The California state high school track and field championship meet is widely regarded as the most prestigious event of its kind in the United States with a deep history of producing national records and Olympians.
The 106th edition took place May 29-30 at Buchanan High School in Clovis. For once, temperatures were on the milder side. There was not repeat of last year’s infamous 103- degree finals on the synthetic running surface that rooted many to the spot from casually moving about.
Temperatures in suburban Fresno were instead forecast at 74 degrees last Friday and 81 on Saturday. Temperatures were expected to rise to 91 on Monday, which is more typical of the Central Valley at this time of the year.
Perhaps given a reprieve from the heat, records continued to fall at this year’s meet, including several spectacular performances from Metro Conference qualifiers as well as the San Diego Section as a whole.
The top nine place-finishers in each event are awarded medals to conclude the second day of competition. The first day of competition involves preliminary qualifying to pare the field of entrants.
Metro Conference qualifiers included Mater Dei Catholic sophomore Jasir Fontenot (boys high hurdles), Eastlake sophomore Kareli Rascon (girls 800 run), EHS sophomore Isabelle Taylor Dixon (girls 300 low hurdles), Mater Dei Catholic senior Elise Datuin (girls 400 dash) in running events and Otay Ranch senior Dane von Guenthner (boys pole vault), MDC senior Mekhi Oluwa (boys long jump) and San Ysidro junior Eva Quinonez (girls pole vault) in field events.
Medalists included Fontenot (first place, 13.33), von Guenthner (second place, 16-4), Rascon (ninth place, 2:11.11), Oluwa (ninth place, 22-11.5) and Quinonez (ninth place, 11-10).
It was a rather enlightening haul.
Athletes competing in the prelims included Taylor-Dixon (44.71, 16th place) and Datuin (56.80, 27th place).
Fontenot entered the meet as the defending champion in the 110 high hurdles after timing 13.31 last year as a freshman at San Diego High School. Transplanted to Chula Vista, he overcame an early injury to repeat free of pain in 13.33 (third in the nation). He finished 0.13 seconds ahead of San Jose Harker senior Brady Tse.
Fontenot remains one to watch. He clocked 13.37 at the 2025 Nike Outdoor Nationals and 13.39 at the USA U-20 nationals.
Von Guenthner cleared 15-6 in the state prelims to advance to the finals where he placed runner-up to Arroyo Grande junior Riley Gash (17-1.5).
He bettered the 16-0 by San Dieguito Academy senior Dylan Yarbrough (fourth place), who won the section title at 16-6 and entered the weekend as the state leader in the event at 17-1.
Rascon eclipsed the school record of 2:09.87 set by superwoman Jaelyn Williams in 2024 with a personal best time of 2:09.86 in the prelims (ninth) after placing second in 2:11.0 at the section finals.
Oluwa, who earned a seventh-place medal at last year’s state meet at 22-8.5, jumped 23-10.75 to win the Division III section finals. His season best was 24-0 at the Senior Night Blue versus Gold meet on April 23 on campus.
Quinonez cleared 12-0 to win the South Bay League finals prior to placing third at the section finals at 11-8. She won the UC Classic at 12-3 on April 4.
106th California State Track & Field Championship Meet
May 29-30 at Buchanan high School, Clovis
