Prep track and field: Which Fresno-area athletes are in state meet; how to buy tickets
The California Interscholastic Federation high school track and field championships return this weekend after a two-year absence because of the coronavirus.
And the state meet is back in Clovis for thee 12th year at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the Buchanan High campus. Preliminaries are Friday and finals conclude late Saturday evening.
The meet was last held in 2019 and it was ruled by the Clovis North boys and Buchanan girls, both winning state championships.
This weekend figures to be wide-open, Buchanan coach Brian Weaver said:
“There’s some tremendous talent out there. .... I think there are going to be some special things in the state meet. A very competitive state meet. It’s always competitive, but I think there’s not the favorites like there has been in years past. There is a lot of, “Who is going to win?’”
Among the top athletes:
▪ Junipero Serra junior Rodrick Pleasant is tops in the 100 with a wind-legal state record of 10.14 seconds set at the Southern Section Masters. He also leads the 200 standings.
▪ Entering the outdoor season, St. Mary’s-Stockton Jadyn Marshall was the state’s top returner in the 110-meter hurdles. He tops with a season-best in that event and in the 300-meter hurdles.
▪ Great Oak senior JC Stevenson leads the way in the long jump and triple jump and Murrietta Mesa senior Cade Moran leads the way in the discus and shot put.
▪ Ventura freshman Sadie Engelhardt is tops in the state in the 1,600 and 3,200; Weaver calls her “truly special.”
Fresno-area athletes will vie for the top spot on the podium, too:
Clovis North senior Takiya Cenci has a state-best 53.19 seconds in the 400 set at the West Coast Relays.
Cenci will run for USC next season.
“She put a tremendous amount of work into being the best she can be every day,” Clovis North coach Richard Brazil said. “That’s how it pushed our team and our younger kids to reach limits, too. ... She’s honed into her craft and really bought in to being the best that she can be each day. She’s obviously very talented, but with that she’s put a tremendous amount of work into being the best student-athlete she can be.”
Among the local favorites
The Central boys are one of the favorites to win the 400 and 1,600 relay. The Grizzlies clocked a 40.63 400 at the Central Section Masters.
Clovis football star Nathan Johnson, who’s committed to Utah, is second on the leaders list in the 100. He’s No. 2 in the Central Section all-time with a time of 10.36.
Among the state leaders from the Fresno-area are Clovis North freshman McKay Madsen (shot put, 68 feet 5.25 inches at the Freshmen-Sophomore championships); Cenci (400, 53.19 at the West Coast Relays); and Caruthers junior Nailea Fields (discus, 162-7 at the Central Section Division IV finals).
Will there be a repeat?
Defending team champions Buchanan girls and Clovis North boys have hopes of repeating.
“I think we can be a top 10 team,” Buchanan’s Weaver said. “Beyond that, I don’t know. They progressed really well. We were fortunate enough in 2019. We were competitive and that’s all we’re looking for is to try to be really competitive. That’s always been our philosophy. I like our chances in the state meet. We have to be special on that day to come out on top. We have 50 kids out here and only 18 will compete this weekend. They still want to be out here and be a part of it.”
Clovis North’s Brazil wants his athletes to “always survive Friday and get many to Saturday.
“One event at a time and giving our best shot so we can make sure to get into the finals,” Brazil said. “We’re super excited to get back to the state meet. This is all a new experience for my athletes. We had a couple athletes participate in that last meet. They’ve been in big meets in over the years here. I think they are super-excited to compete in a true CIF state meet this year.”
Central’s Jeremiah Walker will be busy
Jeremiah Walker will be key for the Grizzlies, Central coach Gary Davis said.
He’s already running in the 200 and 400. He’s also slated to run on both relays, but Davis said they’ll see where they are at before committing Walker to the 1,600 relay team.
“It’s going to be tough,” Davis said. “Do we save him or roll the dice? He has a shot to win 400.
How to buy tickets
Tickets are available online only through CIF’s ticketing partner, GoFan.
Friday’s session is $12 for general admission and $7 for students/children (5+) and seniors (65+).
Saturday’s session is $14 for general admission and $8 for students/children (5+) and seniors (65+).
What will the weather be like?
Athletes and fans will luck out from having to deal with triple-digit temperatures on both days of the meet.
The National Weather Service in Hanford is forecasting mostly sunny skies with a high temperature of 92 degrees on Friday.
The final day of the state meet gets a bit better with sunny skies with a high near 86 degrees.
