The 105th California Interscholastic Federation’s track and field championship meet, May 30-31, at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis was memorable on several fronts.
It took place with a temperature of 104 degrees for preliminary events on Friday, the opening day, and 107 degrees for the finals on that Saturday. It was hot, hot, hot and didn’t need an exclamation mark.
There was some predictable physical suffering with runners vomiting and collapsing after races were finished, but there was an inner will to compete and the event went on to the final gun and final medal awarded despite the elevated temperatures.
Media coverage was enhanced by the participation of transgender student AB Hernandez from Riverside County’s Jurupa Valley High School. Hernandez, clearly the focus of a flood of photographers, captured gold medals in the girls high jump and triple jump and a silver medal in the girls long jump.
It was not without its share of controversy. The state federation announced before the event that athletes assigned female gender at birth would receive medals based on where they would have placed if a transgender athlete had not competed. Thus, two gold medals were awarded in the high jump and triple jump and two silver medals awarded in the long jump.
Hernandez shared the rung with her cisgender equivalent.
The federation elected to allow an additional female student to compete in an event in which a transgender student was participating, so no one was left out. There are a lot of legal issues involved, on both sides of the issue, and the state CIF is wisely treading carefully, as well as respectfully.
“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law and Education Code,” the federation’s statement read.
Beyond national media attention, there was plenty of local highlights from competing student-athletes from the San Diego Section, including East County.
While the heat was scorching, it did not prevent competitors from setting personal record marks in their respective events.
Grossmont junior Gabrielle Thomas placed fourth in the girls 100-meter low hurdles race with a 13.84 PR.
The Steele Canyon foursome of Evie Allison, Aniya Scott, Ily Barclay and Daylani Daniels sped to a third-place medal in the girls 4×100 relay in 46.40 — 0.22 second behind runner-up Long Beach Poly and 0.32 second off the winning time posted by Oaks Christian (46.08). It was a new school record.
Coach Charles Tyler said the quartet did not go in unprepared. “We did a morning shake out in the hotel parking lot to get the athletes acclimated both days,” he said. “It worked well and got them used to the heat.”
The third-place finish was the highest place-finish in school history at the state meet for a relay. On an equally impressive note, the Lady Cougars also made the finals in the 4×100 girls for the third consecutive year.
There were more medals to celebrate.
The Helix quartet of juniors Jackson Ellis and Aiden De Hoyos, seniors Laurence Burston and Spencer Gray combined forces to place seventh in the boys 4×400 relay in 3:11.62. Long Beach Poly won in 3:08.68.
Burston finished ninth in the boys 100 dash in 10.90 as a double medalist.
The San Diego Section secured five first-place finishes overall.
Carlsbad senior sisters Morgan and Makenna Herbst put it all on the line in Clovis as section superstars. Morgan Herbst finished first in the 300-meter low hurdles in a 39.64 PR while Makenna Herbst won the girls 800 run in 2:02.28. Both are headed to the University of Arkansas.
San Diego Caver senior Anisa Bowen-Fontenot won the girls 100 low hurdles in 13.07 while San Diego Caver freshman Jasir Fontenot won the boys 110 high hurdles in a personal record 13.21.
Del Norte senior Paige Echsner won the girls pole vault by clearing 12-10.
Dress rehearsal
Athletes with the top nine prelim times for shorter running events and top 12 times for longer running events advanced to the finals while athletes with the top 12 marks for field events did so. (An extra qualifier for girls in the case where a transgender student is involved are added for the finals).
The heat and the talent level throughout the state nixed the best-laid hopes of many athletes expecting better finishes to end their seasons.
Helix finished 12th in the boys 4×100 relay (41.84) with seniors Harlem Harris, Gray, Burston and freshman Jeremy Robinson. Steele Canyon finished 23rd on the field of 27 entrants in 43.44 courtesy of juniors Jacob Henton, Nico Jara, Rafiq Randall Jr. and freshman Adrian Campbell. Three teams did not finish their heat
Helix ran 3:12.44 in the prelims to advance in the boys 4×400 relay.
Santana sophomore Harper Diaz (12:12.46) finished 16th in the girls 800 run.
Helix’s Burston (21.51) finished 18th in the 200 dash prelims while West Hills senior Cameron Bishop (22.02) was 25th to both miss qualifying.
Helix junior Jackson Ellis (48.64) and Otay Ranch senior Dallas Corbett (48.74) finished 19th and 22nd, to miss qualifying from the 400 dash.
Helix junior de Hoyos placed 21st in the boys 300 intermediate high hurdles in 39.08 to miss advancing. Interestingly, the field included 31 entrants. Two did not finish and another was disqualified.
Steele Canyon freshman Aniya Scott (11.94) finished 20th out of 32 entrants in the girls 100 dash.
Grossmont sophomore Torin Sotelo placed 20th by clearing 15-0 in the boys pole vault. Of note, nine vaulters failed to make opening height.
Monte Vista junior Timyra Payne (24.73) finished in a tied for 21st out of 28 entrants in the girls 200 dash after winning the section title in 24.35.
Helix senior Shani Ford (35- 7.25) finished 22nd out of 25 entrants in the girls shot put.
Steele Canyon sophomore Devyn Harper placed 24th in the girls long jump (17-4.75) and 29th in the girls triple jump (36- 0.25).
Steele Canyon senior Micah Senn (4:19.66) placed 27 out of 33 runners in the boys 800 prelims to also miss advancing.
Steele Canyon senior Da’Shaud Adair (45-7.25) finished 28th out of 31 entrants in the boys shot while Santana senior Dainian Diaz (153-11) placed 19th out of 23 entrants in the boys discus throw.
Para events
The CIF state track and field championship meet once again spotlighted Paralympic-style and unified events for an all inclusive program.
West Hills senior Logan Mann helped lead the expanding San Diego Section contingent with three medals: sixth (31.50) in the 200 ambulatory dash, seventh in the 400 ambulatory dash (1:15.35) and eighth in the ambulatory boys 100 dash (15.13).
