By Tony Ciniglio, Staff Writer
The refrain at Friday night's CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at Cerritos College was about "just qualifying" for the CIF State Championships next weekend in Clovis.
Serra senior sprinter Renetia James was having none of that.
James delivered two scintillating performances, perhaps trumpeting her arrival for Clovis and setting the stage for what could be a banner weekend for Serra.
"I don't do anything just to qualify - you're always going to get the best from me," James said.
The South Bay had three Masters champions and 26 state qualifiers, but James certainly grabbed the spotlight.
James captured the Masters title in the 400 meters with a blazing 54.41 mark, the state's fastest time this season. Teammate Kayah Agudo qualified in 56.20 for fourth place.
Then James rallied the 4x400 relay team of Megan George, Agudo and Maya Brown to a 3:46.83 victory. James' 53.3 anchor leg overcame rival St. Mary's Academy, which also qualified.
"I told my teammates I wanted them to come to state with me," James said. "I got to go for the 400, but they were going to go in the 4x4."
St. Mary's Academy runner Sierra Peterson's third leg in the 4x400 was nothing short of spectacular as she burst past three runners in the final 100 meters to give SMA a 20-meter lead before James'
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anchor leg.
"I just wanted to make sure I made it to state," said Peterson, who also qualified in the 200 (23.79).
SMA's 4x400 team finished fourth with Summer Buckley, Ravyn Miller, Peterson and Zuri Henderson posting a 3:48.93 mark. Peterson also ran the second leg for the 4x100 relay that included Allanah Hughes, Aliyah Hale and Rachel Toliver that clocked 47.09.
Toliver placed second in the triple jump (38 feet, 6 1/4 inches), and Hale advanced in the 300 hurdles (43.70).
Serra star Alexis Faulknor emerged as a four-event qualifier. She took second in the 100 with a fantastic start (11.73), fourth in the 200 (24.15) and ran on the second-place 4x100 relay that included Jade Pavageau, Chimere Ezumah and Brown for a 46.21 mark.
Faulknor also placed second in the long jump with an 18-11 mark, stopping after her third attempt once she made the qualifying mark. Serra's Urina Harrell also qualified in the shot put (41-11 3/4).
"I had a 19-foot jump, but I fouled by this much," Faulknor said, holding her index finger and thumb barely apart. "But the idea today was just to qualify. Our coaches told us not to worry about placing, just qualifying."
Serra's Adoree Jackson fought through a back injury that flared up this week.
Jackson was in obvious pain, but managed to get an automatic qualifying mark with a 23-6 leap to finish third in the long jump on his third attempt. And that was with him taking off a foot behind the board.
Jackson also anchored the 4x100 relay team of Malik Roberson, Darrell Fuery and Lloyd Siscard to a third-place 41.27 mark and ran the third leg for the 4x400 relay team of Randall Bennett, Ronny Hall and Fuery for a fourth-place 3:17.05 mark.
"I don't know what happened with my back, but I definitely felt it," Jackson said. "I knew I had to work through and keep persevering. I was not going to quit."
Siscard captured the Masters 110 hurdles title, recording a 14.49 mark to edge Cathedral's Cameron Akins (14.51). Siscard also secured second place in the 300 hurdles in 37.36.
South Torrance's Cody Smith qualified in the 110 hurdles (fourth, 14.60) and 300 hurdles (seventh, 37.94).
"Today was all about qualifying," Siscard said. "And this is special to me because this is my first time. I've only been doing this for 3-4 months, and this is beautiful."
Palos Verdes star Rebecca Mehra reached a milestone with a 4:49.46 mark to finish second in a 1,600 field in which all 12 runners qualified for state, including Redondo's Cara Ulizio, whose 4:58.64 barely made the 4:58.86 cutoff.
It will mark the eighth state meet for Mehra - four in cross country and four in track.
Mehra even did it with a surprising kick at the end.
"I don't know where that kick came from - I'm surprised I had something left," Mehra said. "In the last 150 meters, I said to myself, `You know, I'm right there. I'm just going to go for it.'
"I feel so blessed these last four years."
PV's Jonah Diaz impressed with a third-place finish in the 3,200 in 9:05.95. Diaz decided to make a run for first place when he saw St. John Bosco rival Danny Martinez ahead of him.
"I knew I needed that last kick to make sure I qualified, so I saw Danny and decided to go for it," said Diaz, making his sixth state finals. "Every second counts."
Redondo runner Rachel Bush had been a four-time state qualifier in cross country, but had never made it in track and field. But her 10:33.92 punched her ticket.
"I was pumped for this race. I was going to give every single ounce of myself to this race," Bush said.
Redondo's Evan Malone-White began the day as an alternate in the 1,600, but qualified with a two-second personal best for a 4:12.12 mark. Chadwick's Sam Cartwright also qualified (4:14.39).
"That was fun," Malone-White said. "It was a hell of a race. Everyone was throwing out every move they had."
