Latest news with #LongBeachPoly
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Long Beach Poly boys' 4x400 relay team shines at state track and field championships
Servite's Jorden Wells, second left, stretches across the finish line to win the boys' 4X100-meter relay at the CIF state track and field championships at Buchanan High School in Clovis, Calif., on May 31, 2025. (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times) The stars close the show and Long Beach Poly's 4x400-meter relay brought the crowd to its feet with a stunning performance in the final race of the CIF State Track & Field Finals, winning in 3 minutes 8.68 seconds for the second-fastest time ever in the state meet. The top four teams ran sub-3:10, making it the fastest four-lapper ever in the finals on depth. The Jackrabbits just missed the state meet record of 3:08.42 set in 2010 by a Gardena Serra foursome anchored by Robert Woods, running the fourth-fastest time in California history. Advertisement Central East of Fresno was second in 3:09.23, Servite took third in 3:09.46 to clinch the team title with 33 points, L.A. Cathedral took fourth in 3:09.59 and Long Beach Wilson was fifth in 3:10.55. Sprinters headlined Friday's prelims but it was the distance runners who played leading roles Saturday at Buchanan High School. Rylee Blade has made a habit of performing her best on the brightest stage and she ran her fastest girls' 3,200-meter race ever (9:50.51) but had to settle for second when she was passed on the last turn by Hanne Thomsen of Santa Rosa Montgomery, who won in 9:48.98. 'I knew this would be a kicking race and give [Thomsen] credit, she had a bit more at the end,' said Blade, the Corona Santiago standout who won the state title as a sophomore and was third last year. Santa Margarita's Leo Francis wins the boys' long jump with a leap of 25-00.75 at the CIF state track and field championships at Buchanan High School in Clovis, Calif., on May 31, 2025. (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times) In a shocking development, Stanford-bound senior Evan Noonan of Dana Hills, last year's boys' 3,200 champion, caught a stomach flu earlier in the afternoon and had to drop out of the race, distraught that he couldn't defend his title. Woodcrest Christian's Eyan Turk took advantage of the race favorite's absence, winning in 8:51.62. Advertisement Thomsen was involved in another stretch duel in the girls' 1,600 versus another Corona Santiago runner Braelyn Combe, who did not realize she won until times were posted on the scoreboard. 'We were shoulder to shoulder with 100 [meters] to go and pushed each other to the end,' said Comb, who won by five-hundredths of a second in a personal-best of 4:35.64, the second-fastest in the country this year and fifth fastest in state history. 'I've never been that close to someone at the finish line. I closed my eyes and prayed and when I looked up at the board I burst into tears. I've never wanted anything more in my life. I'm so happy. My family drove five hours up here to watch.' Combe, a junior who took second in the 1,600 last year, credits her victory to training with Blade, who she called 'unbelievable.' 'It's a blessing to have her on my team, she's the best pacing partner,' said Combe, who capped off her day by anchoring the Sharks' 4x800-meter relay, which ran 8:49.01 to establish a new state meet record. 'It's a real advantage for me.' Long Beach Wilson senior Loren Webster wins her second straight CIF state girls' long jump title with a personal-best leap of 21-00.25 at Buchanan High School in Clovis, Calif., on May 31, 2025. (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times) Looking like an Olympic gymnast, Loren Webster stuck her landing on her fifth attempt in the girls' long jump, a personal-best 21 feet, 0¼ inches that earned her first-place by three and a half inches over transgender athlete A.B. Hernandez, who beat Webster at the Southern Section Masters Meet and posted the top qualifying mark Friday. Advertisement 'I'm glad I was able to win to honor my jump coach who has worked with me since my first year jumping as a sophomore,' the teary-eyed senior said of Carl Hampton, who died of cancer May 24, the day of the Masters Meet. 'I PR'd by a couple of inches. I was injured most of the season but I knew what I was capable of and I knew today was the only day that mattered.' Hernandez went on to win the triple jump and tied for first with Lelani Laruelle of Monte Vista and Jillene Wetteland of Long Beach Poly in the high jump at 5-07. Read more: Transgender track athlete wins gold in California state championships despite Trump threat JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame cleared 6-09 to win the boys high jump after finishing second at the state meet last year. Advertisement 'I knew I would win but honestly, I'm not happy,' said the Knights' junior, whose personal-best was 7-0¼ last year. 'I was on fire in the lower heights, getting over easily but once it got to seven feet I forgot my form.' Giving Harel a high-five after his win was Notre Dame senior Aja Johnson, who won the girls' shot put for the second time in three years with a throw of 45-05¾. 