(San Diego Section Place-Finishers/Top Nine Receive Medals)
BOYS VARSITY
Running Events
800 run: 3. Josiah Bowman (Sage Creek) 1:50.72
1600 run: 5. Cam Yarbrough (Del Norte) 4:07.55, 7. Cooper Castleberry (Poway) 4:08.79
3200 run: 5. Jaxon Northcutt (Mt. Carmel) 8:55.41. Others: 21. Nathan Wilber (Cathedral Catholic) 9:28.41, 25. Colin Harrison (University City) 9:54.43
110 high hurdles: 1. Jasir Fontenot (Mater Dei Catholic) 13.33
300 intermediate hurdles: 9. Aiden De Hoyos (Helix) 38.90
4×400 relay: 8. Helix (Tamir Griffith, Aiden De Hoyos, Jeremy Robinson, Jackson Ellis) 3:20.47
4×800 relay: 8. Poway (Cooper Castleberry, Landen Greene, Blake Littrell, Keith Buswell) 7:49.90. Others; 16. St. Augustine (Kenneth Nwadike III, Jamison Gerding, Tim Huschke, Peter Jordan) 7:59.66
Field Events
Shot put: 11. Jayden Gibbs (Oceanside) 55-2.25
Pole vault: 2. Dane von Guenthner (Otay Ranch) 16-4, 4. Dylan Yarbrough (San Dieguito Academy) 16-0. Others: Grayson Lewis (West Hills) NH
Long jump: 3. Kymani Joseph (Patrick Henry) 24-0, 9. Mekhi Oluwa (Mater Dei Catholic) 22-11.5
Triple jump: 3. Justian Richardson (Rancho Buena Vista) 48-11.75, 8. Nyjah West (El Camino) 47-0.25, 9. Hagen Buechler (La Costa Canyon) 46-10.5
GIRLS VARSITY
Running Events
200 dash: 6. Ava Parker (Helix) 23.93
400 dash: 3. Ava Parker (Helix) 53.70
800 run: 9. Kareli Rascon (Eastlake) 2:11.1
1600 run: 2. Chiara Dailey (La Jolla) 4:38.82. Others: 10. Grace Keefe (Cathedral Catholic) 4:51.15, 11. Ayana Hickey (Bishop’s) 4:55.80
3200 run: 1. Chiara Dailey (La Jolla) 10:01.91. 3. Eliana Patterson (Christian) 10:10.59. Others: 11. Ariella Llorens (Francis Parker) 10:28.14
100 low hurdles: 3. Gabrielle Thomas (Grossmont) 13.72, 9. Evie Allison (Steele Canyon) 14.03
4×100 relay: 3. Steele Canyon (Evie Allison, Aniya Scott, Asian Broussard, Livia Allison) 46.10
4×400 relay: 7. Helix (Dajah Herrod, Anaira Martinez, Kate Weaver, Ava Parker) 3:53.50
4×800 relay: 7. Scripps Ranch (Riley Martin, Tegan Koranda, Ellie Cannon, Olivia Lu) 9:10.42, 8. La Costa Canyon (Mia Oh, Hannah Gordon, Beatriz Pastrana, Elle Cooper) 9:11.96
Field Events
Shot put: 5. Brooklynn Davis (Oceanside) 43-4.75, 9. Janae Stanley Castillo (La Jolla) 39-4.75
Discus throw: 11. Brooklynn Davis (Oceanside) 130-3
High jump: 8. (tie) Isa Cunningham (Westview) 5-4
Pole vault: 3. Caitlin Khieu (Del Norte) 12-6, 9. Eva Quinonez (San Ysidro) 11-10
Long jump: 11. McKenzzi Jones (Morse) 17-5.5
Triple jump: 9. Malia Jones (Oceanside) 38-9.5
BOYS STATE PRELIMS
Friday, May 29
Running Events
100 dash: 15. Brice Abawi (Rancho Bernardo) 10.54, 21. Leed Smoole (La Jolla) 10.66, 25. Cole Dahlan (Carlsbad) 10.76
200 dash: 13. Brice Abawi (Rancho Bernardo) 21.35, 21. Leed Smoole (La Jolla) 21.53, 30. Damian Jones (Granite Hills) 22.07
400 dash: 9. Jorden Woods (San Marcos) 47.83, 10. Zachary Marsh (Scripps Ranch) 47.83, 15. Damian Jones (Granite Hills) 48.28
800 run: 13. Keith Buswell (Poway) 1:52.56, 15. Finley Butler (Del Norte) 1:52.84
1600 run: 1. Cam Yarbrough (Del Norte) 4:06.84, 8. Cooper Castleberry (Poway) 4:08.52, 21. Cruz Espinoza (Canyon Crest Academy) 4:14.36
110 high hurdles: 1. Jasir Fontenot (Mater Dei Catholic) 13.46, 10. Jayden Leyva (Imperial) 14.15, 16. Niko Williams (Granite Hills) 14.47
300 intermediate hurdles: 8. Aiden De Hoyos (Helix) 37.74, 16. Jayden Leyva (Imperial) 38.61Taim Alobaidi (Grossmont) DNS
