Charlize James and Kapiolani Coleman held up under the grind of carrying the mantel of favorites and winning gold medals in the state meet in Clovis.
Cathedral’s Coleman, the state leader for most of the season, won the 300 hurdles in :42.23. James, chasing Scripps Ranch Aaliyah McCormick all season, took the 100 hurdles in :13.95 with a game finish in which the San Diego High senior avoided disaster late in the race.
James’ ankle made hard contact with the next to last barrier but James maintained balance and composure and crossed the finish line before crumbling to the track and being helped off for medical attention, after which James withdrew from the 300 hurdles final.
The daughter of former San Diego coach Charles James ran :13.67, her best time, in the Friday trials. Of her championship effort? “I was going to be happy with my time no matter what it was when I won,” she said.
Controversy surrounded McCormick in Friday trials when she was disqualified for bumping another runner during her race. Video, which meet judges refused to review, seemed to clear McCormick of a foul, sources told Steve Brand of The San Diego Union-Tribune.
McCormick’s legal :13.61 was No. 1 in the state.
“It was very sad when I heard they disqualified Aaliyah McCormick–we’ve had some great races,” James told Brand. “Of course, I wish she were there. It was very emotional. This was the goal all season.”
A classy champion.
SPIKE MARKS
Future Olympic champion Yolanda Gail Devers of Sweetwater won the 1984 100 hurdles in the Los Angeles Coliseum in :13.41 and took the 100-meter dash in :11.51…the hurdles were 30 inches then but 33 inches now…Cathedral led San Diego entries, sixth in team scoring with 20 points…Poway tied for 11th with 16, followed by Scripps Ranch, 15 1/2, Del Norte, 11, San Diego, 10, Torrey Pines, 8, La Costa Canyon, 4, and Westview, 1…Gardena Serra won the championship with 37…a San Diego squad has not won a team title since girls competition began in 1974….
 102nd STATE TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS
@ CLOVIS BUCHANAN HIGH VETERAN’S STADIUM
SAN DIEGO SECTION FINISHERS IN ITALICS
100—Redmond (L.A Carson), :11.45. 6. McCormick, (Scripps Ranch), :11.80.Â
200—Redmond (L.A. Carson), :23.68. 7—Bean (Poway), :24.35.  .
400—Cenci (Clovis North), :53.72. 5—Bean (Poway), :55.64.
800—Browne (Riverside North), 2:08.66.  6—Buswell (Poway), 2:13.75. 8—Arciaga (Westview), 2:15.56. 12—Dixon (San Marcos), 2:15.56.
1600—Engelhardt (Ventura), 4:36.67.  5—Riggins (Del Norte), 4:46.97.
3200—Thomsen (Santa Rosa Montgomery), 10:06.09. 6—Lopizzo (La Costa Canyon), 10:30.93. 21—Salz (Torrey Pines), 1:11.32.
110 Hurdles—James (San Diego), :13.95. 3. —Coleman (Cathedral), :14.14.
300 Hurdles—Coleman (Cathedral), :42.23. 3–K. Janik (Torrey Pines), :42.67.  8—D. Janik (Torrey Pines), :43.85.
4×100 Relay—Gardena Serra, :46.08.
4×400 Relay—Clovis North, 3:45.38. 6—Poway, 3:52.21. 8—Del Norte, 3:56.40. 9—Carlsbad, 3:56.97.
High Jump—Slover (Los Gatos), 5-6. 4T—Tarczy (Scripps Ranch), 5-4. 8T—Moore-Bastide (Eastlake), 5-4.
Long Jump—Vanek (Clovis), 20-8 1/2.  10—Hatton (Sage Creek), 18-5 1/4w.
Triple Jump—Hope (Riverside King), 40-2 3/4w. 9—Miles (Point Loma), 37-3 1/4w. 10—Pingley (El Camino), 36-9 1/4w.
Shot Put—Olukanni (Clovis East), 44-0. 2. Clarke (Cathedral), 41-2 ½.  10—Kimuli (Mira Costa), 38-11 ¼.
Discus—Fields (Caruthers), 156-3.  8—Loy (Del Norte), 131-6. 9—Seaboldt (Mt. Carmel), 127-11. 11—Clarke (Cathedral), 121-2.
Pole Vault—Muhammad (Dublin), 13-9. 2—Evans (Scripps Ranch), 13-9. 4—Leigh (Del Norte), 13-5. 8—Downing (La Costa Canyon), 12-5. 10—Hansen (San Dieguito), 11-11. 12—Wagner (Fallbrook), 11-11.
Discus—Fontenette (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame), 157-1. 2—Clarke (Cathedral), 146-8. 9—Seaboldt (Mt. Carmel), 128-8. 12—Loy (Del Norte), 124-10.
