logo
RJ Sermons, on the fast track to USC, shows off his 200 speed at Masters Meet

RJ Sermons, on the fast track to USC, shows off his 200 speed at Masters Meet

One day after making a big announcement about his future, RJ Sermons concentrated on the present and rebounded from a disappointing effort in the boys' 100 meters to beat a loaded field in the 200 meters Saturday in the Southern Section Masters Meet at Moorpark High.
'Not having the best race in the 100 gave me more fire in the 200 and I feel like I understand that race all the way,' Sermons said after building a sizable lead around the turn and winning in 20.97 seconds — not quite matching his personal-best 20.88 achieved three weeks ago at Baseline League finals. 'The most important thing right now is to stay level-headed and prepare well for state.'
A four-star cornerback from Rancho Cucamonga, Sermons declared on Friday he will forgo his senior year, reclassifying from the class of 2026 to 2025 in order to join his older brother Cameron at USC this summer.
'I was thinking about it for two months, finalized my decision about a month ago and announced it yesterday because Thursday was the last day of school,' said the 6-foot, 185-pounder who committed to USC in mid-December, fulfilling a lifelong wish to follow in the footsteps of his father, Rodney Sr., a running back for the Trojans from 1994-97.
Before he turns his attention to college football, though, Sermons still has unfinished business on the high school track and has definite goals for the state meet on May 30 and 31 at Buchanan High in Clovis.
'For the 200, I can go 20.8 [seconds] for sure and my goal is 20.6,' he said, after finishing fourth in the 100 in 10.47 Saturday and finishing in 10.36 at the section finals last week. 'In the 100, I'll need to run high 10.1 or low 10.2 to win state. My focus [in the 100] will be the start. The key is getting out of the blocks fast.'
Defending his Masters title in the boys' 100 meters before placing second to Sermons in the 200 with a personal-best 21.04 was Bishop Alemany sophomore Demare Dezeurn, whose winning time of 10.35 seconds bettered his Division 4 record-setting 10.42 and was one hundredth of a second faster than his wind-aided time at last year's Masters.
'My goal is to win next week and one day be able to tell my kids I was state champion,' Dezeurn said, who confirmed he is transferring to Palisades and wants to play football in the fall. 'This is just the beginning for me. I wasn't planning to win today, I just wanted to put a good time on the board.'
Servite sophomore Benjamin Harris, second to Dezeurn last year in the 100 and fifth at state, stumbled and fell while crossing the finishing line in the 100 (he was third in 10.44) and had to scratch from the 200.
Servite's depth makes it a state title contender in the boys' 4x100-meter relay. The team of Jace Wells, Jaelen Hunter, Kamal Pelovello and Robert Gardner, won Saturday in 40.40. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame was runner-up in 40.77.
'We're a whole new team from last year but none of us like to lose and we're going to practice getting the baton around better for next week,' said Gardner, who ran the anchor leg. Hunter later won the 400 meters in 46.91, one second faster than Jack Stadlman of Temecula Valley.
Long Beach Poly got revenge on Oaks Christian in the girls' 4x100, as Leila Holland, Nevaeh Lewis, Aniyah Brooks and Brooklyn Lee won in 45.94 after finishing second to the Lions at state last year.
'This was very important and it feels good but we're going to state to redeem ourselves,' Lee said. Oaks Christian (46.12) was second and Redondo Union (46.96) third.
After repeating as Southern Section champion in the 100 a week ago, Georgia commit Keelan Wright (11.41) from Chaparral was edged by five hundredths of a second by North Carolina A&T-bound Journey Cole of Redondo Union in the 100, but rebounded to win the 200 in 23.21.
Corona Santiago's Braelyn Combe followed her second straight Division 1 section title with a winning effort of 4 minutes 44.36 seconds in the girls' 1,600 meters, improving her time from last week by more than two and a half seconds.
Grant Miller of La Serna was the boys' 1,600 champion in 4:09.86. Stanford-bound Evan Noonan, who opted not to run the 1,600 (he won the section Division 1 title last week) to save his energy for the 3,200 meters, won the event in 8:55.76.
University of Oregon commit and reigning girls' state long jump champion Loren Webster of Long Beach Wilson leaped 18 feet 11½ inches — the third-best mark behind only Ab Hernandez of Jurupa Valley (19-03½) and Kaylee Best of Norco (19-¾).
'I've been dealing with patella tendinitis the entire season but over the weeks the pain has decreased,' Webster said. 'I was confident I'd win state last year because I'd jumped over a foot better than anyone else. As for this year I'd say 20 feet should win.'
Texas commit Brandon Gorski of Mater Dei qualified for state for the fourth time in the boys' high jump with a height of 6-6 to finish third behind Chaminade's Matthew Browner and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame junior JJ Harel (last year's state runner-up), who both cleared 6-10. Gorski also posted the third-best mark in the long jump with a 22-10½ effort.
Long Beach Wilson won the girls' 4x400-meter relay in 3:43.71 and Long Beach Poly won the boys' race in 3:10.83.
Aliso Niguel's Jaslene Massey won girls' discus (165-06) and shot put (49-07½). Reigning state discus champion and 2023 state shot put champion Aja Johnson of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame took second in both with marks of 158-08 (discus) and 45-08 (shot put).

