CLOVIS -- Just two years into its history at the CIF State Outdoor Championships, the 4x800 final is quickly becoming a MUST-SEE viewing experience.
On Saturday during the final day of action inside Veteran's Memorial Stadium, the girls championship had all the drama of a telenovela.
The chaos began to build up over the third half-mile as the state's No. 2 team, Santiago Corona, built a lead into the final exchange -- via an impressive carry by Braelyn Combe -- and handed off to their anchor.
California's No. 1 squad, meanwhile, was just trying to hold on. Ventura was just a few meters back when the final hand-off took place.
And then ....catastrophe.
A dropped baton shifted what was a manageable deficit into a nearly impossible one. But Ventura senior Sadie Engelhardt took that as a challenge. The high school junior and national record-holder in the mile and three-time champion at 1,600 meters -- she had re-set the state meet record earlier that day -- Engelhardt chipped away at the deficit and found a way to the finish, clearing the win in 8:57.21.
Watch the full video above.
