2022 OUTDOOR SEASON IN REVIEW
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Reign Redmond won two medals including gold in the 100 meters, Dijon Stanley placed third in the 400-meter final, and nearly 30 non-senior athletes from the Los Angeles City Section participated in the 102nd CIF-State Track and Field Championships.
Redmond, a junior at Carson, was at her best during the two-day event at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis, running a state-best 11.45 (1.7) in the prelims and following that with a 11.56 (3.3) effort to win the title.
She set a LAC record with her time in the 100m prelims and in the final became the first LAC girl to win the State 100m title in 37 years (Tesha Giddens, Locke, 1985).
She also anchored the Carson 4x100-meter relay team to 46.95 in qualifying and 46.93 for fourth place in the final.
During Friday's Prelims, Redmond capped off her marquee-stealing day with a LAC-best time of 23.86 (2.0). Unfortunately, she had to scratch from the final following her 100-meter title run.
Stanley, a junior at Granda Hills Charter who won four gold medals at the LAC Section Finals, reached the State Meet finals in the 200m, 400m, and 4x100m relay.
Although he was not able to match the magic he had at the LAC Final in the 400m when he ran a then state-leading time of 46.94, he qualified third at 47.34 and earned a third-place medal, running 47.510 in a race where the top three were decided by 0.02 seconds.
Stanley placed eighth in the 200m final, running 21.56 (2.4). Dorsey senior Mykale Mundy, who ran section-leading all-conditions times in the prelims of 10.61 (3.2) in the 100 meters and 21.17 (2.9) in the 200, missed the final in the straight sprint but qualified third in the 200 and placed seventh in the final (21.54/2.4).
With Stanley's help, the GHC 4x1 relay was third in qualifying at 41.46 (just off its section-best 41.34 from the LAC Final) and 42.04 for seventh place in the final.
Two other athletes who qualified on Friday for a Saturday final were Carson junior Mi'ah Molette in the shot put and Carson senior Simone Terry in the long jump.
Molette, the section leader threw, 39-1.25 for the 12th and last spot in the final - by 1.50 inches - and went 34-3 for 12th in the final.
Terry was the 12th and final qualifier in the long jump with a best of 18-3.75 (1.2), and improved on that to 18-5.25 (0.1) - a 
LAC-best for wind-legal jumps - placing 11th in the final. She also competed in the triple jump, going 36-9 (1.1) for 14th in qualifying.
Carson's girls 4x4 relay team, drawing from a pool of juniors and sophomores, ran a section-leading time of 3:57.26 but missed a top-9 spot in the final by one place and 1.07 seconds.
The Los Angeles City section had athletes from 19 schools who recorded marks at the State Meet and the bulk of those athletes will have a chance to return in 2023 and beyond.
Yes, the LAC is stocked with depth, especially in the Class of 2023 led by Redmond and Stanley.
Here's a look at the other non-seniors from the LA City Section who recorded a mark at the 102nd CIF-State Meet:
Boys
(*-Section-Leading Mark)
100m - Jordan Coleman (Granada Hills Charter/So.) 10.99 (2.4)
400m - Jaden Rattay (Lincoln/Jr.) 48.88 (11th, missed top-9 finals spot by 0.42); Jayden Smith (GHC/Jr.) 49.88.
800m - Isaac Torres (El Camino Real/Jr.) 1:55.83*; Francisco Rodriguez (Franklin, Jr.) 1:58.88.
1600m - Daniel Ruiz (San Pedro/Jr.) 4:21.78; Adrian Sverlow-Men (San Pedro/Jr.) 4:22.48
3200m Final (no prelims for this event) - Max Fields (Palisades/So.) 9:23.56*.
110m hurdles - Jamurian Broussard (Carson/Jr) 15.69
300m hurdles - Broussard 41.96
Triple jump - Abraham Metzger (North Hollywood/Jr.) 41-05.75.
Shot put - Zaire Peters (Palisades Charter/Jr.) 44-7.25.
Girls
(*-Section-Leading Mark)
100m - Samira Stevenson (Carson/Jr.) 12.07 (1.7); Sahara Wray (Carson/Jr.) 12.42 (1.7)
200m - Stevenson 25.19 (2.0); Simone Bart-Plange (GHC/Jr.) 25.33 (2.7).
400m - Isabella Vally (GHC/Jr.) 58.44 (she ran a 57.70 section-best for LAC title); Brooklyn Harris (Hamilton/Fr.) 59.62; Bart-Plange 59.96.
800m - Ava Baak (Palisades/Jr.) 2:24.10.
1600m - Gabriela Nascimento (New West Charter/So.) 5:31.42.
100m hurdles - Sandra Melendez (Chatsworth/Jr.) 16.65* (1.2); Naomi-Alyssa Pippins (Palisades/Jr.) 16.84; Mia Jamerson (Carson/Jr.) 17.62
300m hurdles - Jamerson 46.29; Anise Becker (Carson/So.) 46.52; Jaya Westby (Carson/So.) 46.54.
