<span class="C9DxTc " style="color: #980000; font-family: &#39;Archivo Black&#39;, Arial; font-weight: 400;">2019-2024

CLOVIS: King had two athletes compete at the California State Track and Field Championships over the weekend. The meet, a spectacular event held over two days at Buchanan High School's state of the art facility in Clovis, draws the best from all of the CIF Sections. King had four such elites who had qualified, Maximo Zavaleta in the 3200 meters, Jayden McKee in the pole vault and a 2nd Austin Martinez and Daniel Chavez in shot put!

Chavez and Martinez were entered in the Unified Sports division of the meet and had an outstanding 2nd place finish, earning "All State" accolades for their efforts. (results here)

During Friday night's preliminary round of the vault, McKee did not finish well enough to qualify for Saturday's Final after a disappointing 15-0 clearance, a mark well off his best of 17-0.

"Yea, it was unfortunate" said King head coach Mat Vasel. The outcome illustrates the difficulty of the highly technical event in which the slightest adjustments on both the ground and in the air can spell disaster.

For sophomore Maximo Zavaleta, his first trip to the State Meet was one to remember, even if it isn't his last. His 10th place finish in the 3200 meters may say otherwise, but don’t be fooled, Max had an outstanding race in an event that is stacked with State-wide talent this season. The group opened with torrid a 62-second first lap and Max came by the half-way mark in 6th place at 4:24; on pace for an 8:48 finish which was well ahead of his PR pace. That clip would take its toll and he’d slip back to 10th by the finish, but nonetheless, his time of 8:52.51 took down Lane Werley’s school record which he set at the same meet back in 2011.

“Breaking the record meant a lot to me especially since I’ve had my eye on it for the whole season,” the likeable sophomore said.

Max had suffered through a respiratory illness through the Southern Section rounds of CIF over the last two weeks, but finally clear of that, he ran unhindered. “I was unsure how I would do,” he said, referring to the effects of his illness, “but this is a big accomplishment for me and I’m grateful I was able to race against such talented guys.”

Distance coach Alfonso Ibarra was pleased with the way that Max “maneuvered the nerves and emotions that come from being at the State meet for the first time.”

“Max ran fearlessly and absolutely went for it,” Ibarra added. “To end the season this way is absolute validation that all the work he has done was worth it. We are all beyond happy for his outstanding season.”

THE MASTERFUL McKEE AND MAXIMO

May 19, 2024

MOORPARK: Earning the right to compete in the CIF-SS Track and Field Masters meet is no small task. Not only does one need to be a top finisher in the Divisional Finals the week prior, one needs to be among the best of all four CIF divisions combined.

The Masters meet is therefore reserved for the best of the best. The “best of the best” also describes Jaden McKee.

McKee won the Division 1 pole vault CIF title a week ago, then returned to Moorpark High School yesterday and won again, beating the top 15 vaulters in all of the Southern Section's divisions combined.

He cleared the bar on his first three attempts and then capped out at 16-6 to win the Masters title and advance to the California State Track and Field Championships to be held this weekend at Buchanan High School in Clovis.

McKee told King head coach Mat Vasel on Thursday that he had a good feeling about the impending meet. "I believe in the rule of thirds," he explained. "One third of your days will be tough, one third will be average and one third will be great. I've already had the first two this week in practice."

He was right, as Saturday's performance was great. After dispatching his nearest opponent at 16-6, they raised the bar to 17-1, a personal-best height for him, and he made three strong attempts at it. Save that clearance for another day, Jaden went home the champion.

He will not be alone on his trip to Fresno this coming Thursday. Sophomore Maximo Zavaleta put together another quality 3200 meter performance to qualify for the State meet as well. Zavaleta, the only underclassman in the field, led the chase pack as two contenders for the title broke away early and had a 10 second advantage through the mile. That gap narrowed just a bit over the final four laps and Maximo held ground to finish 6th at 9:02.56 and qualify for his first State Final.

The girls 4×800 squad of Gracie Guzzetta, Natalie Drewitz, Elizabeth Jacklin and Sofia Wesolowski were off their best-ever pace and finished one spot out of the qualifying top 4. The boys 4×800 squad of Brayden Lunetta, Logan Carlson, Mason Colwell and Alex Wesolowski finished 12th. In both cases, all 8 athletes should return next year with invaluable experience that could help them punch their tickets to State as well.

“I’m very proud of the way this group of distance runners has elevated every aspect of their training and all their PR’s this season are proof of this,” said King’s distance coach Alfonso Ibarra. “For Maximo, we all could not be happier on his qualifying for State!” he added.

Vasel was thrilled as well. “I feel like we’re on a wave that just keeps going and it’s awesome to be a part of. I’m blessed!”

Yes he is. And that wave will carry them all the way to Clovis.

JADEN McKEE WINS THE VAULT, PACES KING AT CIF FINALS

May 13, 2024

MOORPARK: Jaden McKee, the MIT-bound senior and prolific state leader in the pole vault this season hasn’t had a great history at the biggest CIF meets. For three seasons, Jaden has always been among the best vaulters in the Southern Section, but his results at CIF Finals in each of the last two seasons left him thinking there could have been more. In 2022 he finished 3rd and in 2023 he finished 2nd at each of the respective Southern Section Finals.

But the past is the past and here in 2024 he finished his ascent … from 3rd to 2nd, fittingly, he finished 1st in ’24. Jaden McKee is the CIF Champion in pole vault.

He is the 7th King track and field athlete to achieve the title of his or her respective event.

He came into the competition when the bar was set at 15’1″, clearing it on his first attempt. He did the same at 15′ 7″. He had a few good attempts at 16′ 1″ but “the wind, temperature and some technique issues,” according to King head coach Mat Vasel kept him from clearing that.

But it didn’t matter, his nearest opponent had already fouled out and McKee was the last man standing.

Outside of McKee’s outstanding achievement, the rest of the King contingent struggled. Maximo Zavaleta, ranked high enough in the 3200 meters to legitimately think about the potential of winning a title of his own, struggled in the closing laps as a recent respiratory infection paid its price. He still finished 5th, earned All CIF honors, and qualified for the next round, this weekend’s State qualifying meet, the CIF Masters.

Brayden Lunetta was in the 1600 meters and finished in 8th, well off his personal best. “I picked a bad day to have my worst race of the season,” the likable junior said bluntly after the race. But the experience is invaluable and he’ll likely be back for another go of it in 2025.

Andrew Dixon may have felt the same way after a 9th place finish in the discus. He has been dealing with a finger injury making the release of the disc a bit problematic, but the reigning school record holder still had a season to remember.

“A rough start to the day,” admitted Vasel, “but a great finish (with McKee’s vault) and now our sights are set on one thing: Punching that ticketet to State with Max, Jaden and the two 4×800 squads” who will start their CIF at Masters.

CIF JUGGERNAUT BEGINS WITH FIRST TEST

May 6, 2024

MISSION VIEJO: Track and Field in Division 1 of CIF is a juggernaut of talent. To advance through a month of trials on the way to the State Championships takes a combination of talent and good fortune. It’s a path marked by weekly tests: Prelims, then Finals, then Masters and finally, if you’re really good, State.

There is no easy way to the top.

King Track and Field found the CIF Prelims to be a tough challenge, as it always is. Held at Trabuco Hills High School, the meet saw three of King’s finest, Jaden McKee, Andrew Dixon and Maximo Zavaleta qualify to this Saturday’s Finals, while the rest of the contingent of Wolves got a taste of what the most talented CIF Division has to offer. Given the youthful ages of most, there will be opportunity to try again next year.

McKee, State leader in the vault, had a relatively pedestrian effort in the event, clearing just high enough to be in the qualifying group. Zavaleta as well cruised into the Finals in both the 1600 and the 3200 as 9 athletes advance in each. He will drop the 1600 at Finals in favor of the 3200 which opened up an opportunity for Junior Brayden Lunetta to take the open spot after Lunetta ran a personal record of 4:17.89 to finish 10th. His mark is the 7th best in school history. Dixon was 6th overall in the discuss with a very solid 170′ throw and will advance.

Bradley Quezada had a PR in the 3200 of 9:17.18, 5th best in school history. He finished 13th in what coach Alfonso Ibarra called “a perfectly executed run.” Unfortunately, it took a 9:10 time to earn one of the 9 coveted qualifying spots. Logan Carlson also PR’d in the 1600 with a 4:18 time, but sitting in 11th, he has to hope yet another athlete will do as Maximo is doing and drop the 1600 to be fresh for another. Ibarra also noted that “getting out of prelims is extremely difficult, and the ideal weather conditions today pushed the qualifying times down.”

Though not all qualified, many had a good day nonetheless. The boys 4×100 had a season best time. Zaina Vaughn, King’s freshman hurdle star had the fastest 9th grade time in the entire meet in the 100 hurdles at 16.27. Natalie Drewitz, another freshman, had a solid 5:08 1600 meter time to finish 15th overall, just six places out of qualifying. Elizabeth Jacklin had another sub-11:00 effort in the 3200 at 10:52. Aaliyah Richardson raced in the 100 and 200, finishing her season on a high note, as did Michael Petrick who, while not qualifying in the 200, nonetheless ended his season and career having earned the school record in the event.

All but three of the day’s competitors wearing a King uniform have eligibility left; for the girls, everyone on the track on Saturday was either a freshman or a sophomore.

“It’s always a humbling day when you get to Prelims because you really get to notice the size and strength of the Southern Section and Division 1,” said King head coach Mat Vasel. “We always want more but sometimes we have to look at how far we’ve come and appreciate the journey sometimes.”

