As one of the first major invitationals of the California outdoor season, the Redondo Nike Track Festival always brings together elite athletes eager to test themselves against top competition.
This year is no different, as day 1 of competition provided an early chance to pursue fast times and qualifying standards ahead of the biggest races later this spring.
Krish Desai Goes Sub-9 in Elite 3200m Matchup
On Friday night, we witnessed the first California sub-nine 3200m of the season, highlighted by a highly competitive battle among California's top distance runners. The final mile featured Maximo Zavaleta from Martin Luther King, Mario Montoya from Redondo Union, and Krish Desai vying for the win. Nike Cross Nationals last December was the last time these three faced off, emphasizing how elite this race was.
Zavaleta did most of the work in the second half as the three ran in single file in front of the cheering fans on the infield. Montoya and Deasi started moving toward the front. However, Zavaleta quickly responded by regaining the lead with 200 meters to go, turning it into a footrace between him and Desai. In the last 100m, Desai secured the victory with a back-breaking kick to run 8:59.29, followed by Zavaleta (9:01.12) and Montoya.
After the race, Desai emphasized how important it was to secure the win in such a highly competitive field, and how this PR in the 3200m excites him for the 1600m tomorrow morning.
-- Krish Desai after winning the 3200m at Redondo --
Long Beach Wilson Runs State-Leading 9:02 to Dominate 4x800m Relay
In the first invitational section on the track, the Long Beach Wilson girls set the standard for the next person who steps to the starting line. The Bruins immediately separated from the field and never looked back on their way to a state-leading 9:02.44. Their team consisted of Kennedy Bryant [11], Kimani Tindal [12], Riley Jones [11], and Shirayah Lewis-Williams [11].
What made their victory even more impressive was that it took 27 seconds for the next team to cross the line and 33 seconds for the third team, their B-team. Everyone knew Long Beach Wilson would be dangerous in the 4x800m relay, but this performance makes them seem even more formidable as the biggest relay races of the year approach.
Bo Ausmus Defends Home Turf, Shot Put & Discus Winner
Bo knows the Redondo Union High School discus and shot put rings like the back of his hand!! As a senior, he demonstrated that with a masterclass in both events on Friday.
Bo Ausmus threw 60-6 in the shot put and 181-8 in the discus to secure both victories. This comes on the heels of him throwing the shot put state lead last week at the John Godina Thrower's Invitational with a 63-7.75 throw.
Millikan Breaks Through with State-Leading 4x800m, 7:49.98
The varsity boys 4x800m relay was the uplifting story of the day when Millikan scored a major victory over several longtime 4x800m relay powerhouses. Millikan ran a state-leading 7:49.98 to outfinish Redondo Union (7:50.75), Long Beach Wilson (7:51.96) in the final stretch.
What makes it special is that three of these guys broke two minutes in the 800m last week, shaving six seconds off their best performance from last year, 7:56.89. The team of Aiden Ransom, Evan Sailor, Brandon Hinojosa-Garcia, and Bryce Cobabe proved they belong in the conversation as not only a top CIF Southern Section 4x800m relay team but possibly a CIF State Final team.
It's only right to expect great things from this 800m group as the season goes on and they continue to push themselves.
Other Notable Performances
Palos Verdes won an exciting Varsity Girls Distance Medley Relay, anchored by two freshmen, with a time of 12:25.97.
Martin Luther King ran 10:27.69 to win the Varsity Boys Distance Medley Relay by a mere 1 second.
Alexis Pittman of Centennial (NV) launched the discus 125-5 feet to secure the varsity girls' victory.
Journey Scott of Redondo Union won the shot put with a throw of 44-7, making it a boys and girls home team sweep.
Emma Alba of Arnold O. Beckman outkicked a competitive 3200m field in an impressive 10:52.37.
