From Paige Sommers' national standard in the pole vault to Mia Barnett's unparalleled season in the distances to the amazing versatility of the likes of Elise Miller, Lauren Fowler, Asjah Atkinson, and Jade McDonald, the Girls MileSplitCA All-State Track and Field team for 2021 is stocked full of record-setters, history-makers, and champions.
What makes the accomplishments of these girls even more amazing is that the 2020 season was mostly lost to the Coronavirus pandemic and the 2021 season was an inconsistent mess statewide. In some sections, athletes were able to have a season full of opportunities, while others were met with severe limitations.
Four of the state's 10 CIF sections did not sanction a post-season and only four offered an actual dual-gender no-division championship (Central, Central Coast, Oakland, San Diego). The Southern Section held separate division championships and Los Angeles City split its section finals by gender on different days. San Diego went to a three-division format for the first time, all at separate venues, but in the 11th hour added a sanctioned "Open" masters meet the weekend after divisionals.
We haven't had a CIF-State Track and Field Championship meet since May of 2019.
Enterprising coaches and meet directors scrambled to fill voids with the likes of the Sundown Track Series (Meets 1-3); Dublin Social Distance Fiesta (Nos. 1-3); MOC Distance Classic (canceled but quickly resurrected); a rare CA-only Arcadia Invitational (but without spectators), and post-season events like the NorCal Championships and the unsanctioned California State Championships. Athletes in search of competition found non-CIF open meets throughout the spring and also traveled to states like Arizona, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington.
By whatever means necessary, it seemed, athletes found a way to get out there and compete. And when they did, WOW, what a result!
Congratulations to all of the girls listed below for being selected to the MileSplitCA All-State Track and Field Team.
Ultimately, this is a subjective team. Among the criteria considered: Overall U.S. ranking, CA-leading marks, depth and consistency of resume, gold-standard performance at a major championship and/or invitational, and first-team selection on one of the MileSplitCA All-State teams by class.
We limited the first team to 22 athletes and tried to represent each event. We could have expanded it to 25, but whatever the number, the final choices are never easy. We had to cut it off somewhere, so we settled on 22.
The exceptional depth of some events put limitations on achieving the objective of representing each event. As a result, we felt compelled to add an Honorable Mention listing of athletes whose marks warranted inclusion. All athletes who earned first-team recognition on the All-State Senior team are guaranteed mention here.
Be sure to check out the All-State teams by class, easily located by clicking the "CA 2021 Track and Field Season In Review" link above.
Girls MileSplitCA All-State Track and Field Team
FIRST TEAM
(Athletes are listed alphabetically by event group)
Name | School | Grade | Event | Comment |
Crescenta Valley (SS) | SR | Distance | U.S. No. 1 - 1600m/3200m; CA No. 1 - 800m/Mile; CA No. 3 all-time (1600m), No. 4 all-time (3200m); No. 25 all-time (800m) | |
Chino (SS) | JR | 800m | CA No. 2, U.S. No. 22; Winner - Arcadia, CIF-SS D-2, CA State Champs | |
Saugus (SS) | JR | Distance | CA No. 4 combo 1600m/3200m CIF-SS Division 1 champion - 3200m | |
