5. Monster matchup(s)
Jantzen Oshier has been in the
national leader all season.
Photo by Louis Lopez
senior and Cal-bound Jantzen Oshier has been the national leader most of the year in the 1600 but he's now being chased down the defending champion Elias Gedyon
(Loyola-Los Angeles).
The Oregon-bound Gedyon missed much of the early season but is now running at full-tilt as he showed al last week's Southern Section Master's Meet, losing at the tape to Oshier 4:09.06 to 4:09.07.
Gedyon came back 90 minutes later and won the 3200 in 8:57.73, edging Camarillo senior Heyden Wooff (8:57.77). Now those are two close races.
His battle with Oshier should be epic, but don't count out Torrey Pines senior Matt Carpowich, who won the San Diego Section handily in 4:09.92.
Nine other showdowns to look forward to:
1. Cox versus Wilson in the girls 100 hurdles.
2. The 200 battle between Ndipagbor and Prandini.
3. The 800 fight between Weissenbach,
Templeton junior Savannah Camacho and two talented Poly girls Dynasty Gammage and Arielle Stevenson.
4. The 800 boys should be a free-for-all with Poly's Myles Andrews as the ultra-slight favorite.
5. Though McClain is the headliner and favorite, Beejay Lee, a senior at
West Covina, has the nation's fifth best time in the 200 at 20.96 and
Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) senior Jared Pickering beat McClain at Arcadia.
6. Seeing how freshman Sarah Baxter (
Simi Valley) responds all the comparisons to Jordan Hasay in the 3200 when she battles defending champion Molly Grabill
(Rancho Bernardo-San Diego) and
Torrey Pines (San Diego) senior Alli Billmeyer. The San Diego duo have the experience but Baxter has the country's fourth best time (10:14.11), which she recorded at Arcadia while defeating them both.
7. The boys 1600 relay between Serra and Poly is always worth the price of admission and is saved for last.
8. Keep an eye on the boys triple jump and
Enterprise (Redding) senior Javon Cunningham, who last year became one of the few Northern Section athletes to win a state championship. Cunningham looks to shock once more as he's seeded 23rd at 43-11 and has struggled of late.
Sultana (Hesperia, Calif.) sophomore Jaelen Spencer (50-2¼) has not.
9. The boys long jump features a quartet of 24-footers including national leader Marquise Lee
(Serra-Gardena) who is actually seeded fifth.
