Latest news with #ArcadiaInvitational
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Servite's ‘Fab Four' show their blazing speed at state track and field prelims
CLOVIS, Calif. — Call them the 'Fab Four.' Servite's boys' 4x100-meter relay team, consisting of freshmen Jace Wells, Jaelen Hunter, Kamil Pelovello and Jorden Wells got Friday's CIF State Track and Field Championships off to a blazing start by winning the first heat in 40.28 seconds and earning the top qualifying time — not bad for the foursome's first go around the oval. Robert Gardner ran the anchor leg behind Jace Wells, Hunter and Pelovello six days earlier when the Friars clocked 40.40 to win the Southern Section Masters Meet and fellow sophomore Benjamin Harris joined Jorden Wells, Hunter and Gardner when Servite set a state and meet record at the Arcadia Invitational in April. Friday was all about the 'youth movement.' They left Veterans Memorial Stadium at Buchanan High believing that they could return Saturday to break the state meet record of 40.24 set by Hawthorne in 1989. 'This is the first time that all four of us have been in the same relay,' Hunter said. 'We're going after the record tomorrow.' Sherman Oaks Notre Dame won Heat 2 in 40.83, the second-fastest time. Hunter showed why he's the fastest freshman in the country one hour later when he looked like he was saving his energy for the finals even while winning his 400-meter heat in 47.43, the third-fastest prelims time behind Temecula Valley senior Jack Stadlman (46.99) and Culver City's Duaine Mayrant (47.38). Jace Wells clocked a personal-best to win his 200 meters heat in 21.03 while Stadlman (21 flat), Antrell Harris (21.14) and Leo Francis (21.16) from Santa Margarita also advanced to the finals ahead of USC-bound RJ Sermons of Rancho Cucamonga, who raced Nicolas Obimga of Torrance head-to-head at 11 p.m. for the last qualifying spot after they tied to the thousandth of a second for ninth. Sermons won by 20 hundredths in 21.11 with the stadium empty to secure his spot in the finals. 'I've never been in a run-off before,' Sermons said, shaking his head. 'I had a bad start the first time. No one to blame but me.' Servite capped its impressive day by winning its 4x400 meters heat in 3 minutes 10.94 seconds, holding off Cathedral (3:11.13) for the second-fastest qualifying time behind Long Beach Poly (3:10.70). Maintenance crews will be working overnight trying remove the scorch marks on the track after the boys' 100 meters. All nine sprinters to advance to Saturday's finals clocked 10.51 or under led by De La Salle junior Jaden Jefferson, whose wind-legal 10.01 bettered the California record of 10.14 by Rodrick Pleasant of Gardena Serra in 2022. Second in the heat was Obimga (10.20) and third was City Section champion Antrell Harris of Birmingham, giving a single heat the first, second and fourth-fastest times in the state this year. USC-bound RJ Sermons of Rancho Cucamonga bounced back from a subpar Masters race, where he finished fourth in 10.47, to win his heat in 10.40 and Demare Dezeurn, who repeated as Masters champion in 10.35 seconds, also topped his heat Friday in 10.43. Benjamin Harris won Heat 4 in 10.49. 'Today was all about qualifying for finals, said Dezeurn, a 10th-grader from Alemany. 'It's great competition. I have to go hard tomorrow. If I can beat him at the start I can beat him in the race. He [Jefferson] is good, though. Seeing those times just makes me love the game even more. I want to prove I belong here. I run to win!' Carson's Christina Gray anchored the Colts' 4x100 relay, which posted the fastest qualifying time (46.16) while Journey Cole's late kick on the anchor leg in Heat 2 allowed Redondo Union (46.33) to clip last year's state champion Oaks Christian, which posted the same time (46.39) as Long Beach Poly. Gray followed with a personal-best 11.47 in the 100, beating Chaparral's Keelan Wright by two hundredths of a second for second in her heat. Calabasas sophomore Malia Rainey yelled 'C'mon' after winning her heat in a personal-best 11.57 while teammate Marley Scoggins won Heat 4 in 11.67. Wright bounced back to post the best time (23.58) in the 200 while Gray finished second in 23.71, the second-fastest time and much swifter than her 24.62 at City Finals. 'In the 100 I had a great start, now I just have to work on the finish,' Gray said. 'It's still a great time for me. I'm feeling pretty good, there was no negative wind and winning the relay gave me confidence as I was feeling doubtful before that but after the 4x100 I knew I'd do well the rest of the day. Reigning discus champion Aja Johnson Sherman Oaks Notre Dame struggled Friday but secured the 12th and last finals spot with an effort of 139 feet 3 inches. Camarillo's Trinity Tipton was the top qualifier at 152-06. The 2023 shot put state champion, Johnson was the top qualifier Friday at 45-05, beating Aliso Niguel's Jaslene Massey by six inches. Transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley was the leading qualifier in the girls' long jump (19-11.75), triple jump (40-09.75) and high jump (5-05.00).
