Boys Seniors-Only NCS Trials Highlights
100 Dash
Austin Kresley (Northgate) earns a repeat Tri Valley championship, and now he aims for the Meet of Champions win (he finished 2nd last year and advanced to the state meet). He will be favored there after a spring in which he ran consistently in the 10.7's and upper 10.6's, but can he finally crack the 10.5's? Class A champion Ryan Searl (St. Helena) and Tri Valley silver medalist Jayson Wade (Antioch) have both run multiple races under 11 with a few 10.8's sprinkled in there, which may leave them battling for second place. We definitely wouldn't count out Bay Shore winner Jaymes Hart (Vallejo) or Mister Davis (Alhambra), who both have consistent 10.9's. Brandon Frith (Bishop O'Dowd) has come on strong this year, opening with an 11.02 and dipping under 11 a few times; he could be a sleeper to drop under 10.9 and shake up the top 5. Connor Barres (Eureka) is the Redwood Empire champion, and a fast race next week could pull him under 11 for the first time.
200 Dash
Kresley has the top time here, as well, but the competition is closer (and deeper) than in the 100. The double Tri Valley winner has been under 22 several times this season, but there are seven athletes between 22.0 and 22.5 that are chasing him. Tomas Kersulis (Foothill Pleasanton) is the closest to breaking 22, although the 400 could take something out of his legs. Double Bay Shore champ Hart is right there in the low 22's as well. Frith, Searl (himself a double winner in Class A), and Redwood Empire champ Justin Patterson (Cardinal Newman) have nearly identical times, only a tenth of a second or so behind Hart. Dejuan Butler (Antioch) and Barres are within striking range, as well, which sets up an amazing Meet of Champions final next week!
400 Dash
Kersoulis is favored at this distance, and seeing as how this is his better race we expect him to put maximum effort into it going forward. He opened his 2020 season with a full-second PR, and has since improved into the low 48's. We think he has 47 potential, and he certainly has his mind set on a trip to the state meet after winning the Tri Valley area crown. Patterson, now a double Redwood Empire winner, and Bay Shore champ Harry Overstreet (Berkeley) have both been consistently in the 49's, and if either can break through that barrier he could push Kersoulis next week. Nico Melendres (Moreau Catholic) also made the Meet of Champions in 2019, so he can't be overlooked.
800 Run
As usual, the NCS is filled with distance talent, although the 800 is a little thinner than the longer races. Logan Moon (Casa Grande) is the favorite next week after winning the Redwood Empire title. In 2019 he wore out just a bit down the stretch, but he continues to look strong right now, giving us hope that he has more than his high 1:53 PR. Gabriel Preciado (Heritage) was incredibly consistent last spring with a nearly linear improvement curve, and he has continued his steady drop in time to reach the upper 1:55's and claim the Tri Valley title. That time range also where we find Class A winner Charlie Kennedy (University), who seems to have focused all of his attention on the 800 and therefore should have fresher legs when the final comes around. Sir Francis Drake has a pair of possible contenders in Amir Barkan and Owen Wolford, both capable of running 1:56 or faster (though Barkan favored the 1600 last year and may drop this race). Bay Shore champ Jackson Harper (James Logan) and Melendres (moving up from the 400 this year) could play the spoiler role with strong races.
1600 Run
No surprises at the top of this event, as Tri Valley champ Christopher Middleton-Pearson (Dublin) returns after a spectacular junior season: 4:09 PR, 5th place at the state meet. He went on to lead the section in the 5K and 3 Mile during cross country, which promises even more improvement during track season. Colton Swinth (Maria Carrillo), who won the D3 state title in the fall, has improved significantly and is closing on the 4:10 mark, but that could still leave him 10 meters or more behind the section leader. Swinth, the Redwood Empire winner, should have pressure from Barkan, who is certain to stay in this race regardless of his 800 decision; both runners are well under 4:15 this spring. Lyle Rumon (Marin Catholic) has been threatening to break 4:15, but it's also worth noting that he dropped this race last May to focus on the 3200. Aidan McCarthy (Amador Valley) started off the 2020 season with a big PR at this distance, and he is also on the verge of sub-4:15, along with Pierce Kapustka (Maria Carrillo).
3200 Run
Middleton-Pearson is the favorite here as well, having run under 9 minutes at a certain notoriously fast regular season invitational. He has a ton of competition, though, including another sub-9 runner in Anthony Guerra (Granada), whose incredible senior year continues to impress. The two didn't go all-out in the Tri Valley meet, both wanting to advance and save their legs for some last minute training. Rumon and Smail are also under 9:10, setting up an excellent battle for third place next week on the heels of their Redwood Empire duel today (which Smail won). Swinth never ran the 3200 in 2019, but when you run 15:10 for 5K and win a state title, you try the 3200. He has been successful, running under 9:15 and staying close enough to be a threat to make the state met if he decides to stay in the race.
110 Hurdles
Maria Carrillo's Zavier Rodrigues wins the Redwood Empire meet today, dipping under 15 again after doing so several times in the regular season. Tri Valley champ Jonzi Smith (Pittsburg) and Bay Shore winner Meinkaye Kaye (James Logan) are both still chasing their first sub-15 time, and we're hoping they will push each other to new PR's in the Meet of Champions. The Northgate duo of Christo Malinov and Shane Kaiper lead the rest of the field, but they have work to do to catch the top three.
