Sac-Joaquin Section Masters
at Davis Senior HS
Friday - Field at 2 p.m., track at 3:20 p.m. | Saturday - Field at 1:15 p.m., track at 4:45 p.m.
Friday Trials and Finals will be held in the following field events: Boys Pole Vault, Girls High Jump, Boys Discus, Boys Triple Jump, Girls Shot Put, and Girls Triple jump
Advancement to the CIF-State Finals May 26-27 at Buchanan HS: Top three (3) placers in each final qualify (top 2 in the 4x800m relay). The fourth-place finisher will be the SJS alternate. Individuals and relay teams not among the auto qualifiers may also advance by hitting or bettering the State Meet at-large standards.
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Top-30 Rankings after Division Meet Merge
DAVIS -- The strongest event heading into the two-day CIF-Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Track and Field Championships at Davis Senior High School is unquestionably the girls hurdles.
In this category, there are three returning State Meet medalists who will go head-to-head-to-head in both the 100-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles this weekend, and very likely next week as well at the CIF-State Championships at Buchanan High in Clovis.
Lincoln-Stockton senior Y'Vette Harris has state-leading times in both hurdles races, is the defending 300m hurdles champion here, and medaled in both events at the State Meet last year, placing second in the 100s (14.12/0.7) and fifth in the 300s (43.19). The University of Central Florida recruit has CA-best times of 13.83 (0.6) in the 100s, and 42.15 in the 300s.
Christian Brothers senior Keilee Hall is right behind Harris on the state list, especially in the 300s where she was runner-up here last year and ranks CA No. 2 now at 42.15 (from their storied race at the Sacramento Meet of Champions). A year ago, Hall medaled with a sixth-place finish at State (43.57). Her 14.17 (0.9) best for 100mH ranks CA No. 9.
Rocklin junior Giselle Kirchner is the defending SJS champion in the 100m hurdles and went on to place fourth at State last year (14.15/0.7). She ranks seventh in the state this year in the 100s with a best of 14.13 (1.2) from last week's SJS Division 1 finals. She has a best of 44.10 in the 300s.
Last week, Harris won the Division 1 title in both events, running 13.96 (1.2) in 100mH and 43.17 for the 300mH. Kirchner was second in D-1 in the 300m (44.10, the No. 2 qualifying time), and third in the 100mH (14.13).
Also last week, Hall swept the D-3 titles running 14.44 (0.3) and 44.11.
Oh, and by the way, St. Mary's senior Kori Fields was the D-1 runner-up for 100mH in 14.12. That time ranks tied for CA No. 5. Fields just missed the State finals in the 100mH last May.
And, Turlock senior Ella Spaulding has a PR of 43.63 from the Oregon Relays and just won the D-3. 300mH title.
As you can see, the SJS serves as a nice warm-up for the State Meet in the girls hurdles.
Here's a an event-group look at other top athletes to watch at this weekend's CIF-SJS Masters.
BOYS
Distance
Hughson senior Joe Lighthall is the defending SJS champion for 800 meters who placed seventh at the State Meet last May (1:55.28). He has the No. 2 qualifying time of 1:56.06 after winning the Division 45 title. Oakdale senior Caleb Cavanaugh ran a 1:55.67 PR at D-3 prelims. Lighthall's best of 1:51.95 from the Sacramento Meet of Champions ranks CA No. 9.
Jesuit senior Brandon Moreno is the returning 1600m champion and the top qualifier here after going 4:16.62 to win the D-1 title. He placed sixth at the State Meet last May (4:12.58). Davis senior Ryan Mitchell, runner-up here last year, ran at State Prelims last spring. Mitchell went 4:17.71 at the D-1 final. Moreno has a best of 4:10.28.
The four-lapper will be one to watch with D-3 champion Julian Doak of Placer (4:17.07), Whitney senior Callum Turner (4:17.31), and Ponderosa junior Josh Chu (4:17.38) among the top qualifiers.
Rocklin senior Devin Pereira brings a 9:20.19 qualifying time from the D-1 meet to the line in the 3200m. St. Mary's senior Jacob Moffett (9:21.59) and Ponderosa's Chu (9:23.47) are the other top qualifiers. Chu went 9:00.35 at Arcadia.
Sprints/Hurdles
Ah'Marion Ashley (Edison), runner-up here last year, was a State Meet qualifier in the 100m, but comes into SJS Masters with only the No. 15th fastest qualifying time (11.00/-0.6) from the D-2 finals. Franklin-Elk Grove senior Ian Dossman swept the D-1 titles in the short sprints at 10.53 (1.8) and 21.42 (1.1), the top entry times here.
Pitman senior Joey Stout has the top qualifying time in the 400m, winning the D-2 title in 47.99. Whitney's John Dailey, the defending SJS Masters champion, won D-1 in 48.81, the No. 4 qualifying time, and Vanden's Brayden Chavez won D-3 with the No. 3 qualifying time of 48.55. Both Dailey and Chavez ran at State last year. Laguna Creek senior Malachi Bean-Seay was the runner-up in D-2 at 48.03, the No. 2 qualifying time.
