MileSplitCA Junior BoysTrack and Field Athlete of the Year
Long Beach Poly (SS), Sprints
Xai emerged as a versatile elite long sprinter during the unofficial winter season and carried that all the way through his final 46.94 anchor leg to carry Poly to the 4x400m title at State, a 3:12.99 time that ranks U.S. No. 9. Ricks did that only short minutes after running on the Jackrabbits' 4x800m relay team that placed fourth in 7:40.57. Individually, he placed second in the 400m at 46.06. That time ranks U.S. No. 9 overall and No. 2 in the class. His 800m best of 1:49.19 to win at APU ranks CA No. 2 overall and U.S. No. 3 in the class.
MileSplitCA Athlete of the Year by class winners are selected from a list of elite candidates and chosen by readers who voted via our FanPower poll articles. Xai received 78 percent of the vote in a statewide poll. Andreas Dybdahl of Santa Barbara (SS) was second in the voting at 13 percent.
JUNIOR BOYS ALL-STATE TRACK AND FIELD
MileSplitCA All-State teams are subjective selections by the author based primarily but not exclusively on results achieved at the CIF-State Meet, section championships, and marks that rank high in the class in CA and nationally. Marks achieved at dual meets that are not consistent with the athlete's overall arc of performances from invitationals and section championships are not considered. A minimum number of competitions during the CIF outdoor season is a requirement for inclusion.
FIRST TEAM
(Athletes are listed alphabetically by last name)
Cathedral Catholic (SD), 300m Hurdles
Vincent is a two-time San Diego Section Division 2 champion in the 300-meter hurdles who placed fourth at the CIF-State Champions with a lifetime best of 37.73. He had dipped under 38 seconds for the first time to in his second consecutive SDS D-2 title in 37.94. His PR from State ranks U.S. No. 16 in the class and CA No. 5 regardless of class.
San Clemente (SS), Distance
With the addition of the 4x800 at the State Meet, the first team to win the inaugural was San Clemente. They were led by junior Taj Clark who anchored the winning team holding off two teams who all break 7:40. Clark also finished fourth in the 800 open final and had a best of 1:52.60 during the season.
Vanden (SJ), Sprints
Brayden was one of the top quarter milers in the state as he came on like gang busters at the end of the season. He was the section champion at the Sac-Joaquin championship meet and finished in sixth place at the State Meet with a near PR of 48.04.
Granada Hills (LA), Sprints
Granada Hills was mighty impressive during the season powered by senior Dijon Stanley but he had a great supporting cast with junior teammate Jordan Coleman who had personal bests of 10.36 and 21.01. Coleman finished in seventh place in the fastest 100m in State Meet history and ran the second leg on winning 4x100-meter relay team.
Santa Barbara (SS), Distances
Andreas Dybdahl had a great season finishing in the top four of all his 1600 races this season. His best race of the season was the most important in the state as he won the State Meet title in the 1600 with a lifetime best 4:08.64. He is the only non-senior boy to win an individual title at the 2023 CIF-State Track and Field Championships.
Oaks Christian (SS), Sprints
In the fastest year for 100-meter sprinters, Oaks Christian junior Chase Farrell ran 10.38 at the Ventura County Championships. He was undefeated in the 100 with his lone loss at the Arcadia Invitational as he finished in second place.
Ventura (SS), Distances
Anthony Fast Horse may have the best name in the state and he definitely lives up to his name. This year, Fast Horse had bests of 4:08.48 and 8:51.40. At the State Meet, he finished in third place in the 1600m and will be one of the favorites to win next year.
Pacifica-Garden Grove (SS), Throws
Zach Lewis was the best junior combo thrower in CA as he recorded bests of 60-5.5 and 180-4. At the State Meet, Lewis finished in sixth place in the shot put with a throw of 58-11.5.
Cathedral (SS), 800m
Ambodai is among the nation's elite two-lap specialists. His 1:51.15 PR from Arcadia ranks U.S. No. 8 in the class and CA No. 4 overall. That came a week after he went 1:51.54 at APU. Ambodai's outdoor season included titles at Southern Section Division 3 (1:52.62) and SS Masters (1:51.96). He was the runner-up in the finals at the State Meet in 1:52.36.
Turlock (SJ), Pole Vault
Maxwell was the third best vaulter in the state with his 16-6 best but more importantly, he was the second best vaulter at the State Meet as he jumped a near PR of 16-2.
