The GOAT As Greatest XC Champion
NOVEMBER
8 -- Harper McClain Runs 16:48 In 5K Time Trial
12 -- CA Awaiting Guidelines For Return To Sports
DECEMBER
1 -- State Championships Canceled; Season Start On Hold
2 -- Remembering Olympic Long Jump Medalist Arnie Robinson
4 -- Legendary Coach Ken Reeves Retires (Our Interview)
6 -- Newbury Park Boys Soar As CA Boys Excel Out Of State
7 -- Newbury Park Shifted At A Moment's Notice, Then Made History
11 -- Don't Give Up Hope Says CIF-SS Commissioner
12 -- Who's No. 1? No Season, No Problem for Newbury Park
14 -- Week In Review: Engelhardt Wins USATF Title
14 -- Return To Play Guidelines Released - Jan. 25 Start Possible
16 -- CIF Update On Return To Play Guidelines
Thank you for staying with MileSplitCA throughout this most difficult year. We've tried to maintain fresh content on the site, putting the athletes first via profiles, videos, rankings, virtual meets, polls and more.
We look forward to a 2021 with fresh results-based data and a return to what has been rare in CA since March: Competition!
Until then, keep the faith, stay strong, and never stop chasing your dreams.