PREVIEW CIF-Southern Section Division 2-4 Finals

DIVISION 2

At Moorpark HS

Field events at 3 pm. Track events at 4 pm

BOYS

Royal's Matt Russell is the heavy favorite (1:53.77 seasonal best) in the 800 meters. He has run the second-fastest time in the section of those competing this weekend.  Simon Opsahl of Redlands East Valley (1:54.30) and Ethan Florez (1:54.40) of Canyon, Anaheim step to the line with sub-1:55 credentials while Opsahl will look for the upset in the 1600 meters as well. Royal's Russell returns as one of the favorites for the 3200 meters while his teammate, Angus Fitzgerald has rolled to a 4:12.00 this season. Of all athletes still competing in the 1600 meters, he has the fastest 2021 best of anybody in the section. Dana Hills' junior Jai Dawson (4:13.58/9:20.01 bests in 2021) comes in with tons of momentum.  West Torrance junior Conor Gibson ran the top time in qualifying as his 9:17.23 was a lifetime best. The boys of Royal could very well capture all three races here.     

Austin Hernandez of Canyon Country Canyon shined with the fastest qualifying time (14.68w) in a heat that he won by over a second. With a 14.73 wind-legal best he eleventh in the Southern Section. Mater Dei's Logan Lyght and Thousand Oaks' Ryan Tischhauser pose the greatest threat to the versatile Hernandez. In a wide-open affair for the 300 Hurdles, Shadow Hills' Michael DeTamble was the only boy eclipsing the 40-second threshold with a 39.60 seasonal best.  But, Chris Goode of West Ranch, returning back from the 400 meters, ran the top qualifying time (39.95) to join DeTamble.  Tustin's Christopher Aguilar (40.00) was right as well while Tischhauser looks to garner more points for his Thousand Oaks squad.     

Thousand Oaks comes in heavy favorites and is the class of the field.  Their 41.77 from the Marmonte League Finals is fourth-best in California and third in the section.  But, there are any hiccups along the way, a vastly improved Irvine (42.21) squad will jump right on the opportunity while Mater Dei will also pose a threat with their 42.41 best in 2021.  Thousand Oaks seeks to bookend victories on both sides of the meet as their 3:24.91 is the division's fastest in 2021.  Mater Dei crossed in 3:25.40 two weeks ago while Edison checks in off their 3:27.00 clocking at last weekend's prelims.    

With, arguably, the top long jumper in the division fouling out at prelims, this opens the door more for Canyon's Austin Hernandez. But, Irvine's Dylan Fox sent a huge statement out last weekend with his 22-8.75 qualifying jump to advance.  Simi Valley's Joey Nations and JW North's Zion Brooks are also in the mix.  With Fox also improving and qualifying in the triple jump, Northwood's Myles Carter has stood atop the Southern Section all season long and advanced as the top seed in the triple jump.  Walnut's Garren Haynes bounded out to a lifetime best of 44-0 (nwi). 

With a lifetime best of 6-8, Hernandez is the favorite in the high jump.  The Canyon senior could very well capture three titles this weekend.  He is only one of seven boys in the state to clear the 6-7 bar in 2021 as he sits tied at fourth in California.   Peninsula's Tayvahr Wright and Walnut sophomore Evan Johnson have both cleared 6-4 this season.  

Ramona junior Gavin Hanes is the heavy favorite in the pole vault as he brings a 15-4 seasonal best to the runway.  Dana Hills' Jonathan Sweeney has elevated over the 14-6 bar while Cole Whitten of Peninsula is the only other boy to clear 14-feet this season providing more insight on Hanes expected to take home the title.  

Golden Valley's Kienan Donovan is the class of the field.  The senior is third in California with a 59-8 effort in the shot put while he placed fourth at the 2019 Division 2 final. Canyon, Anaheim junior Travis Zavala easily advanced and brings a 54-10.25 best to the ring.  He is the fifth-best underclassman in California.  West Ranch's Matthew Krogh has a best of 53-2.75.  In the discus, Donovan's 178-7 toss in April ranks fourth in the state, while he placed third in 2019 at the Division 2 final. He is no. 2 in the Southern Section with Zavala, again, being his greatest threat.  The junior is 16th in the State with a 162-8 seasonal best while Ventura's Victor MuroMurillo comes in with a 162-1 top mark.  Hueneme's Randy Jacob (161-10) also advanced along Micah Carreon (161-2) of Mission Viejo.     

GIRLS

The clearer picture for the team championship will materialize through the sprints.  JW North is seeking huge points here (and the relays) and Golden Valley will look to counter.  JW North's Raykiyat Olukoju (11.78w/24.42w in qualifying) is one of the favorites to capture the 100 and 200 meters while teammates Idara Ibekwe and Rhe Nae Leach also advanced. Also challenging for the title in the 100, Calabasas' Zanae Woods owns a wind-aided best of 11.78.  Shelby Richmond of Thousand Oaks (56.10) is the favorite in the 400 meters with Golden Valley's Adonijah Currie (56.95) challenging.  Meanwhile, those two, along with Woods and Glendora's Maya Shinnick will take on the JW North trio in the 200 meters.  

