Top performances in seven events and 79 efforts earning 2017 top 10 distinction highlighted 11 league championships last week in San Diego Section boys’ and girls’ track and field competition.
Qualifiers from those meets will meet at Mt. Carmel High Saturday in Section trials. Finals are scheduled at the same site on May 27, followed by the state meet in Clovis June 2-3.
The girls were the most aggressive, with the 4:57.08 in the 1600 meters by La Costa Canyon sophomore Jessica Riedman in the Avocado West finals at Canyon Crest leading the way.
Other elevated efforts came from the San Marcos 4×100 relay squad (:48.30), El Camino 4×1600 relay squad (3:59.76), pole vault, 12-4 by Poway’s Jazmine Scott, and discus, 145-06 by El Camino’s Nu’u Tuilefano,.
Boys’ bests were the :10.64 in the 100 meters by Christian’s Benjamin Goodwin and 24-foot, 5 ½ inch long jump by Tri-City’s Matthew DeRoos.
DeRoos maintained his state lead and Goodwin moved into 10th place among the state’s short sprinters.
A trio from Morse, although off state top 10 pace, turned in promising times in the Western League meet at University City.
Phillip McElroy ran: 10.70 in the 100 meters and: 21.84 in the 200, trailing teammates Richard Benson (:21.74) and Shamar Martin (:21.74). Along with Rayvon Benson, the Morse 4×100 team ran: 42.68, below its seasonal best of :42.32.
The Morse sprinters, off those times, should be much faster in the short relay in the next couple weeks when the competition heats up.
The boys’ 400 is warming to a potentially big event, with sophomore Karson Lippert, running a comfortable :48.49 last week and with a Section No. 17 all-time best and state 2017 No. 4 ranking of :47.83, the favorite but others are zeroing in.
Del Norte’s DeAngelo Gunter, competitively comatose since running :48.64 in March, got back on point with a :48.78 in the Palomar finals. Morse’s Richard Benson ran :48.52 in the West.
San Diego Section athletes in among state top 10’s:
GIRLS
| Event | Name | Mark | State |
| 800 | Roberson, La Jolla | 2:11.28 (5) | 2:07.90, Brewer, San Ramon California. |
| 300 Hurdles | Scott, Vista | :43.79 (10) | :40.41, Anderson, Norco. |
| High Jump | Hickey, Coronado | 5-6 (9T) | 5-10, Hamm, Bakersfield Stockdale |
| Long Jump | Scott, Gompers | 19-1 (10T) | 21-8 ¾, Davis, Agoura |
BOYS
| 100 | Goodwin, Christian | :10.64 (10) | :10.32, Cunningham, Moreno Valley Rancho Verde |
| 400 | Lippert, La Costa Canyon | :47.83 (4) | :47.32, Bowens, Long Beach Poly. |
| 800 | Chinn, Poway | 1:53.21 (4) | 1:50.64, Scales, Bellarmine Prep |
| Barr, Scripps Ranch | 1:53.8 (8) | ||
| 1600 | Barr | 4:14.51 (10) | 3:59.80, Teare, Alameda St. Joseph |
| Shot Put | Hardan, San Marcos | 58-1 ¾ (9) | 66-5 1/2 , Wilson, Clovis Buchanan |
| Long Jump | DeRoos, Tri-City | 24-5 ½ (1) | 23-11 ½, Enoch, Yucca Valley |
| Hull-Littleton, Olympian | 23-9 ¾ (4) | ||
| Olave, Mission Hills | 23-6 (9) | ||
| Triple Jump | DeRoos | 47-2 ½ (4) | 50-4, Stevenson, Temecula Great Oak |
| Jackson, Eastlake | 46-8 (7T) |