4×100 relay: 18. Rancho Bernardo (Silas Christensen, Brice Abawi, Miles De La Cruz, Callum Grandinetti) 41.95, 21. Helix (Jackson Ellis, Aiden De Hoyos, Tamir Griffith, Jeremy Robinson) 42.24, 24. Granite Hills (Niko Williams, Damian Jones, Justin Hedrick, P.J. Johnson) 42.39
4×400 relay: 9. Helix (Tamir Griffith, Aiden De Hoyos, Jeremy Robinson, Jackson Ellis) 3:17.65, 10. Scripps Ranch (Nicholas Cheng, Zachary Marsch, Harlan Schmaltz, John Melancon) 3:17.80, 21. Del Norte (Grayson Ikeda, Grant Goldmann, Cam Yarbrough, Finley Butler) 3:25.81
Field Events
Shot put: 4. Jayen Gibbs (Oceanside) 59-2.5, 19. Sebastian Espinoza (Del Norte) 50-5.5, 23. Quinn Obrigewitch (University City) 48-3.5, 26. Levi Mincher (Imperial) 43-3.75
Discus throw: 16. Hezekiah Wells (Oceanside) 161-6, 20. Cooper Laborde (Rancho Bernardo) 147-4, 23. Chance Curry (Rancho Bernardo) 140-3
High jump: 17 (tie) Shay Chase (El Camino) 6-4, Anthony Dizon (Rancho Bernardo) NH, Trey Edwards (Helix) NH
Pole vault: (1) tie) Dylan Yarbrough (San Dieguito Academy) 15-6, 4. (tie) Dane con Guenthner (Otay Ranch) 15-6, 7. (tie) Grayson Lewis (West Hills) 15-0
Long jump: 3. Kymani Joseph (Patrick Henry) 23-3.5, 8. Mekhi Oluwa (Mater Dei Cathoic) 22-6, 21. Maddox Esoo (Santana) 20-11.75
Triple jump: 1. Justian Richardson (Rancho Buena Vista) 49-0.5, 6. Hagen Buechler (La Costa Canyon) 46-11.75, 9. Nyjah West (El Camino) 46-5.25
GIRLS STATE PRELIMS
Friday, May 29
Running Events
100 dash: 18. Miyah Holmes (San Marcos) 12.02, 25. Aniya Scott (Steele Canyon) 12.21, 26. Haley Hannemann (Mission Hills) 12.22
200 dash: 8. Ava Parker (Helix) 23.93, 19. Livia Allison (Steele Canyon) 24.57, 23. Miyah Holmes (San Marcos) 24.70
400 dash: 2. Ava Parker (Helix) 53.91, 23. Emery Gonzales (Torrey Pines) 56.44, 27. Elise Datuin (Mater Dei Catholic) 56.80
800 run: 4. Delaney Hennigan (Westview) 2:09.07, 9. Kareli Rascon (Eastlake) 2:09.86, 23. Harper Diaz (Santana) 2:12.29
1600 run: 1. Chiara Dailey (La Jolla) 4:46.00, 7. Ayanna Hickey (Bishop’s) 4:48.41, 11. Grace Keefe (Cathedral Catholic) 4:49.67
100 low hurdles: 2. Gabrielle Thomas (Grossmont) 13.81, 5. Evie Allison (Steele Canyon) 13.92, 19. McKenzzi Jones (Morse) 14.61
300 low hurdles: 4. Isabel Garcia (Holtville) 42.13, 10. Evie Allison (Steele Canyon) 43.35, 16. Isabelle Taylor-Dixon (Eastlake) 44.71
4×100 relay: 3. Steele Canyon 46.12, 15. Del Norte 47.59, San Marcos DNF
4×400 relay: 9. Helix 3:51.24, 14. Steele Canyon 3:53.65, 22. Westview 4:01.71
4×800 relay: 7. Scripps Ranch 9:10.42, 8. La Costa Canyon 9:11.96
Field Events
Shot put: 8. Brooklyn Davis (Oceanside) 39-4.75, 11. Janae Stanley Castillo (La Jolla) 38-2.25, 13. Khalifa Price (Crawford) 37-8.5
129-6,
Discus throw: 12. Brooklyn Davis (Oceanside), 19. Miley Christenson (Grossmont) 120-7, 20. Khalifa Price (Crawford) 120-6
High jump: 4. (tie) Isa Cunningham (Westview) 5-3, 14. Anatasia Volkov (La Jolla) 5-3, Carys Guckenberger (Sage Creek) NH
Pole vault: 1. (tie) Caitlin Khieu (Del Norte) 11-8, 11. Eva Quinonez (San Ysidro) 11-2, 12. Alexsandra Strem (Cathedral Catholic) 11-2
Long jump: 12. McKenzzi Jones (Morse) 18-3, 16. Livia Allison (Steele Canyon) 18-0.5, 24. Giana Darden (Rancho Bernardo) 17-2.25
Triple jump: 8.Malia Jones (Oceanside) 38-2.5, 10. Giani Darden (Rancho Bernard) 37-11.5, 26. Kenzi Banks (RBV) 32-6.5