A WILD RIDE AT LEAGUE FINALS

April 26, 2024

EASTVALE: Roosevelt High may have been hosting the Big 8 League Track and Field Finals Thursday night, but in the minds of the visitors from King High, the meet belonged to King.

“We talked about how this night is traditionally ‘our night,’ explained King Head Coach Mat Vasel. He was referring to the long tradition that regardless of where League Finals has been held, the Wolves have always performed at levels they had yet to achieve to that point in the season. Dating back to the days in which John Corona was the program director, the League Championship meet was a time to shine.

It was again Thursday night.

“I reminded them of all of the hard work that they began putting in back in January and told them that the foundation is there, it’s time to go and make all that hard work pay off. They most certainly did!” exclaimed Vasel.

The highlights came from both field and track. In the vault, the McKee brothers, Jaden and Jemeni lit up the event. Jaden, top ranked in the State, predictably won, setting the league record in the process, but it was his freshman brother that grabbed the headline. Ranked 5th in the league going into the Finals, Jemeni uncorked a Personal Record (PR) of 13′ 1″ and, pardon the pun, vaulted his way over two higher ranked athletes to finish third and qualify for CIF. It’ll be all in the family at the CIF Division One Prelims next Saturday.

Over in the high jump, on paper, King looked to likely be kept off the podium, but Kevin Fincher and Christian Pompey-Taylor snagged the top two spots anyway to punch their tickets to CIF.

Christian Hicks won his second league title in a PR throw in the shot put, while Andrew Dixon exploded in the discus, upping his own school record by an astounding 9 feet, landing it at 172′.

On the track, Maximo Zavaleta earned two league titles in the the distances, winning the 1600 and 3200. Michael Petrick took second in the 100 and third in the 200, but lowered his 100 meters PR to 10.63 which is 2nd all time at King.

Logan Carlson had a photo finish in the 800, the camera had to separate out him and the eventual winner to the 1/1000th of a second, but his mark of 1:57.667 was a lifetime best.

The girls’ team had just as good of a night. Freshman Zaina Vaugn finished 3rd in the 100 hurdles and is off to CIF next week. Aaliyah Richardson is as well, finishing 2nd in the 100 meters. She was third in the 200, just behind teammate Amaya Lochard who crossed the line in 2nd.

Freshmen Natalie Drewitz had perhaps the biggest surprise placing of the the night, as the precocious 9th grader not only ran a PR of 5:04.36 (4th best time in school history) but in third place, she cracked the Santiago wall of talent. Santiago’s distance squad won the cross country State title last Fall and while they had a good league final on Thursday night, Natalie showed them that they’ve got company in the Red White and Blue of MLK.

Elizabeth Jacklin claimed some ground from Santiago as well in the 3200 meters, as she became just the third girl in school history to run that race under 11:00, taking 2nd in 10:51.18. She and Natalie will move on to CIF as 10th and 9th graders respectively.

Cassandra Heston threw a PR in the shot over 31′ to finish third and Megan Johnson took third in the vault with a PR of 9′ 2″.

In all, from both the boys and girls teams, King will send 24 athletes to CIF Prelims which will be held next Saturday at Trabuco Hills High School.

“I literally had the chills all night,” said Vasel, “inspiring performance after inspiring performance took us from one extreme to the next. It was a wild ride that makes you extremely grateful.”

DISTANCE CREW SETS TWO NEW SCHOOL RECORDS, ONE COUNTY RECORD

April 22, 2024

WALNUT: There’s an old adage that says, “Records are meant to be broken.” If that’s true, Coach Alfonso Ibarra’s distance crew is taking it seriously and doing considerable alterations to the existing record books.

Ten days ago, the girls 4×800 relay squad, Gracie Guzzetta, Natalie Drewitz, Elizabeth Jacklin and Sofia Wesolowski, broke the event’s school record that had stood for 16 years. Nice, but they didn’t give their new mark any time to settle in and make a home atop the list. This past Friday night at the Mt.SAC Relays, they shattered their week-old mark by 12 seconds, this time going 9:20.37. They finished third in the “Invitational Heat” behind Santiago-Corona and Newbury Park. That’s a 2:20 average for each 800 leg, and freshman Natalie Drewitz closed with a 2:17. Their time sits 7th-best recorded in the state this season.

The boys Distance Medley (DMR) team of Brayden Luntetta, Logan Carlson, Mason Colwell and Maximo Zavaletta, must have been inspired by their female teammates, as they took to the track a bit later in the evening and proceeded to lock into a ten-lap duel with Ventura High that pulled them to a take down of the DMR record which was set back in 2016. Their time was 10:01.04, breaking the old mark by 11 seconds.

A unique event, the DMR opens with a 1200 meter leg, passes to a 400, then gives to an 800 leg and anchors with a 1600. Zavaleta ran 4:07 for that final, 1600 meter carry, which matched the split by Ventura’s anchor, but the 3-second gap the Ventura squad opened in the 1200 leg remained until the finish line, leaving King in second overall.

Still, even more significantly, the runners from King set the Riverside County all time mark at 10:01.04, a fraction under the 10:01.71 set by Great Oak High School back in 2016.

On Friday night a boys 4x1600 meter team of Zavaleta, Carlson, Alex Wesolowski and Lunetta held a lead for 13 of the 16 laps before falling back to third at the finish line behind Ventura and Menlo. Still, their time of 17:41.46 is second on the all time list.

Jayden McKee was off his best of 17' in the vault; he cleared 16'0" for 5th place, while Christian Hicks and Andrew Dixon enjoyed the Mt.SAC experience in the throws but landing their tosses short of their personal bests.

Coach Ibarra was ecstatic, saying afterward, “Going into this weekend we were confident that the group was ready to run a fast time but the last thing we told the group was to forget about time and just focus on competing and making the best out of racing at this venue. I’m beyond proud of the way everyone came together and executed their part of the race perfectly to put their teams where they finished. I could not be happier to walk away with two school records and 1 county record.”

True words, but without one senior among the eight, he might consider these records to be only temporary.

Because, you know, records are meant to be broken.

PETRICK SETS SCHOOL RECORD IN 200 METERS, TEAMS ROLL IN FINAL DUAL

April 19, 2024

CORONA: Michael Petrick, a senior sprinter who has been on a steady climb up the all time lists of King Track and Field, shot out of the blocks in the 200 meters at Centennial High yesterday, and while he was edged at the line by Centennial’s Cory Butler, it didn’t matter. Petrick was all smiles as his time of 21.88 eclipsed the magical 22-second barrier the event holds out and even more, set a new school record, taking down the old mark of 22.00 set ten years ago. It put an exclamation mark on the meet and the league season for the boys track and field team as their team victory by a score of 99-36 over the Huskies secured the Big 8 League Title.

King head coach Mat Vasel was really pleased with that. “A league title for the boys in this league is quite impressive. The boys team was amazing this year with dominant performances throughout league. I could not be more proud of their efforts,” he said.

Andrew Dixon continued improving on his own school record with another fine toss in the discus, landing it 163′ 2.5″. In the vault, while State leader Jaden McKee took the win, his young brother, 9th grader Jemini McKee finished with a 12-6 clearance and is the 4th ranked freshman in the state. Following in his brother's slipstream!

Frank Stewart won the 400 in a personal record (PR) of 54.05; the 400 was a unique event in that Centennial snagged more than one scoring place. John Sosa placed third in a King sweep of the 800 but his time of 2:05.66 is now the 7th best freshman time in that event in King’s history. He holds the exact same ranking in the 1600 and 3200 meter races.

The girls team also won by a large margin, 98-32. Amaya Lochard had two victories in the dashes, running a PR of 12.77 in the 100 and coming back to PR in the 200 at 26.04. Freshman and distance ace Natalie Drewitz dropped down to the 400 and ran a very impressive 1:00.72 for 2nd place. Emely Ruiz won the 100 and 300 hurdles in PR times, but even more impressively, competed in the 1600 and 3200 as well. Not an easy day for the senior, but rewarding for sure.

Leah Pendleton and Rosie Osei were right behind Emely in both races, Leah earning two PR’s on the day’s efforts.

Paige Davis also had two victories on the day, winning the long and triple jump, the triple was a PR of 32-10.75.

As the squads boarded the bus to return to Riveside, Vasel was reflective but also looking forward. “Our vision now shifts to league finals,” he said. “The mantra around here has always been ‘league finals night is our night!’ and we have to enjoy this accomplishment tonight but then we have to quickly set our sights on our post season goals and get as many athletes as we can into CIF. This meet and today was a sign that we’re heading in the right direction!”

A GOING-HIGH-BY-GOING-LOW KIND OF DAY AT IE CHAMPIONSHIPS

April 15, 2024

MURRIETA: One aspect of the sport of track and field that is unique from other sports is that varsity athletes who happen to be underclassmen, can compete at both levels, varsity and frosh soph. They are not locked in. One week they are varsity, the next, if the situation is right, they can compete at the Frosh-Soph level. And then they can go back to Varsity.

That was the strategy employed by King head Coach Mat Vasel on Saturday at the Inland Empire Championships hosted by Vista Murrieta High School. With both levels available in the meet, Vasel moved many of his 9th and 10th graders who normally compete at the varsity level into the frosh-soph division to see what might happen.

What happened were some outstanding times, and team wins for King in both the boys and girls at the Frosh-soph division.

“We let our youngins show their grit,” Vasel said on Sunday. Lots of them did four events and worked hard and performed very well. Tons of medals and a boost of confidence should be a good thing going into league finals.”