Merrill West junior Cameron Williams was a State qualifier in the 110m hurdles last spring as was Pleasant Grove senior Stephen Dahdouh in the 300m hurdles. Those two figure to battle in both races with Cosumnes Oaks junior Myles McFarland challenging for the title in the 110mH, Merced junior Donovan Marshall in the mix in the 300s, and Lathrop junior Adonis Siga looking for high medals placing in both. Williams has gone 38.62 for 300m. Dahdouh has bests of 13.98 (2.4) and 38.80. McFarlan went 14.07 (2.4) for second in D-1 behind Dahdouh.
Field Events
Lodi senior Maceo McDowell is the returning champion in the long jump (23-10/-0.2) ana has the top qualifing mark here after winning the D-1 title at 2207.25 (0.0). He went on to place sixth at the State Meet last May (23-4.75/3.8).
Lincoln-Stockton senior Ethan Fong is the state all-conditions leader in the triple jump with a PR of 48-0. He has the top qualifying mark here after winning the D-1 title (46-3.50/1.1) and the No. 2 mark in the long jump (22-4-1.0).
Fong was a State Meet qualifier in the triple jump last spring after placing third at SJS. As was Turlock junior Max McFarlane in the pole vault (after placing second at SJS). McFarlane ranks CA No. 2 with his D-2 winning pole vault of 16-5. He also has the No. 5 mark in the triple jump (43-9.50/0.4).
St. Mary's junior Legend Moore ranks tied for CA No. 2 with a season-best high jump clearance of 6-8. He placed third in SJS last year. He won the D-1 title with a clearance of 6-5, as did Hilmar senior Derek Taylor in D-4/5, also at 6-5.
Turlock senior Phoenix Nunez-Bradshaw swept the throws in D-2. His 173-7 winning best in the discus is the top qualifying mark here and his 51-1 in the shot is the No. 3 qualifier behind Argonaut junior Jake Todden (53-4) and Oak Ridge junior Tyler Lange (51-9).
GIRLS
Sprints
Kennedy senior Marlee Cavitt was a State qualifier in the 100m dash after placing third at the SJS Masters. She has the No. 2 qualifying mark after last week's divisionals at 11.88 (0.5) behind only Tracy senior Ciella Seals, who ran 11.87 (2.3) in the D-1 meet.
Aforementioned St. Mary's senior Kori Fields is the returning SJS champion in the 200m. She is the No. 2 qualifier with a time of 24.61 (1.2) from the D-1 Finals, behind only Chavez sophomore Briyanna Word, who went 24.56 (-0.4) at the D-2 meet.
East Union senior Taylor Snaer, runner-up in the 400m here last year, has dropped the quarter to focus on the shorter sprints. She has the No. 6 qualifying mark in both events.
Christian Brothers' Hall, third in the 400m here last year (and took the line at State qualifying) has the No. 2 entry time here at 56.46, behind only Franklin-Elk Grove junior Ihe Okoh (56.29) from the D-1 divisional.
Distances
Whitney senior Katie Kopec was third here last year in the 3200m and went on to run at the State Finals where she is among the top eight returners from that race. She has the top qualifying time in the 3200m (10:56.64), and the No. 2 entry time for 1600m (4:59.26) after sweeping both titles at the D-1 Finals. Ripon senior Annie Wild, the D-4/5 champion, has the No. 1 qualifying time in the 1600m at 4:58.70. Kopec has a best of 10:30.48 for 3200m.
McClatchy senior Anna McNatt, the former cross country State Meet champion since felled by injury, won the 3200-meter title in Division 2 with the No. 2 qualifying time of 10:59.86.
Elk Grove senior Lilly Escorcia has the top 800-meter qualifying time (2:15.15) from divisionals, followed by St. Francis junior Kayla Towne (2:16.50). Rio Americano junior Summer Doyle, who was third as a sophomore last year and ran at State, has the No. 9 qualifying time at 2:18.31.
Field Events
Weston Ranch senior Galadriel Mellion is among the state's elite in the throws. She is the returning champion in both events and went on to reach the finals in both at State. There, she placed sixth in the shot put (41-00.50) and seventh in the discus throw (138-04). Mellion ranks CA No. 4 in the discus (149-0) and No. 5 in the shot (43-4.50).
Last week, Mellion swept the D-2 titles with top SJS Masters qualifying throws of 141-4 and 43-3.50.
Whitney senior Ashanti Elie, the defending champion here and top qualifier after winning the D-1 title with a clearance of 5-7, is among the state's best in the high jump. She just missed reaching the '22 State Meet finals. She ranks tied for CA No. 3 with a season best of 5-8.
Runner-up here last year, Whitney junior Juliana Roberson placed eighth in the triple jump at State last year (37-10/2.7). She has the top qualifying marks in both horizontal jumps after sweeping the D-1 titles with bests of 38-0 (0.4) and 17-7.75 (-0.6).
St. Francis senior Madison Pelfrey cleared 12-2 to in the D-1 title over Pleasant Grove senior Abigail Wagner (11-11), the top two qualifying marks entering the SJS Masters.
Jeffrey Parenti is the California State Editor for MileSplitCA
Photos by James Leash and Dan Tyree