2012 DAILY NEWS ALL-AREA TRACK AND FIELD TEAMS

Boys' track & field

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

KHALFANI MUHAMMAD

Notre Dame, Jr.

The central figure in Notre Dame's run to its first state championship, Muhammad used the motivation of runner-up finishes in the 100- and 200-meter races at last year's state final to cap a memorable season in style.

Muhammad became the first male athlete since Compton's Ricky Carrigan in 1991 to sweep state titles in the 100 and 200, in addition to running on the winning 4 x 100 relay team. Long Beach Poly was the last boys' team in 1998 to win all three races.

Although Muhammad clocked 10.52 and 21.15 seconds to become the first local sprinter since Taft's Jamere Holland in 2005 to capture both titles, his finest effort came on the anchor of the 4 x 100 relay, when he rallied past anchor Cameron Roach to defeat Rio Mesa 41.122 to 41.125.

His wind-legal 100 effort of 10.44 in the state prelims was the fastest under all conditions in the state and ranked No. 11 nationally this year. His mark of 21.10 at the Southern Section Div. III final and Masters meet was also the best effort in the state and No. 20 in the country.

Notre Dame's season-best 41.01 in the 4 x 100 relay ranked No. 15 nationally.

FIRST TEAM

NICK BULTMAN, West Ranch, Sr.

The Foothill League champion in the shot put and discus throw (162-9), Bultman was fourth in the shot put and fifth in the discus at the Div. I final. After producing a season-best

59-102 in the shot put to take fourth at the Masters meet, he placed eighth in the state meet.

MICHAEL DAVIS, Glendale, Jr.

After winning Pacific League titles in the 100 and 200, Davis took second in Div. I in the 100 and third in the 200 (21.40). He posted a wind-aided 10.67 in the 100 in the Div. I prelims and took seventh in the state in the 200.

ANTHONY FOWLER, Taft, Sr.

Produced the state's sixth-fastest time in the 400 by taking runner-up at the City Section final in 47.97, before taking 10 th in the state prelims. Fowler, who had a season-best 22.22 in the 200, placed in the top six in four events at the section championship meet.

BRYAN GUIJARRO, Knight, Sr.

The Golden League champion in the 1,600 (4:19.58) and 3,200, Guijarro took second at the Div. I final in the 3,200. The UC Santa Barbara commit went on to place fifth at Masters in a personal-best 9:06.42 and 13 th in the state.

MALIK HAYES, Quartz Hill, Sr.

After winning Golden League title in 800, took third at Div. I final in personal-best 1:51.98, the fifth-fastest time in the state. Also had a season best of 4:23.62 in 1,600.

ERIC McDANIEL, Notre Dame, Sr.

One of the unsung heroes for the state-champion Knights, McDaniel ran on Notre Dame's victorious 4 x 100 relay - which had a season-best 41.01 - and finished third in the 100 after clocking a personal-best 10.56 in the prelims. He also had a season-best 21.46 in the 200.

AUSTIN O'NEIL, Hart, Sr.

Captured Foothill League and Div. I titles in the 1,600, O'Neil placed seventh at the state meet. His effort of 4:12.11 to capture the division crown produced Hart's first title since 1994. The UCLA signee clocked 4:12.06 in the mile, 1:54.24 in the 800 and 9:20.31 in the 3,200.

AMIR ALI PATTERSON, Crespi, Soph.

The Mission League champion in the shot put and discus throw (171-3), Patterson went on to take second in the Div. III shot put and ninth in the state. His effort of 61-64 in the state shot put prelims was the best by a sophomore nationally and No. 26 overall.

ADAM RUGGIERO, Desert Christian, Sr.

After winning four Desert Mountain League titles, Ruggiero followed with a Div. IV crown in the triple jump (45-94), along with a second-place finish in the high jump (6-5) and third in the long jump. Placed sixth in the Masters long jump (22-7) to qualify for state.

VINNIE SAUCER, Oaks Christian, Jr.

Won Div. IV titles in the 100 (10.54) and 200 (21.42), in addition to helping Oaks Christian take the 4 x 100 relay. Placed sixth in the 100 at Masters and helped the Lions reach the 4 x 100 state final, clocking 41.31 in the prelims.

CONNOR STARK, Oak Park, Sr.