Event schedule
Friday, May 27
2 p.m. Stadium Gates Open
3 p.m. Field Qualifying Events Begin
5 p.m. Track Qualifying Events Begin
Saturday, May 28
3:30 p.m. Stadium Gates Open
4:30 p.m. Field Event Finals begin
6 p.m. Track Event Finals begin
Track qualifying, Friday
5 p.m. Girls’ 400m Relay (Heat 1-3)
5:15 p.m. Boys’ 400 Relay (Heat 1-3)
5:30 p.m. Girls’ 1600 m Run (Heat 1-2)
5:45 Boys’ 1600m Run (Heat 1-2)
6:00 Girls’ 100m HH (Heat 1-3)
6:15 Boys’ 110m HH (Heat 1-3)
6:30 Girls Ambulatory; Boys Ambulatory; Ambulatory Girls; Wheelchair Boys’ Wheelchair
6:50 Girls’ 400m Dash (Heat 1-3)
7:05 Boys’ 400m Dash (Heat 1-3)
7:20 Girls’ 100m Dash (Heat 1-3)
7:30 Boys’ 100m Dash (Heat 1-3)
7:40 Girls’ 800m Run (Heat 1-2)
7:50 Boys’ 800m Run (Heat 1-2)
8:00 Girls’ 300m LH (Heat 1-3)
8:15 Boys’ 300m IH (Heat 1-3)
8:30 Unified 400 Relay Final
8:40 Girls’ 200m Dash (Heat 1-3)
8:50 Boys’ 200m Dash (Heat 1-3)
9:00 Unified 100m Dash Final
9:10 Girls’ 1600m Relay (Heat 1-3)
9:30 Boys’ 1600m Relay (Heat 1-3)
Field qualifying, Friday
3 p.m. Combined shot put final (Wheelchair/Ambulatory)
3 p.m. Girls discus
3 p.m. Girls long jump
3 p.m. Boys long jump
3 p.m. Boys high jump
5 p.m. Unified shot put final
5:30 p.m. Boys discus
4:30 p.m. Girls shot put
6 p.m. Boys pole vault
6 p.m. Girls pole vault
6 p.m. Boys triple jump
6 p.m. Girls triple jump
7 p.m. Girls high jump
8 p.m. Boys shot put
Field championships, Saturday
4:30 p.m. Girls discus
5 p.m. Boys high jump
5 p.m. Girls long jump
5 p.m. Boys long jump
5:15 p.m. Girls pole vault
6:30 p.m. Boys discus
6:30 p.m. Girls shot put
7:15 p.m. Boys pole vault
7:30 p.m. Girls high jump
7:30 p.m. Boys triple jump
7:30 p.m. Girls triple jump
8:30 p.m. Boys shot put
Track championships, Saturday
6 p.m. Girls 400m Relay
6:05 p.m. Boys 400m Relay
6:15 p.m. Girls 1600m Run
6:25 Boys 1600m Run
6:35 p.m. Girls 100m High Hurdles
6:45 p.m. Boys 110m High Hurdles
6:55 p.m. Girls 400m Dash
7 p.m. Boys 400m Dash
7:10 p.m. Girls Ambulatory 100m
7:15 p.m. Boys Ambulatory 100m
7:20 p.m. Girls Wheelchair 100m
7:25 p.m. Boys Wheelchair 100m
7:35 p.m. Girls 100m Dash
7:40 p.m. Boys 100m Dash
7:50 p.m. Girls 800m Run
7:55 p.m. Boys 800m Run
8:05 p.m. Girls 300m LH
8:15 p.m. Boys 300m IH
8:25 p.m. Girls 200m Dash
8:30 p.m. Boys 200m Dash
8:40 p.m. Girls Ambulatory 200m
8:45 p.m. Boys Ambulatory 200m
8:50 p.m. Girls Wheelchair 200m
8:55 p.m. Boys Wheelchair 200m
9:10 p.m. Girls 3,200m Run
9:25 p.m. Boys 3,200m Run
9:40 p.m. Girls 1,600m Relay
9:50 p.m. Boys 1,600m Relay
Starting heights
Friday
Girls High Jump 5-3
Girls Pole Vault 11-9
Boys High Jump 6-4
Boys Pole Vault 14-5
Saturday
Girls High Jump 5-4
Girls Pole Vault 11-11
Boys High Jump 6-5
Boys Pole Vault 14-7
Fresno-area athletes competing
(Seed times and seed marks)
Boys
100: Jake Parnagian, Clovis North, 10.53; Nicholas Miller, Clovis North, 10.64; Nathan Johnson, Clovis, 10.43; Cameron Tarver, Central, 10.58; Elijah Lindsey, Central, 10.61.
200: Cameron Tarver, Central, 21.48; Jeremiah Walker, Central, 20.89; Imari Conley, Central, 21.48; Jake Parnagian, Clovis North, 21.34; Elijah Lindsey, 21.62; Nicholas Miller, Clovis North, 21.16.