Mira Costa (SS) | JR | Distance | CA No. 2 combo 800m/1600m; CA No. 3 combo 1600m/3200m | |
Clovis North (CS) | JR | Distance | CA No. 5 - 1600m; CIF-CS Masters winner - 1600m | |
Albany (NC) | JR | Distance | CA No. 2 combo 1600m/3200m; CA No. 2 - 3200m; Three times swept 16/32 at Dublin | |
Mayfield (SS) | SR | Distance | CA No. 3 combo 800m/1600m; CA No. 2, U.S. No. 22 -1600m; CA State Champs winner - 1600m | |
Buchanan (CS) | SO | Distance | U.S. No. 6 (1600m) and No. 7 (3200m) in 2023 class; CA No. 5 overall (3200m); CA No. 5 - 1600m/3200m combo | |
Cathedral Catholic (SD) | SO | Hurdles | CA No. 3 combo hurdler; U.S. No. 7 - 300mH in 2023 class; CIF-SDS Open champion - 300mH | |
Scripps Ranch (SD) | JR | Hurdles | CA No. 1 combo hurdler; U.S. No. 6 - 100mH, No. 8 - 300mH in 2022 class | |
St. Anthony (SS) | SR | 100mH/LJ | CA No. 6 - 100mH; CA No. 1(wl) - LJ; CIF-SS Division 4 champion - 100mH, 300mH, LJ | |
Buchanan (SS) | SR | 100m/200m/LJ | CA No. 2 - 100m; CA No. 3 - 200m; CA No. 3(wl) - LJ; CIF-CS Champion - 100m/200m | |
Long Beach Poly (SS) | SR | Hurdles/Jumps | CA No. 2 combo LJ/TJ; CA No. 2 - 100mH; CA No. 7 - 300mH; CIF-SS D-1 champion - 100mH, TJ | |
San Pasqual (SD) | SR | 100mH/LJ/TJ | CA No. 1 combo LJ/TJ; U.S. No. 4 - TJ; CA No. 4 LJ, No. 4 - 100mH; SDS TJ record (42-3.5), CA No. 14 all-time; CIF-SDS D-1 winner - LJ, TJ, 100mH | |
Rancho Bernardo (SD) | SR | Pole Vault | U.S. No. 3 - PV; CA No. 2 all-time (14-6); SDS record; CIF-SDS D-1 champion | |
Del Norte (SD) | JR | Pole Vault | CA No. 3, U.S. No. 8 (tie), CA No. 5 all-time (14-0) | |
Westlake (SS) | SR | Pole Vault | Set national pole vault record (14-9); six meets at 14 feet or higher; 14 wins including Arcadia, Ventura Co. Champs, CIF-SS D-1, CA State Champs | |
Clovis North (CS) | JR | Sprints | CIF-CS Masters and CA State Champs winner - 400m; CA No. 2(ac) - 200m | |
Long Beach Wilson (SS) | SO | Sprints | CA No. 1 combo 200m/400m; CA No. 1, U.S. No. 20, U.S. No. 3 in 2023 class - 400m | |
J.W. North (SS) | JR | Sprints | CA No. 1 - 200m; CA No. 3 - 100m; CIF-SS D-2 champion - 100m and 200m | |
Madison (SD) | SR | Sprints | CA State Champs, SDS Open and SDS D-3 champion - 100m and 200m | |
Liberty (CS) | SR | Throws | U.S. No. 1 discus throw, No. 12 shot put; Discus champion CIF-CS Masters, CA State Champs, Outdoor Nationals |
HONORABLE MENTION
Brandy Atuatasi (West Hills/SD/SR) - Throws
Alyssa Bean (Poway/SD/JR) - Sprints
Riley Chamberlain (Del Oro/SJ/JR) - Distance
Kaho Cichon (Fountain Valley/SS/JR) - Distance
Kylee Davis (Golden Valley/SS/JR) - Jumps
Maia Garcia (Pinewood/CC/SR) - High Jump
Idara Ibekwe (J.W. North/SS/SR) - Sprints
Charlize James (San Diego/SD/JR) - Hurdles
Sydney Johnson (Whitney/SJ/SR) - Hurdles/Jumps
Luci Lambert (Sacred Heart Prep/CC/SR) - Distance
Ellaney Matarese (La Canada/SS/SR) - Distance
Sam McDonnell (Newbury Park/SS/JR) - Distance
Arielle McKenzie (La Canada/SS/FR) - Distance
Samarra Monrroy (Millikan/SS/JR) - Sprints
Aspin Oliver (Vacaville/SJ/SR) - Sprints/Hurdles
Feyi Olukanni (Clovis East/CS/JR) - Throws
Sara Pettinger (Mission Viejo/SS/SR) - Throws
Kennedi Porter (Etiwanda/SS/SR) - Sprints
Reign Redmond (Carson/LA/SO) - Sprints
Bella Rigby (Liberty/CS/SR) - Throws
Daniela Ruelas (Arroyo Grande/CS/JR) - Hurdles
Summer Stevenson (Great Oak/SS/JR) - Triple Jump
Sydnie Vanek (Clovis/CS/SO) - Sprints/Jumps
Stormy Wallace (Sage Creek/SD/JR) - Distance
Banner photos by Jeffrey Parenti, Ryan Blystone, DeAnna Turner, Josh Barber.