Four of those youngins who capitalized on their moment was the 4×800 squad of Natalie Drewitz, Elizabeth Jacklin, Gracie Guzzetta and 11th grader Sofia Wesolowski The 4×800 school record is one of the oldest on the books, set way back in 2008 when these four were not even born, or just barely. The tore up the four legs and crossed the line in 9:32.87 eclipsing the old mark by 7 seconds and setting the meet record in the process.

“This was the highlight of the day for me,” said King’s distance events coach Alfonso Ibarra. “The school record was the challenge we presented to this group and they came together and made it happen. Their best performance of the season.”

On the boys’ side, Michael Petrick had himself a best performance of his life in the sprints. He won his heat of the 100 in a blistering 10.81. It was wind aided, but King’s records were set 25 years ago when such technology didn’t exist, and so the lists have had times run in all conditions. Michael’s sits as #3 in King’s history.

In the 800 meters, Brayden Lunetta was second in his heat with a fine PR at 1:58.44 while Logan Carlson and Frank Stewart – normally two varsity guys – dropped into the Frosh-Soph divisn and finished 1-3. Bradley Quezada was sixth with a PR of 2:04.40. Stewart returned for a 4:34.37 PR and second-place finish in the 1600, and Lunetta notched a second-place finish in the 3200 with a 9:32.65 PR.

Sam Green had a very fine throw in the discus to finish 8th with a mark of 151-6, his best ever. Jordan Morris was 4th in the Frosh-soph division of the event.

Behind the pace of the 4×800 record run that took place at 7:30 in the morning, the girls team followed their lead with an equally good day. Amaya Lochard was 5th in the FS 100 with a PR of 12.92. Kindyl Williams got a little closer to a sub-60 in the 400 meters with a lifetime best of 1:00.17 which placed her 6th.

Gracie Guzzetta doubled from the relay into the open 800 and won the FS even with a 2:22.64, and she, along with Drewitz and Jacklin swept the 1600. Jude Abu-Ghazaleh was right on their heels in 5th. All four girls were under 5:30 Zaina Vaughn had a good day in the hurdles, finishing 2nd in the FS at a PR of 49.24.

So it became a day of great success for King, a day in which they went down to the frosh soph level and came away with victories and success that will bode well for these “youngins”, as Vasel calls them, when they go back up to the Varsity level at the season’s end.

SHARKS BITE, WOLVES FIGHT BACK

April 12, 2024

RIVERSIDE: Mental resilience was on the mind of coach Vasel. He wanted his athletes to have the same process as they took on the Santiago Sharks on Thursday.

It would have been easy to hit the panic button given the size of the Santiago squad and their depth and ability, especially on the girls’ side. Their distance squad won the State Championship in cross country last Fall and should likely make a run at the team CIF title in this year’s track championships.

King knew what they were up against. Some gave in to the pressure, but Vasel was pleased with the team’s ability to fight despite the odds, and for the King boys, they got better as the meet went along. In the end, King’s girls would lose to Santiago, while the boys continued their undefeated season and moved one week closer to the league championship.

Jaden McKee, the recently crowned “Prom King” was King for another day on the track as well. He won both hurdle races – not exactly his marquee event – but in the headliner, the pole vault, he put on a show and improved his school record and stadium record to 17-feet. It is the best mark posted in California this season and is ranked 7th in the whole nation! Andrew Dixon, Sam Green and Christian Hicks swept the discus, with Sam throwing a Personal Record (PR) of 142′ 9″

Derek Conn and Joaquin Leiva were 1-2 in the triple, Leiva PR’d at 30′ 3.5″. He had a PR in his third-place finish in the long jump as well. Michael Petrick had another good day with victories in the 100 and 200, the 200 was a PR at 22.19. Amare Locahard rand PR in the 400 at 51.62. The King sweep of the 800 saw the second-place finisher, Alex Wesolowski become the latest runner to eclipse 2:00 with a 1:59.97.

The girls battled tenaciously but fell well short of the talented Sharks’ team. Santiago sweeping whole events was unfortunately quite common. An exception came in the sprints. as Amaya Lochard and Aaliyah Rirchardson scored in the 100 and 200, Aaliya had had two PR’s for her efforts, finishing 2nd in both sprints.

Natalie Drewitz was shut out of the scoring in the 800 but the freshman ran an impressive 2:22.60, good for 5th all time 9th grade times in school history. Bailey Mann cracked the Santiago depth in the throws, finishing third in the discus at 94-03. Sydney Sloan was second in the high jump with a PR at 4-10. At the end of meet, with the team outcome already decided, the 4×400 squad of Lochard, Drewitz, Guzzetta, and Williams put down a season best 4:05.71; the 10th-fastest time in school history.

Vasel was overall pleased, saying: “Our girls are a bit beaten and battered, but put up a fight against a Santiago girls team who will make a deep run and will be in contention for a CIF title.” Not a bad thing at all.

TWO MEETS, ONE GOOD DAY

RAINCROSS TRADITION CONTINUES IN FINE FORM

April 8, 2024

King Track and Field hosted the annual Raincross Tradition Track Meet, a meet that serves as an unofficial “City Championship” as the invited schools are those that exist in the boundary of Riverside or Moreno Valley, which, back in the day was part of Riverside.

A meet with a long history staged another fine chapter in its story, and King had a very good day while it hosted its neighbors.

Michael Petrick was crowned twice, as he won both the 100 and 200 meter dashes. His 10.99 in the was the first time the senior eclipsed the 11-second mark and sits one-hundreth off the fifth-best mark in school history. He was a part of the winning 4×100 relay squad as well. Amare Lochard with third in the 400 with a PR of 51. Bradley Quezada was the winner in the 3200 after taking third in the mile. Christian Hicks had a very good day as well, taking first in the discus and 2nd in the shot. King had the second place finisher in all of the jumping events as well.

On the girls’ side, things went just as well for the Lady Wolves. The distances dominated each of their three events, as Gracie Guzzetta and Natalie Drewitz went 1-2 in the 800, King swept the top 4 spots in the mile behind Natalie’s victory and the 5th fastest full mile time in school history. Elizabeth Jacklin won the 3200 meters while Jude Abu-Ghazelah finished 1st and 3rd.

The field events also produced some fine results, as King swept the top three spot in the vault with Megan Johnson earning the City title. Sienna Wesolowski and Paige Davis were 2-3 in the long jump and Davis took third in the triple.

Zaina Vaughn took home gold and silver in the two hurdle races while Aaliyah Richardson and Amaya Lochard went 1-2 in the 200 meters; Aaliyah was second in the 100.

ARCADIA INVITATIONAL DOESN’T DISAPPOINT

ARCADIA: The Arcadia Invitational held over two days has earned the reputation of the most competitive meet in the country and had teams competing from across the United States. The meet is very hard to qualify for, but King was able to get a number of athletes into the elite meet.

Andrew Dixon took advantage of the competition to up his own school record in the discus with a fine PR of 163' 1" and third-place finish in his seeded flight. Maximo Zavaleta was entered in the 3200 meters and dipped under 9:00 for the first time ever and now sits #2 all time on the event list. The boys Distance Medley Relay squad had a very fine outing with a 10:23 clocking that finished them in second place in the race behind Canyon and sits them at #3 all time on King’s historic record list. The group consisted of Alex Wesolowski, Frank Stewart, Brayden Lunetta and Logan Carlson. Brayden doubled and had a PR in the full mile at 4:29

McKEE AND DIXON SOAR TO NEW RECORDS AS KING SPLITS RESUMED MEET WITH ROOSEVELT

April 2, 2024

Written by Mat Vasel

FULL RESULTS DISTANCE EVENTS ALL TIME LIST

RIVERSIDE: King and Roosevelt resumed their dual meet that started three weeks ago and got postponed due to a torrential rainfall. They picked it up where they left off with the 100 meter races. Roosevelt would win the girls' contest and King would win the boys, remaining undefeated on the season.

I can't say how proud I am of our student athletes. Not only did they compete their tails off but they came out with tons of amazing performances.

I sat our kids down some 30 minutes before the start and I was a little worried. We were a little quiet in the warm ups and that usually is a rough gauge (although inaccurate as I'm learning) that we might be a little low energy. Coming off spring break, this could have very much been the case. I told our athletes that it's time to rise to occasion and finish what we started. A chance at some League titles were on the line today and our biggest adversary stood in the way of what we want. I asked for a fight. I told the kids I want to see you fight for every inch and second.

Things started off with a bang as Michael Petrick won the 100m with a solid time of 11.1 into a slight headwind. Kevin Fincher (your high jump winner) took a huge 3rd place spot as well and the meet was rolling.

We had some big performances in the 800 as Mason Colwell, Brayden Lunetta, and Logan Carlson swept the 800 and Natalie Drewitz (9th) and Sofia Wesolowski went 1 and 3.

All while this was going down, the Pilot, Jaden McKee was soaring through the air at the pole vault pit and set a COUNTY RECORD and extended his state lead to 16-10. It was his third recreation of his school record this season and currently sits as the sixth-best mark in the nation this season!

Shortly thereafter you could see a heard of what might have looked like buffalo from the stands, swarm the field as our boys throwers came galloping onto field to share the news of the Discus! Andrew Dixon broke the 13 year old school formerly held by Brandon Alcantar with a heave of 162-7. That was enough for first place and Christian Hicks took a very important 2nd place. The same duo and the addition of Sam Green swept the shot put as well, adding a huge 9 points to the meet score.

Jaden McKee wasn't finished yet. Through sheer grit and adrenaline, McKee out leaned a Roosevelt runner for a key 2nd place finish in the 300 hurdles. He also got 2nd in the 110s as well.

