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Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
CdM's Max Douglass races to school record in 1,600 meters at state meet
The weather was a hot topic of discussion heading into the CIF State track and field championships, but in many cases, it was the athletes that brought the heat last weekend. Corona del Mar coach Bill Sumner looked at the temperature and saw it was a scorching 101 degrees when Max Douglass — the Sea Kings' distance running star — toed the starting line at Clovis Buchanan High on Saturday. Douglass had dug in during the state preliminaries on Friday to secure the school record in the boys' 1,600 meters. It could have been the last four laps of an illustrious high school career. That qualifying effort earned the Notre Dame commit a spot in the state final, a chance he took advantage of to drop his time to 4 minutes 7.65 seconds in a sixth-place, medal-winning performance. Sumner shared that he resorted to a trip to the hardware store to drive home race strategy during the postseason. He first utilized traffic cones and then string to make Douglass exercise patience in picking his desired spot on the field from the start. 'I put a string from the cut-in mark to the 200 lane one,' Sumner said. 'And I said, 'Max, you cannot cut in. You have to stay on the right side of that string for the whole workout.' … Sumner said that Douglass noticed a difference right away. The message was clicking. 'I said, 'That way, you get to pick your spot of where you want to be,'' Sumner recalled. 'When you get to the end of the first 180 [meters], you're going to say, OK, let me run there, and then you go there.' He's a strong enough kid, he gets to do that if he's fast enough. 'We practiced that for three weeks, I had put a string out, and he would not cross over that string. … Not the last meet, but the two meets before it, he stayed out there, came over, got third place or second place, whatever he wanted, and just tried to stay there as long as he could.' Douglass shed nearly two full seconds off his time from the day prior, creating separation between himself and Jim Robbins, who had held the CdM record in the event at 4:10.74 since setting the standard in the Southern Section Masters Meet in 1988. Sumner added that both Robbins and Brian Hunsaker, the Sea Kings' record-holder in the 3,200 at 8:53.7 since 1975, reached out to Douglass after the race. Douglass received an invitation into the Nike Outdoor Nationals at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. 'If you would have told me he was done Sunday morning, I was fine,' Sumner said. 'Every goal that he set, we reached — every single one. Everything that he wrote down, we did. It's like, 'You've got nothing to prove, you got the school record, you got a 1:53 [in the] 800, you got a sub-nine-minute two-mile [time].' That's it. That's a lot of stuff, but he still wants to give it one more try, man. One more try before he goes on to be a big college guy.' Ocean View's Jack Paavola also closed his career on the podium, claiming eighth in the boys' discus throw with a mark of 174 feet, 4 inches. The Seahawks senior's state performance was just half a foot off his career-best throw at the Masters Meet. Paavola has committed to Harvey Mudd.
Los Angeles Times
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Local athletes look ahead to stretch run after Arcadia Invitational
As a new track and field season gets underway, much of the discussion fromathletes revolves around improving their marks and times. If the marks meet a standard or the times drop enough, athletes may gain entry into the Arcadia Invitational, a meet that draws talent from across the nation and provides a chance for the competitors to elevate themselves. For some, it gives an opportunity to view greatness, as it was for Corona del Mar distance runner Max Douglass. He was in the race on deck when Utah teen Jane Hedengren of Provo Timpview set the national high school record in the 3,200 meters with a time of 9 minutes 30.68 seconds. 'I've never seen a women's performance like that, especially in high school,' Douglass said. 