Harvard-Westlake’s Courtney Corrin is the Daily News All-Area Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year

ALL-AREA GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

COURTNEY CORRIN, Harvard-Westlake, Soph.

Corrin’s journey to repeating as the area’s top female athlete still focused on her performance on the long jump runway, but it was her versatility and consistency on the track at the Southern Section Division III final that might have been the most meaningful for the Wolverines.

In addition to repeating as division long jump champion, Corrin placed third in the 300-meter hurdles (44.10) and contributed to second-place finishes in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays, helping Harvard-Westlake secure its second team title in four years over rivals Alemany and Notre Dame.

She also contributed to the Wolverines’ 4 x 100 relay finishing fourth in the state in 46.77 after running a program-record 46.46 in the state prelims.

Corrin’s bid to become the area’s first back-to-back girls state long jump champion came up just short, with Redlands’ Margaux Jones winning on the final leap of the competition with a 20-4 ¾ effort. Corrin was second with a mark of 20-1/4 and then took runner-up at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals with a jump of 20-4 ¼.

Corrin’s season-best mark came at the Mt. SAC Relays, leaping 20-8 ¼, which ranks fourth nationally among wind-legal efforts. She also ran 43.66 in the 300 hurdles at the Division III prelims, in addition to contributing for the Wolverines during the season in the 100, 200 and 400.

COACHES OF THE YEAR

JONAS KOOLSBERGEN and TIM SHARPE, Harvard-Westlake

When the Wolverines won the Division III title in 2011, it was in large part because of their distance depth. Harvard-Westlake’s run to the championship this season was highlighted by sweeping the long jump, triple jump and high jump with three different athletes, plus two strong relays, in addition to crucial points scored by Shea Copeland and support in the pole vault and distance events, a testament to the versatility of Koolsbergen and Sharpe as coaches.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

TARA DAVIS, Agoura, Fr.

When you’re on the cover of Youth Runner Magazine, you quickly become a recognizable figure on and off the track. Davis’ postseason performances also distinguished her among the elite freshmen in the country. Davis led all ninth-graders in the long jump (19-9 1/2) — finishing third in the state final — and triple jump (39-10 1/4). She placed second in Division II in the long jump, triple jump and 100 hurdles, with her season-best effort at 14.26, which ranks No. 6 nationally among all freshmen.

FIRST TEAM

Efe Agege, Harvard-Westlake, Sr.

After winning her first Division III triple jump title, Agege produced a lifetime-best leap of 39 feet in the final round of the Masters meet to finish second and qualify for the state prelims, where she took 16th. Agege was one of three jump champions for the Wolverines at the division final.

Donatella Asemota, Notre Dame, Sr.

Asemota won the 100- and 200-meter titles at the Division III final, helping the Knights place third behind Harvard-Westlake and Alemany. Asemota clocked 11.71 to finish fourth in the state 100 and ran 24.12 in the state 200 prelims on her way to finishing seventh in the final. She also long jumped 19-6 ¾ at the Mt. SAC Relays.

Sarah Baxter, Simi Valley, Sr.

Although her bid for a fourth consecutive state title was derailed by injury, Baxter still produced one of the highlights of the season by battling Northwood’s Bethan Knights — the eventual 3,200 state champion — to a dead heat at the ASICS/Mt. Carmel Invitational, both clocking 10:07.52, a mark that ranked No. 6 nationally. Baxter also had a season-best 4:58.41 in the 1,600.

Alexandria Florent, Harvard-Westlake, Jr.

The state runner-up in the high jump based on attempts, Florent made the podium for the third year in a row following her season-best 5-10 clearance. Florent captured her first Division III title by clearing 5-9, contributing to Harvard-Westlake’s second section team championship in four seasons.

Skylin Harbin, Alemany, Sr.

A five-time Southern Section champion, Harbin swept the Division III titles in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles. She ran a season-best 14.13 to win the division title in the 100 hurdles to reach the Masters meet. Her third-place Masters finish in the 300 in 41.79 helped her return to the state prelims.

Ginika Iwuchukwu, Notre Dame, Sr.

Following a Mission League shot put title in a season-best 47-9 ½, Iwuchukwu captured her first Division III championship, took third in the Masters meet and finished third at the state final, surpassing 46 feet in each postseason round.

Sarah Johnson, Oaks Christian, Jr.

Her victories in the 400 and 4 x 400 at the Division IV final helped the Lions finally capture their first Southern Section title. After taking second in both events in the Masters meet — including a season-best 54.46 in the 400 — Johnson took fourth in both events in the state final. She also ran 24.39 in the 200.

Kendall Mader, Newbury Park, Jr.

The Marmonte League champion in the shot put and discus, Mader was third in the state in the discus and sixth in the shot put final. Her season-best efforts were 45-11 ½ in the shot put and 148-4 in the discus. Mader captured the Division I discus crown with a mark of 145-7.

Schuyler Moore, Oaks Christian, Jr.

A Division IV champion in the 200 in a season-best 24.08, in addition to contributing to victory in the 4 x 400 in 3:46.47 helped the Lions capture the team crown in dominant fashion. Moore was sixth in the Masters 200 and eighth in the 100 — after taking second in the division in 11.79 — and placed ninth in the state 200 final.

Madisen Richards, Simi Valley, Sr.

The USC signee capped an outstanding career by reaching her first state long jump final, taking fifth with a mark of 19-5 ½, just off her season-best 19-7 ½ from the Mt. SAC Relays. Richards, who also qualified for the Division II prelims in the 100, won the Marmonte League titles in both events.

SECOND TEAM

Emily Beneduce, Oak Park, Fr.

Naiah Boardingham, El Camino Real, Soph.

Shea Copeland, Harvard-Westlake, Jr.

Alexa Coubal, Thousand Oaks, Jr.

Asha Culhane, Oaks Christian, Sr.

Candela Fernandez, Burbank, Soph.

Shamaya Flanagan, Quartz Hill, Soph.

Zaria Francis, Camarillo, Soph.

Brisa Guzman-Sanchez, Alemany, Soph.

Nikaela Harris, Golden Valley, Jr.

Samiyah Hawkins, Golden Valley, Sr.

Sabrina Janes, Saugus, Jr.

Whitney Knox, Eastside, Sr.

Leah Lambert, Alemany, Sr.

Marisa Magsarili, West Ranch, Jr.

Megan Melnyk, Crescenta Valley, Jr.

Samantha Ortega, Saugus, Jr.

Cassidy Palka, Oaks Christian, Fr.

Briana Pica, Valencia, Sr.

Caroline Pietrzyk, Malibu, Jr.

Lucie Pressl, Oaks Christian, Soph.

Natalie Rodriguez, Canyon, Sr.

Chanel Rogers, Alemany, Jr.

Julia Sullivan, Oaks Christian, Fr.

Lizzy Thomas, Harvard-Westlake, Sr.

Asia Watts, Alemany, Sr.

RACE OF THE YEAR

Foothill League 3,200-meter final, May 8

Although the Bethan Knights vs. Sarah Baxter 3,200 showdown at the ASICS/Mt. Carmel Invitational produced faster times and resulted in a dead heat at 10:07.52, the battle that materialized involving Saugus’ Ashley Heys and Canyon’s Natalie Rodriguez was for a league championship and featured several emotional shifts and lead changes. After Rodriguez overcame her right shoe nearly falling off on the fifth lap, she rallied to take the lead in the final 100 meters, only for Heys to respond and produce a well-timed lean at the finish to prevail 10:49.509 to 10:49.514.