Cassandra Heston threw a PR in the shot, good for 3rd place. The girls 4x400 of Sophia Llamas, Gracie Guzzetta, Natalie Drewitz, and Kindyl Williams ran a season best 4:07.25.

In the field events Derek Conn doubled down and won BOTH long and triple jump with a big pr coming in the triple of 40-11. Joaquin Leiva has a beautiful jump that sent the onlookers into a loud cheer as he jumped a 40-2, nearly a 6 foot PR! That duo was good for first and second.

When I left the meet I really had to pinch myself because of what I had witnessed today. A family atmosphere where we all had each other's backs that competed their rear ends off!!!

We will enjoy these performances but the waters have been chummed and a hungry Sharks (Santiago) team wants to come and ruin our fun next week so it's back to work.

LIST-ALTERING NIGHT OF PR'S AT APU DISTANCE CARNIVAL

March 25, 2024

AZUSA: Natalie Drewitz is just a rookie, but she’s already posting veteran times. She catapulted herself into the top 5 all time 1600 meter runners in school history on Saturday with an outstanding 5:06.59 at the Azusa Pacific University Meet of Champions.

The precocious 9th grader led the way for the King distance runners who took to the track for the annual distance carnival, a meet that hosts only the multi-lap events and, with a carnival type atmosphere and loaded elite fields, brings the best out of the athletes. Of the seven King High put on the line, 6 of them went home with personal records (PR) and the 7th missed it by a fraction of a second. It was an outstanding evening.

Gracie Guzzetta ran in the 800 and had a similar night to Natalie’s. She posted a huge PR and notched the #3 time in school history at 2:19.48. Ruth Wiggins’ school record set 10 years ago is down at 2:13.51, but Gracie is making strides toward that goal.

Also making leaps toward becoming the fastest male runner in school history was Maximo Zavaleta who leap frogged Lane Werley (2011) into the 2nd spot on the all time 1600 meter list with a superb effort to finish 4th in the fastest heat of the night. Only Tyler Janes’ 4:04.33 from 2016 remains ahead of him on the all time list. (link to that story here)

“My goal was to stick to the pack and they would lead me to a a fast time. It was fun competing against the top guys,” Max said after the meet.

Also enjoying a great night was another freshman, John Sosa who was seeded in one of the top heats of the frosh-soph 3200 meters. He took great advantage of that opportunity and ran 10:05.85, the 7th fastest freshman time in school history. Logan Carlson and Frank Stewart were seeded in the fastest frosh-soph heats of the 1600 and 800 meter races respectively and also notched PR’s. Brayden Lunetta missed a PR in the 1600 by a sliver of a second but still went home with a great time at 4:18 and invaluable experience.

“It was a great night,” said King’s distance coach Alfonso Ibarra, “the energy at this meet is unmatched and my goal for the group was to welcome the competition and put themselves in position to run their fastest times. Really proud of them and the PR’s we came away with.”

NORCO MAKES THINGS INTERESTING IN LEAGUE TITLE RACE

March 22, 2024

NORCO: The race for the league title in Big 8 Track and Field got a little tighter for the girls as the King and Norco battled to a tie score on Thursday. With the meet against Roosevelt still hanging in limbo after a rain dump postponed the meet two weeks ago until its scheduled April 1 conclusion, the Cougars and the Wolves are now needing every win they can muster if the title will be theirs.

On the boys’ side, it was almost a “no contest” as King’s powerful squad, even with some of their top talent sitting this one out, won by a large margin. Alex Wesolowski had two wins in the 1600 and 3200,

while Maximo Zavaleta, Logan Carlson and Frank Stewart swept the 800 with outstanding times of 1:57, 1:57 and 2:00 respectively. Jaden McKee took the victory in the vault while Derek Conn, Porter Krepps and Joshua Ajayi went 1-2-3 in the long jump. These are but just a few of the dominating performances the Wolves had throughout the meet.

But the girls contest was neck and neck throughout King would take an advantage only to have it taken back by Norco. Both squads put their best out on the track and in the field and when all of the events were tallied, it finished in a 68-68 tie score.

The Wolves took victory in the opening event, the 4×100 relay and swept the 1600 led by Elizabeth Jacklin – who would also win in a King sweep of the 3200 at the end of the meet. Zaina Vaughn was second in the hurdles, but Norco scrapped back with a 1-3 finish, and a 2-3 finish in the 400 meters behind Sophia Llamas’ 62-second win. Aaliyah Richardson and Amaya Lochard ran well in the 100 but had to settle for 2-3.

Where Norco was the strongest was in the field events. They took all or most of the available 9 event points in the long jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, and high jump. King’s athletes did well individually, but collectively it wasn’t enough to blunt the force of Norco’s field athletes.

So it was an afternoon in which the race for the league crown tightened a bit. It could be settled with a King victory over Roosevelt on April 1, a meet that is already half over. So too is the season. They are running out of time.

TOMORROW'S STARS SHINE IN SPOTLIGHT OF THEIR OWN

March 18, 2024

RIVERSIDE: The track and field program has hosted the "King Frosh Soph Classic" for almost twenty years and another 12 squads came to the stadium on Saturday to renew the event for 2024. It was a successful morning. In team scoring, the girls took 2nd and the boys took 3rd. Murrieta Valley HS won the girls and Vista Murrieta took home the gold in the boys.

Unique to this meet is the running of the full mile. It's an historic event in the sport but is less commonly run in high school as the 1600 meters (9 meters short of a full mile) has become the standard over the years. But this classic distance, some 9 meters longer than a mile, still has some bragging rights to it. John Sosa can do a little of that after running a fantastic race, finishing 3rd and running 4:39.91, which if converted to the 1600 meters puts him 7th all time on the frosh list in King's history. Frank Stewart won the 800 meters in a PR of 2:02. Kevin Fincher was the winner in the high jump with a clearance of 5' 10". Westin Robinson and Jemeni McKee finished 1-2 in the vault and Joshua Ajayi was third place in the long jump

Vanessa Hope won the triple jump for the girls' contest with a season-best 34' 7". She would also take third in the long jump. Sayuri Albrecht was second in the vault, not bad considering the winner, Saide Hartman of Vista Murreita set the new meet record at 10' 10" breaking the old mark by 4 inches set in 2018.

Naomi Rudolph was the winner in the high jump with a PR of 4' 8". Cassandra Heston took 2nd in the shot put while Zaina Huston went home with a first and second in the two hurdle races also with two PR's. Sophia Llamas was the winner in the 400 meters with a 1:02 PR and took 2nd in the 200.

RELAY TEAM ROCKETS TO TOP OF RANKINGS

March 17, 2024

ARCADIA: A small segment of the track and field team went to the Arcadia High School Distance Challenge on Saturday night. For the 4×800 meter relay team of Mason Colwell, Maximo Zavaleta, Brayden Lunetta and Logan Carlson, there was one thing on their mind: Beat the school record.

That record was a 7:51.84 set last season with two from that squad (Zavaleta and Lunetta) carrying the stick again here in 2024. The four multi-lappers executed a near flawless performance. Mason’s 1:54.9 split was the fastest 800 relay split ever recorded in King’s history.

“I’m really proud of the group,” King distance coach Alfonso Ibarra said, “they collectively had the belief and trust on each other to go after the record.”

They ran 7:49.56 without really being pushed by anyone on the way to the win; Canyon High was second and 11 seconds (about 80 meters) behind, thus making it even more impressive. Their time currently sits as the fastest run in California this year and is second in the nation.

“This lets us look to State (Championships) with a win in mind,” said Colwell. “It’s a good indicator for where we’re at this season and now we can go to the Arcadia Invitational with a possible win in mind,” added Carlson.

The Arcadia Invitational coming in April, is held on the same track as Friday’s and is a true national test as teams from across the country come to Arcadia to be tested in their mid-season form.

Maximo said that he wasn’t actually “surprised” by the result. “I think we knew we could make something exciting happen.” Brayden added that “we’re excited to see what we can do by the end of the season.”

There were other performances as well and the few Wolves who competed seemed to feed off the energy of the relay. Freshman Natalie Drewitz has had a fantastic rookie year, first in cross country last Fall and is now making her presence felt on the oval. In the 1600, she ran 5:12.30 to inch a little closer to the King all time 9th grade school record. Gracie Guzzetta ran a personal record (PR) in the 800 at 2:20, Sofia Wesolowski did as well in 2:27. Elizabeth Jacklin and Jude Abu-Ghazaleh went 2-3 in the Invitational heat of the frosh soph 3200 meters and both ran PR’s well under 12:00. Bradley Quezada and Alex Wesolowski had PR’s in the 1600 as well.

It was a PR kind of night for King which could well set the table for even more great performances as the second-half of the season dawns.

NO LETDOWN: THAT’S THE CHALLENGE

March 15, 2024

REDONDO RESULTS DON JONES BRONCO RESULTS

RIVERSIDE: After the two highly competitive invitationals the track and field teams competed in over the weekend, a let down warning was issued for their Big 8 dual meet with Corona High on Thursday. The Panthers have struggled in the sport over the last dozen years and when one can preview the best marks of an opponent and see they likely won’t pose a big challenge, a nonchalance to the meet is tempting.

“We didn’t want to take them lightly,” said King head coach Mat Vasel. “Some (of our athletes) did, others didn’t. So we have some things to work on.”

Even so, King still won by large margins, scoring over a hundred points in both the girls and boys contests.

On the girls side, there were some solid performances. Kindyl Williams won the 400 meters with a PR of 60.3. Elizabeth Jacklin won the 1600 meters with a personal record as well, going 5:30. Zaina Vaugn, who is only a freshman, won both hurdle races. Paige Davis took home the victory in the long jump at 15′ 2.5″. Kyndall Williams, also a 9th grader, went 4-8 in the high jump to win and Ace Johnson took gold in the pole vault with a clearance of 8′ 6″.