'That was phenomenal. Props to her for getting in such good shape and getting to where she is right now.' Hedengren easily put away a top-flight field, the chase pack paced by Hanne Thomsen of Santa Rosa Montgomery with 9:58.17. 'Thank you, Arcadia, for cheering,' Hedengren said immediately after the feat. 'It really helped. … It just was amazing to have that excitement and energy here.' For the local athletes competing in the Saturday night meet at Arcadia High, it was a challenging day, their focus turning to a stretch run that includes the CIF Southern Section postseason and beyond. Douglass, a Notre Dame commit, had a breakthrough moment in dropping below nine minutes to win the Eric Hulst 3,200-meter race in the Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational on March 15. Since then, the Sea Kings' senior standout has had his momentum stalled by an illness. He clocked in at 9:09.18 in a 3,200 seeded race that saw 21 runners break the nine-minute barrier. 'If you're feeling sick and your legs aren't there, there's only so much that I feel like I can do with my mind to push through it,' Douglass said. 'I'm going to get back into shape. We got time until CIF, so I'm hopeful. I'm excited for the future. Everyone hits road bumps, so it's nothing to whine and complain about.' Sage Hill senior sprinter Jake Pirnazar crossed the finish line eighth in 10.67 seconds in the 100-seeded heat. He looked perplexed afterward, and described his feeling on the run, 'I was crashing into the ground with all my steps.' 'I was really excited to make it,' Pirnazar said of competing in the Arcadia night meet. 'This is a meet that my team had always been looking forward to since I was a freshman, so I guess I am proud to say that I made it here, but the outcome is also really disappointing at the same time.' The day did hold some promise for Pirnazar and the Lightning, who saw the 400-meter relay team drop their season-best time to 42.07 seconds in the open meet. With each improvement, the quartet that also features sophomore Adam Pirnazar and seniors Preston Simpson and James Karahalios, continues to lower the school record in the event. 'Again, our hand-offs weren't where they should have been, but we [set a new personal record],' Jake Pirnazar said. 'We're showing consistent improvement every time we run it.' Huntington Beach senior Marconi Mendoza produced a mark of 159 feet in the discus throw for a new personal record. He placed third in the rising stars meet on Friday. Coming off a career-best clearance of 15 feet in the pole vault in a dual meet against Los Alamitos on April 8, Fountain Valley junior Viet Le placed sixth in the rising stars section of the event with a mark of 14'-4'. Newport Harbor junior Natalie McCarty clocked in with seasonal-best times in both hurdles events in the open section — 100 (15.04 seconds) and 300 (44.03 seconds). 100 Seeded — 8. Jake Pirnazar (Sage Hill) 10.67 100 Open — 43. Jay Serrambana (Marina) 11.12 200 Open — 10. Jay Serrambana (Marina) 21.84 400 Relay Open — 9. Sage Hill 42.07 800 Open — 41. Michael Appell (Huntington Beach) 1:58.83 3,200 Seeded — 29. Max Douglass (Corona del Mar) 9:09.18 3,200 Open — 21. Kevin Steinman (Corona del Mar) 9:54.99 HJ Open — 13T. Callan Allende (Newport Harbor) 6-0J LJ Rising Stars — 7. Colton Eggelston (Corona del Mar) 21-10½ PV Rising Stars — 6. Viet Le (Fountain Valley) 14-4 SP Open — 18. Marconi Mendoza (Huntington Beach) 43-5 DT Open — 10. Jack Paavola (Ocean View) 155-7 DT Rising Stars — 3. Marconi Mendoza (Huntington Beach) 159-0 3,200 Seeded — 25. Marley McCullough (Newport Harbor) 10:58.28 100 HH Open — 15. Natalie McCarty (Newport Harbor) 15.04; 34. Sydney McGill (Huntington Beach) 15.51 300 IH Open — 11. Natalie McCarty (Newport Harbor) 44.03 400 Relay Open — 30. Corona del Mar 48.94 TJ Rising Stars — 10. Alia Pasternak (Huntington Beach) 35-8½
Los Angeles Times
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
CdM's Max Douglass wins Eric Hulst race in Laguna Trophy Invite
