2024 Boys Track Week 5: Section Ranks High Among State Leaders
Even after a withering assault on top 25 performances in the Southern Section meet last week, San Diego boys still command eight spots in the California top five of their respective events heading into Saturday’s Section finals at Mt. Carmel.
Mount Miguel’s David Arrington, Jr., ran the 200 in :20.64 in the Division II finals at University City, marking the sixth time this season Arrington has bettered 21 seconds in the event.
The Matadors’ sophomore leads the state and is fifth in the country. Arrington will likely have three more opportunities (Section finals, State trials and finals) to break Kenon Christon’s County record of :20.55.
Marks in bold indicate change from previous week:
EVENT
MARK
NAME,
SCHOOL
STATE
OTHERS
NAME
SCHOOL
100
:10.41w
Arrington, Jr., Mount Miguel
6th
:10.36
Kuhner
Lafayette Acalanes
200
:20.59
Arrington, Jr.
1st
:21.04
Bragg
400
:47.89
Slaughter, Mt. Carmel
8th
:47.09
Mayrant
Culver City
:48.14
Jones, Mount Miguel
12th
800
1:52.79
Evans, Carlsbad
8th
1:49.91
Morales
San Juan Capistrano JSerra
1:53.26
Cordero, Olympian
14th
1:53.37
Bowman, Sage Creek
15th
1600
4:15.10
Bowman
—
4:04.02
Noonan
Dana Point Dana Hills
3200
9:02.96
Hicks, University City
25th
8:40.47
Perez
L.A. Cathedral
110 High Hurdles
:13.72w
Martin, Helix
2nd
:13.70
Green III
Sacramento Inderkum
:13.88w
Tseko-Biffle, El Capitan
5th
:14.22w
Reese, San Marcos
16th
:14.28
Atilano, Cathedral
19th
300 Hurdles
:37.42
Atilano
3rd
:37.06
Roberson
Eastvale Roosevelt
:37.57
Tseko-Biffle
5th
:37.58
Martin
6th
4×100 Relay
:41.90
Helix
—
:40.29
L.A. Granada Hills
4×400 Relay
3:19.3
Mt. Carmel
8th
3:14.05
Long Beach Wilson
3:19.96
Mount Miguel
14th
4×800 Relay
7:54.74
Westview
19th
7:41.02
Long Beach Wilson
7:55.68
El Capitan
21st
7:56.51
Carlsbad
22nd
High Jump
6-10
Cheeks II, Mission Bay
3rd
7-0
Harel
Santa Ana Mater Dei
6-8
Carmona, Fallbrook
5T
6-7
Doctor, Valhalla
10T
6-6
Martin, Helix
13T
6-6
Stokes, Bonita Vista
6-6
Gross, Torrey Pines
Long Jump
23-11 ¼
Cheeks
6th
24-5 3/4
Rogers
Lafayette Acalanes
23-4
McCotter, Cathedral
15T
23-0
Shaw, Scripps Ranch
23T
Triple Jump
47-8 3/4
Reichenberg, Mission Bay
2nd
47-10 1/2
Agbakoba
Fresno Central
46-1/2
Gouvalaris, Torrey Pines
20th
Shot Put
57-9
Gash, Helix
15th
64-6
Claiborne
Fresno Hoover
57-1/2
Telemaque, Sage Creek
18th
Discus
181-11
Gash
6th
197-5
Madsen
Clovis North
176-9
Telmaque
10th
Pole Vault
16-8
Anderson, University City
3rd
17-0
McKee
Riverside King
16-0 1/2
Yarbrough, San Dieguito
6th
15-7
Weisman, Torrey Pines
13T
15-6
Sbuttoni IV, St. Augustine
16T
Farenc, Westview
Rynearson, Mission Bay
Bernier, Fallbrook
15-2
Saunders, Rancho Bernardo
25T
1930 Track: San Diego Struggled but Earned Second State Championship
San Diego High retained a share of its 1929 state championship after losing its Southern California title to Santa Ana.
The Hilltoppers returned 1929 state 100 and 220 champion Jimmy Willson, 440 champ Irvine (Cotton) Warburton, state mile champion Evan Dowers, and sprinter Fernando Ortiz, among others on a deep and talented roster.
