California track finals showered with standouts

2. Record performance, controversial finish

Harvard-Westlake junior Amy Weissenbach was filled with emotion by the end of the night.

She was flooded with pride and joy for breaking the National Federation record in the 800 with a time of 2:02.04, breaking the mark of 2:02.90 set in 2008 by Chanelle Price (Easton, Pa.). According to dyestat.com, Weissenbach also broke the national junior-class record and national age-16 record.

Weissenbach thrilled the crowd even more with a remarkable 53-second anchor leg of the 1600 relay – the last event of the day – to carry Harvard-Westlake to a stunning upset of the nation's top team Long Beach Poly.

But Weissenbach was called for interference when she passed Poly's runner with about 200 to go. Harvard-Westlake, which crossed in 3:42.69, was disqualified giving the title to Serra-Gardena (3:43.21). Poly, which ran without open 400 champion Ndipagbor, finished second officially (3:44.00).

A protest on the call was denied 20 minutes after the meet.

"I don't know how I got disqualified," Weissenbach said. "I was just competing and running as fast as I could. I didn't think I did anything wrong. I didn't feel anything until I passed her and then I felt her hit my back from behind. I don't know what the call was for."

There was no such problem in the 800 because no one was near Weissenbach as she took it out extremely hard – a 57-second opening lap – and though she tightened down the stretch, she had enough to nip the record.

"I'm thrilled," she said about the 800. "I couldn't be happier. I wanted to go out in 59 so when I saw 57 it was a little scary. I just kept pushing, kept going. I tightened up with 200. I hit the wall a little, but I just swam to the finish. I guess my splits could have been better but I just went for it."

Weissenbach, the defending champion, had fought through injuries much of the season.

"I've just been working my way back so I definitely wasn't thinking something like this would happen," she said. "My whole goal was to meet up with the other girls and get back here to defend my title. I didn't expect it to happen the way it did. I'm so happy."