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CIF State Track and Field Championships » Ventura County Star

Published by
Scott Joerger   Jun 6th 2010, 11:27pm
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By Derry Eads
Posted June 5, 2010 at 11:52 p.m.


Thousand Oaks High’s Lydia French clears 5 feet 10 inches to win the high jump in a jumpoff at the CIF Track and Field State Championships on Saturday in Clovis.

Thousand Oaks High’s Lydia French clears 5 feet 10 inches to win the high jump
in a jumpoff at the CIF Track and Field State Championships on Saturday in Clovis.

CLOVIS — One year they stumbled. The next year they won milestone state championships.

With a lifetime-best clearance of 5 feet, 10 inches in a jumpoff, Lydia French of Thousand Oaks won the girls’ high jump Saturday at the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Buchanan High.

In becoming the first person in Ventura County history to claim a state title in the event, French overcame the 2009 final in which she failed to clear a height.

Agoura’s Jonathan Cabral, who was disqualified after knocking over a hurdle and falling last year, won the boys 110 hurdles — the first ever by an area athlete — with a wind-aided time of 13.54 seconds.

A non-state qualifier last year, two-time section champion Niko DiMartino of Oaks Christian won the boys’ long jump at 23-1012. It was the first individual state track and field title in Oaks Christian history.

Rio Mesa finished sixth in the boys’ team standings with 18 points.

In was a strong day for area athletes. Besides the three titles, athletes had four other top-three finishes.

Simi Valley’s Liberty Miller (10:23.00) and Oak Park’s Melissa Skiba (10:30.99) placed second and fourth in the girls’ 3,200.

French was one of four jumpers to miss at 5-10 in three attempts. In the jumpoff, French cleared the height on her first attempt and watched as her three rivals missed.

“After not clearing a height and getting a personal best, I can’t believe it,” said French, who bettered her own school record with the third best performance in county history.

“For me, it was all faith. Tears were everywhere. I want to share it with everybody.”

Cabral, the state leader for most of the season, broke fast out of the blocks and held form to become the first area athlete to win a state boys’ 110 hurdles title.

“Coming back from a fall last year to bring it all the way back to win is an uplifting feeling,” said Cabral. “I had a good feeling and good hope. My goal was to get the state record. That is something that I want to do next year.”

Attempting to become only the fifth athlete to sweep hurdles events, Cabral finished fifth in the 300 hurdles in 37.57. Drawing an undesirable Lane 1 assignment, Cabral never was among the leaders.

Defending champion Valexsia Droughn of Rio Mesa was third in the girls’ 100 final in 11.52, the third best time of her career.

As Droughn predicted Friday, favorite Ashton Purvis of St. Elizabeth had a magical race, finishing in 11.17, the second fastest in state history and eighth all-time nationally. Purvis didn’t qualify for the 2009 final after being called for a false start.

County record holder Jamison Jordan of Rio Mesa was fourth in the boys’ 100 in 10.52. Jordan was right in the mix the last 50 meters, but wasn’t able to close the gap on the leaders.

The greatest season by a county boys’ 4x100 relay team ended with a second-place finish. Holding the lead in the backstretch, Rio Mesa (41.15) was caught by Long Beach Poly (41.11) in the closing steps.

It was the highest finish ever by a county boys’ 4x100 relay.

Ranked among the national leaders all season, Ventura’s Alex Morgan placed third in the girls’ discus with a throw of 158-3 on her fourth attempt.

The county record holder was unable to catch Stockdale’s Alex Collatz (170-9) and San Luis Obispo’s Viv Devaney (16), who had a 15-foot improvement.

Devaney’s first-round best “might have gotten to her,” said Ventura assistant Fred Morgan.

“This is part of the growth. She went from 12th last year to third. We’re proud of what she did this year.”

Morgan had the best showing in this event at state by a Ventura County thrower (Channel Islands Delores Tuimoloau was eighth in 1994).

She was sixth in the shot put at 43-0.

Repeating his finish from 2009, Travis Edwards of Royal was seventh in the boys’ 1,600 in 4:23.47. Gustavo Mena of Oxnard was ninth in 4:25.25.

Miller and champion Molly Grabill of Rancho Bernardo broke away from the rest of the field with two laps remaining. Miller took the lead with 500 meters left, but was passed with Grabill 200 meters later.

In the boys’ 3,200, Sean Davison of Royal (9:08.51) and Kevin Joeger of Thousand Oaks (9:23.10) were 13th and 20th.

Rio Mesa placed fourth in the boys’ 4x400 relay in 3:15.32.



Read the full article at: www.vcstar.com
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