300 Hurdles
Kaye finished 6th in the Meet of Champions last season, behind 5 seniors who graduated. Although that cleared a path to the section title, it's his improvement this year that makes him the heavy favorite. He is the only hurdler in the section to run under 40, and he has actually broken 39 twice. Unless he makes a mistake, he will pull away from the rest of the field - but the race for second will be INTENSE. There are eight athletes that have either run in the 40-second range or are on the verge of getting there, with less than a second separating #2 from #9. These guys will have to work during prelims next week! Kaiper and Aidan Hasselquist (Arcata) are in the under 41 group, as is Kevin Mlynek (Acalanes).Lurking not far behind are Jonzi Smith and Ethan Ransome (El Molino), while Sartaj Dhillon (Washington) and Taylor Cabael (James Logan) have the potential to climb the ladder. Mehdi Aziz (Las Lomas) is the wild card in this race; he has hit the 41's a few times but has been more consistently in the 42's, but if he pops a good race he can knock off some of the runners listed above.
Shot Put
This is shaping up to be a hotly contested event, and we honestly have no idea who will emerge with the section title next week. Ty Seligman (Freedom) and Gary Furniss (James Logan) have had the best 2020 season, both throwing 48's early and moving into occasional 50-footers. Luke King (Del Norte) threw 48 last spring and has improved, but is still looking for his first 50. It's good to see Jamar Sekona (Marin Catholic) getting back into the 50's (he threw 52 his sophomore year, but his junior season was cut short). We think he can get back to his younger PR, and perhaps beyond, next week. Trevor Sidlauskas (Miramonte) has improved a ton this spring and could be a sleeper to make the podium.
Discus
The section has two big time throwers in this event, which could lead to a fantastic competition for the Meet of Champions title. Jacob Hawkins (Freedom) took a huge step forward in the off-season - every single throw he has made this spring has been farther than his 2019 best. He has been over 170 twice and consistently in the 160's, which makes him the slight favorite next week. Samuel Davison (Cardinal Newman) was the top returner based on last year's marks, and he has also gotten better, trading the top spot in the rankings with Hawkins all season. Either could win the section title, and both can do well at the state meet if they keep this up. Sidlauskas leads the rest of the field, having thrown in the 160's several times this season. Behind him is a cluster of very evenly-matched athletes, including Michael Kania (Mission San Jose), Liam Lubamersky (San Rafael), and Jamal Boyd (Hayward). The way the discus goes, it wouldn't be out of the question for one of those three to really get hold of one and move into podium position.
Long Jump
With Malcolm Clemens move to Florida, the door was opened for several athletes to contend for the title. Antony Chen (Irvington) probably has the best resume, with several 22-foot jumps both last year and this spring. Eric Wu (American) also has multiple 22's, putting him right on the same level as Chen. Peter Levine (Urban) has the best PR in the field at 22-6, but he has been inconsistent and more often jumps in the mid-21's; still, the potential is clearly there for him to win. Devon Gilbert (Kennedy Richmond), Shane Kaiper (Northgate), and Tony Burns (Arroyo) all have regular upper 21-foot jumps (some of them have broken 22 once). There are several wild card types in here as well, who can pop a big jump and disrupt the expected order of finish: Travis Simmons (Heritage), Adonis Prince (Newark Memorial), and Parker Emerson (University). This has the makings of a very exciting event to watch next week!
Triple Jump
Joe Zhou (San Domenico) is the top returner from 2019 and the only jumper in the section to go beyond 45 feet this season (although he only did that once). He is the favorite, but not by enough to feel comfortable; Kahlim Davis (Alameda) and Lucas Long (Dublin) both have multiple 43-foot efforts, putting them close enough to challenge for the win. Chen has also been in the 43's, although not as consistently as the previous two.
High Jump
In contrast to the triple jump, which is fairly thin this year, the high jump has a deep and talented field. Zavier Rodrigues (Maria Carrillo) went to the state meet in this event last spring, giving him the clear edge in experience; he has also upped his PR to 6-6 this year. Luke Sendaydiego (Sonoma Valley), Shane Fricke (Redwood NC), and Zach Deering-Haddix (St. Mary's College) have all cleared 5-5 or better more than once, while Ahmon Jones (Antioch) hit a whopping 6-7 (but hasn't gotten higher than 6-4 since). Right behind them is Paul Randall (San Leandro), who has been consistently over 6-4. Championships in the high jump rarely result from new PR's - rather, it's the jumper that consistently gets at or close to their best that usually emerges. Whatever the case, this is definitely going to be interesting next week!
Pole Vault
Like the high jump, there are several closely-bunched competitors here (although the field is not so deep). Owen McNamara (Acalanes) broke through with a 14-foot jump in March, and has improved to 14-6 since then. Joel Castillo (Washington) was a consistent 13-plus jumper in 2019, then opened at 13-6 this spring before clearing 14 a few times during the season. Kainoa Lee (Moreau Catholic) finished the highest of any returning athlete at the 2019 Meet of Champions, and he has also cleared 14 feet. Joel Kofman (Campolindo) improved significantly in the offseason and is jumping consistently in the upper 13's now. These four are all capable of winning, and none of them can relax with at least three more vaulters behind them that have 13 foot potential.