On the boys’ side, the meet started with an outstanding 4×100 relay win, with a mark at 51.8 that sits in the top 15 all time at King.

Michael Petrick had a fine day, taking third in the 100 and winning the 200 and 400. Along with the carry he did in the relay he contributed to 16 of the Wolves’ points.

Jaden McKee won the 110 and 300 hurdle race and threw in a pole vault victory for no extra charge. Alex Wesolowski took first in the 800 meters with a time under 2:00 and Porter Krepps took home a PR in the vault, clearing 8’6″. Rami Baino had a PR in the 100 meters as well despite a significant head wind.

“It was a nice tune up meet heading into the second half of the season where bigger challenges lay waiting,” Vasel said. “Overall proud, but there’s some small stuff we need to work on together in order to get to where we want to be.”

ZAVALETA AND McKEE HEADLINE A GREAT WEEKEND OF INVITATIONAL ACTION

March 11, 2024

REDONDO BEACH/RANCHO BERNARDO: The track team had split squads on Friday and Saturday as the distance event runners (800, 1600 and 3200) went west to Redondo Beach High School for their highly competitive invitational while a smattering of athletes from the other events went south to the North San Diego town of Rancho Bernardo. Neither group made the long trek back to Riverside disappointed.

"It was a long weekend," said distance coach Alfonso Ibarra, "but we had a great two days at Redondo getting experience in a highly competitive environment and get the kids a chance to run an Arcadia Invitational qualifier." The Arcadia Invitational in April is the most competitive meet in then entire USA and has high standards to be considered an entry.

Maximo Zavaleta will likely toe the line at Arcadia after two very good performances at Redondo, taking second in the 3200 meters on Friday night and then winning the 1600 meters on Saturday. Both marks were personal records for the talented sophomore and get him closer to the summit of being the fastest distance runner in King's history. He currently sits at number-3 all time in both events. Brayden Lunetta (11th) ran a PR of his own in the 1600 at 4:18 as did Logan Carlson, while John Sosa had one of the fastest 9th grade 1600 meter times in school history at 4:45. On the girls side, Gracie Guzzetta had a season best mark of 2:23 in the 800 meters, while freshman Natalie Drewitz ran a PR of 5:16 to put her in the top five freshmen in school history. She finished 10th in the varsity race.

The crew entered two Distance Medley Relay teams on the boys and girls sides and both ran qualifying marks for the aforementioned Arcadia meet.

Down in San Diego North County at the Don Jones Bronco Invitational, Jaden McKee headlined the day for King and for the invitational as he launched himself in the pole vault to 16' 7", a huge improvement on his own school record and currently the third-best in the country this season. It also leads the entire state of California and is just 2 inches short of the all time Riverside County record.

In the discus, Andrew Dixon improved his best-ever by 8 inches, taking second place in the meet at 154' 9". He was second in the shot put as well making it a fine day for the thrower. Same Green was third with a heave of 48 feet.

Senior Kindyl Williams had a PR in the 400 meters going 61 seconds. Cassandra Heston took third in the shot put with a throw of 29' 4.5" and Paige Davis was third in the long jump clearing 15' 8" for a season best mark. Vanessa Hope won the triple jump with a 34' 6" and Derek Conn won the long jump with a 19' 11" mark.

Both Frosh/Soph Sprint Medley Teams came away with the fastest times of the day out of 23 schools. Those athletes were Imani Barfield, Aaliyah Richardson, Amaya Lochard, and Sophia Llamas for the girls and Chukwuma Ezinwa, Benjamin Major, Kevin Fincher, and Rami Babino for the boys.

AND THE BEAT GOES ON WITH ANOTHER WIN OVER POLY

February 29, 2024

The Poly Bears and King Wolves track and field teams have competed against each other in almost every season in MLK's history. Not once in that span has Poly been victorious over the Wolves, and last night on King's track, the streak of King wins over their cross town rival continued on.

King beat Poly 96-40 on the boys' side and 97-39 on the girls. Jurupa Hills High was also in the meet but were not competitive and King beat the Spartans by even larger margins.

Michael Petrick had a fine day in the sprints, winning the 100 and 200 meter dashes. In the 800, Mason Colwell and Maximo Zavaleta duked it out side by side and propelled themselves to the 5th and 6th best 800 meter times in school history at 1:56.22 and 1:56.50 respectively. Brayden Lunetta put himself in the top ten in school history in the 1600 meters with an outstanding 4:21.74 to win it, and Logan Carlson was third with a personal record (PR) of 4:25.26. Bradley Quezada and Alex Wesolowski were outside the scoring but ran PR's themselves making the 1600 an outstanding race for all. Quezada would return to win the 3200 followed by freshman John Sosa.

Pole vault ace, Jaden McKee, picked a barrier far closer to the ground to clear in this meet, that being the hurdles. It was an off-event for the early season in order to work on leg speed and no doubt was also a points grab move by the King coaching staff. The talented senior won both hurdle races, while not competing in the vault.

Christian Hicks, Sam Green and Andrew Dixon all threw PRs in the shot and Dixon would win the discus.

On the girls' side of the meet, things went just as well for the home team. Amaya Lochard went 1-2 in the 200 and 100 meter races, Kindyl Williams was the runner up in the 400 with a solid 62-second performance. Gracie Guzzetta won the 800 meters in 2:24.31 and Jude Abu-Ghazaleh won the 3200 meters in 12:06.34, a time that sits just outside the top 7 freshman times in school history.

Freshman Natalie Drewitz held off the senior Samantha Cripps from Poly in a ferocious final 100 meters in the 1600 to win in an impressive 5:22.

Freshman Zaina Vaughn was second in both hurdle races. Emalee Spencer-Mllard bested all others in the discus with a throw of 95-10, her best ever. Kyndall Williams added to her fine day with a win in the high jump and Vanessa Hope won both the long and triple jumps.

Maximo Zavaleta was pleased with the meet, "It was a friendly rivalry where all the teams pushed each other to great performances. After every race we were congratulating each other and just enjoying the competition."

Head coach Mat Vasel was pleased with the day, saying, "the teams did well. The family atmosphere made me very proud. Cheering for one another. Lifting each other up. The team came first when we all had a collective goal to beat Poly and that we did!"

They did indeed. Again.

A TUNE UP WITH VISTA MURRIETA

February 22, 2024

MURRIETA: The Vista Murrieta Mustangs (VMHS) is a large, well coached juggernaut in the sport of track and field. The program has won CIF and State titles and 9 years ago produced an Olympian.

For about a decade VMHS and the King Wolves track and field teams have met in a pre-season “tune-up” meet. Given the size of the two programs (King has 270 students on its roster) it’s a clash of armies but with no blood. Agreeing not to keep score, the meet serves as an opportunity to get the athletes into action, see where they’re at with a whole season out ahead.

The day started wet and rainy but turned out to be a warm one on the track and in the fields. The goal today was effort. I wanted to see the team work together and out forth an effort that they’d be proud of at the start of the season.

We had some great marks and races. Boys 400 had a clean sweep led by Mason Colwell. Boys shot went 1 & 2 and Discus went 1 & 3. The throwers were led by Christian Hicks 50′ shot and Andrew Dixon in the Discus.

Alex wesolowski came away with an 800 win. Boys 4×400 won with a diving finish by Logan Carlson who is wearing the results of the win proudly on his hip and side. Sophmore jumper Kevin Fincher went 5′ 11″ in his first ever official track meet. Derek Conn found himself over a 20 leap as well in the long jump.

On the girls side freshman Natalie Drewitiz had a busy day in the 1600 taking a 3rd and a 4×4 split of 62 seconds. Gracie Guzzetta came away with a win in the 800. Kindyl Williams had a solid outing in the 400 with a 1:03, which was good for 2nd and doubled down and took 2nd the 200 with her teammate Aaliyah Richardson who won the event. Newcomers Bailey Mann and Cassandra Heston went 2 – 3 in the Shotput. Freshman Sophia Llamas showed out with a 1:04 in the 400 as well.

Overall it was a good first outing, however the road is long and we have many miles to go before we’re where we want to be. I told the team you’re in one of 2 places right now. Pleased with your results or not, but no matter where you’re at both those paths do lead to the same place, our goals and the only thing tjays standing in the way is hard work.

2023

SCHOOL RECORDS THAT WERE SET IN 2023

400 METERS - Coryssa Hope, 57.32
1500 METERS - Emely Ruiz, 5:34.56
3000 METERS - Maximo Zavaleta, 8:47.91
Pole Vault - Jaden McKee, 16' 0"
Long Jump - Alyssa Hope, 20' 4.25"
4x100 Relay - Sarah Ajayi, Amaya Lochard, Coryssa Hope, Alyssa Hope 46.42
4x800 RELAY - Mason Colwell, Brayden Lunetta, Maximo Zavaleta, Jack Slavin - 7:51.84

NO GOLDEN FINISH AT CALIFORNIA STATE MEET

May 31, 2023

CLOVIS: The California State Championships of track and field are held annually at Buchanan High School in Clovis and the meet draws only the best of the best. There are no divisional breakdowns of talent; you're either one of the best in the State in your event or you're not in Clovis over Memorial Day weekend. Pretty simple.

Having made it through the gauntlet of CIF Southern Section Prelims, Finals and Masters over the month of May, three of King's best, Sarah Ajayi, Alyssa Hope and Jaden McKee, returned to the elite meet east of Fresno.