How could they not win the Southern California title, especially after coach Glenn Broderick’s athletes had beaten the Santa Ana Saints, 68-44, in their Coast League dual meet showdown?
Travel, weather and a pulled muscle.
4/1/30
Jimmy Willson’s recovery from a leg injury sustained early in the season, was such that coach Glenn Broderick announced Willson would not compete in the Coast League Trials in four days.
Willson, out almost a month, appeared to reinjure himself last week, but Broderick was hopeful Willson would be able to go in the Southern Section trials April 26 at Los Angeles High.
Willson, top row, center, was star of 1929 state championship squad.
4/5/30
Twenty-eight athletes, plus coach Glenn Broderick, left at 8:45 a.m. for the 90-mile trip to Santa Ana and the Coast League trials.
Long Beach Poly, which earlier forfeited a Coast loop dual meet to San Diego, qualified 33 entries to 24 for the Cavemen. They were followed by Pasadena, 18; Santa Ana, 13; Glendale, 7, and Alhambra, 3.
Fernando Ortiz led the Cavemen with victories of :10.1 in the 100 and :22.8 in the 220. Cotton Warburton was second in a :10.2 100 heat and second in a :51.6 440 trial, his first defeat of the year. Charlie Pierson took a 440 heat in 51.8.
Defending state champion Evan Dowers of the Cavers set a league record of 4:38 in the mile.
League bosses met beforehand and agreed that team point totals in the finals would decide the winner of the erstwhile Poly-San Diego dual.
San Diego unofficially led its Long Beach rival, 72 ½-60, at the end of the day.
4/10/30
Army-Navy outscored freshman teams from host Whittier College and La Verne College with 62 points to 43 and 8, respectively.
Holderman of the Warriors won the 100 in :10.5 and 220 in :23.5 and on the winning 880-yard relay team,
4/13/30
San Diego scored 48 ½ points to claim the team championship in the Coast League championships at Santa Ana.
The 880-yard relay team of Fernando Ortiz, Irvine (Cotton) Warburton, Charlie Pierson, and Ray Fletcher finished the day’s competition with a school and meet record of 1:30, bettering the 1927 mark by Glendale, which ran 1:30.2, and fastest this season in Southern California.
Long Beach Poly scored 36 ½ points, Santa Ana 32, Pasadena 14 ½, Glendale 8 ½, and Alhambra 3. San Diego, based on points in the league trials and finals, was declared winner of the canceled dual meet with the Jackrabbits, 87 ½-79 ½.
Other San Diego winners were Fernando Ortiz in the 100 (:10.1), Ray Russell in the discus (122-10 3/4), Warburton in the 440 (:51), Ray Fletcher in the 120-yard high hurdles (:16), and Evan Dowers in the mile (4:42.3).
The Hilltoppers had not lost in any competition since 1928 and they received strong performances from others:
Runners-up were Leonard Murray in the 880, Ray Fletcher in the 220 low hurdles, and Roy Holt, who tied for second, with a career high 11-foot, 6-inch pole vault.
Ray Russell, who earlier set a school shot put record of 49-6 ½, was third to the 49-10 ½ first place by Santa Ana’s Adam Paul, who also won the broad jump (22-7 ½) and 220 low hurdles in :25.
Paul broke the record of 48-6 1/2, set by San Diego’s Eddie Moeller in 1926.
Evan Dowers won his second Southern California championship for Hilltoppers.
4/15/30
Broderick had to find something to keep his team occupied for the next two weeks, in which they were not scheduled for competition.
Daily workouts and time trials were part of the routine.
4/22/30
The crack 880-yard relay team of Fernando Ortiz, Charlie Pierson, Ray Fletcher and Irvine (Cotton) Warburton ran 1:32 on the slow City Stadium track in practice.
What made the effort remotely newsworthy was that the foursome started with a Broderick-imposed 50-yard handicap and beat a pacing foursome of Richard Arguello, Barry Robertson, Ray Pollard, and Evan Dowers “by a safe margin,” according to The San Diego Union.
Only Arguello and Dowers had earned Broderick-determined points during the season, through the Coast League finals.
