Do well in the section finals. Get to the state meet. Qualify in the Friday trials. Rest up for the finals. Finish in the top 5 Saturday. Get a “PR”*. Score a point or more and earn a medal. Maybe finish first.
That’s the season goal.
Ninety-six San Diego Section entrants, less a few because of those in more than one event, will converge with qualifiers of like aspirations from 9 other state sections Friday at Buchanan High in Clovis, where temperatures of at least 100 degrees are expected.
It’s the 102nd anniversary of the state meet and the 98th year. The event was suspended from 1942-45 due to World War II travel restrictions.
From 1913 through 1962 athletes got their business done in one day, usually with trials in the morning and finals in the afternoon or in the evening.
The state meet went to two days in 1963, the first being held at Berkeley’s Edwards Stadium.
History won’t be on the minds of locals but they all will represent the area’s hope of continuing a tradition of at least one individual champion.
The last year in which the San Diego Section did not have a gold medalist in boys’ or girls’ competition was 2002. The 13 consecutive years of at least one entry finishing first is in jeopardy this year.
It has been a thin season locally.
The table below reveals San Diego Section athletes who rank in the state’s Top 10 in each event and who qualified, as recorded by athletic.net. Most Top 10 athletes, from here, or in other sections, will be in Clovis.
| EVENT | NAME | SCHOOL | MARK & RANK | STATE | NAME, SCHOOL | |
| G Discus | Tausaga-Collins | Mount Miguel | 167-3, 2nd | 186-10 | Bruckner, San Jose Village Christian | |
| G Shot put | Tausaga-Collins | Mount Miguel | 47-2 ¼, 3rd | 54-7 | Bruckner, San Jose Village Christian | |
| B Long Jump | Batthika | St. Augustine | 24-5, 3rd | 25-11 ½ | Holmes, Oakmont | |
| DeRoos | Tri-City Christian | 23-11 ½, 9th | ||||
| G 300 Hurdles | Bell | Steele Canyon | :41.99, 4th | :41.01 | Woodward, Vacaville | |
| B Pole Vault | Brown | La Costa Canyon | 16-5, 4th | 17-2 | Gordon, Huntington Beach Marina | |
| Hamson | Poway | 16-0, 6th | ||||
| G 100 | Patterson | Rancho Bernardo | :11.59w, 6th | :11.17w | Williams, Westklake Village Oaks Christian | |
| B Shot Put | Lenford | Oceanside | 63-3/4, 6th | 71-7 | Osborn, Anaheim Esperanza | |
| B 400 Relay | Mt. Carmel | :41.65, 7th | :40.63 | Vista Murrieta | ||
| G Triple jump | Nash | Calvin Christian | 39-9, 7th | 43-2 | Davis, Agoura | |
| G 100 Hurdles | Johnson | Cathedral | :14.02w, 8th | :13.45 | Robinson, El Cerrito | |
| Nealis | Valley Center | :14.17, 10th | ||||
| G High Jump | Snow | Carlsbad | 5-6, T10th | 5-8 ¼ | Earle-Rouse, Arcata | |
| Hickey | Coronado |
*–Personal record.
w–wind aided.
There undoubtedly other San Diego Section qualifiers not in the Top 10 who will improve and come home with medals.
There might be a winner in the group.
It’s what makes the state track championships one of the elite high school events in the country.