With a 2022 State meet experience in their resumes, here in '23 each one found the same grouping of talent and the same pristine stadium to compete in. After putting together phenomenal seasons to get there, each one came with hopes to finish in the gold, literally or figuratively.

For all three however, it wasn't to be as they competed well but found the competition just a little better. Sarah Ajayi raced the 100 hurdles on Friday night and finished with a Personal Record of 14.38, but agonizingly was just out of qualifying for Saturday's Final. She was 10th by .08 of a second and only 9 went on. She'd have to solace herself on the improvement she made over the year and with the thought of knowing she was in the top 10 of the entire state in the 100 hurdles.

Jaden McKee moved on from prelims to finals but struggled mightily on Saturday, clearing 14' 8" for 9th place. A junior and with a PR of 16', he can rightly plan to be back in Clovis in '24.

Alyssa Hope returned in the long jump, an event which she took 2nd in last season. It looked promising for the USC-bound Senior as she landed Friday night with a leap of 20' 4.25", a fraction beyond her personal and school best of 20' 4".

But in the Final on Saturday, she was sitting in 2nd (by a mere inch) after two of the six allotted attempts. Evental winner Cydney Vanek then exploded for a 20' 7.75" leap on the 4th attempt and at the very end Meagan Humphries of Castaic put out her best-ever leap and landed two inches beyond Alyssa's best on the day and nudged the King senior to third place.

Second year Head Coach Mat Vasel had it all in perspective, saying, "it was a special weekend, that's for sure. Any time you get to the state meet it's special. I was talking with Jaden and Sarah about just how hard it is. I wanted them to recognize how impressive their accomplishments were. Although we may have not of finished as high as we wanted, I'm still very proud of our group and how hard they have worked all year."

Golden finishes are never promised, but golden effort is expected and that is just what these three, and countless other King athletes did all season long.

ANY GIVEN SATURDAY: HIGHS AND LOWS AT THE MASTERS MEET

May 21, 2023

VENTURA: Short of the actual State Track and Field Championship held each year in Clovis, the CIF Southern Section Masters meet is the most competitive track meet in the State. Given the size - 500 schools - and depth of the Southern Section, qualifying for the Masters (which, in turn is the qualifying meet for the State Championships) is a feat unto itself. Masters combines the very best of all four CIF divisions into each event. Getting into the meet is hard. Getting through it well and punching one's ticket to State is even harder.

ML King had more than a handful of athletes on both the track and in the field Saturday at Moorpark High School, and while several competed well and qualified for State, others struggled and saw their season come to an end.

"Yea, tough day," said King coach Mat Vasel, "but that's Masters. The pressure of being perfect week after week after week is no joke."

Maximo Zavaleta had another fine outing in the 3200 meters, but at 9:12.15 was off the "best race scenario" he likely would have needed to advance. Still, he is only a freshman and gained invaluable experience for the future. Likewise in the distances, the 4x800 crew of Jack Slavin, Brayden Lunetta, Mason Colwell and Christian Deloye saw their hopes dashed of competing in the first-ever 3200 meter relay in State Meet history. While Slavin posted an impressive opening leg split of 1:55, the others struggled and the team combined for an 8:20.47, well off their season best.

Perhaps most surprising and most disappointing was the finish of the girls 4x100 relay squad who were disqualified for exchanging the baton out of the zone between the first and second leg. Superb all season and ranked second going in, the team of Alyssa and Coryssa Hope, Amaya Lochard and Sarah Ajayi found out the painful truth of track relays: Nothing is ever guaranteed.

There were, however, some bright spots on the day and King was still able to get three through the gauntlet and on to the State meet which will be held this weekend at Buchanan High School in Clovis.

Jaden McKee soared to a new personal record of 16 feet in the pole vault, which improved yet again the school record he has owned since he cleared 15' 4" back in the early weeks of this season. He finished third and makes his second trip back to Clovis.

Alyssa Hope was outstanding again in the long jump where she would win at 19' 9.5", a full five inches ahead of second place. Lastly, Sarah Ajayi finished 7th (of 9) in the 100 hurdles, but at 14.43 she was well under the State auto-qualifying time of 14.65 and will accompany Alyssa and Jaden to State.

"We got three through [to State], should've been more but that's track and field," concluded Vasel at the end of the day. "Any given meet day, you never know. I'm extremely proud of our athletes mental and physical fortitude. They worked hard and sometimes life happens."

CIF FINALS A DREAM COME TRUE

May 15, 2023

VENTURA: Moorpark High School hosted the CIF Division Finals in which all four CIF divisions compete separately for all the braggin’ rights of team and individual titles and All-CIF accolades.

But wait! There’s more!

There’s an even bigger boast that comes for a few who finish their event amont the best from all four divisions combined. Those elites earn passage to the next round, the CIF Masters meet to be held Saturday May 20 which in turn is the qualifying for the California State Championships.

For King High’s contingent, it was a day beyond what they even hoped for.

“Wow, what a day!” he exclaimed. “It was really a dream come true. When you get to a meet like CIF Finals, sometimes you have to sit back and think about the number [of athletes you have there] and how amazing it is just to have gotten there. Biggest section in the state, Division 1 – so lots of elite athletes – and to place [six of King’s seven events] in the top 6 and make the podium is something special.”

Photo by Dylan Stewart, courtesy of www.prepcaltrack.com

Indeed, it was that kind of day. Jaden McKee in the pole vault was entered the second-seed behind Dylan Curtis of Redondo Union but as is customary in the highly-technical event, anything can happen and it almost did. He missed his first two attempts at 14′ 9″ – a full foot below his personal best of 15′ 10″ – but then cleared it and his first attempt at 15′ 3″ to secure the CIF Runner-up spot and a chance to advance to the Masters meet.

“I was a bit tired from sitting in the sun all day,” he said later. “I just wasn’t jumping well and then the pressure started rising, but I ultimately made it.”

Freshman Maximo Zavaleta, the only 9th grader in the 3200 meters in all four divisions combined, raced to All-CIF 5th place and at 9:07 ran another PR and edged a bit closer to the 9th grade State record in the event which was set by Eric Hulst back in 1973 at 9:01.3. “It’s something that exists only in dreams and its right there!” exclaimed Vasel.

Another underclassman, sophomore Andrew Dixon, made his first go of CIF Finals a memorable one with a toss over 153′ in the discus to finish 6th and All CIF. He entered the contest seeded 9th so it was a nice improvement.

The girls were once again led by Alyssa Hope who won the CIF Championship for the second time in the long jump at 20′ 1″; back-to-back titles that no one in King history has matched.

The 4×100 squad of Alyssa, Coryssa Hope, Sarah Ajayi and Amaya Lochard scorched another incredible effort and improved on their own school record, bringing it down to 46.42 while finishing second to Long Beach Wilson High School.

Coryssa finished 7th in the 200 later in the day, while Sarah was all CIF in the 100 hurdles and with a PR of 14.41 got a little closer to her coach Tayler Fleming’s own King school record. “The event is as deep as it’s ever been,” expained Vasel. “You needed to run 14.5 or under in order to make it to Masters. 6 out of the 7 athletes made qualified.”

Collectively, the girls scored enough points in the team scoring to finish 10th overall in a division that boast over 100 schools.

All seven King athletes that competed went home with medals designating All-CIF status and the Wolves will have representation in six events at the Masters meet. In its first year ever, the 4×800 will be contested at Masters with squads having qualified by time earlier in the season. King’s 7:51 best gives them the 5th-best seed time and if the squad of Jack Slavin, Christian DeLoye, Mason Colwell and Brayden Lunetta can pull off another strong effort they could find themselves at the State meet in the historic inaugural running of the long relay.

Vasel continued to pinch himself over the success his charges gained on the day. “Overall, a great day! Everything we could’ve hoped for and more. Now we want to punch our tickets to the big dance!”

And like a scene from Inception that would be a dream within the dream.

ELIJAH SIMLEY-FLORES AND ALYSSA HOPE NAMED KING HIGH ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

2023 GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – ALYSSA HOPE

When Alyssa Hope landed the winning triple jump leap in the 2022 CIF Track and Field State Championships, she became the first State Champion in King High’s illustrious track and field history. But when combined with her second-place finish in the long jump at the same meet, the collective quality of those two events put her not only into King High’s record books, but launched her into truly elite company nationally. She and Agoura High’s Tara Davis are the only two girls in the 102 year history of the State Championships to eclipse 40′ and 20′ in both the triple and long jumps in the same meet. Tara’s feat came in 2017 and she’d go on to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games (link).

Photo by Dylan Stewart, courtesy of www.prepcaltrack.org and Rich Gonzalez

The comparisons continue for soft spoken Alyssa. Twenty years ago Gayle Hunter wore the King uniform and set records in each of the aforementioned events that were so other-worldly in the context of King’s first years of competing that some thought they’d never fall. Well, it took two decades but outside of the high jump school record, all of Gayle’s school records now belong to Alyssa. Alyssa is #2 all time in the high jump and is 6th-best all time in the 200 meters. She occasionally competed in the 100 meters and the 400. Her name is alongside her sister Coryssa Hope and teammates Sarah Ajayi and Amaya Lochard in the 4×100 meter relay school record. All this success comes with the backdrop of her freshman year that was essentially eliminated by the COVID 19 pandemic; a severe blow in the development of any athlete but especially to those trying to learn her specific events.

This final senior season was an extension of her Junior year campaign when she finished at the State meet and with the honor of being selected as the Inland Empire Track Athlete of the Year. (Story here) In 2023, she won events at the prestigious Redondo Beach, Mt.Carmel and Mt.SAC Invitationals while taking 2nd at the Arcadia Invitational which draws elite athletes from across the country. A Big 8 League Champion in the relay and the long jump, the only thing that has marred her senior year was an uncommon foul-out in the triple jump at the Big 8 League Finals which kept her from attempting the State repeat in that event.