Fernando Ortiz led with 59 ½ points, followed by Ray Russell (49), Ray Fletcher (39), Irvine Warburton (31), Charlie Pierson (24 ½), Bill Larson (24), Leonard Murray (22), Evan Dowers (20), Roy Holt (15 ½),
Eddie Reed (15 ½), Jimmy Willson (15), and Richard Arguello (15).
Seven other scores ranged from 10-14. At least five of the track men also played for coach Mike Morrow’s baseball team: Warburton, Reed, Holt, Larson, and Bill Howell.
4/25/30
Coach Glenn Broderick and 14 San Diego High qualifiers left by private automobiles for Los Angeles and would spend the night before the CIF Southern Section trials the next day at L.A. High.
4/26/30
A staggering number of thinclads, reported in The San Diego Union to be as many as 985, converged on L.A. High’s Housh Field for a marathon of Southern Section quarterfinal and semifinals trials in Classes A, B, and C.
San Diego High’s 14-man contingent was reduced to seven.
Jimmy Willson, defending state champion in the 100 and 220, out for almost a month with a pulled leg muscle, was a nonqualifying fourth in the 100, but made it through two rounds of the 220 to qualify for the following week’s finals.
Willson was third to the :22.2 220 by L.A. Fairfax’ John McCarthy in his semifinal heat after earlier running second to the :22.6 of L.A. Jordan’s Ashley Burch.
Fernando Ortiz won his first heat in the 100 in 10.2 and a second later in the day in :10. Ortiz was second in the fifth heat of the 220, won by McCarthy in :22.6 but won his semifinal test in :22.8.
Cotton Warburton ran :52 for first in his 440-yard heat and Charlie Pierson was third in a :50.6 trial won by Jimmy LuValle of L.A. Poly. Evan Dowers won his mile test in 4:39. Ray Russell advanced in the shot put, won by John Lyman of Santa Monica at 52-3 1/2. The Hilltoppers’ 880-yard relay team won its trial in 1:31.6.
5/2/30
SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISIONAL, @SANTA ANA HIGH
Jimmy Willson, Fernando Ortiz, Irvine Warburton, Charlie Pierson, Evan Dowers, Ray Russell, and Ray Fletcher comprised the San Diego High delegation that was to defend its Southern California championship the following day at Los Angeles High.
Coach Glenn Broderick’s team was expected to battle Los Angeles’ Manual Arts, Fremont, Fairfax, and L.A. High; Inglewood, and Santa Ana, with 20 points predicted to be required for the championship.
The Hilltoppers were to leave today and overnight in Los Angeles.
5/3/30
Light rain did not prevent competition in the javelin and several lightweight class events, but significant rainfall following the opening 880-yard run caused postponement of the afternoon finals at the CIF Southern Section meet at L.A. High. Competition was scheduled to resume Tuesday, May 6.
Rathbun, deaf runner from Long Beach Poly, won the 880 in 2:02.6. Bill Howell of San Diego was fourth in the nonscoring javelin and qualified for the state meet.
Fernando Ortiz was San Diego’s most consistent scorer and was dependable 100, 220, and 880-yard relay contributor.
5/4/30
CIF boss Seth Van Patten said finals would be held Wednesday, May 7, if rain persisted on May 6, but if rain continued on May 7, the finals would not take place.
In a May 7 rain scenario Van Patten, L.A. High principal Ernest Oliver, and local track-and-field official Jim Reinhardt would select competitors for the state meet in Berkeley.
Van Patten did not look forward to what would be a thorny proposition.
“The best method would be to pick names out of a hat,” wrote Irving Eckhoff of the Los Angeles Times.
5/6/30
SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS, @L.A. HIGH
The weatherman cooperated.
Santa Ana, coached by former San Diego High junior varsity football coach Gerald (Tex) Oliver, won the Southern Section team championship with 17 points to runner-up San Diego’s 15.
Two, long bus rides (131 miles each way) in four days from San Diego to Los Angeles High, including on the morning of the finals, worked against the Hilltoppers, suggested various pundits, although the winning Saints’ trip from Santa Ana (40 miles each way) was no neighborhood stroll.
San Diego won two events.
Evan Dowers’ stretch drive overtook L.A. Manual Arts’ favored Jim Lawrence and Dowers repeated as mile champion in 4:32.6.
San Diego’s team of Ortiz, Willson, Charlie Pierson, and Warburton won the 880-yard relay in 1:31.4.
