What: CIF State Track and Field Trials
When: Friday, June 5
Where: Buchanan High School, Clovis Calif.
Record day: Reggie Wyatt (300-meter hurdles), 35.02 (national record), Anna Jelmini (shot put) 53-8 (state-meet record), Alex Collatz (discus) 177-0 (sophomore national record).
Today’s finals: Field events start at 4:30 p.m., running events 6 p.m.
All Friday’s trials and current live results: Click here.
Last year’s meet finals: Click here.
CLOVIS, Calif. – Reggie Wyatt couldn’t wait any longer.
The long and muscular La Sierra High School senior had been eye-balling the national 300-meter hurdles record since he was a scrawny freshman at J.W. North.
Wyatt celebrated his national record with victory lap.
Photo by Kirby Lee
On Friday, in the California Interscholastic Federation State Championship Meet trials at posh and picturesque Veteran’s Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High School, a day when most elite athletes hold back to reserve their energy for the finals, Wyatt saw and felt the opportunity.
He seized it.
The USC-bound Wyatt ran the perfect race, destroying the field and the national mark of fellow California Jeshua Anderson, to win his heat in 35.02 seconds. Anderson’s previous record, set two years ago in the state finals, was 35.28.
“I knew I was going to break that record, I knew it,” Wyatt said. “I didn’t know when. I didn’t know if it was today, but everything just felt right. I had to go for it. I had just two shots left so I wasn’t going to hold back.”
A near capacity crowd of approximately 10,000 fans roared their approval as Wyatt ran all alone down the backstretch. When he crossed the line, his time posted immediately, the public announcer screamed it was a new national mark and Wyatt threw up his arms triumphantly.
Already the national leader in the event at 35.71, Wyatt skipped around the infield, posed for pictures then did a victory half-lap.
Under unseasonable mild 70 degree temperatures and threatening but dry skies, this was a perfect way to christen the plus and bright the new venue located smack dab in the middle of the state. For two decades the state meet alternated between Southern (Cerritos) and Northern (Sacramento City College) California sites, but Clovis appears to be the state meet’s new home.
The CIF has made a three-year commitment to the new site and judging from the fan turnout, the highly visible electronic scoreboard and general atmosphere, this appears to be an upgrade.
Certainly Wyatt thinks so. The state leader in the 400 (46.38) cruised to win his heat in that event at 47.28, behind only Chino Hills junior Josh Mance (47.24).
“I love this place,” Wyatt said. “Everything just felt right here”
Asked what he’ll do for an encore Saturday in the finals, Wyatt said: “I can relax and just go out and have fun.”
Is another record in the works? “It will be my last high school race so why not?”
Wyatt’s performance highlighted a roller coaster day that featured two other records in girls weights but also two monumental false starts and disqualifications.
FLOOD OF FRUSTRATION, TEARS
Defending 100 girls champion and nationally-ranked Ashton Purvis (St. Elizabeth, Oakland) and nationally ranked 100 hurdler Ashtyn Baltimore (Marlborough, Los Angeles) each jumped the gun, two of many false starts throughout the day and night.
Purvis, a junior, had the second fastest time in the country this year at 11.48 and likely could have cruised into the finals.
But with her No. 1 rival Jessica Davis (Highlands) in the lane next to her, Purvis popped up early after the field was held for a long time in the blocks. It’s one and done in high school. You move early and a year’s worth of training is down the tubes.
Purvis, who said she has never false started in her illustrious young career, knew it and stormed off the infield in a flood of tears and frustration. She won last year’s state meet in 11.92 and was state runner-up behind Davis in the 200.
She placed second in both events as a freshman but was clearly the favorite to sweep the events this season.
After a 90-minute wait, she took out her frustration with a dominating 200, taking her heat in the day’s best time of 23.51.
“I don’t know why they held us so long (in the blocks),” Purvis said. “I’m trained to react. But I have no excuses. I’m supposed to wait for the gun and then go. … It was really frustrating. I felt like I betrayed myself, like I disrespected myself. … I just have to learn from it.”
Davis, also a junior, said she had to regroup from the false start as well. She was also visibly disappointed by the false start even though this opens the door to her first 100 champions. She was the runner-up to Purvis last year.
Davis had the day’s best 100 mark in 11.62 just ahead of another junior, ever-improving Angela Gradiska of Pinewood (Los Altos Hills), who went 11.67.
Purvis (23.51), Gradiska (23.64) and Davis (23.68) by far had the day’s top 200 marks.
“It (Purvis’ false start) was a big disappointment,” Davis said. “I was looking forward to the competition and for my times to drop down. When she jumped I was like ‘oh my gosh.’ I couldn’t worry about it then though. Track is such a mental thing. You either bring it or you don’t.”
Purvis looked extremely focused and determined in her 200 heat. “I have to make amends,” she said. “I can put all my energy into that one race and hopefully win it for the first time.”
Davis, who won last year’s 200 over Purvis 23.46 to 23.51, is well aware her Northern California rival will be ready Saturday.
“She’s going to bring it all in the 200,” Davis said. “And I’m going to make her run.”
Unfortunately Baltimore won’t be running Saturday after her false start. She came in ranked second in the 100 hurdles (13.92) behind national leader Kori Carter (Claremont).
Baltimore did advance in the long jump with the eighth best mark (the top nine advance) 18-6½, well off her qualifying mark of 19-3¾.
