TASTY RACE Frosh Leads Deep Boys 100m Field at CIF-SS Finals

TASTY RACE

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With only nine spots available for the CIF-Southern Section Masters Meet in the laned races, there were going to be some very disappointed super-fast athletes after the CIF-SS all-division championship meet last Saturday at Moorpark HS. 

The boys 100 meters, in particular, left a lot of speed on the outside looking in. Five boys ran under the State Meet at-large standard of 10.68 but will not get the opportunity to qualify for those championships this week. (The at-large standards only apply for marks set at the section qualifying meet for State, which in the 560-school Southern Section, is this Saturday's Masters Meet back on the fast track at Moorpark.) 

That brings us to this week's Tasty Race offering, the CIF-SS Division 1 boys 100-meter dash race, which saw a freshman lead four qualifiers into Masters and two others faster than the at-larger standard but nonetheless unable to move on.

No other division ran as deep as did the field in Division 1, where Los Alamitos freshman Devin Bragg (center in photo) timed his lean at the line perfectly to get the win in 10.35. That's .20 under the freshman state record however the race was aided by a 3.6 meters-per-second wind, 1.6 over the allowable for record purposes. 

Regardless, Bragg got the win on the lean with Long Beach Poly senior Jaelen Knox second in 10.39, Santa Ana Foothill senior Austin Overn third in 10.45, and Tesoro senior Dominic Gates next; in 10.49.

None of the other three division races qualified four to Masters, and had six run under 10.68. That includes:

- D-4, which saw Serra junior Rodrick Pleasant run 10.16 (2.7), the second-fastest all-conditions time in state history;

- D-3 with Servite senior Max Thomas running 10.35 (2.8) to beat Chaminade senior Patrick Ize-Iyamu (10.38) and St. John Bosco senior Rayshon Luke (10.60);

- D-2 where super Long Beach Jordan soph Jordan Washington went 10.37 (3.3) to beat Simi Valley junior Jaelon Barbarin (10.57) and Buena senior William Boyd (10.60). 

That's 14 under the State at-large standard and, unless there are scratches, five athletes unable to continue in the straight sprint, including Luke, who was fifth as a freshman at the last State Meet in 2019 and this year ran 10.32 wind-legal at Mt. SAC, the No. 12 fastest time in CA history.

But it took a 10.49 at division finals to advance and Luke's 10.60 simply wasn't fast enough on a super-fast Saturday at Moorpark. 

The first sprint race in the MileSplit database for Bragg this outdoor season is an 11.60 at the Long Beach Poly Jackrabbit Invitational on Feb. 26. Thomas was the fastest that day at 10.71 with Knox second in 10.78. Bragg's PR before Saturday: 10.63 from league prelims on April 26. 

What may come on May 21st for this rapidly improving freshman? 

CIF-SS Division 1 Boys 100-Meter Dash Top 6

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