Los Angeles City Section Finals
Finals at El Camino College, Torrance
Field events at 1 p.m., track events at 3:30 p.m.
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Two of the greatest athletes in the storied history of Los Angeles City Section will do it one more time when Reign Redmond of Carson and Dijon Stanley of Granada Hills Charter take the line at the CIF-LAC Section Finals on Thursday at El Camino College in Torrance.
Redmond, a University of Georgia signee, multi-time LAC sprint champion, and the reigning CIF-State champion in the 100 meters, is the favorite in both short sprints and one not to miss on anchor in the 4x100-meter relay as she leads a deep Carson squad with eyes on a eighth consecutive team title.
Stanley, also a football standout heading to the University of Utah, and one of the fastest long sprinters in state history, leads a strong GHC team looking for a second consecutive LAC team title.
Stanley's 400-meter PR of 45.92 from Arcadia leads the state and ranks as the 12th best performer in CA history. At Mt. SAC, he teammed with Jordan Coleman, Kanye Martin, and Jayden Smith on the 4x100-meter relay to drop a stunnng 40.28 time that ranks No. 3 in state history. And, oh by the way, his 20.86 for 200m ranks tied for No. 3 in the state.
Stanley placed third at the State Meet Finals last year in the 400m, running 47.51, eighth in the 200m (21.56), and the 4x1 placed seventh (42.04).
The aforementioned Coleman is not to be overlooked. He put his super fast self on the map at Arcadia, running 10.36 (1.7) and 21.01 (1.0) in the short sprints. Those times rank CA No. 4 and No. 6 respectively.
Could these two threaten the longheld LAC standards set in the 1980s by legends Danny Everett of Farifax and Quincy Watts of Taft? Stanley is getting close to Everett's 1985 metric quarter of 45.76, and both GHC athletes aren't far off the Watts 1987 short sprint benchmarks of 10.30 and 20.50.
While those marks won't be needed here on Thursday, they most likely will in order to win a State Meet title on Memorial Day weekend in Clovis. However, meet records in the 4x1 (40.74), 400m (46.08), and 100m (10.36) would have good reason to be looking over their shoulders.
Redmond is a two-time LAC Section champion in both the 100m and 200m. This year she leads the state in the 100m at 11.45 from Mt. SAC, where she also helped the 4x100m relay team to a CA No. 1 time of 45.28. She's also gone 23.86 for 200m. That was at the State Prelims last May. She hasn't run faster than 24.95 this year.
As with the boys, meet records in the 4x1 (45.42) and 100m (11.68) could be in jeopardy.
Redmond will have plenty of help in pursuit of a team title. Returning top finishers in the sprints include Samira Stevenson, and Kaitlyn E. Williams, along with newcomers in freshman Christina Gray and Golden Valley (SS) transfer Ta'Ahjah Fann.
Mia Jamerson, the returning champion in both hurdles, is back in the 100mH event as well as both horizontal jumps. And Mi'ah Molette, 12th in the shot put at State last year, and Lauryn Williams, went 1-2 in that event here last May.
Carson junior Eva Walker is the top qualifier in the 800m (2:19.77).
Other girls to watch include Isabella Vally of Granada Hills, who won the 400m and placed fourth in the 200 here last year. Her teammate Simone Bart-Plange was runner-up to Redmond in the 200m and placed third in the 400 behind Valley and Hamilton returner Brooklyn Harris.
Along with Vally and Bart-Plange, GHC will try to counter Carson's sprints with their deep distance program led by senior Jocelyn Pacheco and freshman Samantha Pacheco.
Sandra Melendez of Chatsworth and Jaya Westby of Carson will challenge in the 100mH.
Returning boys to watch include returning 800m champion Isaac Torres (El Camino Real), returning 1600m champion Adrian Sverlow-Mendoza (San Pedro), and returning 3200m champion Max Fields (Palisades). GHC's Uzoma Meremikwu is the returning champion in the high jump. Venice sophomore Paul Tranquilla figures in the 1600m medals mix, as does Verdogo Hills senior Jesus Murillo, the top qualifier in the 800m.
Lincoln's Jaden Rattay placed second in the 400m between GHC's Stanley and Smith and figures to be in the medals mix in the sprints.
Franklin's Francisco Rodriguez was third in the 800m, and San Pedro's Daniel Ruiz was the 1600m runner-up behind his teammate.