Returning Finalists?

The leading potential returnee to the state meet has to be Shafter's Ana Jelmini who is the defending state champ in the shot and the discus. this Arizona State bound senior recently broke the national record in the discus and moved to number two all-time in the shot.

Alex Collatz (Stockdale 10) came in fourth in the discus and this year hope to make it in both throws and the triple jump.

Johnny Carter (Ridgeview 10) came on strong in the final meets of the season and won the triple jump last year as a freshman! Since then he has grown a lot physically (I did not recognize him from last year when the season started) and has been battling injuries. But he made it to valley and one should never count him out.

On the track, Kern County only has one potential finalist returning. Chris Schwartz (Foothill 12) had a front row seat to one of the most impressive doubles in high school distance running when German Fernandez broke the national record in the 3200 and ran 4:00.29 in the 1600 earlier in the meet. The CalPoly SLO bound Schwartz came in second and ran a PR of 8:58 in the 3200.

In the horizontal jumps, Washington State bound Alana Alexander (Centennial 12) surprised many by making the finals in both jumps.

The Road to State

Now that you survived the South Area meet and made the top four in your event or grabbed one of the wild card spots (top three marks at the all area meets combined make it) you are now one step closer to the state meet.

Both the valley and state meet are at Buchanan High school which is good for us valley residents. It is nearby and most local athletes have competed there in the past. Plus they have excellent facilities and know hope to put on a great meet. I look forward to the Buchanan Distance Classic and the West Coast Relays every year.

At the valley meet, the top six places in each will be awarded medals and also score points for their team. First and second place team trophies will also be awarded.

The top three in each event, will qualify for the state meet from the central section:

NUMBER OF COMPETITORS
Sections are allowed the following entries as per State Federated Council rule:
CIF Southern 5 CIF Central 3 CIF Northern 1
CIF North Coast 4 CIF Central Coast 3 CIF San Francisco 1
CIF Los Angeles 3 CIF San Diego 3 CIF Oakland 1
CIF Sac-Joaquin 3

AT-LARGE ENTRIES
Sections may enter additional competitors provided they have met or bettered the “At-Large”
standard for their event in their Section Meet that qualifies athletes for the CIF State Track and Field Championships. The At-Large standards can be found on page six HERE.

Four for Four with the Four by Four

With the Drillers win in the 1600 relay, Wandick (12) won four events at the South Area meet. In the 100, 200 and the relays Wandick and her teammates have good chance of placing in the top three at valley and qualifying for state in all four events.

1,600 relay--1. Bakersfield (Torres, McDonald, Wandick, White), 4:01.68; 2. Liberty (Lee, J. Fitch, Wilcox, M. Fitch), 4:02.66; 3. Golden Valley (Shaw, Epps, Hildalgo, Garcia), 4:10.54; 4. Frontier (Delarosa, Dial, Ka. Ellis, Jackson), 4:11.74.

Things are Heating Up ...

So it is your senior year and the last meet in front of the home crowd. Plus your former teammate, who you ran the 4 x 400 at state the past two seasons with, has the fastest time in the valley and is in the race.

So what do you do? Well if you are Mr. Affentranger, you throw down a season best performance and win that sucker and look forward to the valley meet for another rematch.

By the way, Marty also has the best long jump mark in the valley and his team made the 4 x 400 too. Isiah Purvis will be busy too being that he is number two in the valley in the 200 and on both ridgeview relays

400--1. Affentranger, Lib, 48.90; 2. Purvis, Ridge, 49.27; 3. Moore, Cent, 50.86; 4. Hobson, Ridge, 51.77

Marty plans on continuing his education and track career at Cal Poly SLO in the fall.

Almost Wilcox 57

Erica Wilcox (jr) has owned the 400 locally and has been mainly racing the clock but next week at valley she will have her work cut out for her to make the top three and move on to the state meet.

400--1. Wilcox, Lib, 58.07; 2. Chudy, Cent, 1:00.78; 3.White, Bak, 1:00.82; 4. Torres, Bak, 1:01.50.

There at least three girls under 58 in the valley and I am sure Wilcox will be joining them shortly.

Bakersfield came in 3rd and 4th but may not run the open 400 at valley and focus on making it to state in the 4 x 400 relay. Interestingly, the Driller's fastest 400 runner has never run an open 400 but is no stranger to Wilcox. Brushay Wandick (sr) owns the 200 but a heads up in the open 400 would be interesting.

At most meets, Wilcox and Wandick run the same leg of the 4 x 400, with Wilcox usually chasing Wandick. With Brushay off to CSUB in the fall, this much hoped for match up in the open 400 may never happen but I have heard that Wilcox is interested in competing for CSUB in the future. So maybe that match up will happen after all.