California’s track and field elite provide triple the fun for Valley crowd

Should the day arrive when Tara Davis wins Olympic gold, Fresno-area folks will be able to say they saw her get her start.

The Agoura High senior was the star in the finals of the CIF State Track and Field Championships, finishing as the runaway top performer Saturday at Buchanan’s Veterans Memorial Stadium.

And it started with Davis surpassing Marion Jones ... from a time when that future Olympian also was just a rising prep standout.

“I’m just so excited about how this whole day played out,” Davis said.

Davis broke Jones’ 24-year state meet record in the long jump by leaping 22 feet, 1.25 inches, threatening the national high school mark of 22-1.75 that dates to 1976. Jones had held the California record since jumping 22-0.5 for Thousand Oaks on June 19, 1993.

Then came the 100-meter hurdles, where Davis was timed in 12.83 seconds.

That would have been a new national standard, except for a tailwind that registered at plus-3.7, well above the plus-2 legal limit for record consideration.

The University of Georgia-bound senior was unfazed, finishing her day with a third gold after capturing the triple jump with a top leap of 42-11.75. Only one other girl even surpassed 41 feet.

“That was my plan, try to win all three,” Davis said. “It’s bittersweet to leave. But you know, I have bigger and better things to do in college.

“It really gave me a lot of confidence today (setting the long jump record). It told me I was in good shape. That I feel good. So I’m super excited.”

Davis said she’s going to miss competing in Clovis in particular, where at last year’s state meet she won gold in the hurdles (13.38) and triple jump (41-5.5) though had to settle for runner-up to Clovis North’s Rhesa Foster in the long jump.

“Everybody is just energetic,” Davis said. “It’s amazing, all the people.”

Discus disappointment, shot success – The day didn’t exactly go as Clovis senior Jonah Wilson envisioned.

He entered the meet owning the state’s all-time discus record of 221-5, which he set in April. But he wound up third in the event Saturday, with his best throw of 198-2 leaving him trailing Pittsburg’s Iffy Joyner (203-8) and Oak Park’s Robbie Otal (202.0).

“I was not happy,” Wilson said.

Roughly an hour later, he used that displeasure to help win gold in the shot put.

And along the way he edged family rival Jacob Wilson, a cousin who attends Buchanan.

Jonah threw 66 feet, 2.75 inches. Jacob’s top heave was 63-8.

The discus disappointment provided powerful motivation.

“That’s the reason I placed first in shot put,” Jonah said. “I was expecting first or even second (in discus).

“Ultimately, that’s the reason I won shot put because of the third place in discus.”

Jacob Wilson smiled while on the podium, happy to be taking home a silver.

As a fierce competitor, it was irksome finishing behind someone. But at least it was a relative.

“It was a tough day overall,” said Jacob, who just missed medaling in the discus after finishing seventh. “Not every meet goes how you want it.

“If someone else is going to beat me, I wanted it to be him.”

Section’s showing – Jonah Wilson was the Central Section’s lone champion, but there were 16 medalists.

Clovis North pole vaulter Brooke Tjerrild joined Jacob Wilson in winning silver.

Sanger’s Chinenye Agina took third in the girls high jump.

Clovis’ boys made the top five overall, but state team titles went to Southern Section schools.

On the boys side, Rancho Verde-Moreno Valley had 49 points to Oaks Christian-Westlake Village’s 29. Clovis was fourth with 20 and Buchanan (10) tied for 14th.

For the girls, Long Beach Poly (31) was followed by Agoura (30) and Serra-Gardena (25).

This story was originally published June 4, 2017 at 3:29 AM with the headline "California’s track and field elite provide triple the fun for Valley crowd."