California high school track and field standouts Angela Schykerynec, Bryce Thomas, and Y'Vette Harris each won individual events over the weekend at the Simplot Games indoor meet in Pocatello, Idaho.
California sprint champion Rodrick Pleasant opened his track and field season with a runner-up finish in the 60-meter dash.
Schykerynec, a Cal-bound senior at Orland (NS) High, led a strong showing by girls from the Golden State Throwers club out of Herald.
Thomas, a senior at Moreau Catholic (NC), competing for CATC out of Oakland, won the 400-meter competition in 48.80.
Harris of Lincoln (SJ) in Stockton competing for iFast, continued her strong winter which a week ago saw her win both the 60-meter hurdles and the "indoor" pentathlon at the CA Winter Championships.
High school athletes representing at least 10 California-based clubs made the trip to compete at Holt Arena on the campus of Idaho State University.
Other California clubs included Academy of Speed (Brea), Axis Athletics (West Hills), Long Beach Blazin Bruins, SC Elite (Los Angeles/Gardena), Southern California Elite (Altadena), Triple-Valley Flyers (Antioch), and 8 Lane Performance (Menifee).
Schykerynec had a weight throw best of 61-08.50 for the win in Pocatello. Teammates Ronan Gallagher (a junior at Folsom/SJ), second with a best of 47-03.50, and Jean Ikenaga (a senior at Benicia/NC), third at 46-07.50, giving Golden State Throwers a top-of-the-podium sweep.
Thomas is the North Coast Section champion in both the 200m and 400m, who went to State in both and placed ninth in the 400m final. In Idaho, running in Heat 1, Thomas he was 0.17 seconds faster than Fuad Omer, who won Heat 3, with Elijah Lamothe -- a junior at Heritage/SS competing for 8 Lane Performance -- third in the heat (49.58) and fourth overall.
Harris, who ran 8.57 to win the CA Winter Championships 60m hurdles title, went 8.69 indoors at Simplot to beat Jaiya Fletcher (SC Elite/Serra (SS) HS), who ran 8.85 for second, and Giovana Pelascini (Axis/Trinity Pacific Christian), who timed 9.09 for fourth. It was Harris and Pelascini who went head-to-head in the pentathlon at the Winter Champs two years in a row, with each taking a title.
Pleasant, a senior at Serra (SS), who won the CIF-State 100m and 200m titles last spring and also broke the long-held CA record in the 100m, is also a highly ranked football player who recently signed with the University of Oregon.
In the 60m final, junior Gatlin Bair (Kimberly HS, Idaho) who ran an event-best 6.84 in prelims, won the event with a big 6.69-second PR. Pleasant, competing for SC Elite, placed second in 6.80. Jaelon Barbarin of Simi Valley competing for SC Elite, was fifth in the fast heat and eighth overall in 6.96.
Among other standout performances by California preps, Hendrix Mitchell, a junior at Muir (SS) competing for Southern California Elite/Altadena, placed sixth in the 200m (22.64), and Adonyss Currie, of SC Elite, was eighth (23.09).
Golden State Throwers represented well in the boys weight throw, taking four of the top eight spots with Pleasant Grove (SJ) juniors Jacob Lozano, third (63-6), and Luke Stuckey, sixth (53-2), leading the way. Joseph Garcia (sophomore at Cosumnes Oaks/SJ) splaced eventh (50-3), and Landon Beckman (junior at Folsom/SJ) was eighth (48-6).
In the girls sprints, SC Elite - primarily made up of athletes from Serra (SS), the defending CIF-State team champion - dominated the leaderboard. Oregon-bound senior Brazil Neal placed fifth in the 60m dash (7.66) and sixth in the 200m (25.01). She is the returning CIF-State 200m champion and 100m runner-up.
In that short sprint, Adonijah Currie (senior at Quartz Hill/SS) was sixth (7.68), Jayla Cigar-Dingle (junior at St. Mary's/SS) was seventh (7.69), Mia Flowers (junior at Serra) was eighth (7.71).
Kymara Brodie of Oak Park (SS) competing for Axis placed ninth (7.75) in the 60m dash.
Cigar-Dingle was third in the 200m (24.50).
Also, Morgan Quinn, a junior transfer at Thousand Oaks (SS) competing for Axis, placed fifth in the 400m (59.15), and Poway (SD) junior Tessa Buswell, competing unattached, placed fifth in the 1600m (5:09.73).
CA-based clubs dominated the shorter relays. Among boys relays, SC Elite and Axis went 1-2 in the 4x200m, Axis and Long Beach Blazin Bruins went 1-2 in the 4x400. In girls competition, Blazin Bruins and Axis went 1-4 in the 1600m SMR, SC Elite, Blazin Bruins went 1-2 in the 4x2 and in the 4x4.