Talented, for sure, but Alyssa is a harder worker than she is gifted, which is saying much. “The greatest asset she has been to the team is that she leads through her dedication to her craft. She puts in countless hours to get better and her teammates see that,” said King head track coach Mat Vasel of the soft-spoken champion.

When you amass the accomplishments and praise the USC-bound senior has gathered, its a stunning list and makes adding Alyssa Hope‘s name to the growing list of all time great athletes at Martin Luther King High School a fitting and proper thing to do.

2023 BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – ELIJAH SIMLEY-FLORES

Three sport athlete? What is this, 1993?

The days of three sport athletes are a thing of the 20th Century it seems, back when Blockbuster was where you rented your videos and bands like Pearl Jam played on things called radios.

Club sports, specialization and the allure of a college scholarship rose to prominence in high school sports after 2000 and the effect was that great athletes were funneled into singular endeavors. Kids capable of doing more, shoved their athletic chips into the middle of the table, figuring that they needed to be “all in, all-year” on one discipline if they ever wanted to “win.”

So with football, basketball and track and field on his athletic resume, consider Elijah Simley-Flores a bit of a throwback … and a talented one at that. Not just on three teams, he was outstanding in all three, making him a very worthy recipient of this year’s Athlete of the Year award.

On the hard court, coach Mark Vanta spoke of his competitive spirit. “Elijah is a tremendous athlete and competitor,” Vanta said. “Well rounded offensively and defensively.” Which showed in his stats; he averaged 11 points per game and shot 48% from the floor. But Vanta was more impressed with Elijah’s leadership on the floor. “He was one of those guys who makes a coach’s job easier with the decisions he makes on the floor.” He had his coaches’ trust.

Track and Field was an add-on this year, and in that too, there’s a story. When many are ready to ride out their senior year with as little disruption or challenge as possible, Simley-Flores decided to try something new. Coach Vasel was impressed: “He picked up the most technical events [the long and triple jumps] in his first year out and made it to CIF.” His best in the long jump was 21′ 0″, and only 17 boys in the history of the school have ever jumped farther than the one-and-done rookie senior.

His exploits in the gym and on the track were anchored by the outstanding play he did in the Fall on the football field. The Offensive Player of the Year for the Wolves, he earned All CIF Distinction his senior year and was an All Big West Conference selection as well. As a Junior he was awarded with All Big 8 ranking. He had 1,216 all-purpose yards and scored 10 touchdowns.

More than that, though, was his leadership. “He was a tremendous leader for the Wolves,” said Head Coach Jason McMains, “and he led both on the field and in the community.”

And while McMains coached Elijah at the starting line of this waltz through Fall, Winter and Spring, McMains wasn’t surprised by all that Simley-Flores took on and excelled at. “I preach to our players all the time the importance of being a multi-sport athlete,” McMains said. “Elijah is an example for our program.”

It’s no longer the 90’s, it is 2023. And while three sport athletes may evoke a nostalgia for things that once were, perhaps a great tradition need not be proclaimed dead and gone just yet. So tip your cap to a throw-back named Elijah Simley-Flores who has brought the past into the present and has done it really well.

THE BEST OF THE BEST WRITE A MOVING STORY

May 7, 2023

LAKE FOREST: The point of the CIF Prelims is to advance to the CIF Finals. Full stop. The top 9 finishers in each event on the track or in the field get the move-on. Those outside that ranking find their season over.

Of course getting to Prelims is no small task, as athletes have to meet qualifying standards and finish in the top three places per event at their respective League Finals, and for King, who competes in the competitive Big 8, well, getting through that round is significant enough.

So Saturday at Trabuco Hills High, the Wolves got down to business.

"The goal today was secure a spot for Finals. Try to get through," said King head coach Mat Vasel.

And six did just that.

Both Hope sisters - Coryssa and Alyssa - were fully involved in the meet. They carried the baton on the 4x100 relay along with Sarah Ajayi and Amaya Lochard and the crew ran another great effort to qualify to Finals. Only Long Beach Wilson finished ahead of them and the two teams are .03 seconds apart, setting up a showdown, perhaps, for the CIF title next weekend at the CIF Finals.

Coryssa improved a fraction in the 400 from her previous best to qualify and earned a spot at Finals in the 200 meters as well. Alyssa fouled on her first attempt in the long jump but cleared successfully thereafter to lead the field going into Finals.

Sarah Ajayi transferred her sprinting skills into the 100 hurdles and qualified there as well. She and the Hope sisters will be busy next Saturday!

Freshman phenom Maximo Zavaleta uncorked another outstanding 3200 meters race, crossing at 9:14.90, the seventh fastest of the two heats and just one second from NOT qualifying which is a testament to how deep the CIF Division 1 pool of talent is. He'll be the only 9th grader in the field next week.

Sophomore Andrew Dixon was the final qualifier in the discus at 144' 7" which was a mere two inches better than the first of the non-qualifiers. Junior Jaden McKee cruised over 14' in the pole vault to secure his spot at the Finals as well

"Exciting stuff," exclaimed Vasel. "Now its onto Finals [at Moorpark High in Ventura] where we will need to be at our best as it's the hardest meet to move on from."

Which is saying something given how difficult it is to move from Prelims. But the best of the best will be there next Saturday from all four CIF Divisions and the "move-on" story will play out yet again as the best of the best of the best vie for a chance to advance to the Masters Meet ... which will in turn serve as a chance to move-on to the State Championship.

Yea, its a moving story.

KING RULES THE NIGHT AT LEAGUE FINALS

April 28, 2023

NORCO: The Big 8 track and field finals has historically been a night that the King Wolves could rightly dub, “our night.” For whatever reason, the final league meet of the year has always brought the best out of the Red and Blue. Like the last stretch of a race, the teams find another gear and kick it in.

“We descended upon Norco with three buses full of athletes with one goal in mind — keeping true to the tradition that has been a part of this program since its existence: League Finals night is our night,” said coach Mat Vasel.

And that’s exactly what Thursday’s Finals held though admittedly, it didn’t get off to a great start. Alyssa Hope, the reigning State Champion in the triple jump fouled on all three of her attempts and was out of her marquee event. It was an ominous beginning to the day.

“Whether you’re the best in the state at one event or scratching or clawing to get top 5 in a league,” Vasel said later, “nothing is promised. It was about how are we going to respond. If this was a boxing match, we got hit in the mouth early and it stunned us, stunned everyone, but the message became ‘okay so now what are we going to do?'”

What they did was get back to the business at hand. Later, Alyssa would win the long jump, and in the 4×100 relay of which she runs a leg, she, Coryssa Hope, Amaya Lochard and Sarah Ajayi scorched the track to lower their own school record to 46.62. “This puts all four of them right back in the mix as one of the best relay teams in the state,” Vasel said.

Coryssa Hope wasn’t done either, as she’d break the school record in the 400 meters that had stood for 11 years, taking it down to 57.43. Sarah Ajayi would win the 100 hurdles and the 300’s. The longer race was a burner, she ended up racing 44.30, the second best in school history – second only to current hurdle coach Tayler Fleming.

Boys Discus also delivered with four out of the top five spots going to King. Isaiah Butler won the event with a PR 149-04 and Christian Hicks won the shot put with a heave of 48′ 2.5″.

Jack Slavin, who has had a three-year rivalry going with Santiago’s Dylan Deloyola, took back the 800 league title which he won by a hair two years ago, then relinquished to Dylan in 2022. Slavin would win by less than a second yesterday and graduates with a record of 2-1 against the talented Santiago senior in League Finals bouts. (All three Finals races the two have contested have been decided by less than a second. Their freshman year was lost to the pandemic).

Jaden McKee was a winner in the vault and took his own school record up another 4 inches with a 15-10 clearance. “I made it pretty easily,” he said of the record setting clearance but didn’t clear attempts at 16-0. Rowan Hudson capped his improvement-filled career with a win in the 110 high hurdles. Marion Jordan cleared a lifetime best of 6-0 in the high jump to finish second there.

Maximo Zavaleta was a runner-up twice in the two longest races on the track, the 1600 and 3200. A kicker’s race both, he was edged out at the line by less than a second in each contest, but in the 1600, the ferocious racing drew him to another PR at 4:20.99. His cousin, Bradley Quezada, finished 4th in the 3200 meters and ended his season there, but at 9:48 he notched the #2 fastest freshman mark in school history.

In the end, Vasal was pleased with the outcome. Had they kept score – league finals is not a scored contest – the boys would have “won” the meet by a large margin, the girls finished second. But the winning came in the way they finished, the way they came back.

“I wanted to see how we would respond,” Vasel said, “and even though we struggled early on, we made sure to remind the rest of the league that league Finals night is our night.”

IT TOOK 'EM ALL, BUT THEY GOT IT DONE

April 20, 2023

CORONA: “It took all of us, but we got it done,” said Mat Vasel, King’s head coach after his squads endured the Shark attack on Santiago High School’s home track and field.

Historically, the Big 8 league has been a two-horse town with either Roosevelt or Santiago trading top billing while King has yearly been their challengers. Add to the mix this year a quality Norco team and it made for a four-team battle, one that ultimately had King needing to beat Santiago to secure second place finishes for both the boys and girls. Like Vasel said, it took every athlete in a King uniform to pull off they victories, but they got it done.