“I’ll have to put everything into my long jump,” she said.
RECORD WEIGHTS DAY
National discus record holder Anna Jelmini (Shafter) will need to put a little more effort into that event evidently after Alex Collatz (Stockdale) set a national sophomore record with a toss of 177-0, bettering her previous best by almost 12 feet.
Jelmini, who broke Suzy Powell’s national mark with a mark of 190-3 earlier this season, enters the final as No. 2 after going 175-4 on Friday.
Earlier in the day, the Arizona State-bound Jelmini broke the state-meet record in the shot put at 53-8, off from her season and national best of 54-4¾
“Today’s just qualifying,” Jelmini said. “I have a lot more left for (the finals).”
400 SHOWDOWN
A lot more appears left in the girls 400, which should be a tremendous showdown between defending champion Akawkaw Ndipagbor (Long Beach Poly) and her good friend Turquoise Thompson (Serra-Gardena).
Ndipagbor, a sophomore, ran a season best of 53.46 - third best in the country this year – and Thompson won her heat in 54.20. Deer Valley (Antioch) junior Chizoba Okodogbe (54.08) could easily make this a three-girl race.
But Ndipagbor and Thompson have history. They have run together on youth teams and Thompson’s mom coached Ndipagbor in AAU programs.
Thompson, who transferred from Long Beach Poly as a junior, knocked off her friend in last week’s Southern Section Masters’ final, 53.45 to 53.77.
Thompson (middle) and Ndipagbor (right) battle down to the wire in last week's Section final.
File photo by Kirby Lee
But the UCLA-bound Thompson later fell hard in that meet, en route to what looked like a sure title in her best event, the 300 hurdles. On the second-to-last hurdle, with a big lead, she fell in a heap.
She’s been sore all week and didn’t even practice Wednesday or Thursday.
“I’m hurting right now,” Thompson said after Friday’s heat. “I felt pretty good running but not so much now. My (left) knee is really sore (from the fall).”
It’s been a rough hall for the talented and hard-working Thompson over the years. After finishing fifth at state in the 400 as a freshman, she missed the meet as a sophomore because of a severe hamstring pull.
She was forced to sit out a season last year due to her transfer.
“She’s one of the strongest people I know,” Ndipagbor said. “She works so hard. She’s come back from setbacks and all the things that have gone against her but she’s still here, setting records in the hurdles and coming back to state. I really look up to her. She’s going to UCLA and I wish her all the luck because she deserves it.”
As about the rivalry between the two and Ndipagbor sort of laughed.
“It’s not a rivalry, it’s just competition,” she said. “Right now it’s strictly business. Off the track were friends and our family are good. It’s funny because I really don’t have rivals. Every time I run against someone we become friends.”
As the words left her mouth, another state competitor walked by and said, “Good job CoCo (her nickname).”
Ndipagbor said: “Thank you.”
Thompson will be thankful to run at 100 percent in the finals. She thinks the winning time will be 53.1 or faster.
Asked if this is the biggest race of her life and Thompson said: “It’s important but not that important because I have a scholarship secured. But (a state title) is definitely something I want to achieve before I leave.”
Ndipagbor said she was surprised by her season-best time on Friday. “I just ran relaxed but was shocked when I saw the time. I’m ahead or where I need to be.”
Asked what she learned from last week’s loss to Thompson and Ndipagbor said: “I learned to run my own race. I over-thought last week’s race.”
Okodogbe definitely has the potential to spoil the Southern California party. She also predicts a time in the low 53s will win it.
Carroll is the favorite to repeat as 100 and 200 champion.
File photo by Kirby Lee
Can she win it? “Of course I have enough, but it won’t be easy,” she said. “It’s a nice track and I like it here.”
MORE HIGHLIGHTS.
* National sprint leader and defending 100 and 200 champion Randall Carroll (Cathedral, Los Angeles) was all business with a productive day, qualifying first in both events, 10.34 and 21.16. He also ran a fantastic anchor leg to bring Cathedral from behind to win its 400 relay heat in 41.48, behind only Serra (41.09) and Long Beach Poly (41.16).
His season best of 10.30 matches the state-meet record of Riley Washington (Southwest) in 1992.
“It’s a lot of pressure just defending your titles,” Carroll said. “But I am definitely going for the record.”
* Karynn Dunn (Diamond Ranch, Pomona) took the national season lead in the long jump at 20-2¾. She did that on her first attempt then skipped her other jumps.
* Same went for Ciarra Brewer (James Logan, Union City) who went 42-2½, just off her national best mark of 42-3. She also went one attempt, hoping to rest a sore hamstring that almost made her sit out last week’s North Coast Section Meet of Champions.
* Perris senior Ericka Nowell took the national season lead in the 300 hurdles with a mark of 42.20, just ahead of Fairfield freshman Daje Pugh (42.72).
* Monisha Davis (Etiwanda) is also the new national leader in the 100 hurdles, going 13.59, besting former national leader and defending 300 hurdles champion Kori Carter (Claremont), who went 13.67.
* Carter, the national 300 hurdles leader, struggled somewhat and had the day’s fourth-best time at 43.68. She’s gone 41.09 this year. Carter seemed relaxed, upbeat and confident heading into the finals.
“I’m a little disappointed with the marks,” she said. “But hopefully I can turn it up in the heat of competition. I think my competitive spirit has always proven that when I get into big races, that’s where I shine.”
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.
