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A true indoor track and field experience is not available in California. So, if CA high school athletes want that experience, they must travel to places like New Mexico, Washington, Idaho, Chicago, New York, and Boston. CA athletes have done just that this winter, culminating in roughly 100 athletes traveling this past weekend for national indoor meets in Boston and New York.
We've already documented all-time CA performances by Hanne Thomsen and Sadie Engelhardt at the New Balance National Indoor meet in Boston. Here's a roundup of other top performances to California prep track and field athletes at both the New Balance event and the Nike Indoor Nationals in New York.
Leaving his mark on the Armory in NYC, Serra (SS) senior Rodrick Pleasant won the 200-meter dash in 21.41 (photo above) and placed fourth in the 60m dash (6.82). Pleasant is the CA state record-holder in the 100m (10.14) and the University of Oregon football signee is the returning CIF-State Meet champion in both the 100m and 200m.
Pleasant, competing for the Southern California Elite TC, joined Quartz Hill (SS) sophomore Adonyss Currie, Simi Valley (SS) senior Jaelon Barbarin, and St. Pius X-St. Matthias (SS) senior Jordan Shaw to run 1:28.54 to win the 4x200-meter relay "all-star" team division.
NIKE in NEW YORK
Angela Schykerynec, a Cal-bound senior from Orland (NS) and the national indoor leader in the weight throw, won that event here with a best of 57-10.25 to win by almost a full foot ahead of the rest of the field.
The boys quartet of Landon Pretre, Aiden Deffner, William Hauser and Justin Pretre from the Menlo School (CC) running as the Menlo iGreyhounds, placed second in the 4xMile in 17:36.76, just six seconds behind New York's Monroe-Woodbury (a result that ranks No. 4 all-time in NY).
Castaic (SS) junior Meagan Humphries (social handle: msjumphries), the state winter leader in the high jump (5-10.25), placed tied for second in that event (5-7), and she tied for third in the long jump (19-06.75).
The girls quartet of St. Mary's (SS) junior Jayla Cigar-Dingle, Quartz Hill (SS) senior Adonijah Currie, Serra (SS) junior Jaiya Fletcher, and Serra senior teammate Sienna Claiborne, representing Southern California Elite, won the "all-star" division of the 4x200-meter relay in 1:40.90.
In the championship division the SCE team from Serra (SS) HS of seniors Brazil Neal, Sadia Green and Zakiyah Wilson, and junior Mia Flowers, placed fifth in 1:41.93.
Lincoln-Stockton (SJ) senior Ethan Fong placed fourth in the triple jump (44-05.50), and Garryn Forde of Woodbridge (SS) was fifth in the girls freshman long jump (16-03.25).
In the girls racewalk, Talia Green of College Prep (OK) led a deep field to win the 1-mile event at 7:14.05. Only a junior, Green has a chance to defend her title next season. Farrah Wengler (NY) 7:54.87 and Samantha Benson-Tyler (NY) 7:55.36 were the only others under the 8-minute mark.
Earlier in the meet, Monte Vista (NC) senior Cate Peters ran 56.39 in a 400 meters prelim, missing qualifying into the final by 0.12 seconds.
NEW BALANCE in BOSTON
The boys 5,000-meter run was among the marquee events of the entire meet with two of the country's best distance runners taking the line. To little surprise, the strong field pushed Tyrone Gorze (Crater Lake, OR) to a national record time of 13:56.82. Junior Daniel Simmons (American Fork, UT) was second in 13:59.96 and Newbury Park (SS) senior Lex Young was third in 14:00.64. Edward Cheserek (Nework, NJ) had set the indoor 5K record of 13:57.04 in 2012 and was the only boy previously to run under 14:06.
In the girls indoor pentathlon, Trinty Pacific Christian senior
Giovana Pelascini placed fifth with 3,270 points. Lincoln-Stockton (SJ) senior
Yvette Harris, the CA Winter Championships winner, was 13th in the 17-athlete field with 3147 points.
Here's a look at a few others:
Westlake (SS) junior Grace Geyer was second in the Girls Rising Stars 2-mile in 11:08.17).
Newbury Park (SS) senior Aaron Sahlman placed 12th in the Boys Varsity 800m in 1:53.63. Panthers classmate Brayden Seymour placed 12th in the 2-mile in 9:00.44, and their teammate Micah Dickran placed sixth in the Boys Freshman 1-mile in 4:27.12. Palo Alto (CC) junior Grant Morgenfeld was 19th in the 2-mile in 9:06.73.
La Canada (SS) sophomore Maya de Brouwer placed seventh in the 5K in 17:15.67. Junior Legend Moore of St. Mary's (SJ) was fifth in the high jump as one of five over the bar at 6-7.