But Fernando Ortiz was second in the 100 to the :10 of Huntington Beach’s Alvin Koenig, who was forced to forced to run 101 yards after being flagged for a false start, and Ortiz and Jimmy Willson were unplaced in the 220, won by Koenig in :22.6
Irvine (Cotton) Warburton was third in the 440 behind the :50.2 of Carl Satterfield of Manual Arts.
Santa Ana was led by Alvin Paul, who won the 220 hurdles in :24.8 and broad jump, at 22-8 ½.
5/10/30
16TH STATE MEET AT CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY
San Diego won the day’s last event and earned a tie with Santa Ana and Sacramento for the team championship with 11 points in the 16th state meet at the University of California campus in Berkeley.
A Hilltoppers quartet of Fernando Ortiz, Charlie Pierson, Jimmy Willson, and Ray Fletcher tied a school record of 1:30 in the 880-yard relay.
San Diego had six points going into the relay, from Ortiz’s second in the 100 and Irvine (Cotton) Warburton’s second in the 440. Santa Ana had seven points and Sacramento nine.
Santa Ana was second in the relay and Sacramento third. Scoring was on a 5-3-2-1 basis. The clutch relay victory elevated the Hilltoppers into the co-championship. They had been outright champions in 1929.
Ortiz won his morning 100 heat in :10 but Alvin Koenig of Huntington Beach took the final in :10.1.
Warburton was timed in :50.3, same as winner Carl Satterfield of L.A. Manual Arts. John Hoobyar of Turlock was third in :50.5.
2024 Boys Track Week 4: Mount Miguel Sprinter Among U.S. Leaders
Brandon Arrington, Jr.’s :20.59 200 in the Grossmont League finals last week is the second fastest in San Diego County history to Kenon Christon’s :20.55 in 2019 and marked the fifth time this season that Arrington has covered the distance in under 21 seconds, rarified air for local sprinters.
(Morse’s Ike Okenwa ran :20.97 in 1997 and University’s Vince Williams :20.99 in 1996. Crawford’s Elijah Jefferson, before automatic timing, raced a wind-aided :20.9 in 1973.)
Arrington, Jr., a Mount Miguel sophomore who ran wind-aided :10.58 and :21.29 times as a freshman at Helix in 2023, is No. 1 in California and No. 4 in the country heading into the season’s final weeks and the 104th state meet at Clovis Buchanan High May 24-25.
Three dashmen, from Mississippi, Florida, and Texas, have run :20.43, :20.51, and :20.56, respectively, this year. Michael Norman of Vista Murietta ran :20.3 at the state meet in 2015.
Lincoln’s Vernus Ragsdale clocked :20.3 in 1962 and San Diego Bobby Staten in 1957 and Crawford’s Arnold Tripp in 1959 ran :20.5, but both sprints were wind-aided and on straightaway courses.
San Diego Section athletes will convene in divisional meets this week at Del Norte (I), University City (II), and Valley Center (III). The road to Clovis Buchanan High and the 104th state track meet May 24-25 is getting shorter and steeper.
Tessa Buswell knows the way. The Poway senior was third in 2:08.53 in the state 800 meters last year and she showed late-season form in the Palomar League finals last week, winning in 2:08.77, her best time of the season by almost two seconds and fourth in California.
Buswell’s career best of 2:08.30 is third in San Diego Section history, behind the 2:06.69 by Hannah Riggins of Del Norte in 2023 and 2:08 by Lesley Noll of Mt. Carmel in 1985.
There are six 800-meter runners from the San Diego Section in the state’s top 25, according to the latest from Athletic.net. Closest to Buswell are Kaitland Arciaga of Westview (2:09.26) and Payton Williams of Eastlake (2:09.87).
The 800 is just one possibility for Buswell and the others, who may opt to double the 800 with the 1600 or 3200, plus being available in the 4×400 relay or 4×800 relay.
Updates in bold.
