Wilson prevails against Poly in 4x400 relay to create tie among programs for division crown with 44 points; Jackrabbits edge Bruins for Division 1 girls title, with Calabasas, JSerra and St. Mary's Academy also winning girls championships, Ventura, Cathedral and Viewpoint also secure boys team victories

By Pete Marshall for DyeStat

MOORPARK, Calif. — There is always plenty of drama at the CIF-Southern Section Track and Field Championships, but this time that drama came down to the last race. 

Long Beach Wilson won the boys Division 1 4x400-meter relay in 3 minutes, 14.50 seconds, and, as a result, finished in a tie for the team title at 44 points with Moore League rival Long Beach Poly, which finished in second in the race in 3:15.16 at Moorpark High.

It marked the first time in section history there was a tie for the boys championship in the top division.

That was one of eight team titles decided Saturday as competitors also advanced to compete May 18 at the CIF-Southern Section Masters Meet.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

Long Beach Poly won the girls Division 1 team title with 96 points, ahead of Long Beach Wilson with 82. It was the first championship for the Jackrabbits since 2021.

The Division 2 championships went to the Ventura boys with 65 points and Calabasas girls at 64 points. Calabasas won a Division 3 girls title in 2022, with Ventura capturing its first boys championship since 2019.

The Division 3 crowns were captured by the JSerra girls with 76 points and Cathedral boys securing a three-peat with 97 points.

Cathedral became the first Division 3 boys program to win three in a row since Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in 2009-11, with JSerra earning back-to-back crowns, the first girls team to achieve the feat since Santa Margarita won five straight in the division from 2015-19.

Viewpoint won its first Division 4 boys title with 57.5 points and the St. Mary’s Academy girls secured their first championship since 2013 with 75 points, both programs taking advantage of Oaks Christian’s move this season to Division 3.

The Long Beach Poly boys got off to the early lead by winning the 4x100 relay in 40.93, edging runner-up Rancho Cucamonga (41.25).

“We’re going to get better, day by day,” said Poly freshman Benjamin Harris, who ran the second leg in the relay and finished second in the 100 (wind-aided 10.43) and fourth in the 200 (wind-aided 21.37). “We’re just going to focus on our handoffs, focus on getting out strong, focus on our mechanics and getting better as a team.”

In addition to winning the final race, Long Beach Wilson battled back with the help of a win from sophomore Wyland Obando in the 800 in 1:52.04.

It wasn’t the best time of the day in the event, but it was a very deep race, in which six of the nine Division 1 runners qualified for Masters. Ambodai Ligons of Cathedral, the Division 3 winner, had the top time at 1:51.32.

“I just tried to stay in a good spot where I could out-kick everybody at the 250 and that worked,” Obando said. “I wasn’t thinking about winning. I was thinking about getting second place and finishing with a 1:53.”

In addition to the team titles, there were some record-breaking results. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame sophomore Joshua Harel set a Division 3 record in winning the high jump by clearing 7 feet, 0.25 inches (2.14m). In fact, Harel didn’t have a single miss until his three attempts at 7-1 (2.16m).

“The weather’s been nice, first of all,’ Harel said. “I usually have hip issues, knee issues. But I feel like my muscles were pretty relaxed today.

“Honestly, I didn’t even feel good this morning. I felt pretty sick this morning, but everything came together.”

The Calabasas girls set a Division 2 record in winning the 4x100 with a 46.16 performance, which was the same time as Poly’s winning effort in Division 1.

Said Calabasas’ Marley Scoggins: “45.9 is our time so we’re trying to get better than that and beat our own record.”

Dana Hills’ Evan Noonan set a new Division 2 record in winning the 1,600 in 4:04.02. He also won the 3,200 in 8:57.12.

“I didn’t expect to come out here and PR, especially 4:04,” Noonan said. “Great day. I’m so proud of all the guys who were able to push me.”

There were several multiple event winners. Castaic’s Meagan Humphries didn’t finish the 100 hurdles in Division 3, but won the 200 (24.08), long jump (18-5/5.61m) and triple jump (38-8.50/11.80m).

Los Alamitos junior Devin Bragg won the Division 1 100 (wind-aided 10.38) and 200 (wind-aided 21.15).

“I was happy with the time. I know I can do better,” Bragg said after winning the 100. “I don’t know what’s up with my end. The last 10 meters I slow up for some reason. I don’t know why, but I’m glad I pushed through and didn’t get caught. That’s one thing I’m happy about.”

Other remarkable performances included Notre Dame’s boys sweeping the top three spots in the Division 3 110-meter hurdles, with Miles Paris (14.11), Hayden Bowne (14.19) and Aaron Uzan (14.38) accounting for 24 points for the runner-up Knights.

Vista Murrieta’s Aspen Fears won the Division 1 girls pole vault for an unprecedented third straight year, by clearing 13-1 (3.99m).

“I definitely had the goal of coming here and winning,” Fears said. “A PR would’ve been very nice, but my ultimate goal is to win. I wasn’t going to leave without a blue medal.”

Other top girls qualifiers for the Masters meet included: Canyon Country Canyon's Mikaela Warr (100, 11.49), Chaparral's Keelan Wright (200, 23.52), Culver City's Morgan Maddox (400, 53.50), Newport Harbor's Keaton Robar (800, 2:09.30), Corona Santiago's Braelyn Combe (1,600, 4:45.56) and Rylee Blade (3,200, 10:14.97), Long Beach Wilson's Kaylin Edwards (100 hurdles, 14.19 and 300 hurdles, 42.00), Loren Webster (long jump, 19-7.50/6.02m) and 4x400 relay (3:45.28), Sherman Oaks Notre Dame's Aja Johnson (shot put, 45-6.50/13.88m and discus, 147-9/45.03m) and Royal's Quincie Richards (triple jump, 39-6/12.04m).

Six female athletes across three divisions all cleared 5-6 (1.68m) in the high jump to share top honors entering the Masters competition.

Other top boys qualifiers for next week's Masters meet included: Culver City's Duaine Mayrant (400, 47.09), Long Beach Millikan's Jason Parra (3,200, 8:48.36), Murrieta Mesa's Arthur Celestine (110 hurdles, 14.06), Beaumont's Daniel Agbelusi (300 hurdles, 37.40) and Tyrus Murguia (long jump, 22-7/6.88m), Garden Grove Pacifica's Zach Lewis (shot put, 59-1.50/18.02m), Paloma Valley's Jayden Epps (discus, 187-7/57.17m), Westlake's Cade Sommers (pole vault, 16-1/4.90m), Vista Del Lago's Jordan Carter (triple jump, 46-7.25/13.21m).