Some of the best performances by San Diego Section athletes at the 100th state track championships last week at Clovis Buchanan were provided by those who should be back for another shot in 2019.
Alysha Hickey, second in the high jump at 5 feet, 8 inches, and the first area champion since 2015 with a 19-9 ¾ long jump, returns to Coronado for another season.
Madison’s Kenan Christon, sixth in the 100 and 200 and Orange Glen’s Moray Steward, fourth in the 100, could be prime contenders next season.
LIKE BROTHER LIKE SISTER
La Costa Canyon’s Kristin Fahy, who ran the all-time second fastest 3200 meters in County history, with a fourth-place 10:16.45, will attempt to gain some ground on her brother, Darren, who distance-doubled in 4:08.78 and 9:03.29 in 2013.
Perhaps most impressive in Clovis was the second-place finish in the 1600 by Jaden Rosenthal, who proved to be savvy and tough after competing through high school under most radars.
Rosenthal represented San Diego High Tech of the Liberty City address and had to motor (well, maybe he jogged up the hill) to neighboring Point Loma to find a track on which to get in his work.
GOES TO THE WHIP
Rosenthal moved out with the pack, forced the issue by taking the lead on the second lap, and then did not flinch when he seemed to fall out of it and in fifth place at the gun lap.
The UCLA-bound senior recovered with a strong stretch run and finished second to favored Liam Anderson of Larkspur Redwood, who won in 4:09.31 to Rosenthal’s 4:09.63.
Eastlake’s Jaylyn Jackson did not get a horizontal double but he was more than competitive, finishing second in the triple jump and third in the long jump.
Winners and San Diego finals entries with schools in parenthesis:
GIRLS
100—Nowling, Calabasas, :11.47. 8. Shaheed (Madison), :12.00.
200—Robinson-Jones, Oakland Bishop O’Dowd), 23.66.
400—Robinson-Jones, Oakland Bishop O’Dowd, :52.37.
800—McIntosh, Loomis Del Oro, 2:05.22. 8. Morales (Scripps Ranch), 2:12.92.
1600—Denner, El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge, 4:42.77. 11. Riedman (La Costa Canyon), 4:55.28.
3200—Denner (El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge), 10:10.32. 4. Fahy (La Costa Canyon), 10:16.45, Section No. 2 all-time. 20. Brown (La Costa Canyon), 10:51.68. 25. Miessner (Eastlake), 11:03.17.
100 HURDLES—Hicks, Upland, :13.35.
300 HURDLES—Joseph, Eastvale Roosevelt, :41.76. 7. Scott (Vista), :43.05. 8. Thomas (Torrey Pines), :43.56.
4×100 Relay—Gardena Serra, :45.69. 6. Olympian, :47.32.
4×400 Relay–Bonita, 3:42.62.
HJ—Tie, Burke, Riverside Poly; Glenn, L.B. Wilson, 5-10. 4. Hickey (Coronado), 5-8.
LJ—Hickey (Coronado), 19-9 ¾, Section No. 5 all-time.
SP—Budwig, Fowler, 46-1.
TJ—Fisher, S.J. Silver Creek, 41-07w.
DISCUS—Grotegeer, Wheatland, 174-9.
PV—Wong, Monterey Santa Catalina, 12-6. 4. Cervantes (Poway), 12-0. 9. Thomson (Poway), 11-6.
BOYS
100—Allen, Tulare, :10.44. 4. Steward (Orange Glen), :10.66. 6, Christon (Madison), :10.67.  9. Ellis (Mt Carmel), :10.86.
200—Shakir-Ricks, Murrieta Mesa, 20.98. 4. Ellis (Mt. Carmel), :21.31. 6. Christon (Madison), :21.51. 9. Smith (Westview), :21.91.
400—Glasser. Kentfield Marin Catholic, :46.97.
800—Gomez, Campbell Westmont, 1:50.21.
1600—Anderson, Larkspur Redwood, 4:09.31. 2. Rosenthal (S.D. High Tech), 4:09.63, Section No. 11 all-time.
3200—Strangio, Carmichael Jesuit, 8:56.18. 9. Martinez de Pinillos (Cathedral), 9:05.34. 20. Rasmuson (Mira Mesa), 9:15.36. 23. Labra (Bonita Vista), 9:22.46.
110 HURDLES—Ellis, Moreno Valley Vista del Lago, :13.97.
300 HURDLES—Roberson, Upland, :36.61. 5. Farmer (Rancho Bernardo), 38.02. 9. Lieu (Valhalla), :38.96.
4×100 Relay—Temecula Great Oak, :40.99.
4×400 Relay–Murrieta Mesa, 3:10.86.
HJ—Lee, Trabuco Hills, 7-2.
LJ—Clemons, Berkeley St. Mary’s, 25-1w.  3. Jackson (Eastlake), 23-8 ½.
TJ—Stevenson, Temecula Great Oak, 49-11 ¾. 2. Jackson (Eastlake), 49-1 3/4. 10. Mbamo (Rancho Bernardo), 45-3 ¾. 11. Ruth (Oceanside), 45-1 ½.
SP—Viveros (Bakersfield Liberty), 62-5 ½.
DISCUS—LaValle (Mission Viejo), 182-7.
PV—Guttormsen (Davis), 17-10.