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

U.S. Open: Rory McIlroy says it's time to 'get my stuff together'
U.S. Open: Rory McIlroy says it's time to 'get my stuff together'

Yahoo

time41 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

U.S. Open: Rory McIlroy says it's time to 'get my stuff together'

Rory McIlroy enjoyed his Masters victory in April. Still enjoying it, actually. That can be a good thing. He had been trying to win the damn thing for nearly two decades, after all, so no fault in stopping to smell the flowers. Advertisement But the day job never stops, and when you're trying to win golf tournaments — trying to beat the likes of Scottie Scheffler, who's still chasing his own career grand slam — there's going to be a professional cost. That cost showed up in May at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, when McIlroy finished T47, and last week at the Canadian Open, when he missed the cut altogether. Turns out, even when you're Rory McIlroy — one of only six players to win all four majors in the history of the sport — you still need to put in the practice. "I worked incredibly hard on my game from October last year all the way up until April this year," McIlroy explained Tuesday. "It was nice to sort of see the fruits of my labor come to fruition and have everything happen. Advertisement "You have to enjoy that. You have to enjoy what you've just accomplished. I certainly feel like I'm still doing that and I will continue to do that. At some point, you have to realize that there's a little bit more golf left to play this season. ... Weeks like Quail Hollow or even weeks like last week, it makes it easier to reset in some way, to be like, okay, I sort of need to get my stuff together here and get back to the process." That process will continue Thursday morning at Oakmont Country Club, where McIlroy will try to avenge the brutal defeat at last year's U.S. Open at the hands of Bryson DeChambeau. If you don't remember the two short putts he missed in the closing holes that would have won him that tournament, he does. Had he not won at Augusta in April, that would have been the storyline heading into this tournament. He would have been asked about it a dozen different times in a dozen different ways. But he wasn't asked about it once on Tuesday. Funny how a Masters victory can reshape an entire narrative. Rory McIlroy signs autographs after his practice round prior to the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. () (David Cannon via Getty Images) Instead, he talked about spending more time on his hobbies — he and caddie Harry Diamond played a lot of tennis last weekend — and taking trips with his daughter — "Giving Poppy that opportunity to see the world at such a young age I think is a wonderful opportunity for her" — and just having fun, the kind of fun one allows themselves when a certain weight has been lifted. Advertisement "Just trying to do things that I enjoy and get back to having hobbies and filling my time with the things that I want to do," he explained. But now, fun's over, and it's back to the grind — a grueling, 6-inch-thick, rough-infested slog in the form of Oakmont where, lucky for him, he'll tee it up Thursday morning with fellow Irishman and good buddy Shane Lowry for the first two rounds. "I think chasing a certain goal for the better part of a decade and a half, I think I'm allowed a little bit of time to relax a little bit," he said. "But here at Oakmont, I certainly can't relax this week."

Ahead of 2025 U.S. Open, Jon Rahm makes surprise admission about impressive LIV Golf stat
Ahead of 2025 U.S. Open, Jon Rahm makes surprise admission about impressive LIV Golf stat

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

Ahead of 2025 U.S. Open, Jon Rahm makes surprise admission about impressive LIV Golf stat

