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Setting one record in a championship meet is rare--two is a flood. How about four?
Although the divisional championships were split into three different sites Saturday, both the Division I title meet at Del Norte and the Division II championship at Mt. Carmel posted a pair of section records.
The even better news is the section will be having an Open Championship next Saturday bringing together all three divisions at University City High.
An extremely new and very old record tumbled in the Division I meet which featured the section's largest schools.
DIVISION I
San Pasqual's Elise Miller has been aiming for the section triple jump record of 41-8.5 that Spring Valley Mt. Miguel's Jackie Anderson set 34 years ago. On her final attempt after equaling her best of 41-1, Miller gathered herself, followed a coaches' advice and let fly. She came down 42-feet, 3.5-inches later, rushed back to see the measurement for herself and celebrated.
"My coach told me to wait for the wind to calm down and when it did, I jumped quickly before it could pick up (the wind was 0.0)," said the Stanford-bound Miller, explaining that any wind over 2.0 meters-per-second is too strong for record consideration. "I felt fast and I knew it was pretty good. I looked over the shoulder of the official as they measured it. That's a weight off my shoulders because I've been trying to get that record ever since the start of the year. Whew."
That mark was the coup-de-gras for Miller who ended up winning four events, clocking a PR in the 100-meter hurdles at 14.15 seconds, and posting another section yearly best in the long jump at 19-4 ¼, before winning the high jump at 5-4.
That came after Rancho Bernardo senior Ashley Callahan and Del Norte junior Allison Leigh put on a clinic in the pole vault. Callahan reacted to Leigh regaining the section record by clearing 14-foot first, topping that mark on her next vault, pushing the bar to 14-3, and then sailing over 14-6. Callahan had set the section record of 13-9 in the Palomar League finals two weeks ago.
"I knew I could clear 14 after she did it even though my warmups and first few vaults were the worst ever," said Callahan, who is headed to San Diego State in the fall. "I felt really good at 14-3 and 14-6. I changed poles for 14-6 and then went on another pole for 14-9 ¼. I was pretty tired by then."
Callahan said she'd go to the pole vault competition in Menifee Saturday to go head-to-head with Westlake's Paige Sommers, who set the national record she was chasing at 14-9. The 14-6 is No. 2 in the state and No. 3 in the nation.
"This is a real confidence-builder," said Callahan who got mobbed by her pole vaulting buddies each time she cleared a record height. Leigh wasn't disappointed--far from it. "I live for the competition and she's that good," said Leigh. "When I cleared 14- feet I didn't think it would be enough to win. I'll get 14-9 next year."
DIVISION II
Although this division did not have the depth of Division I, it also produced a pair of all-time San Diego Section bests--one absolutely expected but another that came as a bit of a surprise.
La Costa Canyon's Garrett Brown, who cleared 17-1 in the pole vault in a dual meet and 17-0 ¾ in Arizona, popped over 17-2 and took three tries at 17-4. He came into the meet leading the state by almost a whole foot.
Scripps Ranch's Aaliyah McCormick took the state lead in both hurdles races in the Western League championships two weeks and Saturday proved that was no mistake as she roared to victory in the 100-meter hurdles at 13.85 with a legal 1.2 wind behind her. That moved the 13.86 by Cathedral Catholic's Dani Johnson in 2015 to No. 2 on the all-time list. McCormick came back to win the 300 hurdles in 42.77, the junior's first venture under 43 seconds.
DIVISION III
The smallest schools produced some big marks, just not section records. Sage Creek's Bryce Gilmore swept the 3200 in 9:11.50 and the 1600 in 4:18.60, barely beating Francis Parker's Kenan Pala (9:11.97) to the wire in the longer race.
Madison's Chris Jackson swept the sprints, clocking a time of 11.71 in the 100 and 21.90 in the metric furlong.
Madison's Aysha Shaheed also captured both girls sprints in 11.71 and 24.30.
Two other quality marks were a 55.86 in the 400 by Bishops' Madeline Cramer and a 5:03.92/10:52.49 distance double by Sage Creek's Stormy Wallace.