Although he ranked No. 12 nationally in the pole vault with a clearance of 16 feet, 6 inches, the UCLA-bound Stark came up just short of winning a state title, with Murrieta Valley's Peter Chapman edging him based on fewer attempts after they both cleared 16-4.

TIM WHITE, Hart, Sr.

Produced the area's best triple jump mark ever under all conditions with a wind-aided effort of 51 feet, 5 inches - No. 4 nationally this year - to take second in the state final. White, a three-event Foothill League champion, won Div. III titles in the triple jump and high jump (6-7).

SECOND TEAM

Ishmael Adams, Oaks Christian, Sr.; Josh Anderson, Notre Dame, Sr.; Zack Bornstein, Oaks Christian, Soph.; Luigi Colella, Westlake, Soph.; Eric Davis, Notre Dame, Sr.; Aaron de Toledo, Harvard-Westlake, Sr.; Aiden Elias, Notre Dame, Sr.; Kendall Esparza, Newbury Park, Sr.; Juan David Garcia, Golden Valley, Sr.; Ben Gaylord, Harvard-Westlake, Jr.; Clint Gingrich, Valencia, Sr.; Joel Gonzalez, Camarillo, Jr.; Collin Gordon, Royal, Sr.; Brandon Hughes, Moorpark, Sr.; Malik Johnson, El Camino Real, Sr.; Terry Johnson, Oaks Christian, Jr.; Toya Johnson, Knight, Sr.; James Knowles, St. Francis, Sr.; Tommy Lopez, Thousand Oaks, Sr.; David Manahan, Harvard-Westlake, Soph.; Sam Marshall, Granada Hills, Sr.; Kristian Martinez, Golden Valley, Sr.; Xavier Menifield, Sierra Canyon, Jr.; Anthony Monroy, Burroughs, Sr.; Terrell Newby, Chaminade, Jr.; Ahmed Obed, Camarillo, Soph.; Jude Olear, Crespi, Sr.; Terry Pagano, Newbury Park, Sr.; Sam Peckham, Hart, Sr.; Jordan Pitcher, Oaks Christian, Jr.; Sean Plousha, Highland, Jr.; Cyntrell Smith, Highland, Jr.; Lohnnie Tape-Jackson, Quartz Hill, Jr.; AJYarnall, Saugus, Jr.

COACH OF THE YEAR

JOE McNAB, Notre Dame

Despite the Knights having their run of three consecutive Southern Section Div. III titles halted by Rio Mesa, Notre Dame regrouped behind Khalfani Muhammad and Eric McDaniel to capture their first state championship, a testament to the ability of McNab and his staff to get their athletes to peak at the right time. Although Muhammad won state titles in the 100 and 200, McDaniel's third-place finish in the 100 and the efforts of Nick Holland and Koa Farmer on the 4 x 100 relay were crucial in the Knights capturing the state crown.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

GARRETT ROBINSON, Harvard-Westlake, Fr.

The only ninth-grader to qualify for the Masters meet in the 400, Robinson's fifth-place mark of 48.75 at the Southern Section Div. III final was the fastest among all freshmen in the state and No. 5 in the country by a ninth-grader this season. Robinson, the Mission League 400 champion, clocked a season-best 22.41 in the 200 at the league final and contributed to school relay records in the 4 x 400 (3:21.64), sprint medley (3:32.40) and distance medley (10:18.76).

TOP TEN RANKINGS

1. Notre Dame

2. Oaks Christian

3. Harv.-Westlake

4. Moorpark

5. Hart

6. Canyon

7. Golden Valley

8. Newbury Park

9. Royal

10. Simi Valley

LEAGUE CHAMPS

Desert Mountain: Desert Christian

Foothill: Canyon/Hart/G. Valley

Golden: Highland/Quartz Hill

Marmonte: Moorpark

Mission: Notre Dame

Pacific: Arcadia

Pacific View: Rio Mesa

Rio Hondo: South Pasadena

Tri-Valley: Oaks Christian

Valley Mission: Monroe

West Valley: Taft

RACE OF THE YEAR

State 4 x 100-meter relay final, June 2

After Rio Mesa had defeated Notre Dame in three of four head-to-head meetings, including the Southern Section Div. III finals and Masters meet, Khalfani Muhammad wasn't going to let the Knights come up short again on the state's biggest stage. Muhammad overcame a 5-meter deficit against Cameron Roach to lean just in front of the Rio Mesa anchor, helping Notre Dame prevail 41.122 to 41.125 in the closest finish in state history.