'It's not a PR or anything but at least I won it for my school. ... I'm happy about that,' said Johnson, who is going to college at Louisville. Oaks Christian's girls repeated as 4x100 champions in 46.08, edging Long Beach Poly (46.18) for the second year in a row. Servite won the boys 4x100 relay in 40.27, one hundredth of a second faster than its prelim time. Advertisement Concord De La Salle junior Jaden Jefferson won the boys' 100 meters in 10.27, followed by Servite's Benjamin Harris (10.31), Alemany's Demare Dezeurn (10.39) and Rancho Cucamonga's RJ Sermons (10.48). Temecula Valley's Jack Stadlman won the 400 meters in 46.02 and took second in the 200 meters in 20.82. Sermons, who had to win a run-off Friday to gain the last qualifying spot, finished sixth in the 200 in 21.05. Long Beach Wilson successfully defended its 4x400 girls relay title. 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
5 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Long Beach Poly boys' 4x400 relay team shines at state track and field championships
CLOVIS, Calif. — The stars close the show and Long Beach Poly's 4x400-meter relay brought the crowd to its feet with a stunning performance in the final race of the CIF State Track & Field Finals, winning in 3 minutes 8.68 seconds for the second-fastest time ever in the state meet. The top four teams ran sub-3:10, making it the fastest four-lapper ever in the finals on depth. The Jackrabbits just missed the state meet record of 3:08.42 set in 2010 by a Gardena Serra foursome anchored by Robert Woods, running the fourth-fastest time in California history. Central East of Fresno was second in 3:09.23, Servite took third in 3:09.46 to clinch the team title with 33 points, L.A. Cathedral took fourth in 3:09.59 and Long Beach Wilson was fifth in 3:10.55. Sprinters headlined Friday's prelims but it was the distance runners who played leading roles Saturday at Buchanan High School. Rylee Blade has made a habit of performing her best on the brightest stage and she ran her fastest girls' 3,200-meter race ever (9:50.51) but had to settle for second when she was passed on the last turn by Hanne Thomsen of Santa Rosa Montgomery, who won in 9:48.98. 'I knew this would be a kicking race and give [Thomsen] credit, she had a bit more at the end,' said Blade, the Corona Santiago standout who won the state title as a sophomore and was third last year. In a shocking development, Stanford-bound senior Evan Noonan of Dana Hills, last year's boys' 3,200 champion, caught a stomach flu earlier in the afternoon and had to drop out of the race, distraught that he couldn't defend his title. Woodcrest Christian's Eyan Turk took advantage of the race favorite's absence, winning in 8:51.62. Thomsen was involved in another stretch duel in the girls' 1,600 versus another Corona Santiago runner Braelyn Combe, who did not realize she won until times were posted on the scoreboard. 'We were shoulder to shoulder with 100 [meters] to go and pushed each other to the end,' said Comb, who won by five-hundredths of a second in a personal-best of 4:35.64, the second-fastest in the country this year and fifth fastest in state history. 'I've never been that close to someone at the finish line. I closed my eyes and prayed and when I looked up at the board I burst into tears. I've never wanted anything more in my life. I'm so happy. My family drove five hours up here to watch.' Combe, a junior who took second in the 1,600 last year, credits her victory to training with Blade, who she called 'unbelievable.' 'It's a blessing to have her on my team, she's the best pacing partner,' said Combe, who capped off her day by anchoring the Sharks' 4x800-meter relay, which ran 8:49.01 to establish a new state meet record. 'It's a real advantage for me.' Looking like an Olympic gymnast, Loren Webster stuck her landing on her fifth attempt in the girls' long jump, a personal-best 21 feet, 0¼ inches that earned her first-place by three and a half inches over transgender athlete A.B. Hernandez, who beat Webster at the Southern Section Masters Meet and posted the top qualifying mark Friday. 'I'm glad I was able to win to honor my jump coach who has worked with me since my first year jumping as a sophomore,' the teary-eyed senior said of Carl Hampton, who died of cancer May 24, the day of the Masters Meet. 'I PR'd by a couple of inches. I was injured most of the season but I knew what I was capable of and I knew today was the only day that mattered.' Hernandez went on to win the triple jump and tied for first with Lelani Laruelle of Monte Vista and Jillene Wetteland of Long Beach Poly in the high jump at 5-07. JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame cleared 6-09 to win the boys high jump after finishing second at the state meet last year. 'I knew I would win but honestly, I'm not happy,' said the Knights' junior, whose personal-best was 7-0¼ last year. 'I was on fire in the lower heights, getting over easily but once it got to seven feet I forgot my form.' Giving Harel a high-five after his win was Notre Dame senior Aja Johnson, who won the girls' shot put for the second time in three years with a throw of 45-05¾. 'It's not a PR or anything but at least I won it for my school. ... I'm happy about that,' said Johnson, who is going to college at Louisville. Oaks Christian's girls repeated as 4x100 champions in 46.08, edging Long Beach Poly (46.18) for the second year in a row. Servite won the boys 4x100 relay in 40.27, one hundredth of a second faster than its prelim time. Concord De La Salle junior Jaden Jefferson won the boys' 100 meters in 10.27, followed by Servite's Benjamin Harris (10.31), Alemany's Demare Dezeurn (10.39) and Rancho Cucamonga's RJ Sermons (10.48). Temecula Valley's Jack Stadlman won the 400 meters in 46.02 and took second in the 200 meters in 20.82. Sermons, who had to win a run-off Friday to gain the last qualifying spot, finished sixth in the 200 in 21.05. Long Beach Wilson successfully defended its 4x400 girls relay title.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Servite boys 4x100 relay team leads pack breaking records at Arcadia Invitational
