With only one spot in the state meet on the line in every event, the competition is fierce.
With only one spot in the state meet on the line in every event, the competition is fierce.
A perennial power at the state level, the SJS is also one of the tougher sections to advance from with essentially four meets in two weeks.
The valley has a load of superstars ready to make their mark at the state meet, even if some of them don't have to travel far to get there.
It would be unwise to overlook the state title contenders coming out of this section.
Star athletes and deep teams vying for division titles while still positioning themselves for Master and the state meet - there's nothing in the nation quite like this meet.
A perennial producer of big time vaulters and distance runners, the SDS has several state title contenders - including 400 runner Eric Parker.
Kelley Kern is one of a handful of state title contenders sharpening up in preparation for the Meet of Champions next week.
Scott Toney leads a number of athletes that are moving through the prelims with their eyes on the state championship.
A section filled with state championship contenders crowns division champions as athletes position for the Masters meet.
The road to the state meet (short though it may be for some of these schools) starts with the North, South, East, and West Area meets.
Hailey Fune is the biggest star in the section, and her goal is to make the state finals this year.
Rachel Glenn is one of a very few returning champions in this senior class, and she is an MVP candidate within her section.
If you're a threat to win two events at the state meet, you're a big deal - and there are two athletes in this division that meet that criterion!
Taylor Shorter is set up to be a force for Norco at the finals next week, as the road to Masters and the state meet takes shape for a division filled with talent.
Division 2 is loaded with talent that can impact the Masters meet and the state championship.
A meet loaded with multi-event talent like Ryann O'Bannon will lead to a finals full of Masters candidates.
The schools may be on the smaller side but D3 has state caliber seniors, including two of the best throwers in California.
We look at each event to project the top performers, recognizing those seniors that were on track to have a strong 2020 season.
Our subjective virtual championship season kicks off with the first section to hold prelims.
We can't let this time of year go by without recognizing the senior stars that never got the chance to shine one more time.
Stars like Naomi Johnson started 2020 off strong, while others were taking a gradual approach. We can recognize both groups with the right lists!
(Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham) You already know names like Caleb Foster and Namir Hemphill will be on this list, but 2020 brought some breakout performers that might surprise you.
With all the hurdlers, sprinters, and distance runners scored together, who rises to the top?
We put the top throwers and jumpers together to see who rose to the top in three categories!
When we score the 300H and 100H/110H together, who comes out on top?
There is a different #1 in each list, showing how new stars can rise from season to season.
A young crop of super-talented girls was ready to reach for new heights this spring, and we can recognize some of the likely stars from the lost season.
You can probably guess the top two in each of last year's rankings, but the returning lists and the data from 2020 show some new faces.
We used our Power Ratings formula to look at individual athletes instead of teams - the first in a series covering every event group.
Sameerah Evans opened her season strong in a new uniform, one of many from the Class of 2020 that were poised to star this spring.