Ariana Washington at the 2012 Penn Relays as a sophomore. That's the same season the now Oregon-bound senior began her assault at the CIF State Championships.
File photo by Kirby Lee
96th CIF State California Track and Field Championships
WHERE: Buchanan High School (Clovis)WHEN: Friday trials schedule;
Saturday finalsLIVE RESULTS: Click here
CLOVIS, Calif. — Marion Jones and Allyson Felix. That's pretty elite company among female sprinters.
Long Beach Poly senior
Ariana Washington can put her name right alongside those Olympic champions with victories in the 100- and 200-meter dashes in this weekend's 96th CIF State Championships at Buchanan High.
The Oregon-bound senior has swept both events the last two seasons and will join Jones and Felix as the only three-time double winners if she can pull it off. Jones actually did it four times.
"It's money time now," Washington told the
Long Beach Press-Telegram.
With three titles — Poly's 400 relay team is the national leader at 45.25 seconds — Washington would collect eight gold medals in her career, one off the record of nine by Jones. There are rumblings that she might try to contribute in the 1,600 relay finals.
As gifted as Washington is, she's by no means a one-girl squad. Poly's girls have already won 13 state titles — no other school has more than five — and with Washington, both relays, 400 freshman runner
Kaelin Roberts (53.39) and 300 hurdler
Kymber Payne (41.35), the Jackrabbits have six top qualifiers.
They are heavy favorites to win and perhaps break a scoring record. On top of that, the Poly boys, with a lot of depth and the state's top 1,600 relay team, are expected to win the team competition as well.
"We're hoping it will be a special day," Poly coach Don Norford told the Press-Telegram.
There are many others who figure to have special meets. Among them:
Curtis Godin (Mater Dei-Santa Ana) —
Another UCLA-signee, Godin is a baseball player-turned-sprinter
who is unbeaten on the year with a best of 10.36. He lost for the first
time in the 200 last week but has a 20.85, which is sixth-best in the
country.
Anna Maxwell, San Lorenzo Valley
File photo by Craig Morley
The Oregon-bound senior is the national leader and in the 3,200 (8:46.80), and is trying to become only the second Californian to sweep the distance races in two consecutive years.
Anna Maxwell (San Lorenzo Valley-Felton) —
The defending 1,600 champion who was the national leader until a
national record was set by Alexa Efraimson, Maxwell will try to pull off
an extremely rare double that includes the 800. She'd be the second to
do it and first since 1975.
Nate Moore (Castro Valley) — Another Oregon-bound athlete — do we sense a trend? — the slight but explosive senior is the defending champion in the long jump and triple jump. He owns the top qualifying mark in both events and has the national all-conditions long jump in the country this year at 25-10.
Stamatia Scarvelis (Dos Pueblos-Goleta) — The UCLA thrower has already thrown the shot put 53-9 1/4, further than the meet record of 53-8. She's the favorite in the discus as well.