It did not take long for the first record to fall Saturday evening at the 57th annual Arcadia Invitational track and field meet at Arcadia High. In the very first event, Servite's boys 4x100 relay team burned up the track in 40 seconds flat, a new state and meet record and the fastest prep time this season. Advertisement Getting the Friars' foursome off to a fast start was Jorden Wells, who passed the baton to Benjamin Harris around the first turn and watched as the Long Beach Poly transfer took the lead on the backstretch and handed off to Jaelen Hunter, who maintained his team's margin before passing to Robert Gardner, who widened the margin on the anchor leg. All four of them are underclassmen and they beat runner-up Long Beach Poly by 32 hundredths of a second. 'We came in hot, having practiced real good and it paid off,' Gardner said. 'Once I get the baton I have to do my part.' Harris believes the best is yet to come. Advertisement 'We can line up with any team out there,' he said. 'We can go lower next week [at the Mt. SAC Relays] and beyond.' Having won the 4x200 on Friday, Servite tried for the 'trifecta' in the final race of the night Saturday and completed the sweep of the relays as Jorden Wells sprinted a 47.10 anchor leg to lead the all-freshman squad to first in the 4x400 in 3:12.33, the sixth-fastest time in the U.S. this season and the eighth-best all-time at Arcadia. Hunter, the top ninth-grader in the country in the 400 meters, showed why by winning the seeded race in 47.91. Jack Stadlman of Temecula Valley won the Invitational 400 in 45.92, staying No. 3 in the nation at that distance. Despite his success, Stadlman said he prefers the 200. Advertisement 'I'm not a fan of the 400, but I knew I had the fastest seed, I trusted in myself and finished the race," said Stadlman, who trailed early before taking control to comfortably beat runner-up Noah Smith (46.56). 'I wanted the meet record, but I told my coach I'd be satisfied with 45.' Vista Murrieta's Michael Norman set the meet record of 45.51 in 2016. Stadlman, a former junior varsity basketball player, ran the fourth-fastest time in the United States (45.69) on March 1 in only his second 400 ever and Smith, a junior, ran the eighth-fastest national time this year (46.55) at the Chandler Rotary Invitational in Arizona. Wells clocked 10.47 to take second in the seeded 100-meter dash and Harris went head-to-head with Mt. Miguel junior Brandon Arrington (last year's state 100 and 200 champion) in the Invitational heat. Arrington won by one hundredth of a second in 10.32—the third-fastest ever at Arcadia. Harris' 10.33 was good enough for fourth all-time at Arcadia and one hundredth of a second off the state record for a sophomore). Advertisement Arrington doubled back to win the 200 in 20.35, breaking Noah Lyles' meet record of 20.48, set in 2016. Lyles, of T.C. Williams, Alexandria, Virginia, still holds the Arcadia 100 meter record of 10.17. After finishing second in the mile the previous two years to Ventura's Sadie Engelhardt, who opted to forego her last high school season to compete in Open and pro races, senior Jane Hedengren of Timpview, Utah, made history of her own by establishing a new national two-mile record of 9:34.12. Interviewed one minute after, she took her stunning achievement in stride. 'I felt alright, but I wanted to go faster,' said Hedengren, whose effort also broke the national 3000 and 3200 records. 'Thank you, Arcadia, for cheering me on.' Maliyah Collins' blazing anchor leg helped Rosary win the Invitational girls 4x100 in 45.47, the sixth fastest time in the nation this year and fourth fastest ever at Arcadia. Christina Gray anchored reigning City Section champion Carson's 46.58 first-place effort in the preceding seeded race. Advertisement The Invitational boys 3200 field included five sub-four minute milers. Owen Powell of Mercer Island, Washington won the eight-lapper in 8:39.86. Fifteen-year-old New Zealander Sam Ruthe, who ran a 3:58 mile last month, was third in 8:40.95 A highly-anticipated showdown took place in the Invitational girls shot put, where Aliso Niguel junior Jaslene Massey, who won the Orange County Championships in March with a throw of 50 feet, seven inches (No. 3 in the nation this year) prevailed with a 48-09.50 effort. Senior Aja Johnson of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, who won the 2023 state crown and was the runner-up last spring, finished second 48-01.00. The roles were reversed in the discus, where Johnson (the 2024 state champion) took first place with a throw of 159-01 while Massey was second (157-03). Long Beach Wilson's Loren Webster won the Invitational girls long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 10 inches and Camren Smith of Quartz Hill won the Invitational boys triple jump at 49-06.00. Advertisement 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
