CIF state track notebook: Fowler’s Budwig follows family tradition

With dad and brother by her side, Jocelyn Budwig added to the family tradition Friday evening.

The last of Jeff and Jayleen’s four children – all standout athletes at Fowler High – qualified for the finals in the discus at the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium

Budwig unleashed a throw of 142-6 on her third and final attempt to finish ninth among 25 competitors in the preliminaries. The top 12 moved on to Saturday’s finals, a group that also included Exeter’s Christy Norris-Dow, who was 11th at 135-9.

Budwig will attempt to become Fowler’s first girls track and field medalist, according to section historian Bob Barnett.

“I feel like I did good today,” Budwig said. “There are some things I was missing, some little stuff. So that’s an easy fix.”

The only freshman finals qualifier fouled on her first throw, then went 142-4 on her second, a mark that left her solidly among the top 12. She entered with the fifth-best section championships qualifying mark of 146-5.

“I just got to stay more relaxed,” Budwig said. “The nerves got the best of me today.”

Budwig’s best throw of the season was 151-3 on April 22 at the Metric Classic – fourth-best all-time for a section freshman and 15th-best overall in section history, according to track and field historian Ron Blackwood.

Her father and coach, Jeff, was pleased nerves didn’t get the best of Jocelyn, as they did Mt. Miguel-Spring Valley’s top-seeded Laulauga Tausaga-Collins, who fouled in all three of her attempts for an unexpected early exit.

“It was a good performance overall. It’s to be expected she’d have nerves as a freshman,” Jeff Budwig said. “She was a little bit tight, didn’t do exactly what she was supposed to do. But she made it through to the second day, which is what we’re here to do. So I expect really good things for her tomorrow.”

Track and field is simply in the blood for Jocelyn Budwig.

Her parents both threw the discus at Fresno State, where they met, in the early 1980s. Jeff was a two-time state qualifier at McLane. His younger brother and sister, Robert and Debbie, qualified as hurdlers at Clovis West.

Her oldest sister, Jessica, was a thrower at Fowler while middle sister Jayme is a senior who’s headed to run for Fresno State.

And older brother Jacob placed third in the discus at the 2010 state meet.

“It’s a neat thing and really nice to see it continue on and to see her continue on throwing,” Jeff Budwig said.

Jocelyn Budwig got her start in track and field as a sprinter, but shin splints forced her off the track and into the discus and shot put pits a year and a half ago.

“I’m just here doing what I love,” Jocelyn Budwig said. “It feels good. I’ve worked so hard to get here. It’s been a goal of mine since last year.”

Budwig also was a non-qualifying 17th (38-1 1/4 ) in the shot put. Madera South’s Addyson Smith had the top prelim finish for a section competitor in the girls shut put, finishing 14th in 40-2.

Section sizzles in 300 hurdles – Central Section standouts Zoe March of Immanuel and Paramveer Chohan of Buchanan turned in the fastest girls and second-fastest boys qualifying times in the 300 hurdles events.

For March, it continued a remarkable story of a college-bound basketball player competing in track and field for the first time since the sixth grade.

The Eagles senior blazed a 42.34 – No. 5 in the state this season and No. 3 all-time in the section, trailing Liberty-Bakersfield’s Morganne Hills (41.47, 2015) and Clovis West’s Alyssa Monteverde (41.90, 2011).

March, a point guard, was The Fresno Bee’s Small Schools Player of the Year in basketball after leading Immanuel to a fourth-straight section title. She’ll play basketball at Azusa Pacific.

“I didn’t think I’d be here with the time I have,” March said. “But it amazes me how the Lord works every day. I thought 43.0 was as fast as I was going to get. I’m just going to stay humble and let the Lord do his work.”

Chohan ran 37.19 to win his heat and finish behind La Quinta’s Koty Burton (36.61) overall. Chohan was just off his section record of 37.05 set April 9 at the Arcadia Invitational.

“That was a pretty good time for prelims,” Chohan said. “I feel like I could win, but I’m not going to put pressure on myself or over think it. I’m just going to try my hardest.”

Clovis trio fly into finals – Clovis North’s McKay Johnson led three Clovis Unified competitors who reached the finals in both the discus and shot put.

Johnson was a section-best fourth in qualifying in the discus, throwing a personal record 188-10 on his second attempt after fouling on his first.

“When I took my first throw, I felt something way different in my form,” Johnson said. “I was excited to use it and (the personal record) popped out (on the second attempt).

“I was really happy with that throw. I’m excited to see what’s in store tomorrow.”

Johnson then went to the shot put pit, where he uncorked a 64-1 3/4 heave on his first attempt and decided to shut it down to rest for the finals. He qualified second.

Buchanan’s Jacob Wilson qualified sixth in the discus (183-10) and fourth in the shot put (61-9 1/4 ); Clovis’ Johan Wilson was seventh in the discus (183-7) and seventh in the shot put (57-0 1/2 ).

Esperanza-Anaheim’s Bronson Osborn qualified first in both at 194-10 and 69-3 3/4 .

Still using their feet – A trio of Central Section title-winning girls soccer players – Clovis East’s Carissa Wight (300 hurdles) and Nikki Crouch (pole vault) as well as Madera South’s Kim Montoya (100) – made the field for the state meet.

Each fell short of the finals in their respective events.

Another section soccer standout, Buchanan’s Yamilet Biggers, made the state meet in the 100 and 200 dash, but did not make the finals in either.

This story was originally published June 3, 2016 at 8:41 PM with the headline "CIF state track notebook: Fowler’s Budwig follows family tradition."