FUTURE STARS
Three girls - two freshmen and a sophomore - won CIF-State event titles - from left: Sadie Engelhardt (1600m), Jathiyah Muhammad (pole vault), and Hanne Thomsen (3200m). (Photos by DeAnna Turner)
* * *
For those who have followed our future stars series throughout the 2022 outdoor season, the athletes in the classes of 2024 and 2025 who showed out at the 102nd CIF-State Track and Field Championships last weekend should be quite familiar.
There were 24 girls in the freshman and sophomore classes who advanced to Saturday's finals at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis. Those 24 were in 28 events. Fewer boys reached the season's ultimate day with eight frosh/soph stars competing in 11 events.
Among the girls, three won State Meet titles: Ventura (SS) sophomore Sadie Engelhardt in the 1600 meters, Dublin (NC) sophomore Jathiyah Muhammad in the pole vault, and Montgomery (NC) freshman Hanne Thomsen in the 3200m (she also won a State cross country division title in the fall!).
Engelhardt, in the 800m, was among three girls who placed second in their events. The others were Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (SS) freshman Aja Johnson in the shot put, and Golden Valley (SS) sophomore Meagan Humphries, who tied for second in the high jump.
In all, 14 girls in these two classes won 16 medals (by placing among the top six) in individual events. Engelhardt and Vista Murrieta (SS) sophomore Alyssa Alumbres were the only girls in these classes to win two individual event medals.
Long Beach Jordan (SS) sophomore Jordan Washington placed second in the 100-meter dash and fourth in the 200m. He was the only boy among the finalists from these two classes to win two medals. In fact, only one other boy from these classes placed among the top six: Millikan (SS) sophomore Jason Parra (at right in photo), who placed sixth in the 3200m
Here's an athlete breakdown of the Future Stars who competed in the State Track and Field Championship-day finals, with CA and U.S. class rankings notes from the MileSplit database:
GIRLS
Alyssa Alumbres (Vista Murrieta/SS/So.) - She won two medals at State, placing fifth in the long jump (19-5.50/2.4) and sixth in the triple jump (38-2.25/0.8). Alumbres season-best marks from the Southern Section meets rank U.S. No. 2 in the class (wind-legal) for the long jump, and U.S. No. 4 in the class (wind-legal) in the triple.
Kaitlyn Arciaga (Westview/SD/Fr.) - She ranks U.S. No. 6 in the class for 800 meters from her performance at Arcadia, and placed eighth at State (2:15.56).
Ashlyn Boothby (Scotts Valley/CC/So.) - She moved to U.S. No. 13 in the class for 1600 meters with her 11th-place performance at State, running 4:51.90.
Tessa Buswell (Poway/SD/So.) - She ranks U.S. No. 7 in the class for 800m from her performance at Arcadia, and placed sixth at State in 2:13.75.
Sierra Cornett (Buchanan/CS/Fr.) - Moved to U.S. No. 4 in the class for 1600m and CA No. 12 overall with her 4:48.80 seventh-place performance at State.
London Davis (Upland/SS/So.) - Her 14.00 (1.7) at State Prelims ranks tied for CA No. 4 overall. She ran 14.99 (0.7) for ninth in the final.
Iliana Downing (Ła Costa Canyon/SD/So) - She ranks CA No. 3 in the class for her performance at section prelims. At State, she cleared 12-5 for eighth place.
Kaylin Edwards (Wilson/SS/Fr.) - She ranks U.S. No. 5 in the class for 300m hurdles and CA No. 7 overall following her fourth-place 43.16 performance.
Sadie Engelhardt (Ventura/SS/Fr). - The national overall leader and state record-holder for 1600m claimed the CIF-State title, winning the fastest race in history in 4:36.67. She also ranks U.S. No. 5 overall for 800m, where she placed second in 2:09.64.
Aspen Fears (Vista Murrieta/SS/So.) - She ranks U.S. No. 3 in the class in the pole vault from her performance at Southern Section Masters, placed ninth at State (12-5).
Payton Godsey (Oaks Christian/SS/So.) - Ranks U.S. No. 2 in the class for 3200m from Arcadia, she placed fifth at State in 10:25.31.
Meagan Humphries (Golden Valley/SS/So.) - She was a finalist in two jumps, placing tied for second in the high jump (5-6) and ninth in the long jump (18-6.75/3.0). Nationally she ranks fourth in the long jump and fifth in the high jump in the class from previous performances.
Aja Johnson (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame/SS/Fr.) - The national shot put leader in the class from her performance at Masters, placed second at State (42-5.50).
