* Mikaela Warr won the 100m at the Nike Redondo Track Festival
Photo Credit: Raymond Tran/MileSplit
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by Ryan Blystone - MileSplit California
REDONDO BEACH, Ca. -- Early-season invitationals are typically just that, a chance for a lot of athletes to get acclimated.
Many athletes compete, most want to see if the training they've done is working or needs refining. The annual Redondo Nike Track and Field Festival on Friday and Saturday at Redondo Union High School gave athletes and coaches answers -- even those who did have record-setting performances.
Saturday's full day produced seven new California best times (to go with three on Friday) and eight meet records set, led by the girls and boys 100 meter races. A steady wind did mean some wind-aided times, but the girls' 100 in the final two heat races were filled with legal times.
The 14th and final heat saw Mikaela Warr of Canyon-Canyon Country win in 11.56 seconds with a +1.9 wind reading and become the meet-record holder. She was joined by four runners in the same heat to break the previous meet record of 12.06 by Carson's Christina Gray, who did it last year as a freshman. Side note: Gray was one of the four other runners in the heat to go lower, with an 11.99 (+1.9) and finished fifth.
Clovis North's Zoe Goldsmith was second at 11.89 (+1.9), Calabasas' Paige Porter went 11.96 (+1.9) to finish third, Centennial's Iyonna Codd went 11.96 (+1.9) for fourth. Heat 13 saw Carson's Kaitlyn E. Williams go 12.0 (+1.8) and Lahela Ray of Calabasas in 12.06 (+1.8).
Warr, happy with her time and meet record, used her focus to propel her to victory.
"Having tunnel vision, focusing on my own race," was key against the competition. "Definitely my start, definitely getting out there and staying out there was important. Having a great start will get you a fast time."
The boys 100m meet record, which was a 10.57 run last year by Imari Conley of Fresno's Central, was supplanted by Long Beach Poly's Benjamin Harris. The freshman ran a wind-aided 10.44 (+2.3) in Heat 16 of 17. Harris' time is also the new best time in California.
Another meet record doubling as a California-best mark was produced by Los Angeles Birmingham Community Charter's Deshawn Banks in the high jump. He cleared 6 feet, 10 1/4 inches on his third attempt. He bumped Long Beach Poly's Vincent Calhoun from meet record-holder status, a 6-10 effort in 2013.
"I wanted to get the meet record. I wanted to clear 7, but my footing was a little off," said Banks, who has done the latter in practice. "I feel early on this season being able to push 6-10, 6-11 is good. Hopefully, by the time I reach City (Championships) and State, I'll be pushing 7-1 or 7-2."
Poly's boys sprint medley relay (100-100-200-400) recorded a 1:33.27 in the final heat for both a meet and California top time. Poly had the previous best, 1:34.61, set in 2022. Aiding Poly's performance was the competition. Concord De La Salle and Santa Monica teams finished under the previous meet record, too. De La Salle went 1:33.97 for second and Santa Monica was third in 1:34.50.
More current California best and Redondo meet record performances Saturday:
• Culver City's Morgan Maddox won the 400 in 54.52, lowering the previous meet record time of 54.78 set by Clovis North's Takiya Cenci in 2022. Maddox's time is also a 2024 California best.
"It's a confidence boost," Maddox said. "It's nice to see that my hard work has been paying off. Our training is no joke, so that's exciting to see it paying off."
• Calabasas girls 4x100 relay won in 46.26, edging Golden Valley's 2022 meet-best of 46.55. The Calabasas team was comprised of Zoe Ray, Lahela Ray, Paige Porter and Malia Rainey.
• Central's Noel Felix won the boys 110 hurdles in a wind-aided 14.29 (+2.5) for both a 2024 California best and Redondo meet record. He and Jordehn Gammage of Canyon Canyon Country, who ran in 14.34 (+2.5), went under the previous meet record of 14.37 set by Long Beach Poly's Juan Ward in 2013.
• The California-best time this season in the girls' 800 sprint medley (100-100-200-400) relay was turned in by Long Beach Poly at 1:49.16.
• Riverside ML King's Maximo Zavaleta won the boys 1600 race with a time of 4:12.43, winning the fastest heat by three seconds and lowering the past meet record of 4:14.82 set by Redondo Union's Christoph Waligorski in 2022.
Schools outside Southern California -- and two from other states -- enjoyed success at Redondo.
CIF Central Section's Fresno Central and Clovis North have competed at the Redondo meet for multiple years. In addition to Felix's 110 hurdles win, Central's boys 4x400 relay won in 3:24.03. Central's Joshua Hill won the boys long jump with a leap of 22-3 1/4. Clovis North got Friday wins in the boys discus and shot put by California discus leader McKay Madsen, but had numerous runner-up finishes, including the girls 4x400 relay against Long Beach Poly.
Dallas' Hockaday and Las Vegas' Centennial, were here from Texas and Nevada. Hockaday's Alyssa Anderson won the girls long jump with a top mark of 18-7 3/4. Centennial's Kemarah Howard won the girls high jump (5-6), Saniyah Miles won the girls 100 hurdles (14.71, +1.9) and 300 hurdles (45.76), and Nicholas Kotero won the boys 800 (1:55.82).
Related Links:
Redondo Nike Track Festival meet page