13-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Servite boys 4x100 relay team leads pack breaking records at Arcadia Invitational
It did not take long for the first record to fall Saturday evening at the 57th annual Arcadia Invitational track and field meet at Arcadia High. In the very first event, Servite's boys 4x100 relay team burned up the track in 40 seconds flat, a new state and meet record and the fastest prep time this season. Getting the Friars' foursome off to a fast start was Jorden Wells, who passed the baton to Benjamin Harris around the first turn and watched as the Long Beach Poly transfer took the lead on the backstretch and handed off to Jaelen Hunter, who maintained his team's margin before passing to Robert Gardner, who widened the margin on the anchor leg. All four of them are underclassmen and they beat runner-up Long Beach Poly by 32 hundredths of a second. 'We came in hot, having practiced real good and it paid off,' Gardner said. 'Once I get the baton I have to do my part.' Harris believes the best is yet to come. 'We can line up with any team out there,' he said. 'We can go lower next week [at the Mt. SAC Relays] and beyond.' Having won the 4x200 on Friday, Servite tried for the 'trifecta' in the final race of the night Saturday and completed the sweep of the relays as Jorden Wells sprinted a 47.10 anchor leg to lead the all-freshman squad to first in the 4x400 in 3:12.33, the sixth-fastest time in the U.S. this season and the eighth-best all-time at Arcadia. Hunter, the top ninth-grader in the country in the 400 meters, showed why by winning the seeded race in 47.91. Jack Stadlman of Temecula Valley won the Invitational 400 in 45.92, staying No. 3 in the nation at that distance. Despite his success, Stadlman said he prefers the 200. 'I'm not a fan of the 400, but I knew I had the fastest seed, I trusted in myself and finished the race,' said Stadlman, who trailed early before taking control to comfortably beat runner-up Noah Smith (46.56). 'I wanted the meet record, but I told my coach I'd be satisfied with 45.' Vista Murrieta's Michael Norman set the meet record of 45.51 in 2016. Stadlman, a former junior varsity basketball player, ran the fourth-fastest time in the United States (45.69) on March 1 in only his second 400 ever and Smith, a junior, ran the eighth-fastest national time this year (46.55) at the Chandler Rotary Invitational in Arizona. Wells clocked 10.47 to take second in the seeded 100-meter dash and Harris went head-to-head with Mt. Miguel junior Brandon Arrington (last year's state 100 and 200 champion) in the Invitational heat. Arrington won by one hundredth of a second in 10.32—the third-fastest ever at Arcadia. Harris' 10.33 was good enough for fourth all-time at Arcadia and one hundredth of a second off the state record for a sophomore). Arrington doubled back to win the 200 in 20.35, breaking Noah Lyles' meet record of 20.48, set in 2016. Lyles, of T.C. Williams, Alexandria, Virginia, still holds the Arcadia 100 meter record of 10.17. After finishing second in the mile the previous two years to Ventura's Sadie Engelhardt, who opted to forego her last high school season to compete in Open and pro races, senior Jane Hedengren of Timpview, Utah, made history of her own by establishing a new national two-mile record of 9:34.12. Interviewed one minute after, she took her stunning achievement in stride. 'I felt alright, but I wanted to go faster,' said Hedengren, whose effort also broke the national 3000 and 3200 records. 'Thank you, Arcadia, for cheering me on.' Maliyah Collins' blazing anchor leg helped Rosary win the Invitational girls 4x100 in 45.47, the sixth fastest time in the nation this year and fourth fastest ever at Arcadia. Christina Gray anchored reigning City Section champion Carson's 46.58 first-place effort in the preceding seeded race. The Invitational boys 3200 field included five sub-four minute milers. Owen Powell of Mercer Island, Washington won the eight-lapper in 8:39.86. Fifteen-year-old New Zealander Sam Ruthe, who ran a 3:58 mile last month, was third in 8:40.95 A highly-anticipated showdown took place in the Invitational girls shot put, where Aliso Niguel junior Jaslene Massey, who won the Orange County Championships in March with a throw of 50 feet, seven inches (No. 3 in the nation this year) prevailed with a 48-09.50 effort. Senior Aja Johnson of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, who won the 2023 state crown and was the runner-up last spring, finished second 48-01.00. The roles were reversed in the discus, where Johnson (the 2024 state champion) took first place with a throw of 159-01 while Massey was second (157-03). Long Beach Wilson's Loren Webster won the Invitational girls long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 10 inches and Camren Smith of Quartz Hill won the Invitational boys triple jump at 49-06.00.