San Francisco Chronicle
21-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
St. Ignatius junior Ellie McCuskey-Hay eyes gold at CCS track and field finals
It seems like ancient history to St. Ignatius junior track and field standout Ellie McCuskey-Hay, even though it was just two years ago. As a freshman, out of lane 8, a great start propelled her to a second-place finish in the CIF State Meet 100-meter dash in 11.52 seconds. Later in the competition she let loose on her final attempt of the long jump, going 19 feet, 7¼ inches to place sixth. Both marks that day at Veteran's Memorial Stadium in Clovis were considerable personal bests — her previous top numbers were 11.81 and 18-10½. 'That was such a surreal moment,' McCuskey-Hay said last week from the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club, where she was the San Francisco High School Awards' female athlete of the year. 'I couldn't believe that had happened. Seems so long ago. … I've come very far since then. I'm more consistent than ever.' The day and memory bring big smiles to the petite, powerful, fast-twitched 5-foot-4 athlete. But it could also be a burden to beat two elite marks, which are still lifetime bests. Last season she finaled in both events at state, taking fifth in the long jump (19-0) and ninth in the 100 (11.71). This season, heading into Saturday's Central Coast Section finals at Gilroy High School, she ranks fifth in the state in the 100 (11.54) and seventh in the long jump (19-7). She's perfectly positioned to break those freshman marks and add to her collection of four state medals. The 4x100 relay team that she anchors with Breion Glaspie, Avery Hui-Bytof and Sophia Boudraa also ranks 17th in state at 47.11 and could reach a state finals. But McCuskey-Hay, the daughter of a Marin Waves Track and Field Club founder and director, knows nothing can be taken for granted in this sport. There's weather. Starts. Health. And, perhaps most important, a mindset. That's why McCuskey-Hay works with a sports psychologist to manage a sport where every millisecond and movement counts. 'I would say I'm pretty hard on myself when things don't go the way I'd like them to,' McCuskey-Hay said. 'Restructuring that mindset really helps me. 'I've been doing this so long, I know all the abilities are there. It's a matter of putting it all together and being optimistic.' She's been a model of consistency, breaking 12 seconds in all nine races this season — winning eight — while running 11.54 twice and 11.55 once. Her only non-victory was placing fifth at the nationally recognized Arcadia Invitational, where she went 11.54. In the 200, she won six of eight times with a best of 23.90 (wind-aided), the 11th best time in California this year. McCuskey-Hay could easily bring home four golds from Saturday's meet as she did at the West Catholic Athletic League championship on May 9. North Salinas sophomore Clara Adams and Mountain View senior Hannah Rutherford in the 200 present the biggest obstacles for McCuskey-Hay. 'I definitely have certain expectations and would like to run certain times and jump certain distances," McCuskey-Hay said. 'But I think it's important to go with the flow.' More CCS athletes to watch: The boys 1,600 should be the most competitive as Menlo School-Atherton senior Landon Pretre (4:06.23) and Los Gatos senior Aydon Stefanopoulos (4:06.62) possess the third- and fourth-best times in the state this season. They also rank first and fifth in the 3,200. … Crystal Springs Uplands-Hillsborough senior Benjamin Bouie, the defending champion with a best of 4:06.92, and Sacred Heart Cathedral senior Miles Cook (4:08.33) are two more strong threats in the 1,600. … Other top 10 state marks this season from CCS athletes include: Woodside senior Mattheo Lacasia (400, 47.22, ninth), St. Ignatius senior Prince Buchango-Babalola (110 hurdles, 13.98, seventh), Serra senior Luke Lewis (shot put, 61-6¼, fourth), Woodside senior Evan Usher (shot put, 59-8, ninth), Mountain View senior Rutherford (400, 54.01, fourth), Palo Alto senior Kinga Czajkowska (girls 1,600, 4:46.34, fourth), Mitty senior Maya Ifo Desai (girls discus, 154-11, fourth), Monta Vista-Cupertino junior Lelani Laruelle (high jump, 5-8, tied for second), Burlingame senior Avery Boyse (pole vault, 13-0, second), Monta Vista senior Clara Fan (triple jump, 39-0, 10th).