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The refrain at Friday night's CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at Cerritos College was about "just qualifying" for the CIF State Championships next weekend in Clovis.
Serra senior sprinter Renetia James was having none of that.
James delivered two scintillating performances, perhaps trumpeting her arrival for Clovis and setting the stage for what could be a banner weekend for Serra.
"I don't do anything just to qualify - you're always going to get the best from me," James said.
The South Bay had three Masters champions and 26 state qualifiers, but James certainly grabbed the spotlight.
James captured the Masters title in the 400 meters with a blazing 54.41 mark, the state's fastest time this season. Teammate Kayah Agudo qualified in 56.20 for fourth place.
Then James rallied the 4x400 relay team of Megan George, Agudo and Maya Brown to a 3:46.83 victory. James' 53.3 anchor leg overcame rival St. Mary's Academy, which also qualified.
"I told my teammates I wanted them to come to state with me," James said. "I got to go for the 400, but they were going to go in the 4x4."
St. Mary's Academy runner Sierra Peterson's third leg in the 4x400 was nothing short of spectacular as she burst past three runners in the final 100 meters to give SMA a 20-meter lead before James'
Advertisement
anchor leg.
"I just wanted to make sure I made it to state," said Peterson, who also qualified in the 200 (23.79).
SMA's 4x400 team finished fourth with Summer Buckley, Ravyn Miller, Peterson and Zuri Henderson posting a 3:48.93 mark. Peterson also ran the second leg for the 4x100 relay that included Allanah Hughes, Aliyah Hale and Rachel Toliver that clocked 47.09.
Toliver placed second in the triple jump (38 feet, 6 1/4 inches), and Hale advanced in the 300 hurdles (43.70).
Serra star Alexis Faulknor emerged as a four-event qualifier. She took second in the 100 with a fantastic start (11.73), fourth in the 200 (24.15) and ran on the second-place 4x100 relay that included Jade Pavageau, Chimere Ezumah and Brown for a 46.21 mark.
Faulknor also placed second in the long jump with an 18-11 mark, stopping after her third attempt once she made the qualifying mark. Serra's Urina Harrell also qualified in the shot put (41-11 3/4).
"I had a 19-foot jump, but I fouled by this much," Faulknor said, holding her index finger and thumb barely apart. "But the idea today was just to qualify. Our coaches told us not to worry about placing, just qualifying."
Serra's Adoree Jackson fought through a back injury that flared up this week.
Jackson was in obvious pain, but managed to get an automatic qualifying mark with a 23-6 leap to finish third in the long jump on his third attempt. And that was with him taking off a foot behind the board.
Jackson also anchored the 4x100 relay team of Malik Roberson, Darrell Fuery and Lloyd Siscard to a third-place 41.27 mark and ran the third leg for the 4x400 relay team of Randall Bennett, Ronny Hall and Fuery for a fourth-place 3:17.05 mark.
"I don't know what happened with my back, but I definitely felt it," Jackson said. "I knew I had to work through and keep persevering. I was not going to quit."
Siscard captured the Masters 110 hurdles title, recording a 14.49 mark to edge Cathedral's Cameron Akins (14.51). Siscard also secured second place in the 300 hurdles in 37.36.
South Torrance's Cody Smith qualified in the 110 hurdles (fourth, 14.60) and 300 hurdles (seventh, 37.94).
"Today was all about qualifying," Siscard said. "And this is special to me because this is my first time. I've only been doing this for 3-4 months, and this is beautiful."
Palos Verdes star Rebecca Mehra reached a milestone with a 4:49.46 mark to finish second in a 1,600 field in which all 12 runners qualified for state, including Redondo's Cara Ulizio, whose 4:58.64 barely made the 4:58.86 cutoff.
It will mark the eighth state meet for Mehra - four in cross country and four in track.
Mehra even did it with a surprising kick at the end.
"I don't know where that kick came from - I'm surprised I had something left," Mehra said. "In the last 150 meters, I said to myself, `You know, I'm right there. I'm just going to go for it.'
"I feel so blessed these last four years."
PV's Jonah Diaz impressed with a third-place finish in the 3,200 in 9:05.95. Diaz decided to make a run for first place when he saw St. John Bosco rival Danny Martinez ahead of him.
"I knew I needed that last kick to make sure I qualified, so I saw Danny and decided to go for it," said Diaz, making his sixth state finals. "Every second counts."
Redondo runner Rachel Bush had been a four-time state qualifier in cross country, but had never made it in track and field. But her 10:33.92 punched her ticket.
"I was pumped for this race. I was going to give every single ounce of myself to this race," Bush said.
Redondo's Evan Malone-White began the day as an alternate in the 1,600, but qualified with a two-second personal best for a 4:12.12 mark. Chadwick's Sam Cartwright also qualified (4:14.39).
"That was fun," Malone-White said. "It was a hell of a race. Everyone was throwing out every move they had."
[email protected]
Source: The Daily Breeze