400: Quincy Patton, Buchanan, 49.45; Payton Mathias, Clovis North, 49.54; Jeremiah Walker, Central, 47.27.
800: Zach Weaver, Buchanan, 1:56.16; Emanuel Salas, Sanger, 1:54.81; Ben Borchers, Edison, 1:56.15.
110 HH: Hudson Hergenrader, Buchanan, 15.00; Nathanael DeMatto, Sierra Pacific, 14.92.
300 LH: Augustus Remlinger, Buchanan, 39.57; Noel Felix, Central, 39.65.
1,600: Christopher Caudillo, Clovis, 4:07.57; Noah Ray, Buchanan, 4:09.68.
3,200: Christopher Caudillo, Clovis, 9:06.14; Carter Spradling, Clovis East, 9:07.68.
400 relay: Clovis North (Nicholas Miller, Jake Paragian, Andrew Chavez, Vincent Cordoba, David Nichols, Frank Solis), 41.75
400 relay: Central (Jeremiah Walker, Cameron Tarver, Elijah Lindsey, Imari Conley, Terrell Johnson, Jesiah Lindsey), 40.63
400 relay: Buchanan (Augustus Remlinger, Garrett Fox, Harrison Kalpakoff, Hilton Green, Michael Runnels, Parker Brandt), 41.44.
1,600 relay: Central (Walter Pierce, Imari Conley, Terrell Johnson, Jeremiah Walker, Jerome Brown, Cameron Tarver) 3:18.28
1,600 relay: Clovis North (Paul Porter, Payton Mathias, Spencer Mueller, Ryan Alali, Brayden Blodgett, Cameron Black) 3:22.44.
1,600 relay: Buchanan (Quincy Patton, Zach Weaver, Henry Baxter, Noah Ray, Marcus Jauregui, Garrett Fox)
High jump: Tyler Gonos, Clovis North, 6-02.00; Caleb Jackson, Clovis, 6-04.00.
Pole vault: Shane Bagley, Lemoore, 15-05.00; Hilton Green, Buchanan, 15-11.00.
Long jump: Nathan Johnson, Clovis, 23-06.00.
Triple jump: None
Shot put: McKay Madsen, Clovis North, 57-06.60.
Discus: McKay Madsen, Clovis North, 169-07.
Girls
100: Haley Duvall, Clovis East, 12.20
200: Takiya Cenci, Clovis North, 24.02.
400: Takiya Cenci, Clovis North, 53.40; Layla Clay, Buchanan, 57.70.
800: Nia Lamas, Sanger, 2:14.75; Elle Lomeli, Buchanan, 2:11.95.
100 HH: Taleeah Hoggatt, Central, 14.76; Riley Costales, Central, 14.57.
300 LH: Milani Ward, Clovis East, 44.45; Riley Costales, Central, 44.14.
1,600: Sierra Cornett, Buchanan, 4:50.75; Grace Hutchison, Buchanan, 4:54.80.
3,200: Grace Hutchison, Buchanan, 10:33.70; Sydney Sundgren, Buchanan, 10:35.70.
400 relay: Central (Iyanna Fuller, Keytonna Ross, Tionna Clements, Taleeah Hoggatt, Kaiya Quarles), 47.80
400 relay: Clovis North (Maya Cordoba, Takiya Cenci, Emerson Parks, Hayden Craft, Emma O’Neil, Jada Brooks), 47.75
1,600 relay: Clovis North (Maya Cordoba, Takiya Cenci, Emerson Parks, Tatum Zinkin, Emma O’Neil, Hayden Craft)
1,600 relay: Clovis East (Haley Duvall, Brooklyn Washington, Milani Ward, Kylie Ward, Yamilhet, Gonzalez, Reigan Rose)
High jump: Karina Rodriguez, Clovis, 5-01.00; Claire Predmore, Bullard, 5-03.00
Pole vault: None
Long jump: Madeleine Passmore, Buchanan, 17-07.00; Riley Costaoles, Central, 18-05.50; Sydnie Vanek, Clovis, 19-07.25.
Triple jump: Nina Navarette, Buchanan, 36-05.00; Madeline Passmore, 39-01.25.
Shot put: Chinyere Egbuziem, Buchanan, 37-07.50; Nailea Fields, Caruthers, 41-07.75; Feyi Olukanni, Clovis East, 44-05.00.
Discus throw: Loie Madsen, Clovis North, 131-00; Nailea Fields, Caruthers, 140-005; Feyi Olukanni, Clovis East, 152-11.
Mixed
100 wheelchair Para: Angelina Garcia, Yosemite, 27.54.
200 wheelchair Para: Angelina Garcia, Yosemite, 1:06.86.
This story was originally published May 26, 2022 at 12:00 AM.
