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ARCADIA -- Granada Hills Charter was a team on a mission, and boy did they deliver.
From winning the 4x100 relay in a record-equaling 40.28 seconds at the start the meet to going 1-2 in the 200-meter dash, the Highlanders promptly stamped themselves as one of the teams to watch looking ahead to the CIF-State Championships in late May.
With Dijon Stanley and Jordan Coleman leading the way, Granada Hills Charter won the 200, 400 and short relay with a promise of more to come in the 4x400 relay which the Highlanders did not run. One thing is certain, Granada Hills Charter figures to make a big splash.
Stanley winning the 400 in a state-best 45.92 came as a surprise to no one. But Coleman capturing the 200 in a personal best 21.01 over state leader Stanley (21.27 in second) was a bit of a shocker-even to Coleman.
"I was amazed, I didn't expect to win," said Coleman. "It was a complete shock but it also shows what hard work can accomplish. It's really special to represent the (Los Angeles) City Section. Today was a fast day for me because I also got a PR in the 100 (10.36).
"'One more race' is what I thought and in the 200, I ran the turn hard. Once I got in front I wanted to stay there. I had the mentality of running and winning. We (he and Stanley) talked before the race and we said, 'let's go 1-2.' We wanted to show the other states that California is fast."
As for Stanley, this time he wasn't able to close on his teammate but was one of the first to congratulate him. Bad feelings? Not this group.
All you had to do was watch the 4x100 relay to see the Highlanders have worked hard on their baton exchanges and unity.
Coleman got out at the start and Stanley opened a huge gap-so big Kayne Martin and Jayden Smith were able to hold, if not add to the advantage, over the likes of rival Serra (SS), which finished second in 41.85, and Phoenix Arizona's Desert Vista, which placed third in 41.96.
The 40.28 equaled Pasadena Muir's winning time in 1997 and is second nationally behind IMG Academy's 40.11.
"We've dropped our time from 41 to 40, so now we want to go from 40 to 39," said Stanley, who looked unbeatable winning the 400 in 45.92-No. 2 in meet history behind Michael Norman's 45.51 in 2016-in what was billed as a showdown between him and Helix (SD) senior Adren Parker.
Stanley roared away from Parker and the effort by Parker to stay close resulted in him fading to sixth as Jacob Andrews of Sehome High in Bellingham, WA., was the closest at the finish line, finishing second in 46.30.
The boys short sprints fell short of expectation when California 100-meter record-holder Rodrick Pleasant of Serra (SS) was among the scratches in both the 100m and 200m.
On the girls' side, Lake Oswego's Mia Brahe-Pedersen was unbeatable as she swept the 100 by .4 seconds in 11.17 and the 200 in 23.01.
The 11.17 was another meet record, bettering the 11.32 by Chino's Angela Williams set in 1998.
Culver City's Joelle Trepagnier showed her early-season 400 marks were just the start as she pulled away in the final 60 meters to win in 53.56, the No. 4 time in the nation and a big drop in her previous PR of 54.29.
She trailed La Jolla's Payton Smith until the final 100 meters where she inched ahead and then accelerated some more to pull away from Smith, who ran her own PR of 54.12.
"This was amazing-(Smith) is insanely fast," said Trepagnier, only a sophomore. "I was a little tired but I had to push through."
She has a new coach who wasn't bad herself -- Lashina Demus -- the all-time state 300-meter hurdler record-holder at 39.98.
Speaking of the hurdles, state boys 110-meter leader Davis Davis-Lyric of Upland (SS) dipped under 14 seconds to easily win in 13.85, leaving Leland (CC) senior Miles Roberts (14.11) in his wake. His previous yearly best was 14.16.
"I wanted to get to 13.5 but I'm OK, it's still a PR," said the soft-spoken, 6-foot-2 Davis-Lyric. "I've worked on my start and I'm trying to get off the hurdle faster. That's how I'll get to 13.5."
In the longer race, Santa Margarita's Roman Mendoza, who came into race with a state best 37.91, clocked a 37.39 to nip Trevor Gough of Utah's Snow Canyon, who ran 37.60.
On the girls' side Saira Prince of Arizona's Williams Field completed her sweep when she stunned California 300-meter hurdle state champ Kapiolani Coleman of Cathedral Catholic (SD), roaring to a 41.24, the No. 3 time in the nation. Coleman was the first Golden State finisher in fourth at 42.62.
In the short hurdles, Prince ran 13.58, No. 6 in the nation.
Carson of the Los Angeles Section proved to be superior in the girls' 4x100 relay when it ran 45.51 to edge St. Louis' Cardinal Ritter College Prep, which was right behind at 45.89. Carson's time is a .23-second improvement, No. 1 in the state and No. 4 in the nation.
That Colts quartet was Christina Gray, TaAhjah Fann, Kaitlyn E. Williams and Reign Redmond.
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Steve Brand is a freelance writer and a regular contributor to MileSplit
Photos by Raymond Tran