EVENT
MARK
NAME, SCHOOL
STATE
OTHER
NAME
SCHOOL
100
:11.59w
Shaheed, Madison
5th
:11.38w
Wright,
Temecula Chaparral
:11.64w
Gilhooly, Coronado
10th
:11.83
Smith, La Jolla
18T
200
:23.67
Smith
1st
:23.75
Wright
Temecula Chaparral
:23.73
Shaheed
2nd
:24.46
Gilhooly
21st
400
:53.56
Smith
1st
:53.69
Trepagnier
Culver City
:55.86
Burkhardt, Steele Canyon
18th
:55.94
Arciaga, Westview
19th
:56.01
Ma Herbst, Carlsbad
20th
800
2:08.77
Buswell, Poway
4th
2:03.48
Engelhardt
Ventura
2:09.26
Arciaga
5th
2:09.87
Williams, Eastlake
8th
2:11.43
Ma. Herbst, Carlsbad
13th
2:11.89
Dailey, La Jolla
15th
2:12.53
Scuba, Sage Creek
19th
1600
4:43.20
Williams
2nd
4:29.86
Engelhardt
4:45.82
Dailey
3rd
4:50.61
Lopizzo, La Costa Canyon
14th
4:51.11
Scuba
17th
3200
10:00.30
Williams
1st
10:02.52
Barker
Trabuco Hills
10:05.65
Lopizzo
3rd
10:09.78
Dailey
5th
100 Hurdles
:13.76
Bowen-Fontenot, San Diego
1st
:13.96
Kirchner
Rocklin
:14.37
Cook, Steele Canyon
7th
:14.88
Mack, Otay Ranch
22nd
300 Hurdles
:41.45
Mo. Herbst
1st
:42.62
Lewis
L.A. Girls Academic Leadership
:43.45
Bowen-Fontenot
7th
:44.28
Cook
13th
:44.85
Mack
21st
4×100 Relay
:47.18
Steele Canyon
12th
:45.94
Calabasas
:47.80
Helix
25th
4×400 Relay
3:51.20
Carlsbad
8th
3:42.23
Long Beach Wilson
4×800 Relay
9:15.56
Del Norte
5th
9:04.87
Corona Santiago
9:16.39
Cathedral
6th
9:21.31
Scripps Ranch
9th
High Jump
5-6
Lopez Valenzuela, Poway
14T
Five at 5-8
Long Jump
18-10
Frith, La Costa Canyon
10T
20-9 1/2
Webster
Long Beach Wilson
18-4
Jones, Oceanside
19T
18-2 ½
Bateman, La Jolla Country Day
23T
Triple Jump
38-11 1/2
Jones, Oceanside
9th
40-2 1/4
Alumbres
Vista Murietta
37-9
Bateman
22nd
Shot Put
42-2
Colon Gipson, Otay Ranch
9th
47-10
Schnayer
Moraga Campolindo
39-4
Liufau, Helix
20th
39-2 1/2
Ford, Helix
21st
39-1
H. Lauifi, Helix
22nd
38-11 ½
Driscoll, Canyon Crest
24th
Discus
157-11
Driscoll
1st
152-10
Johnson
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
138-6
Frankel, Sage Creek
15th
Pole Vault
13-0
Echsner, Del Norte
3T
13-2
Fears
Vista Murrieta
12-10
Downing, La Costa Canyon
5th
12-8
De Jong. Maranatha
8th
12-1
Potenciano, Rancho Bernardo
18T
Humer, Rancho Bernardo
12-0
Galkina, Torrey Pines
20T
Tseng, Torrey Pines
2024 Track Week 3: Ninth and 10th Graders Hold Sway in Dick Wilkins Meet
Underclass youngsters took charge last week in the 38th Dick Wilkins Frosh-Sophomores meet at Del Norte as the season swung toward league championships this week.
Mount Miguel’s Brandon Arrington, Jr., continued to run among the top echelon sprinters in the state with his :10.51 100 meters and :20.88 200. Rancho Bernardo’s Brice Abawi announced his presence, trailing Arrington, Jr., in :10.74 and :21.86.
Chiara Daley of La Jolla advanced to No. 3 in the girls state 1600, running 4:45.83, and Josiah Bowman of Sage Creek made the 800 a Big Three, clocking 1:53.37, seventh in the state, and alerting Carlsbad’s Cain Evans, whose 1:52.9 is fourth, and Eastlake’s Angel Cordero, whose 1:53.24 is sixth.
Best marks of the season and state rankings and leaders:
Cathedral’s Vincent Atilano lost his California lead in the 300 hurdles, but gained a first, and national standing, in another at the 64th Mount San Antonio Relays over the weekend.
