Sprinters shine in fast California State Track and Field championships

CLOVIS, Calif. — It's like clockwork at Veterans Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High School.

One minute after the final event of the California State Track and Field Championship — the boys 4x400 relay — a booming, fast, spectacular fireworks display fills the night.

In the case of this, the 95th annual event, it seemed rather poetic.

Serra (Gardena) had just finished off its team boys championship with a resounding relay win in 3 minutes, 10.59 seconds, the fifth national leading mark of the day.

Explosions. Bright colors. Pageantry. A perfect send off for the 8,672 fans who were once again entertained thoroughly by one of the country's premier high school athletic events.

There were few surprises in this one. Other than Castro Valley junior Nate Moore's upset of national leader Adoree' Jackson in the long jump, all the bright stars who were supposed to win did under warm and calm conditions.

There were few to no wind-aided times which is always a good thing, and no breeze going against the runners as well. 

Among the many highlights.

* The sprint duo of Long Beach Poly junior Ariana Washington and Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) senior Khalfani Muhammad repeated as double winners with dominating performances. Both were workmanlike in performance and in post-meet interviews.

Though both were big favorites going in, both stayed utterly focused on the job at hand.

Muhammad became just the third sprinter in state history to win the 100 and 200 back-to-back by winning in 10.33 seconds and 20.86 respectively.

The Cal-bound football star's 100 time was the fourth fastest in the U.S. this year according to dyestat.com and the 200 was just off his best of 20.73 which ranks third.

It was just as Muhammad predicted the day before when he said the winning time would be whatever time he posted. Confident, strong and compact, the 5-foot-8, 175-pounder said he wasn't going to be broken.

"I executed everything I set out to do," he said. "I finished with a bang."

As far as his place in history and finishing off a superb track and football career, Muhammad said he reports to Cal on June 28. He wasn't look backward.

"I'll go out tomorrow and start working for my new dreams," he said. "It's a new day."

Washington became the sixth girl to win both sprints twice, joining Angela Burnham, Marion Jones, Allyson Felix, Jeneba Tarmoh and Ashton Purvis and the fifth consecutively by winning in 11.39 and 23.22.

Her 100 time was a season best and third nationally and her 200 was just off her best of 23.18 which ranks second in the U.S.

Wth a season to go, she'll have a chance to join Jones as the only three-time double sprint winners. Jones actually did it all four years of her prep career.

More important than the individual honors, Washington said, is she helped the Jackrabbits win their 13th state title and sixth in seven seasons. Washington anchored the 4x100 relay team that ran the nation's fastest time in 44.93.

The team of Jade Lewis, Maya Perkins, Diamond Thomas and Washington ran the fastest time by a prep girls team since 2004.

Poly finished with 49 points to 31 for runner-up San Leandro.

"The team title is much more important than the individual accomplishments," Washington said. "Everything I do is for my team."

Although Jackson didn't repeat as long jump champ — he was edged by Moore 24-11¾ to 24-7½ — he ran strong legs on both relays, including the anchor the 4x400.

In fact, his third leg on the 4x100 interrupted his long jump competition. He was in the lead by more than a foot when he had to leave after three jumps. When he returned, he had just six minutes to complete his final three jumps.

They were rushed and he couldn't surpass Moore or Jackson's national-leading best mark of 25-0. Jackson was gracious in defeat — he patted Moore on the back on the victory stand — and seemed more happy with Serra's victory.

"This was about the team and we left it all on the track," he said. "We made a statement (with the final relay win) and left everyone feeling good."

The team of 300 hurdles champion Lloyd Sicard, Ronny Hall, Darrell Fuery and Jackson made up both relays. The 4x100 team finished in 40.49, which ties for second in the country this season.

Serra, which won its second title and first since 2000, avenged a bitter two-point defeat to Notre Dame last season. Serra finished with 47 points to 26 for Notre Dame and 25 for Castro Valley.

* Stockdale (Bakersfield) junior Blake Haney pulled off the grueling 1,600 and 3,200 double, winning in 4:06.91 and 9:01.65. He become only the third junior in state history to pull off the double.

His 1,600 win over Miguel Vasquez (4:08.44) was particularly impressive by covering the final 800 in less than two minutes. He came back a little more than two hours later and held off a tough John Lawson, a UCLA-bound runner from Drake, who finished about a second behind at 9:02.64.

Interviewed on the infield for the entire crowd to hear, Haney was what was next for the rising running star.

"Maybe some rest?" he said.

* Moore not only pulled a minor upset with his win over Jackson, he also unleashed the best triple jump mark in the nation on his final attempt, going 50-11¾. His previous best was 49-10.

"To come out and do the best I've ever done on this stage is pretty incredible," Moore said. "It's beyond words."

The slight 5-8, 145-pound junior had the triple jump wrapped up at 48-8½, but decided to go for broke on his final attempt. "I didn't want to win state at 48-8. I'd done better than that."

He got the overflow crowd of more than 10,000 clapping, then let loose. With each phase, the crowd let him hear it. "I heard ooo, ooo, ahh," Moore said. "I love that."