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nathan Santa Cruz takes aim at City Section 400 title
Sitting in the Birmingham High bleachers wearing headphones before running the 400 meters at the City Section track and field prelims, 17-year-old senior Nathan Santa Cruz looks like a teenager comfortable and confident. Teammates gravitate to him. Maybe it's his smile. Or maybe they want to be near someone enjoying each and every day. A traumatic experience changed his outlook on life in the fall of 2022 when he suffered a brain injury in the opening football game for Venice High and underwent emergency surgery to stop bleeding. Advertisement 'We don't know if he's going to make it,' his mother, Crystal Clark, remembers being told at the hospital. Santa Cruz recovered so well that he played two more years of football, but his real love was using his speed in track. Last season he finished second in the City Section 400. This year, he ran a career-best time of 47.74 seconds at the Arcadia Invitational. On Thursday, he'll have a rematch against Justin Hart of Granada Hills in the 400 final. They ran one-two last season. 'I think it's going to be a real competitive race,' Santa Cruz said. 'I'm going to try to come out on top.' If he doesn't finish first, he's already won. He has a track scholarship waiting for him at Cal Poly Pomona, where he plans to study business or criminology. And he has grown up fast because of what happened to him. He's no normal teenager when you listen to what he believes. Advertisement 'At the end of the day, it's God giving you another chance to wake up,' he said. 'Make sure I'm better than yesterday. That's what I do.' His competitor, Hart, has his own story to tell. He's the son of Kentucky basketball assistant coach Jason Hart, who spent 10 years in the NBA. An older brother, Jason II, also played basketball but Justin was different. Justin played lots of sports, including basketball, but when he was 7, he told his father, 'I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want you to waste your money." He wanted to run. "I didn't want to be in my dad's shadow. I wanted to create my own identity in my own sport," he said. Advertisement He won the 400 and was second in the 200 at last year's City final. He's going for a sweep on Thursday and is just getting started. "I think the ceiling is really high," Granada Hills coach Johnny Wiley said. He'll welcome his father and mother in the bleachers cheering loudly. There really won't be any losers when Hart and Santa Cruz square off. They come from great families and have learned lessons that will help them succeed for years to come. Santa Cruz makes it clear he runs to make his mother proud because he'll never forget a memory from his hospital experience. 'Seeing her cry at the hospital, I knew I had to go make an impact in her life, make it so she didn't have to pay for her kid to go to college,' he said. 'Seeing her smile, that's why I do it." Advertisement And when days don't go as well as he might like, Santa Cruz said he has learned, 'It's just the way life goes. I think God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.' Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Nathan Santa Cruz takes aim at City Section 400 title
Sitting in the Birmingham High bleachers wearing headphones before running the 400 meters at the City Section track and field prelims, 17-year-old senior Nathan Santa Cruz looks like a teenager comfortable and confident. Teammates gravitate to him. Maybe it's his smile. Or maybe they want to be near someone enjoying each and every day. A traumatic experience changed his outlook on life in the fall of 2022 when he suffered a brain injury in the opening football game for Venice High and underwent emergency surgery to stop bleeding. 'We don't know if he's going to make it,' his mother, Crystal Clark, remembers being told at the hospital. Santa Cruz recovered so well that he played two more years of football, but his real love was using his speed in track. Last season he finished second in the City Section 400. This year, he ran a career-best time of 47.74 seconds at the Arcadia Invitational. On Thursday, he'll have a rematch against Justin Hart of Granada Hills in the 400 final. They ran one-two last season. 'I think it's going to be a real competitive race,' Santa Cruz said. 'I'm going to try to come out on top.' If he doesn't finish first, he's already won. He has a track scholarship waiting for him at Cal Poly Pomona, where he plans to study business or criminology. And he has grown up fast because of what happened to him. He's no normal teenager when you listen to what he believes. 'At the end of the day, it's God giving you another chance to wake up,' he said. 'Make sure I'm better than yesterday. That's what I do.' His competitor, Hart, has his own story to tell. He's the son of Kentucky basketball assistant coach Jason Hart, who spent 10 years in the NBA. An older brother, Jason II, also played basketball but Justin was different. Justin played lots of sports, including basketball, but when he was 7, he told his father, 'I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want you to waste your money.' He wanted to run. 'I didn't want to be in my dad's shadow. I wanted to create my own identity in my own sport,' he said. He won the 400 and was second in the 200 at last year's City final. He's going for a sweep on Thursday and is just getting started. 'I think the ceiling is really high,' Granada Hills coach Johnny Wiley said. He'll welcome his father and mother in the bleachers cheering loudly. There really won't be any losers when Hart and Santa Cruz square off. They come from great families and have learned lessons that will help them succeed for years to come. Santa Cruz makes it clear he runs to make his mother proud because he'll never forget a memory from his hospital experience. 'Seeing her cry at the hospital, I knew I had to go make an impact in her life, make it so she didn't have to pay for her kid to go to college,' he said. 'Seeing her smile, that's why I do it.' And when days don't go as well as he might like, Santa Cruz said he has learned, 'It's just the way life goes. I think God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.'
Los Angeles Times
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Prep talk: Southern Section track and field prelims are Saturday
Servite's 4x100 relay team set a state record at 40.00 seconds at the Arcadia Invitational. It's the time of year in high school track and field for athletes to start entering peak form and take the first major step on the road to the state championships May 30-31 at Buchanan High School in Clovis. The Southern Section prelims will be held on Saturday at four sites. Division 1 will be at Trabuco Hills, Divison 2 at Ontario, Division 3 at Yorba Linda and Division 4 at Carpinteria. Field events begin at 11 a.m. and running events at noon. The qualifiers advance to the Southern Section championships May 17 at Moorpark. For the relay competitions, this is the time of year coaches get real nervous about dropped batons and being disqualified for lane violations. The fastest 4x100 relay team in the state is Servite, which will compete in Division 3. Coach Brandon Thomas has his fingers crossed that his young team is ready to keep running fast times. 'We're trying to end with a bang,' he said. . . . The Southern Section swimming championships are Friday and Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College. The City Section swimming championships are Saturday at L.A. Valley College. This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email