Long jump - Kylah Hyatt (Carson/Jr.) 17-2.25 (1.0).
Triple jump - Sophia Loren Lampano (Marshall/Fr.) 31-10 (1.7).
Shot put - Lauryn Williams (Carson/So.) 38-10.50.
And finally, a salute to a few of the seniors who earned the trip to State.
GHC distance standout Sofia Abrego was among the few athletes across CA who competed in the last State Meet, pre-COVID, in 2019 as a freshmen who made it back as seniors. She qualified for the prelims in two individual events and ran section-best times in both the 800m (2:17.92), and the 1600m (5:05.69).
Venice senior James Jimenez ran a section-leading time of 4:21.54 in his 1600m prelim race.
Eagle Rock senior Keely Miyamoto, who ran a section-best 11:25.14 for 3200m at the LAC Final, took the line in the Saturday final at State, running 11:49.10.
The 3200m is the only event at the State Meet that doesn't conduct a Friday prelim. LAC boys in the 8-lap Saturday final along with Fields were San Pedro's Luis Sandoval (9:41.42) and Palisades Charter's Jose Sevilla (9:56.53).
Other seniors who qualified for State Prelims: James Thurmand (Chatsworth, 100m), Kejuan Bullard (San Pedro, 200m), Findlay Robertson (Marshall, 400m), Burrell Adams (San Pedro, 110mH), Jaylen Durham (Hamilton, 110mH), Joshua Patapoff (San Pedro, 300mH), Arlis Boardingham (Birmingham Charter, LJ), Deonte Chappell (Birmingham Charter, LJ), Timothy Jackson (Birmingham Charter, TJ), Eduardo Lopez (Birmingham Charter, SP), Mar'Agen Fowler (Hamilton, SP); Dulce Gonzalez (Canoga Park, 800m and 1600m), Janessa Morse (GHC, TJ), Stephonie White (Panorama, SP).
LOS ANGELES SECTION ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
BOYS
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Sprints/Hurdles
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Dijon Stanley - Granada Hills Charter, Jr.
One of the state's top quarter-milers, Stanley qualified for the State final in both the 200m and 400m. He placed third in the 400m final in photo finish. He also ran on the 4x100-meter relay team that reached the State final. At the LAC Section Championships, Stanley won four golds (200m, 400m, 4x1, and 4x4) and ran a CA No. 1-tying 400m time of 46.94 (currently CA No. 4).
Distances
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Max Fields - Palisades Charter, So.
Fields won the LAC title in the 3200-meter run in a time of 9:39.66. He followed that up by running an LAC-leading mark of 9:23.56 at the State Meet. That time ranks CA No. 12 in the sophomore class.
Jumps
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Jeremy Gamble - Granada Hills Charter, Jr.
This versatile jumper won the LAC title in the triple jump (42-2), placed second in the high jump (6-0), and fourth in the long jump (20-5). For the season, his high jump PR of 6-4 led the section, he ranked second in the triple jump (43-9) and third in the long jump (21-11.50).
Throws
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Mar'Agen Fowler - Hamilton, Sr.
Fowler is the top combo-thrower in the section and a two-time LAC shot put champion. He went over 50 feet for the first time in the shot with his section title-winning 50-9.50 effort at the section final. He also led the section in the discus throw with a PR of 120-3 from the Tiger Invite.
GIRLS
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Sprints/Hurdles
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Reign Redmond - Carson, Jr.
Redmond swept the sprints at the LAC Finals and looked on her way to duplicating that at the State Meet before an injury forced her to scratch out of the 200m final. Regardless, her star was bright at State where she ran a LAC-record time of 11.45 in the 100m during the prelims and then became the first girl from the LA Section to win a State Meet title in the 100m in 37 years. Her 23.86 (2.0) in prelims was also a section-best and the top qualifying time into the finals. Her 100m time ranks CA No. 1 overall and U.S. No. 7 in the junior class. Her 200m time ranks CA No. 7 all conditions (No. 3 wind-legal) and U.S. No. 11 in the class (wind-legal).
Distances
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Sofia Abrego - Granada Hills Charter, Sr.
She won LAC titles in the 800m and 1600m and placed second in the 3200m. She followed that up at the State Meet by running season-best and LAC-leading times of 2:17.92 for 800m, and 5:05.69 for 1600m.
Jumps
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Simone Terry - Carson, Sr.
After winning the LAC titles in both the long jump (17-10.50) and triple jump (36-0), she got even better at the State Meet. There, she had her best two long jump marks of the season, 18-3.75 to qualify for the final, and 18-5.25 in the championship. She also jumped a PR of 36-9 in the triple jump at State qualifying.
Throws
Two-time LAC champion in the shot put who reached the State Meet final. She threw her PR of 41-5 at league finals, went 39-2.50 at LAC finals, and 39-1.25 at State Prelims to earn one of the 12 spots in the finals.
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Photos by DeAnna Turner, Stacy Soriano, Daniel Hernandez, and Pat Rhames.