CLOVIS - Amy Weissenbach was home rehabilitating a knee injury during last year's state track and field finals.
Lydia French was just on her way home early, failing to clear the opening height in the championship heat of the high jump.
But French, a senior at Thousand Oaks, saved the best jump of her career for last Saturday and Weissenbach, a Harvard-Westlake of Studio City sophomore, showed signs of a bright future in the 800 meters, both winning state titles at Buchanan High's Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Weissenbach completed a sweep of the Southern Section Div. III, Southern Section Masters and state championships in the two-lap event, rallying in the final 50 meters to outkick Templeton's Savannah Camacho and post a lifetime-best of 2 minutes, 7.52 seconds, improving on her No. 3 outdoor mark in the nation this year. Camacho was second in 2:07.73.
"(The kick) almost wasn't enough," said Weissenbach, who also contributed to Harvard-Westlake's Div. IV state cross country title in November.
"I could hear her coming at 150 and that's what I was worried about. I saw her out of the corner of my eye and I knew I had to do it somehow. There was no holding back and I was just hoping it would pay off. There was some determination and some sheer panic at the end."
Weissenbach, the Wolverines' first state track champion since Lindsay Flacks in the 3,200 in 2004 and the third local girl -- following Canyon's Alysia Johnson in 2004 and Valencia's Aly Drake -- to capture the 800 title, also ran on Harvard-Westlake's eighth-place 1,600 relay team (3:49.97), joining Lauren Hansson, Jennie Porter and Zaakirah Daniels. Highland of Palmdale's Jessica Davis, Chelsey Washington, Jeannul Williams and Natani Story were seventh in 3:49.96, a school record.
French, who had never cleared 5 feet, 10 inches during a competition, outlasted Long Beach Poly's Tara Richmond, Long Beach Millikan's Ashley Smith and Pasadena's Alexis Walker in a jumpoff to become Thousand Oaks' first female state champion since Kim Mortensen won the 3,200 title in 1996.
After all four athletes missed their three regulation jumps at 5-10, French was the first athlete to clear in the sudden-death format, and the other three competitors couldn't match her effort.
"After that jump, tears were everywhere. Getting a PR and winning state was unbelievable. As you can see I'm still in shock," said French, who missed clearing the opening height of 5-4 at last year's final after producing a season-best mark of 5-8.
"I think the pressure was on me. But as intimidating as that was, you have to show them you're going to be up there. I knew even if they make it, I still have one more chance."
French became the first area high jumper to win the state title since Taft of Woodland Hills' Schquay Brignac in 2000 and the fourth overall. Valencia's Jasmine Hall tied for fifth at 5-6 and Oak Park's Tayler Johnson was ninth at 5-4.
"At the beginning of the season, I couldn't clear 5-2, so it was back to the beginning and starting over," French said. "But you have to have faith in yourself. All those girls were missing, so I felt like I had a shot."
Rio Mesa of Oxnard's Valexsia Droughn and Highland's Jessica Davis saw their opportunities to capture another state championship come up short against the determination of St. Elizabeth of Oakland senior Ashton Purvis, who swept the 100 and 200 titles in 11.17 and 22.90, both national outdoor leading marks this season.
Droughn, who won the 100 title in 11.54 last season, took third in 11.52 behind the Miami-bound Purvis and Clovis' Jenna Prandini (11.42), who also captured the long jump and triple jump titles.
"I gave them everything I could. The beginning of my year was unfortunate with the injuries, which made it hard to train, but I came back and this satisfies me completely," said Droughn, who ran a personal-best 11.47 in prelims.
"I made them take it from me and Ashton took it and she deserves it totally. But I've made it to state three years in a row and nobody can take that away from me."
The USC-bound Davis, who finished fourth in the 100 (11.67), took second to Purvis in the 200 in 23.70 missing an opportunity to capture her second state title in three seasons.
Simi Valley's Liberty Miller, a Washington signee, was running stride for stride with Rancho Bernardo of San Diego's Molly Grabill with 250 meters remaining, but finished second in 10:23.0, with Grabill winning in 10:20.25. Oak Park's Melissa Skiba, a UCLA signee, was fourth in 10:30.98.
West Ranch's Jennifer Owen was fourth in the 1,600 in a school-record 4:52.45 and Birmingham of Lake Balboa's Briau'na Watley placed eighth in the 400 (56.10).