After a breakthrough cross-country season, Corona del Mar senior Max Douglass says he is running straight into the unknown, finding out with everyone else what he is capable of as he continues his ascent. Douglass laid waste to his prior personal-best time in the 3,200 meters on Saturday, when he dropped below nine minutes for the first time in winning the Eric Hulst Invitational, the featured race in the Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational. The Sea Kings' star distance runner raced to the finish line, flexing his muscle and shouting in celebration after clocking in at 8 minutes 59.28 seconds. The race produced the fastest two times in the state so far this season. Trabuco Hills senior Dylan Jubak completed the eight laps in 9:06.09 to take second place. 'This was a mystery race for me because I've never been in this kind of shape before,' said Douglass, whose time is currently third in the nation. 'The two-mile [event], I haven't had too much experience running it. I ran it a couple times last season, but I ultimately wanted to focus on the mile. 'I opened up my season with a 4:15 [in the 1,600] and a 1:56 [in the 800 at the Irvine Invitational] on tired legs, so I was looking at this race. My PR was 20 seconds slower than what I ran today from last year.' Corona del Mar coach Bill Sumner said Douglass does everything asked of him, although he's inquisitive in the process. After the race? 'Today's questions [from Douglass] — one, was I happy? 'Of course,'' Sumner said. 'What are we going to do at Arcadia? I said, 'Let's do some other stuff first.'' The Arcadia Invitational, where many of the nation's best athletes compete under the lights, will be held April 11-12. The Orange County track and field championships will take place March 29 at Mission Viejo High. Douglass was the CIF Southern Section Division 4 champion and a Foot Locker National Championships qualifier in earning Daily Pilot Boys' Cross-Country Dream Team Athlete of the Year honors in the fall. Huntington Beach sophomore Sydney Rubio, who qualified for the Nike Cross Nationals as a freshman, delivered a third-place (10:59.86) showing in the Eric Hulst race on the girls' side. She's back after being limited to one race in the cross-country season due to injury. 'In the fall, I was behind a lot,' Rubio said. 'I was climbing a wall in the harbor. I fell, and I sliced my knee on barnacles, and I had to get like 15 stitches. I couldn't run or [do other] stuff for a while.' Rubio slotted in behind Temescal Canyon's Megan Crum (10:35.62) and Tesoro's Amber Dazey (10:36.78). Newport Harbor's Marley McCullough placed fourth (11:07.20). 'I felt good at the finish,' Rubio said. 'I wasn't wobbly and stuff, a lot better than my last two miles.' The Back Bay rivals traded wins in the jumps in the boys' competition on Friday. Corona del Mar junior Colton Eggelston had a leap of 21 feet, 8½ inches in the long jump. Newport Harbor's Callan Allende was the lone competitor to conquer the 6-foot bar in the high jump. The senior had a lifetime-best clearance of 6-5 in the Eagle Invite at Santa Margarita on Feb. 22. Huntington Beach senior Alia Pasternak topped the field in the girls' triple jump with a mark of 35 feet, ½ inch. She improved upon her personal-best in the event with a jump of 35-11 in a Sunset League meet at Fountain Valley on Wednesday. Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational At Laguna Beach High 100 — 1. Dawson (Long Beach Poly) 10.78; 2. Hill (Long Beach Poly) 10.90; 3. Polos-Connor (Murrieta Valley) 11.01; 4. Woodruff (Mater Dei) 11.04; 5. McDonald (Mater Dei) 11.07 200 — 1. Smith (Long Beach Poly) 21.70; 2. Woodruff (Mater Dei) 22.10; 3. Wright (Long Beach Poly) 22.11; 4. Kennedy (Downey) 22.11; 5. Mingo (Shadow Ridge) 22.12 400 — 1. Johnson (Long Beach Poly) 48.54; 2. Francis (Santa Margarita) 49.02; 3. Shufford (Long Beach Poly) 49.09; 4. Morales (JSerra) 49.11; 5. Mingo (Shadow Ridge) 50.02 800 — 1. Tranquilla (Venice) 1:53.32; 2. Armstrong (Long Beach Poly) 1:54.33; 3. Newman (JSerra) 1:54.62; 4. Sigworth (Palos Verdes) 1:55.45; 5. Burnett (JSerra) 1:55.84 1,600 — 1. Newman (JSerra) 4:17.13; 2. Hunter (Dana Hills) 4:18.27; 3. Radieddine (Aliso Niguel) 4:18.60; 4. Beaumont (Troy) 4:18.99; 5. Nguyen (Beckman) 4:21.29 3,200 Hulst — 1. Douglass (Corona del Mar) 8:59.28; 2. Jubak (Trabuco Hills) 9:06.09; 3. Weber (Beckman) 9:10.12; 4. Abemayor (Harvard-Westlake) 9:12.27; 5. Kushen (Tesoro) 9:15.10 3,200 Open — 1. Barajas (Beckman) 9:30.95; 2. Hastings (Harvard-Westlake) 9:38.47; 3. Larsen (Shadow Ridge) 9:38.50; 4. Wetzel (Shadow Ridge) 9:40.97; 5. Norris (Ayala) 9:41.21 110HH — 1. Newton (Long Beach Poly) 14.52; 2. Kai Cypher (Arbor View) 14.81; 3. Meumann (Murrieta Valley) 15.26; 4. Swanson (Santa Margarita) 15.27; 5. Peterson (Tesoro) 15.72 300IH — 1. Kai Cypher (Arbor View) 39.99; 2. Swanson (Santa Margarita) 40.01; 3. Bly (Long Beach Poly) 40.74; 4. Volz (Santa Margarita) 40.76; 5. Nguyen-Spitzberg (Costa Mesa) 40.81 400 relay — 1. Long Beach Poly 41.51; 2. Shadow Ridge 42.71; 3. Murrieta Valley 42.96; 4. Costa Mesa 43.94; 5. Arbor View 44.10 1,600 relay — 1. Shadow Ridge 3:22.42; 2. Santa Margarita 3:22.50; 3. Beckman 3:26.61; 4. Arbor View 3:31.07; 5. Corona del Mar 3:43.32 HJ — 1. Allende (Newport Harbor) 6-0; 2. Scow (Shadow Ridge) 5-6; 3. Bradford (Santa Margarita) 5-6; 4. MacArthur (Newport Harbor) 5-4; 5. Clair (Downey) 5-4J LJ — 1. Eggelston (Corona del Mar) 21-8½; 2. Heitz (Yorba Linda) 20-1½; 3. Anstead (Yorba Linda) 19-11½; 4. Weston (Long Beach Poly) 19-10½; 5. Madishetty (Troy) 19-5½ TJ — 1. Andrews (Downey) 45-11; 2. Gutcher (Shadow Ridge) 43-8¼; 3. Lewis (Shadow Ridge) 41-6½; 4. Spragno (Santa Margarita) 38-11; 5. Lang (Temescal Canyon) 37-10 SP — 1. Lin (Ayala) 53-6½; 2. Harisay (Etiwanda) 52-9½; 3. Legaspi (Canyon) 52-4½; 4. Gooder (Shadow Ridge) 50-4; 5. Komrosky (Ayala) 49-10 DT — 1. Komrosky (Ayala) 165-3; 2. Legaspi (Canyon) 158-11; 3. Carlson (Palos Verdes) 158-8; 4. Gooder (Shadow Ridge) 154-8; 5. Clemente (Dana Hills) 154-7 Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational At Laguna Beach High 100 — 1. Anyansi (Murrieta Valley) 12.05; 2. Holland (Long Beach Poly) 12.07; 3. Lee (Long Beach Poly) 12.14; 4. Rucks (Arbor View) 12.25; 5. Brooks (Long Beach Poly) 12.31 200 — 1. Anyansi (Murrieta Valley) 24.92; 2. Hunter (Long Beach Poly) 25.21; 3. Lewis (Long Beach Poly) 25.57; 4. Carlton (Huntington Beach) 25.63; 5. Piper (Arbor View) 25.75 400 — 1. Stokes (Long Beach Poly) 56.83; 2. Beatty (Long Beach Poly) 57.29; 3. McCarty (Newport Harbor) 57.33; 4. Woolforde (JSerra) 57.35; 5. Gercek (Portola) 57.42 800 — 1. Wroblewski (Yorba Linda) 2:12.18; 2. Elbaz (JSerra) 2:12.75; 3. Loza (Hemet) 2:16.09; 4. Avina (Murrieta Valley) 2:17.21; 5. Williams (Trabuco Hills) 2:19.05 1,600 — 1. Streadbeck (JSerra) 5:02.86; 2. Gonzalez (Downey) 5:03.20; 3. Dye (San Juan Hills) 5:04.52; 4. Forrest (Tesoro) 5:06.03; 5. Garcia (JSerra) 5:06.06 3,200 Hulst — 1. Crum (Temescal Canyon) 10:35.62; 2. Dazey (Tesoro) 10:36.78; 3. Rubio (Huntington Beach) 10:59.86; 4. McCullough (Newport Harbor) 11:07.20; 5. Thomas (Santa Margarita) 11:08.79 3,200 Open — 1. Steinman (Corona del Mar) 11:40.36; 2. Ballou (Murrieta Valley) 11:42.22; 3. Woodruff (Marina) 11:44.70; 4. Arriaga (Warren) 11:45.58; 5. Perez (Downey) 11:48.32 100HH — 1. Bain (Long Beach Poly) 15.10; 2. McCarty (Newport Harbor) 15.34; 3. Gramata-Massey (Long Beach Poly) 15.34; 4. McGill (Huntington Beach) 15.41; 5. Jordan (Mater Dei) 15.78 300IH — 1. Bain (Long Beach Poly) 43.56; 2. Gramata-Massey (Long Beach Poly) 45.43; 3. Anderson (Long Beach Poly) 46.06; 4. McGill (Huntington Beach) 46.53; 5. Jordan (Mater Dei) 47.27 400 relay — 1. Long Beach Poly 47.22; 2. Arbor View 48.25; 3. Santa Margarita 50.86; 4. Hemet 50.98; 5. Canyon 51.20 1,600 relay — 1. Long Beach Poly 3:50.79; 2. JSerra 3:54.50; 3. Arbor View 4:13.54; 4. Beckman 4:21.32; 5. Laguna Beach 4:30.77 HJ — 1. Murillo (Canyon) 4-10; 2. Hogan (JSerra) 4-10J; 3. Timoshuk (Troy) 4-8; 4T. Ivison (Huntington Beach) 4-8J; 4T. Witte (Mater Dei) 4-8 LJ — 1. Woolforde (JSerra) 16-½; 2. Burton (Dana Hills) 15-10; 3. Pasternak (Huntington Beach) 15-9; 4. Gray (Villa Park) 15-2¼; 5. Phillips (JSerra) 15-2 TJ — 1. Pasternak (Huntington Beach) 35-½; 2. Rucks (Arbor View) 34-9; 3. Gray (Villa Park) 34-7¼; 4. Lewis (Downey) 34-6¾; 5. Cannon (Tesoro) 32-4½ SP — 1. Camp (Palos Verdes) 35-6½; 2. Reichard (Portola) 35-1; 3. Karasawa (Marina) 34-11¾; 4. Reyes-Walters (Warren) 34-1½; 5. Escobedo (Shadow Ridge) 33-5 DT — 1. Reichard (Portola) 124-5; 2. Beary (JSerra) 119-11; 3. Camp (Palos Verdes) 111-0; 4. Isais (Warren) 107-11; 5. Rushing (Huntington Beach) 106-4
