CIF-STATE PRELIMS RECAP - Sprints - 100m, 200, 400m

BOYS 100 Meters

State 100-meter record-holder Rodrick Pleasant was not challenged in his heat but did not match his 10.14 jaw-dropper from last week. The Serra (SS) junior cruised in at 10.38 (2.1) well ahead of heat runner-up Evan Johnson, a senior at Stevenson (CC), who crossed in 10.54. 

No, not only did Pleasant not improve on his record run, but he wasn't even the fastest qualifier across the four heats. That title goes to Long Beach Jordan (SS) sophomore Jordan Washington, who dropped a 10.31 (3.2) 0.06 PR to win Heat 2 with Servite (SS) senior Max Thomas giving chase at 10.43 and Long Beach Poly (SS) senior Jaelen Knox riding the wave to a qualifying time of 10.53. 

Clovis (CS) senior Nathan Johnson won his heat in 10.428 (2.4) and Central (CS) senior Cameron Tarver also was a heat winner in 10.56 (0.9). Heat winners and the next fastest five times qualified for Saturday's finals. 

Grabbing that ninth spot was Pinole Valley (NC) senior Cornell Davis (10.59/0.9). 

On the outside looking in is state freshman record-holder Devin Bragg of Los Alamitos (SS), whose 10.61 (10.608) in the heat won by Tarver fell less than 0.02 short. 

BOYS 200 Meters

Pleasant, also the state leader in the 200m with a best of 20.40, was the only boy to run under 21 seconds across four heats. His 20.83 (1.5) time earned him Lane 5 for Saturday's final. 

Jordan's Washington ran 21.14 (2.9) to win his heat, with Central (CS) senior Jeremiah Walker winning his heat in 21.21 (1.6), and Poly's Knox winning his heat in 21.45 (1.0). 

Those grabbing the final five spots into the final were Dorsey (LA) senior Mykale Mundy (21.17/2.9), Central's Tarver (21.33/1.5), Granada Hills (LA) junior Dijon Stanley (21.35/1.6), Marshall (SS) senior Logan Davis  (21.45/1.6), and Clovis North (CS) junior Nickolas Miller (21.45/2.9). 

Stevenson's Johnson (21.53/1.5), Central junior Imari Conley (21.54/1.6), and St. John Bosco (SS) senior Jaden Smith (21.57/1.0) were among those who did not advance. 

BOYS 400 Meters

The top boys quarter-miler in the state last year showed he is not quite ready to give up that title. Central (CS) senior Jeremiah Walker ran 46.81, dipping under 47 seconds for the first time, and it took everything he had to hold off Helix (SD) senior Adren Parker, whose 46.82 for second was still good enough for a San Diego Section record!

State leader Chris Goode, a senior at West Ranch (SS), won his heat in a modest (for him) 47.58, and state No. 2, Dijon Stanley, the junior from Granada Hills Charter (LA), won his heat inf 47.34. Those were the state's only two sub-47 guys over the last two seasons until Walker joined them on a Friday night when he ran in two sprints and on two relays, all four qualifying for Saturday's finals as Central takes a run at a State Meet team title. 

Also moving on here are Upland (SS) senior Christopher Coats (47.36), Marshall's Davis (47.56), Otay Ranch (SD) senior Haydn Brotschi (48.12), Moreau Catholic (NC) junior Bryce Thomas (48.23), and Villanova Prep (SS) senior Liam Gair (48.46). 

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GIRLS 100 Meters

Carson junior Reign Redmond set a Los Angeles City Section record with her 11.45 (1.7) 0.30-second victory in the first of three heats. That time eclipsed the previous state-leading time of 11.55 set by Serra (SS) junior Jordan Washington, who ran a modest 11.75 (1.7) for second in that heat. 

Washington's junior classmate at Serra, Brazil Neal (pictured above) dropped an 11.69 (3.8) PR despite getting edged at the line by Golden Valley junior Ta'Ahjah Fann's 11.67 PR. 

Fann reaching the 100m final nine for Saturday's championship is a huge boost to Golden Valley's bid for a team title. 

Others qualifying for a spot in the finals are Scripps Ranch (SD) senior Aaliyah McCormick (11.77/1.7 to win her heat), Harvard Westlake (SS) junior Alyssa Thompson (11.76/3.8), St. Mary's (SJ) senior Cameron Fields (11.80/1.7), Santa Catalina (CC) junior Juliette Kosmont (11.92/1.7), and Redondo Union (SS) senior Eve Divinity. 

GIRLS 200 Meters

It was Redmond again, winning Heat 3 in 23.851 to edge Neal (23.853) for the fastest times heading into the finals. It was a huge season-best for Redmond, whose previous SB was 24.15 (2.6). Neal will also be joined in this field by her teammate Washington, who won her heat in 23.94 (2.7). 

State leader Adonijah Currie won her heat in 24.02 (3.2) and Clovis North (CS) senior Takiya Cenci cruised in second behind Washington in Heat 2 at 24.01. 

Other qualifiers into Saturday night's final: Poway (SD) senior Alyssa Bean (24.36/3.2), Divinity (24.36/2.7), Long Beach Wilson junior Aujane Luckey (24.66/2.0), and Fairfield (SJ) senior Mikelia Strong (24.67/2.7).

GIRLS 400 Meters

Cenci, the state leader here by a long shot, was unchallenged while cruising in at 53.72. No one else went under 55 and the final two qualifiers crossed in 56. 

Luckey, who ranks third in the state in this event, won her heat in 55.09, and Bean won her heat in 55.48. 

Glendora (SS) senior Maya Shinnick ran the third-fastest time, riding Cenci's wave in at 55.33. 

Other qualifiers are San Clemente (SS) senior Caroline Hawkes (55.48), a pair from Culver City (SS) in sophomore Morgan Maddox (55.56) and freshman Joelle Trepagnier (56.11), Wilson (SS) senior Samarra Monrroy (55.95), and Harker (CC) sophomore Anjali Yella (56.31). 

Monrroy, the TCU commit, was second in this event as a freshman in 2019 competing for Long Beach Millikan. Yella, the runner-up at the CCS Final, dropped a 0.48-second PR here. 

Among those falling short was Mountain View (CC) freshman Hannah Rutherford, who also competed in the 200m, Fairfield's Strong, and Carlsbad (SD) freshman Makenna Herbst, who missed the ninth spot by 0.08.