DIVISION 3
At Estancia HS, Costa Mesa
Field events at 11. Track events at noon.
BOYS
SPRINTS
It should come as no surprise that Servite junior Max Thomas is the top qualifier in both the 100m and 200m. Thomas has bests of 10.58 and 21.37 which rank Nos. 4 and 1 in CA, respectively, for wind-legal marks. Cathedral senior Steven Marks (10.69) looms as the top challenger but Thomas, at his best, should make it an easy 1-2 sweep. His teammate, sophomore Alex Skalmowski, looks to score in both 100m/200m, as part of Servite's point accumulation. While versatile St. John Bosco junior Camryn O'Bannon ran the top 400m qualifying time at prelims, it's junior teammate Jaden Smith who comes in with the division's fastest time (48.96). Smith and O'Bannon (who has a best of 48.98) are looking for a 1-2 finish and 18 big points. Three others in this field have gone sub-50: South Pasadena senior Ferrel Mansano (49.60), Monrovia senior Joshua Morinaga (49.68), and Marshall junior Logan Davis (49.86). Mansano, Smith and Davis also qualified in the 200m. Keep an eye on Cathedral junior William Mullins (50.05).
DISTANCES
The top distance runner in the division, and one of the best in the state, Pasadena junior Isaiah Givens opted not to compete. Givens has the division's top time in the 800, 1600 and 3200. With him out of the mix, the field is open for a trio of South Pasadena seniors to collect big points. Andrew Parkinson (1:58.91) and Patrick Latting (1:59.20) had two of the three top qualifying times in the 800m from prelims and Andrew Villapudua had the top qualifying time in both the 1600 (4:16.81) and 3200 (9:22.14). Latting (1:56.16) and top prelims qualifier, Cathedral senior Bryce Granillo (1:56.22 season-best), have the top two 800m times coming in. Despite Villapudua's performances last week, it's Laguna Beach senior Mateo Bianchi who is the boy to beat in the 1600 and 3200. He has season bests of 4:11.82 and 9/11.49. St. John Bosco's JT McCoy, another senior out front in the distances in this division, has gone 9:18.85 for eight laps. Keep an eye on Palos Verdes freshman Alex Naehu, whose 2:00.05 season-best from prelims ranks No. 2 in the state in the class of 2024.
HURDLES
Two of the state's best take the line in the 110m hurdles in seniors Anthony Taylor of Cathedral and Xayvion Perkins of Chaminade. Perkins has a wind-legal best of 14.41. Taylor, who missed a good part of the season with an injury, has gone 14.61. Taylor ran his PR of 14.08 at the CIF-State Meet prelims in 2019 as a sophomore and placed sixth in the State Meet final (14.13w). St. Francis junior Dario Rock has a 110mH PR of 14.59 (2.1). Perkins hit PRs in both hurdles races at league finals on May 28, going 14.30 (1.4) in the 110s and 38.34 in the 300s. Brea Olinda senior Peyton Kilheffer had the top 300m hurdles qualifying time (38.98) and has a PR of 38.54 (CA No. 9). Notre Dame senior Austin Driscoll advanced in both and has PRs of 14.44 and 38.30.
RELAYS
Servite, Cathedral, Lompoc and Harvard Westlake are the top four qualifiers in the 4x100m relay. Servite held off Lompoc in one heat at prelims and Cathedral edged Harvard Westlake in another heat at prelims with the difference between the four half a second. When it's rolling with Skalmoski and Thomas, Servite, with a CA No. 10-best 42.15, would be hard to beat here. St. John Bosco, second in its qualifying head to Esperanza, has a season-best of 42.53, second in the division. The 4x400m relay, it's a similar story with Servite, Cathedral, Harvard Westlake, and SJB with the fastest times out of prelims. But here, if fully stocked and healthy, it should be Cathedral's to win, coming in with a season-best 3:19.66 from Arcadia (CA No. 3). SJB ranks second in the division at 3:24.27.
JUMPS/POLE VAULT
St. Francis junior Leland Lieberg has a high jump best of 6-9 (CA No. 2) and figures to be alone at the end of the competition potentially challenging the bar, or higher. It's the horizontal jumps where individual competition should be at its best. SJB junior Camryn O'Bannon ranks fifth in the state in both the long jump (23-5) and triple jump (46-9w). Harvard Westlake junior Jason Thompson ranks fourth in CA in the triple jump (47-2) and is one of only four 47-plus triple jumpers in CA so far this spring. A pair of juniors, Jason Plumb of Corona del Mar, and Jaden Smith of St. John Bosco, both look to eclipse the 23-foot mark in the long jump. Sonora senior Ian Jones had the top qualifying mark in the triple jump (45-10 PR/tied for CA No. 9). South Pasadena senior Dominic Ramos is the only 14-foot pole vaulter in this group. Daniel Chung, a senior at Artesia, has a best of 13-6 and Luke Riley, a senior at Harvard Westlake, has gone 13-0.
