American Canyon High jumpers qualify for state track and field meet

The American Canyon High track and field program hadn't had anyone qualify for the state meet since 2016 - seven seasons, minus the COVID-19 years of 2020 and 2021 - until senior Khairee Baker made it in the 100 meters and 4x100 relay last year.

Baker was joined on the relay team by underclassmen Jordan Locke, Jona Budu, Jordan Burse and Peyton Crowder, the alternate.

Crowder ended up being a state-meet spectator last year at Buchanan High in Clovis, but he was only a sophomore and had two more years to make it.

He and two teammates were the only Napa County athletes to advance at Friday and Saturday's North Coast Section Meet of Champions at Dublin High, where the top three finishers in each event and those who met at-large standards would advance to state.

Crowder punched his ticket to Clovis in the triple jump on Friday, when the event was held, with a second-place mark of 44 feet, 11¾ inches. It would have been bittersweet had teammate Amir Jones not made it in his junior year as well, since Crowder and Jones have pulled off the second- and third-best marks in school history this year - 45-6 and 45-1, respectively.

Jones not only made it with a third-place finish, but nearly beat his longtime friend with a mark of 44-10½. They will represent the NCS at state with Encinal senior Donovan Heins, who won at 46-4½.

Also advancing to state for the Wolves was senior Jay Woodson, in the high jump with a second-place leap of 6-8. The winner, Clayton Valley senior Julian Walker, also cleared 6-8 but in his first attempt, while Woodson made it in his third and final try.

It was not only a personal best for Woodson, but a school record. He improved on his own record of 6-6, which he'd achieved four times this season, including at the NCS Redwood Empire Area Championships on May 16.

Woodson - the twin of American Canyon girls basketball star Jordan Woodson - had broken Gamon Howard's 2016 record of 6-2 twice last year, at 6-4 and 6-5, but cleared only 6-2 at the MOC and finished eighth.

Woodson and Crowder nearly made state as runners this year, too, with Budu and Burse, in the 4x100 relay. They finished fourth in 41.89 seconds, just .09 second behind Pittsburg's third-place team and .21 off the at-large qualifying standard.

Also finishing fourth was Vintage junior Helen Heffner, with personal record in the girls 300 hurdles of 44.66 seconds. She was just .04 second slower than the third-placer, junior Naeemah Grant-Gurganious of the hosting Gaels. The at-large time was 43.36.

Though a few other top prospects from the area came close, only Crowder, Jones and Woodson made it.

"It's very exciting for us to be representing all of Napa County and the Vine Valley Athletic League," said Bruce Crowder, now in his fifth season as American Canyon head coach. "Our athletes have worked extremely hard throughout the season to put themselves in this position."

He said Woodson will be competing for UC Berkeley next year.

"Jay and I worked hard this week on tweaking his takeoff and attacking the bar more aggressively, with the goal of hitting a PR of 6-8 at the right time," the coach said. "He is beyond excited that it paid off, as he now heads to state and then on to Cal next year."

Crowder coached the Wolves' jumpers during their first two seasons in 2012 and 2013 before having to step down for health reasons, he said. The next year, one of his pupils, then-senior Zealoun Edwards, soared 45-9 at the state meet for a sixth-place finish. It's still the school record to this day, but Crowder - who still coaches the jumpers, with Cliff Stroughter assisting with the runners - said he hopes to see his son or Jones break it.

"Peyton and Amir both hit their PRs by two inches at the VVAL Championships two weeks ago. Now they continue to average closer to 45 feet per jump," the coach said. "We are looking to break 46 at state next week.

"They didn't have their best jumps this weekend, but both have shown great consistency and growth by jumping over 45 feet this season and have steadily continued to improve. The important thing is that they both found a way to qualify for state and now have another week to prepare, improve, and hopefully set new personal records."

The triple jumpers have each other to thank for a lot of their success.

"Amir and Peyton have been friends since kindergarten, so it has been really rewarding as a coach to watch them push and encourage each other over the years," coach Crowder said. "Their friendly competition and leadership within our jumpers group has helped them strive to become better athletes. Plus, neither one likes letting the other beat them. Last season, they started training together toward the end of the year. This year, they really committed to working together and pushing each other throughout the entire season.

"Peyton has grown and moved further each year. He took second in league and won sections last year and didn't do well in MOC (in the triple jump) but went to state as the 4x100 alternate. This year he won league and (area sections) in the triple jump and had the goal to go to state, which he's accomplished at MOC. Amir had a goal of jumping 44-5 and making it to MOC, which he surpassed by making it to state and jumping 45-1."

In the 4x100, winner De La Salle and runner-up El Cerrito both beat the at-large standard of 41.68 seconds.

"Our 4x100 relay team did an amazing job as well. Unfortunately, they came up just one spot short, finishing fourth against the No. 2 and No. 4 teams in California," coach Crowder said. "Coach Cliff, my sprint coach, had them in a great position to run fast and has been working on the speed for jumps and sprints all season. Coach Cliff and I could not be more proud of what they accomplished. It would have been great to send the relay team back to state, but getting our jumpers there is still a tremendous accomplishment that the athletes should be very proud of."

Another sprinter who just missed state as a senior was Vintage's Mason Howell, who placed fifth in 21.60 seconds. The third-placer ran 21.47, and the at-large cutoff was 21.35.

Cal Poly-bound Justin-Siena senior Lainey Reiter just missed her second straight state meet. She finished sixth in the girls 400 meters in 58.25 and anchored the 4x400 relay team to a 10th-place time of 4:07.12, running after senior Claire Cannariato, freshman Gabrielle Dolter and junior Mackenzie Cutler.

Also placing 10th was St. Helena junior Corinna Schlatter, in the 3200 in 11:09.42.

Three area girls competed in the 100 meters. American Canyon senior Aalanah Brown and Cutler finished 11th and 12th, respectively - both in 12.44, a PR for Cutler - and Napa High freshman Kaia Ceresia was 21st in 12.84.

Budu was 11th in the 400 meters in 49.67, with Vintage senior Angel Borrayo 18th in 50.57.

Another Vintage senior, Long Beach State-bound Kendall Bawden, was 11th in the girls 800 meters in 2:23.06.

Vintage's boys 4x800 relay team of senior Casey Title, junior Elian Hernandez, and seniors Eli Ewig and Teddy Eichner placed 13th in 8:24.85.

Justin-Siena's girls 4x100 relay team of senior Isabella Moore, junior Bella Shackford, freshman Georgia Cullinane and Cutler took 16th in 49.88.

Vintage's boys 4x400 relay team of senior Ruben Sanchez, Borrayo, junior Sean Butler and Eichner was 17th in 3:30.95.

Two other Vintage seniors also competed - Daniel Ward, who was 18th in the boys 100 hurdles in 16.19, and Max Kaufman, who took 19th in the shot put at 43-4.

Napa High sophomore Joshua Nunez-Torres was 20th in the 800 meters in 2:00.31.

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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 6:13 PM.