Chino's Mia Chavez comfortably advanced as the top seed, as expected, in the 800 and 1600 meters (2:35-2:24 negative splits).  While ranked third in California in the 800, her converted time from the 4:55.72 Mile she ran at Arcadia places her 11th in the state for the 1600. But, she has company as JW North's McKenzie Browne has record 2:14/4:59 bests in 2021 and will have veteran sister Makayla assisting in the 800 with her 2:11.96 seasonal best.  Emma Hadley of Canyon, Anaheim was disqualified in a controversial call from the 1600 meters and will be fresh for the 800 with her lifetime 2:13.01 best.  Peninsula's Aishling Callanan impressed last weekend with her top time of 2021 (5:00.19) as did West Torrance's Megan Gonzalez (5:01.43).  The battle for the 3200-meter title is up for grabs. West Ranch Alexis Fernandez will come back from the 1600 meters (5:00.22 best two weeks ago) and step in the 3200 with the top time of the year (10:53.00) in the field.  Agoura's Georgia McCorkle stepped up with a 10:58.14 several weeks ago.  Dana Hills' Allura Markow has run 11:00.86 while do not overlook Canyon's Isabella Frisone who came up big in the 2019 postseason in qualifying for the California State Meet as a freshman with a lifetime best of 10:37.65.  She posted a 36-second seasonal PR for 2021 in qualifying last weekend.    

With Arisa Matsuzaki of Peninsula not competing, Culver City's Ayahna Bahati and Edison's Megan Swartz stepped in to become the favorites for the 100-Hurdle battle. Bahati crossed with a new personal wind-legal best of 15.40 with her Edison counterpart doing the same in 15.63.  Peninsula's Hannah Turkel was the only other girl to eclipse the 16-second threshold in 15.68.  For the 300 Hurdles, Moorpark's Ava Ball stepped up with a lifetime best of 45.79 to move her up to ninth in the Southern Section. Jasmyn Lewis also advanced with her top time (46.28) of the season as did Northwood's Katelyn Muniz (46.54), Ventura's Donnea Prehn (46.62), and Edison's Melinda Tarvin (46.79). 

As with the boys of Thousand Oaks, JW North looks to begin and end the meet with relay victories.  They are heavily favored to do so as they own the top times in California for both events!  Their 46.91 moved up to the top of the state lead while they remain the only squad to break 3:50 for the longer relay.  Calabasas (47.73) and Golden Valley (47.76) are also two of the best in the Southern Section. Calabasas is coming in off their 3:57.29 seasonal best last weekend while Golden Valley looks to improve upon their 3:58.81, run at Arcadia last month.  

Golden Valley seeks major points in the jumps, starting with the high jump. Meagan Humphries and Kylee Davis are two of the three that have elevated up over the 5-6 bar this season.  But, Moorpark's Quynh Gedney has also gone over 5-6, albeit it was in 2020. Gedney was a State Meet qualifier in 2019 and with three others clearing 5-3 last weekend in qualifying, this is the most competitive of the four divisions for the high jump. In the pole vault, Peninsula's Gabrielle Pack is second in the Southern Section at 13-5 and the overwhelming favorite.  She was third at the 2019 Division 2 final.  Dana Hills' Avery Karner has gone over 11-6 while Ventura's Julia Di Silvestri and Kayla Tassara of West Torrance have lifetimes bests of 11-4.

In the horizontal jumps, Golden Valley's Kylee Davis has measured out to 19-0 (nwi) and the favorite to capture the long jump. But, Emily Psarras of Mission Viejo and Mater Dei freshman Madison Forbes impressed with the top two qualifying marks last week. Forbes measured out to a two-foot PR in bounding to a 38-9 to lead the way in qualifying in the triple jump.  Mission Viejo's Jada Gatlin came up with another 37+ foot performance while Ventura's Di Silvestri is also favored to contend for the title.  Glendora's Kennedy Johnson still boasts the top wind-legal mark of the field at 37-2.  

Mission Viejo's Sara Pettinger is favored to capture both throwing events as she is third in California for the Shot Put (44-3) and fifth in the Discus (155-10).  Jaelyn Lee of Thousand Oaks is the only other girl in the Discus to go over 120-feet this season with a best of 127-2.  Lauren Preston of Mission Viejo continues to improve as evidenced by her 116-7 lifetime best last weekend.  One of the sure bets here, Pettinger's best is over five feet as Silverado's Isis Snowden gets into the ring with a 38-8.  Hueneme's Natalie Chairez also advanced, bringing along her 38-3 effort from the Ventura County Championships.