CIF State Track and Field: Two of nation's top freshmen prepare for state

What: 97th California Interscholastic Federation State Track and Field Championships
Where: Buchanan High School, Clovis
When: Friday-Saturday, June 5-6
National leaders (according to dyestat.com)
Michael Norman, Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) — 200 meters, 20.46 seconds
Jasmyne Graham, Roosevelt (Eastvale) — 100 hurdles, 13.21
Matt Katnik, St. John Bosco (Bellflower) — Shot put, 72 feet, 3 inches
Elena Bruckner, Valley Christian (San Jose) — Shot put, 53-5.50; Discus, 182-8

CLOVIS, Calif. — The link between a pair of talented Sonoma County track and field freshmen began a generation ago — their parents ran together as youth — but it wasn't until breakthrough performances Saturday at the North Coast Section Meet of Champions did most start asking about it.

That was after Sonoma Academy (Santa Rosa, Calif.) distance runner Rylee Bowen shocked everyone — including herself — by setting a 10-second personal record while winning the 1600 in 4 minutes, 43.92 seconds, the third fastest time in the state this year, ninth best in the country and No. 1 by a freshman.

Less than an hour later, Santa Rosa (Calif.) standout Kirsten Carter ran the second fastest 400 time in the state this year in 54.24, 19th best time in the country and No. 2 among freshmen. Not bad since she just started running the event less than a month ago.

Known as a sprinter and jumper, Carter had one of the San Francisco region's top three marks in both the 100 and long jump, but dropped both events to focus on the 200 and 400.

She later finished second in the 200 to qualify for both events at Friday's CIF State Track and Field Championships in Clovis.

Both girls beat senior favorites, both showed loads of promise coming into the season and meet, but both arrived at the pinnacle of state competition earlier than most expected.

Even themselves.

"Nope," Carter said when asked if she had any expectation to win Saturday.

No denying
Bowen, who won the state Division V cross-country title in the fall, was focused on running a good tactical race. But winning wasn't exactly on her radar. It was more about the time. And that mark simply blew her away.

Conventional thought was that experienced and superb Campolindo-Moraga senior and Princeton-bound Brighie Leach would pass up Bowen down the stretch. She had sat on Bowen's shoulder brilliantly for about a lap and seemed primed to slingshot right by.

Instead, Bowen had more than enough in the tank to beat Leach's best. Leach came in at 4:44.33, breaking the longtime Campolindo school record. And that school has had some good ones.

"My plan was to hang on to the front pack at the start, then in the last lap pick it up and take the lead and try to hold anyone off, and kick it in," Bowen said.

Leach wasn't just anyone. She came into the race as the Bay Area leader in the 800, 1600 and 3200. Bowen confessed she wanted it badly.

"I really wanted this race. I'm not going to deny that," she said. "When she came up I was happy because I knew we were going fast. But I didn't have any idea how fast. So I'm really glad she pushed me. And together we both PR'd and I think we're both very happy with our times."

Leach revealed later she was "nothing but happy," even in defeat. She later came back to win the 3200, an event she'll focus on at state.

Carter's victim, Deer Valley-Antioch's Brianna Guillory, was not pleased with her defeat, though she also ran a PR of 54.64. Carter came from behind to pass Guillory in the final 20 meters. Guillory said she never heard Carter coming.

Carter, a 5-foot-10 gazelle, had just planned to stay close Guillory. But she never imagined passing her — until the last moment.

"I remember thinking, ‘Just stick with her. Don't let her get too far away.'

"At the 200 mark, I thought ‘second place.' Then at the 300 mark, it was like, ‘wait, she's still there. And she hasn't moved at all.' I kept going and I realized she was still going the same speed and I was able to speed up so I ran faster and kept saying ‘keep running, keep running.'

"I was just accepting second for a while, then it was 'I want to get as close to her as possible.' "

Adrenalin rush
She wasn't just close. She powered right past Guillory.

"I think (it was) adrenalin," Carter said. "I felt like I had nothing left but I don't want second. I don't want third. I want first, so it kind of came from no where. It's great."

Carter knows it didn't exactly come from no where. She has tremendous genes.

Her father Darin Carter was a standout track-and-field as a youth with the Santa Rosa Express youth running club. That's where he met Bowen's mom, then distance runner Nika Horn. The two then competed together at Santa Rosa High.

Bowen and Carter have been running buddies since they were 5- or 6-years-old, Carter said. She wasn't surprised by Bowen's breakout performance.

"She's always run well," Carter said. "I'm super excited for her."

Bowen said she's been running basically since she could walk.

"My mom would take me out in the stroller and I hated that thing," she said. "I'd put my foot in front of the wheel to make it stop. I always wanted out. She'd finally let me out and I'd run. Not for long. Maybe a mile. … We'd stop and pick berries along the way. Go swimming. The runs were never serious."

But Bowen, though sweet in nature, has always been a serious runner. Perhaps because she wasn't too acute at other sports.

"I played soccer and I was awful," she confessed with a giggle. "I was the person looking for butterflies in the middle of the game."

Competitive fire
Carter, on the other hand, was good at all sports, including soccer and basketball. But an individual sport like track helped feed her competitive fire. She could control the outcome.

Besides that, her dad has helped coach her since she was a youth. He was the 1997 North Bay League sprint champion and later ran at Sacramento State. He currently helps coach the sprinters at Santa Rosa.

"We're close," she said. "It's nice for me to have him there because he ran track and knows what to do. He knows my will and want to win."

Santa Rosa head coach Doug Courtemarche, who has led one of the region's best squads for 23 years, told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat: "In all the years of coaching, she could be the most talented of all the athletes I have ever had the joy of coaching. And I have had a lot of very good athletes."

There will be some even better ones in Clovis, but the freshmen surely responded well against the best from NCS.

"With state," Bowen said. "I'll do what I always plan to do: Show up and run and go home and play."