St. Mary's (SJ), High Jump
Legend placed third at the CIF-State Track and Field Championships in the high jump with a clearance of 6-6. He had a lifetime best clearance of 6-8 at an early-season dual. He cleared 6-6 two other times during the spring, and 6-5 at five meets including to win the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 title, to place second at SJS Masters, and at State Prelims. He is one of only four CA boys to clear at least 6-8 this spring.
Millikan (SS), Distance
Jason was the third-place finisher at the Southern Section Masters meet in the 3200 and an even better runner-up at the CIF-State Meet with a time of 8:53.69. He also ran a personal best 8:46.50 at the Arcadia Invitational.
Long Beach Poly (SS), Sprints/Mid-Distance
Xai Ricks had one of the best 400/800 seasons in California state history. In the 400m final at the State Meet, Ricks ran a lifetime best time of 46.06 to place second. Ricks also ran two stellar relay legs as he rallied his 4x800 team to a fourth place finish and anchored the winning 4x400 team to wrap up the State Meet.
Roosevelt (SS), Hurdles
Cayden was involved in one of the most exciting races at the State Meet. In the 300 hurdles, the top three finishers all recorded a 37.44 time. Roberson was the third place finisher as the top three athletes recorded times of 37.432, 37.435 and 37.437. Roberson's 300mH time from State ranks U.S. No. 10 in the class.
Acalanes (NC), Long Jump
Trevor emerged as one of the top long jumpers in the class with a 23-4 wind-legal best that ranks No. 6 in CA regardless of class and an all-conditions best that ranks No. 11. He placed fourth at the State Meet with a windy 23-4 a day after qualifying with a wind-legal 23-4. He placed second at the North Coast Section Meet of Champions at 23-0.50.
Palma (CC), Jumps
Logan had the third best long jump in CA during the outdoor season at 24-0.5. At the State Meet, he placed second at 23-5.50, his second farthest jump of the year a day after going 23-4 at State Prelims.
Buchanan (CS), Throws
Buchanan had one of the best teams in the state as they finished in 3rd place at the state meet. Smith contributed 6 points by finishing in third place in the discus. At the post-season Nike Outdoor Nationals, Smith threw a lifetime best of 189-6.5 to place fifth.
Clovis East (CS), Distances
Carter Spradling posted two of the fastest times in the state in the 1600 and 3200 with 4:07.64 and 8:50.79 personal bests respectively. He finished 16th at the State Meet in the 3200. He ran 4:08.97 in the mile at Mt. SAC, a time that ranks U.S. No. 11 in the class. And that en route 1600m PR from the same race ranks U.S. No. 9 in the class. His 3200m best from Arcadia ranks U.S. No. 11 in the class.
Jordan (SS), Sprints
Jordan is a two-time double sprint medalist at the CIF-State Meet. This spring, he ran three of the fastest 100-meter dash times in CA history. On back-to-back weekends, he clocked 10.24. First to win the Southern Section Division 1 title with 1.6 meters-per-second legal wind. And again the next week for second at SS Masters with 1.3 legal wind. He ranks at as the second-fastest wind-legal performer in CA history. He also won the SS D-1 title in the 200m (20.76.2.4) and placed second at Masters (20.81/1.5). At the State Meet as he chased Roderick Pleasant's State Meet record time of 10.20 with his own 10.30 for second place. That mark is equal to the previous State Meet record. He closed out the State Meet with his second consecutive fourth-place finish in the 200m.
HONORABLE MENTION
This is also serves to recognize all remaining junior boys who were among the top-9 medalists at the State Meet Finals.
Samuel Agbakoba (Central/CS), triple jump; Deshawn Banks (Birmingham Charter/LA), high jump; Joshua Bell (Templeton/CS), 3200m; Lucas Cohen (Albany/NC), 1600m; Jacob Emerson (Sage Creek/SD), pole vault; Benjamin Feyrer (Davis/SJ), pole vault; Christian Hauge (Live Oak/CC), 200m; Kyler Headley (Silver Cree/(CC), discus throw; Shon Martin (Helix/SD), hurdles; John Mueller (Loyola/SS), hurdles; Keeran Murray (South Pasadena/SS), 800m; Julian Ramirez (Dinuba/CS), discus throw; Andrew Robinson (Great Oak/SS), triple jump; Brandon Rush (Bishop O'Dowd/NC), triple jump; Kenneth Tucker (Bellarmine College Prep/CC), triple jump; Joey Weisman (Torrey Pines/SD), pole vault; Cameron Williams (Merrill Wes/SJ), 110mH.
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Photos by Raymond Tran
Albert Caruana is a Northern California-based coach and a frequent contributor to California MileSplit
California MileSplit state editor Jeffrey Parenti contributed to this article.