Atilano eschewed his usual 300 race, in which his :37.42 ranked first until a runner from Eastvale Roosevelt ran :37.06. The Dons’ senior instead entered a 400 hurdles race and his time of :53.56 is No. 1 in the state and fifth in the U.S this season.
San Diego Section athletes turned in several outstanding performances at the meet in Walnut, with six season bests in girls competition and five in boys.
Mt. Sac was the last major invitational as athletes now move into a final week of dual meets or league finals, leading to the 104th state meet at Buchanan High in Clovis May 24-25.
Season bests in bold italics:
GIRLS
EVENT
MARK
NAME, SCHOOL
STATE
OTHERS
NAME
SCHOOL
100
:11.59w
Shaheed, Madison
5th
:11.38w
Wright
Temecula Chapparal
:11.64w
Gilhooly, Coronado
9th
:11.83w
Smith, La Jolla
15T
200
:23.67
Smith
1st
:23.91
Humphries
Castaic
:23.73
Shaheed
2nd
:24.46
Gilhooly
18th
400
:53.56
Smith
1st
:53.69
Trepagnier
Culver City
:55.86
Burkhardt, Steele Canyon
17th
:55.94
Arciaga, Westview
18th
:56.11
Ma Herbst, Carlsbad
20th
800
2:09.26
Arciaga
4th
2:03.48
Engelhardt
Ventura
2:09.87
Williams, Eastlake
7th
2:10.26
Buswell, Poway
9th
2:11.43
Ma. Herbst, Carlsbad
13th
2:12.53
Scuba, Sage Creek
16th
2:13.53
Aguirre,
Patrick Henry
23rd
1600
4:43.20
Williams
2nd
4:29.86!
Engelhardt
4:46.83!
Dailey
11th
4:50.82
Lopizzo,
La Costa Canyon
13th
4:54.24!
Aguirre
25th
3200
10:00.30
Williams
1st
10:02.52
Barker
Trabuco Hills
10:05.65
Lopizzo
3rd
10:09.78
Dailey
5th
100 Hurdles
:13.76
Bowen-Fontenot, San Diego
1st
:13.96
Kirchner
Rocklin
:14.84
Cook,
Steele Canyon
16th
:14.88
Mack,
Otay Ranch
17th
300 Hurdles
:41.45
Mo. Herbst
1st
:42.62
Lewis
L.A. Girls Academic Leadership
:43.74
Bowen-Fontenot
5T
:44.68
Cook
17th
:45.27
Mack
25th
4×100 Relay
:47.73
Steele Canyon
19th
:45.94
Calabasas
:47.80
Helix
21st
4×400 Relay
3:51.20
Carlsbad
8th
3:42.23
Long Beach Wilson
3:58.03
Westview
20th
4×800 Relay
9:15.56
Del Norte
5th
9:04.87
Corona Santiago
9:16.39
Cathedral
6th
9:21.31
Scripps Ranch
9th
High Jump
5-6
Lopez Valenzuela, Poway
13T
Four at 5-8
Long Jump
18-10
Frith,
La Costa Canyon
10th
20-1
Webster
Long Beach Wilson
18-4
Jones, Oceanside
18th
18-2 ½
Bateman, La Jolla Country Day
21st
Triple Jump
38-9
Jones, Oceanside
8th
40-2 1/4
Alumbres
Vista Murietta
37-9
Bateman
37-2
O’Donnell
25th
Shot Put
42-2
Colon Gipson,
Otay Ranch
9th
47-10
Schnayer
Moraga Campolindo
39-4
Liufau, Helix
18th
39-1
H. Lauifi, Helix
19th
38-11 ½
Driscoll, Canyon Crest
21st
38-10
Ford, Helix
25th
Discus
155-5
Driscoll
1st
152-10
Johnson
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
138-6
Frankel, Sage Creek
13th
Pole Vault
12-10
Echsner, Del Norte
3T
13-1
Fears
Vista Murrieta
Downing,
La Costa Canyon
12-1
Potenciano,
Rancho Bernardo
17T
Humer,
Rancho Bernardo
12-0
Galkina,
Torrey Pines
19T
! Mile race, 9.3 yards longer; time converted to meters.