* Moore's teammate Sasha Wallace repeated as triple jump (41-9½) and 100 hurdles (13.43 seconds). She matched her No. 2 national hurdles mark and just missed on her national-best 42-4 triple, but that might have been because she picked up the long jump the last four weeks.

The Oregon-bound athlete finished sixth in the long jump and finished with seven medals in her stellar career, four golds.

"This has all been emotional and a blessing," Wallace said. "There's definitely a pecking order. I chased others and now others will follow me. It's been a fantastic career."

* Other national leading marks at the meet were pulled off by Great Oak (Temecula) senior Jade Miller in the 300 hurdles (41.02) and Dos Pueblos (Goleta) junior shot putter Stamtia Scarveli, who won her second straight crown with a mark of 50-7¾. In Friday's prelims she went a national best 50-11.

* Simi Valley (Simi Valley) junior Sarah Baxter continued her illustrious distance career, winning a third straight 3,200 in 10:10.71, just off her season best of 10:06.74, which ranks second in the country. Baxter dominated from the start, winning by just under 15 seconds.

* Harvard-Westlake's (Studio City, Calif.) Courtney Corrin continued her remarkable freshman season by winning the long jump at 20-9¼, just off her national best and freshman record of 20-11. "I knew I had it in me," she told reporters afterward. "I'm so grateful to be here and to win."

* Ridgeview (Bakersfield) senior Ivan Gonzalez didn't improve his No. 8 national 800 time of 1:50.59, but he did win his first state title in 1:50.71. He did make a lot of fans when instead of talking about his race or championship in the post-race interview in the infield, he simply thanked his parents, coach, fans and God.

* De La Salle (Concord) junior Marquis Moore won the 110 high hurdles in a lifetime best 13.90 and came just three weeks after being disqualified in the 300 hurdles for a controversial "trail leg hooking" call. He was the national leader in that event.

He took out that frustration with a late-season flurry in the 110s, highlighted with a gritty win over a very even field. He took control at about the fifth hurdle and won going away over Millikan's Misana Viltz (14.08).

"Ecstatic," he said after the race. "I don't believe it. From the starting line I could feel my heart in my ears. I took a deep breath after the third hurdle and pushed all the way through."

Asked about the setback in the 300 hurdles and Morris, a 6-foot-2, 170-pounder, said: "I was definitely devastated. But it fueled my fire in the 110s. I think it was sort of a blessing."

* Piedmont Hills (San Jose) girls ran the second fastest 4x400 relay race in the nation this year, winning over Poly 3:41.14 to 3:43.62.

California state champions
BOYS
Team scores: Serra 47, Notre Dame 26, Castro Valley 25, Loyola 23, Stockdale 20, Great Oak 15, Newport Harbor 14, Orange Lutheran 14, Amador Valley 14, Crespi 14.

100: Khalfani Muhammad (Notre Dame) 10.33
200: Khalfani Muhammad (Notre Dame) 20.86
400: Miles Parish (Etiwanda) 47.16
800: Ivan Gonzalez (Ridgeview) 1:50.71
1600: Blake Haney (Stockdale) 4:06.91
3200: Blake Haney (Stockdale) 9:02.64
110 high hurdles: Marquis Morris (De La Salle) 13.90
300 hurdles: Lloyd Sicard (Serra) 37.06
4x100 relay: Serra 40.49
4x400 relay: Serra 3:10.59
HJ: Eric Moore (Carter (Rialto) 6-11
PV: Luigi Colelle (Thousand Oaks) 16-4
LJ: Nate Moore (Castro Valley) 24-11¾
TJ: Nate Moore (Castro Valley) 50-11¾
SP: Nick Ponzio (Great Oak) 66-2½
DT: Brenden Song (West Hills (Santee) 188-8

GIRLS
Team scores: Long Beach Poly 49, San Leandro 31, Castro Valley 23, Piedmont Hills 21, Vacaville 19, Harvard Westlake 17, Edison 17, San Lorenzo Valley 16, Clovis North 16, Claremont 16, Dos Pueblos 16, La Sierra 16.

100: Ariana Washington (Long Beach Poly) 11.39
200: Ariana Washington (Long Beach Poly) 23.22
400: Nia Dorner (Cordova (Rancho Cordova) 53.00
800: Mikaela Smith (Clovis North (Fresno) 2:08.39
1600: Anna Maxwell (San Lorenzo Valley (Felton) 4:47.33
3200: Sarah Baxter (Simi Valley) 10:10.71
100 hurdles: Sasha Wallace (Castro Valley) 13.43
300 hurdles: Jade Miller (Great Oak) 41.02
4x100 relay: Long Beach Poly 44.93
4x400 relay: Piedmont Hills 3:41.14
HJ: Rachel McCoy (Miller (Fontana) 6-0¾
PV: Kaitlyn Merritt (Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) 13-3¾
LJ: Courtney Corrin (Harvard-Westlake) 29-9¼
TJ: Sasha Wallace (Castro Valley) 41-9½
SP: Stamtia Scarveli (Dos Pueblos) 50-7¾
DT: Nikki Okwelogu (Clovis West (Fresno) 173-9

Complete results, CLICK HERE