Ahead of 2025 U.S. Open, Jon Rahm makes surprise admission about impressive LIV Golf stat After a year of disappointing results in the majors, Jon Rahm has bounced back in a big way in 2025. He made the cut on the number at the Masters before a strong weekend resulted in a T-14 finish at Augusta National Golf Club. With seven holes left at the PGA Championship, Rahm was tied for the lead before eventually finishing T-8. Now, heading into the 2025 U.S. Open, the two-time major champion is one of the favorites at Oakmont Country Club, which is expected to be a true U.S. Open-style test for the game's best. Long rough, lightning-fast greens and a mental test as much as it is physical. "It's a place that I think every time you come, and having been able to be fortunate to play here for the second time, it never ceases to amaze, in the sense of the history, the old school feel of the clubhouse," Rahm said. "I think I saw a scale in there that's probably older than every building around here. Then the golf course in itself with some new changes that still maintains the essence of what it's all about and what Oakmont is. Extreme challenge." Rahm earned his first major title in 2021, winning the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, so he knows how to handle the pressures of winning a U.S. Golf Association championship, but he knows at Oakmont, players are likely to get bad breaks that they'll have to overcome if they want to win. In addition to Rahm's strong starts in the majors this season, he has also continued a stellar trend in LIV Golf events. Since joining the league last year, Rahm has finished in the top 10 of every single event in which he has completed, only failing to do so when he withdrew from LIV Golf Houston ahead of last year's U.S. Open, which he had to skip with the same toe injury. On Tuesday during his pre-tournament news conference, Rahm was asked about the streak, which has become a talking point of his consistency, and whether there was anything to it. He downplayed its significance. "I would happily trade a bunch of them for more wins, that's for sure, but I keep putting myself in good position," Rahm said. "Listen, I'm a realist in this case. I've been playing really good golf, yes, but I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't easier to have top 10s with a smaller field. That's just the truth, right? Had I been playing full-field events, would I have top 10 every single week? No. But I've been playing good enough to say that I would most likely have been inside the top 30 every single time and maybe even top 25, which for 21 straight tournaments I'd say that's pretty good. I still would have had a lot of top 10s, that's for sure. "It's hard to say. There's definitely some weeks, like last week for example, having a weaker Sunday than everybody else, I don't think I would have top 10'd. I was able to finish eighth. I think winning is equally as hard, but you can take advantage of a smaller field to finish higher. "I wouldn't always -- as much as I want to give it credit personally for having that many top 10s, I wouldn't always give it as the full amount just knowing that it's a smaller field." The consistency has been stellar, so it's nothing to shake your nose at, but it's no surprise Rahm isn't satisfied with top-10 finishes. His last major win came two years ago when he slid on the green jacket, and he hasn't won worldwide since LIV Golf Chicago last September. Perhaps Oakmont is a strong course fit for Rahm, who has found plenty of success in his career at places where every facet of one's game has to be clicking. Oakmont is a place where big-hitting golfers have succeeded in the past, including when Dustin Johnson won in 2016. But like any U.S. Open, Rahm is prepared for the mental test that's to come over 72 holes at Oakmont. He even joked he would love to be a member at the famed course but would never play it every single day because of how difficult it is. "There's been weeks where I've performed really well on tough courses where that was the case. I think, as it relates to me, it's that, just that acceptance that it's going to happen and it happens and do what you need to do to hit the better shot next time," Rahm said of accepting when bad breaks happen. "It's just a tough course. It's so difficult where very few times anybody has won under par. If it doesn't rain, most likely over par will win again. It's something that none of us, I would say, are used to, but it's a challenge you need to embrace. "If there's any part of your game that will be tested on a week like this, it will be your mental game, that's for sure."

Is Tiger Woods playing at US Open?: Status update for PGA legend
Is Tiger Woods playing at US Open?: Status update for PGA legend

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Is Tiger Woods playing at US Open?: Status update for PGA legend

The PGA Tour has reached the third major of the year. The 2025 US Open will be this week at Oakmont Club. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau will try to repeat as champion as World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Masters winner Rory McIlroy headline a strong field of golfers. Advertisement Tiger Woods ruptured his Achilles in March, so he'll miss the 2025 US Open. Woods has three wins at the US Open (2000, 2002, 2008) and is one of six golfers with at least three Open victories. PGA Tour money leaders: Ryan Fox makes a big leap with RBC Canadian Open victory Let's take a look at Woods' US Open history. Is Tiger Woods competing in the 2025 US Open? LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MAY 16: Tiger Woods of the United States lines up a putt on the 14th green during the first round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 16, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by) No, Woods ruptured his Achilles and had surgery in March. He'll likely be sidelined for at least half a year. 2000: Tiger Woods wins first US Open at 24-years-old Woods picked up his first Open victory by shooting 269. It's stands as his lowest score posted in the tournament. 2002: Tiger Woods wins his second US Open, eighth major of his career Tiger Woods hits out of the bunker at the sixth hole during the first round of The US Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course on June 12, 2008. Woods won his eighth major overall and second US Open in 2002. He also won The Masters in the same year. 2008: Woods sinks 15-foot putt to force playoff, wins third Open Woods sunk a 15-foot putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff in the 2008 US Open. He won the tournament for the third and most recent time. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Is Tiger Woods playing at US Open?: Update after Achilles injury

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store