THROWS
South Pasadena junior Nikolas Iwankiw's 57-11 shot put at prelims ranks CA No. 5. He also had the top qualifying throw in the discus (158-6.50). Notre Dame senior Sulaymen Adeoye as a PR discus throw of 165-4 from Arcadia. His teammate, Quincy Smith, who had a season-best 158-6, fouled his three attempts at prelims and only advance advanced in the shot where he has a best fo 49-3.25. Harvard Westlake sophomore Jesse Goldman is one to keep an eye on as the youngest in the division to advance in both throws. He has PRs of 154-8 and 49-6.75. Esperanza senior Adrian Moreno PRd in both throws at prelims 143-3.50 and 54-1.75.
--Jeffrey Parenti
GIRLS
SPRINTS
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame junior Ava McCumber Gandara popped at prelims with top qualifying times in both the 200m (25.02) and 400 (56.74). Challengers in the 200m figure to come from Corona del Mar junior Caroline Glessing, Notre Dame senior Dior Asamota, and Palos Verdes junior Anna Terrell (No. 2 qualifier in the 400m, 57.69). Harvard Westlake junior Lauryn Milburn had the top qualifying time in the 100m (12.21/1.7), followed by Glessing (12.30/1.7) and Oak Park sophomore Kymara Brodie (12.31/2.4).
DISTANCE
La Canada has the top three qualifiers in the 800m in senior Ellaney Matarese, and freshmen Arielle McKenzie and Katelyn Matarese. The older Matarese sister has gone 2:11.04 and will be hard to beat by her teammates or a strong group of other challengers to include UCLA-bound senior Siena Palicke of Yorba Linda, Santa Margarita senior McKenna Bradley, JSerra freshman Georgia Jeanneret, and Harvard Westlake junior Daniela Quintero, all who have run 2:15.08 or faster. Jeanneret is the division leader for 1600m (4:56.04) but McKenzie clocked the only sub-5 at prelims (4:59.14). Keep an eye on SMU-bound senior Kendall Saeger of Santa Margarita (4:59.71 SB/4:59.31 PR). Saeger, who has also go 10:55.16 for 3200m, is the No. 3 qualifier in the eight-lapper behind South Pasadena senior Lindsay Michels and Sonora junior Elizabeth Stetina. Michels, with a best of 10:36.40, will be tough to beat.
HURDLES
Monrovia junior Madeleine Conte is the one to beat in the 300m hurdles and had the No. 2 qualifying time in the 100m hurdles. At prelims, Conte ran her season-best in the 300mH of 44.23, which ranks CA No. 11. North Torrance senior Amira Hawkins topped the athletes at prelims in the 100s, going 14.81 (2.0). She has a PR of 14.56 (CA No. 11). Keep an eye on multi-talented Harvard Westlake junior Adrienne Usher, who qualified in both, as did Oak Park freshman Sydney Reese. Usher, a multis standout, has a 100mH PR of 14.91w and a 300mH best of 47.84. Santa Margarita sophomore Lidia Major, the No. 2 qualifier in the 300s, has a PR of 46.11.
RELAYS
Notre Dame, which includes McCumber Gandara and Asamota, has the top qualifying time of 49.29 and a season-best of 48.34 in the 4x100m relay. South Pasadena (49.37) and Oak Park (49.38) were the next fastest teams in qualifying. La Canada (4:02.73), Notre Dame (4:02.98) and JSerra (4:03.48) were the heat winners at prelims. JSerra comes in with the fastest time in the division at 4:00.08.
JUMPS/POLE VAULT
The aforementioned Adrienne Usher is the division leader in the high jump (5-3.50) and was the top qualifier in the long jump (17-10). Orange Lutheran senior Carter Bruning is the only other high jumper in the group to go above 5-0. Mayfair junior Chelsea Aninyei qualified in the high jump and is the top qualifier in the triple jump. JSerra sophomore Hanna Barmettler qualified in both the high and long. Harvard Westlake freshman Anna Jennings is the No. 2 qualifier in the long and in the triple. She has wind-legal bests of 18-0 and 36-0.50. South Pasadena freshman Lyla Keller is the division leader in the long jump (18-2). Harvard Westlake sophomore Jessica Thompson qualified in both triple jump and pole vault (where she has a section-best mark of 11-9). Santa Margarita senior Nathalie Barnes also moved on in the triple (34-9 PR) and pole vault (11-6 PR).
THROWS
Notre Dame junior Hope Gordon is the state leader in the shot put (45-8) and also qualified in the discus throw with a PR of 132-7 but she wasn't the top qualifier in either event. That title goes to Corona del Mar senior Ariana Novela in the discus (137-3) and Orange Lutheran junior Rebel Tuinuknafe in the shot (41-5). Gordon's teammate, April Fontenette, a sophomore, moved on in both throws (she has PR of 137-7 and 42-3).