Giselle Kirchner (Rocklin/SJ/So.) - U.S. No. 6 in the class (wind-legal) in the 100m hurdles from her performance at SJS Masters, she placed fourth at State in 14.15 (0.7).
Gioana Lopizzo (La Costa Canyon/SD/So.) - U.S. No. 8 in the class in the 3200m for her performance at the SDS Finals, she medaled at State placing sixth in 10:30.93.
Morgan Maddox (Culver City/SS/So.) - U.S. No. 11 in the 400m for her time at SS Masters, she placed sixth at State in 55.85.
Arielle McKenzie (La Canada/SS/So.) - U.S. No. 6 in the class for 800m for her performance at Redono Track Festival, she placed ninth at State in 2:15.66.
Jathiyah Muhammad (Dublin/NC/So.) - Tied for CA No. 1 overall, U.S. No. 5 overall and U.S. No. 1 in the class in the pole vault for her 14-foot performance at NCS Finals, she won the CIF-State title on fewer misses with a clearance of 13-9.
Tatum Olesen (Menlo-Atherton/CC/So.) - Ran her 800m PR of 2:12.05 in State Prelims to earn one of the 12 spots in the final, where she placed seventh in 2:15.23.
Juliana Roberson (Whitney/SJ/So.) - Hit her PR of 39-5.50 (1.5) in State Prelims (U.S. No. 6 in the class, wind-legal), and placed eighth in the final with a best of 37-10 (2.7).
Hanne Thomsen (Montgomery/NC/Fr.) - U.S. No. 2 in the class at U.S. No. 8 overall for 3200m following her 10:06.89 PR to win the CIF-State title.
Mia Torrecillas (Highland/CS/So.) - Competed in two finals at State, placing 12th in the 1600m (5:00.00), and 16th in 3200m (10:51.83).
Joelle Trepagnier (Culver CitySS/Fr) - U.S. No. 8 in the class for 400m from her performance at SS Masters, she placed seventh at State, running 56.03.
Anjali Yella (Harker/CC) - Ran her 400m PR of 56.31 at State Prelims to earn a spot on the line for the final, where she placed ninth in 56.94.
BOYS
* * *
Brandon Cheeks (Mission Bay/SD/So.) - Qualified in three events and reached the finals in two of them, placing 10th in triple jump (43-9.25/2.7), and 12th in the long jump (21-7.50 (2.4). Cheeks ranks U.S. No. 2 in the long jump (wind-legal), and U.S. No. 4 (wind-legal) in the triple jump from performances at the San Diego Section meets.
Max Fields (Palisades Charter/LA/So) - LA City boys cross country runner of the year is also the LAC's 3200m champion, competing in the State Final, placing 22nd in 9:23.56.
McKay Madsen (Clovis North/CS/Fr.) - He reached the finals in both weight throws. He ranks second nationally in the class in the discus throw, where he placed ninth (180-10), and is the No. 3 returner for 2023 from this event, and he ranks U.S. No. 4 in the class in the shot put, where he placed eighth (57-9), and is the No. 2 returner for 2023.
Grant Morgenfeld (Palo Alto/CC/So.) - He ranks U.S. No. 19 in the class for 3200 from his run at Arcadia. At State, he placed 16th in 9:10.64.
Khaliq Muhammad (Dublin/NC/Fr.) - The national leader in the class placed 10th at State in the pole vault (14-7), and is the No. 3 returner fro 2023 from this event.
Jason Parra (Millikan/Ss/So.) - National leader in the class from his 3200m performance at Arcadia placed sixth in the eight-lap event in 9:01.66 and is the No. 2 returner from that race.
Carter Spradling (Clovis East/CS/So.) - He ranks U.S. No. 3 in the class from his 3200m performance at the APU Meet of Champions Distance Classic, and placed 10th at State in that event in 9:05.10.
Jordan Washington (LB Jordan/SS/So.) - The national wind-legal 100-meter leader in the class, placed second in the State Final, running 10.44 (2.5). He also placed fourth in the 200m (21.38/2.4), and ranks U.S. No. 4 in the class for 200m. Washington was the only sophomore to make either of the finals in the short sprints.
Photos by DeAnna Turner, Daniel Hernandez, and Pat Rhames
FUTURE STARS
Three girls - two freshmen and a sophomore - won CIF-State event titles - from left: Sadie Engelhardt (1600m), Jathiyah Muhammad (pole vault), and Hanne Thomsen (3200m). (Photos by DeAnna Turner)
* * *