The girls from King won by a hair, 70-66. When the coach spreads the accolades around the squad, its hard to single out a few, but nonetheless there were some standouts. Consider the throws: Britany Jordan, Emma Soltero and Cassandra Heston swept the shot taking 9 points there. Samantha Rodriguez and Megan Johnson went 1-2 in the vault. With Santiago’s State qualifying cross country team from last Fall now racing the multi-lap races in track, King was shut out of the 27 available points in those three races, so they had to grab points where they could. The 4×100 team won, King took first and second in the 100 and 200 and first in the 400. Coryssa Hope was dominating in those events, with PR’s and the third-fastest mark school history in both events She also carried the stick for a leg in the relay. Sarah Ajayi won both hurdle races with PR’s in both, each one a top-five all time mark.

It was quite a day for the ladies, and while the boys were pushed by Santiago, they had a more comfortable margin of victory, winning 83-53. King swept the 200 meters, with Michael Petrick, Christiande Pompey and Michael Morris getting all 9 points there. The 100 meters also fell under King’s broom with Morris, Deyton Ford and Petrick getting 1-2-3 respectively there. Joshua Harper and Jaden McKee were 2-3 behind Rowan Hudson to sweep the 110 high hurdles. McKee specializes in the pole vault, so this showed great versatility. He won the vault with a pedestrian (for him) mark of 14-6. Marion Jordan was 3rd in the high jump with a PR. Christian Hicks, Isaiah Butler and Sam Green swept the shot put.

The sport of track and field in the Big 8 is not what it once was, as now 4 of the six schools field competitive squads. That, of course, creates a greater level of excitement and competitive fire. King closes the 2023 season in second place, losing out on the title ultimately by just two points in both the boys and girls divisions to the Mustangs of Roosevelt.

Going forward, to win in this league, well, its going to take everyone.

THIN RANKS AT IE CHAMPIONSHIPS DOESN'T ROB THE DAY OF SUCCESS

April 17, 2023

FULL RESUTLS

MURRIETA VALLEY: The Inland Empire Championships is an annual gathering of many of the best track and field athletes in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. While it doesn't atract all, it does gather in most and can be counted on each year to produce a setting for a very fine track and field competition.

The meet didn't even get all of the normal squad King had to offer. Some of the King kids opted for the prom which was scheduled for the same day, while others were entered in the Mt.SAC Relays over in Walnut. "Compared to normal we had a rather thin squad here but they performed outstandingly," said head coach Mat Vasel. "Lots of PR's and Seasonal Bests."

Indeed, there were a number who had very good outings. Andrew Dixson soared in the discus with an 8-foot improvement out to 154' 1", the third-best throw in school history. Christian Hicks also PR'd in the same event at 141' 0". John Wangari slipped under the 10:00 threshold in the 3200 meters for the first time with a lifetime best of 9:58 for the 8 lap race. He also PR'd in the 1600 to make a fine double. Maximo Zavaleta dropped his own PR and 9th grade record in the 1600 with a 4:22 effort.

At the frosh-soph level, Gracie Guzzetta had a fine day, with the 7th best frosh mark all time for King in the 800 meters at 2:26, and doubled in the 1600 with a PR there as well. Sophia Sorenson was third in the 300 hurdles with a lifetime best. Brayden Lunetta won the 3200 meters with a lifetime best of 9:56.33 while taking third place in the 1600 also with a PR. Malachi Stewart was third in the 400 with a personal best time.

Slim squad or not, it was still a good day for the Wolves.

RIGHT WHERE THEY WANNA BE

April 16, 2023

FULL RESULTS RAINCROSS TRADITION

WALNUT: The Mt.SAC Relays is a one-of-a-kind meet, as it gathers many highly qualified high school athletes, collegians from across the country and professional runners. While they all compete separately, the levels are intermixed over two days of competition and for the high school kids, it gives them a rare opportunity to compete "among" many of the best at the next levels. This meet is right where elite athletes want to be in mid-April

King had more than a few entered in the presitigious contest and they took advantage of stage they were afforded. On Friday night, the 4x800 boys team took to the track for the second major effort at a fast time before the CIF season begins. Minus their spark plug of Christian Deloye who is nursing an injury, Jack Slavin picked up the role and in the opening leg of the 8 lap relay, set the stage with a 1:55 split.

"We had a goal of 7:55 (about equal to their school record set in March) we knew if we got anything better we were gonna have to all run PR's and that's exactly what we did," the senior said. Mason Colwell filled in for Deloye with a superb 1:58 split, while Maximo Zavaleta and Brayden Lunetta did the same. Their 7:51.84 improved on the SR and they finished 6th in a loaded race of talented squads.

The girls 4x100 relay team of the Hope sisters, Amaya Lochard and Sarah Ajayi finished 4th the invitational heat and ran 47.04, almost exactly their season and school best. Sara would double in the 110 hurdles and finish 5th with a quality sub 15-second time. Alyssa Hope won her two best events, the long and triple jumps while sister Coryssa was 5th in her heat of the 200 meters at 24.80. Isaiah Butler and Jaden McKee were both solid in the shot put and vault respectively.

Slavin returned on Saturday to run in an open 800 meters and finally dipped under the 1:57 barrier where he's been blocked for a year. His 1:56.56 was good enough for 6th in the seeded heat. "Finally breaking that barrier," he said of the 1:57, "was such a good feeling and being able to do it two days in a row give me confidence I need to get through these next couple of big weeks ahead."

Relay splits - like his 1:55.5 on Friday night - are not official records but to an athlete they do indicate capability and Slavin is clearly building some momentum in the right direction. It is the fastest 800 split recorded in school history.

Alfonso Ibarra, King's distance coach, said of the relay squad, "the goal was to come out of the meet feeling good about where we are as we approach the most important part of the season. It's one thing to run fast in workouts but the group made the most of the opportunity to run against fast competition," he said.

They are all heading in the right direction and that's where every CIF-bound athlete wants to be at this moment of the season.

ASCENDANT NORCO GETS KING'S ATTENTION

April 13, 2023

FULL RESULTS PHOTOS

RIVERSIDE: Norco Track and Field ain’t what they used to be. In the history of the Big 8 league, not once have they beaten King, and it’s never even been close.

But the Cougar program has risen to great heights – with likely a greater ascent to come – over the last two years and had Coach Mat Vasel of King worried about this new Big 8 challeng. The way the meet went gave him ample reason to be worried. While King’s boys were able to pull away at the end (91-45), the girls settled for a tie score at 69, an unprecendented “victory” for Norco considering their history.

It could have been a different ending, but Vasel was balancing the need to compete well against a strong Norco program while adequately prepping his top athletes – which includes removing competion – for the highly competitive weekend invitationals, the Mt.SAC Relays and the IE Championship.

“Yea, we probably held back a little too much but that’s okay. Live and learn,” he said.

“Coming into it, we were concerned about the boys score, we knew, the girls would be tough too but the boys were where we were more concerned. Our goal this week was to work on a mindset where you put the negative thoughts out of your mind. You give them no space, and instead, focus on what you have to do to A) help the team, and B) improve yourself.”

The boys certainly did that. “I had athletes asking all over the place if they could compete in events that they’ve never done solely to help the team, said Vasel

The throwers scored big points for King, interestingly as it has been an event that Norco usually dominates. Sam Green PR’d in the shot to win it and Christian Hicks took second to score 8 points between the both of them. Green PR’d again in the discus to finish second behind event winner Andrew Dixon. The Norco coach asked with a smile, “what are you guys feeding the boys throwers?”

“That was nice for that group to get some respect outside of our team,” Vasel said

Jack Slavin had a huge day, with a carry in the 4×400 relay that closed the door on the meet while running a PR in the 1600 earlier behind Maximo Zavaleta’s win. Maximo lowered his own 9th grade school record another 4 second.

Maybe the biggest moment came from Markos Pineda who ran a monster 800 meters and won it in 2:01.72, a full 5 seconds better than his previous best. “Are you kidding me?!” Vasel said excitedly of the effort.

Jaden McKee raised his own SR in the vault by an inch to 15-6 while Porter Krepps cleared 11 feet. Elijah Simley popped off an event winning long jump in his last jump and Rowan Hudson dominated the hurdles and begged Vasel to run a leg in the 4×400. “Just all around impressive stuff when it comes to what I asked them [the team] to focus on,” said Vasel

On the girls side, King was thinned out a bit and they needed some key perfomances to put them in the fight Norco had brought to the meet.

Freshman Gracie Guzzetta looked very strong in her 800 meter race for the win. Her time is now the 7th fastest frosh mark in school history. In the penultimate event, the 3200, the King girls pulled off a much needed sweep of all 9 points, with Ruth Deloye, Emely Ruiz and Leah Pendleton doing the honors.

Sarah Ajayi continued her domination of the 100 hurdles but also moved over to the high jump and PR’d at 4-10 to finish in second behind Coryssa Hope. Brittany Jordan won the shot with a toss of 36-0 which ties her for 5th all time in school history. Samantha Rodriguez and Elyse Abad were 1 and 3 in the vault.

The last race of the evening saw the two teams battle to the ultimate tie score in a visual tie of the anchors. Norco won it in the photo finish by less than 1/10th of a second.

“Overall, I’m happy with where the core of this team is at” Vasel said. “Their hard work is paying off and it’s nice to have the athletes witness the fruits of their labor.”

Great words, and words that could likely have been said as well by the coaches of the ascendant Norco Cougars who are rewriting their story and that of the Big 8 league as well.

SCHOOL RECORD FALLS; RAINCROSS TRADITION RISES

FULL RESULTS ARCADIA INVITATIONAL

RIVERSIDE: The King track and field program split into two contingents on Saturday, with a few traveling to the prestigious Arcadia Invitational, while the majority stayed home to host the annual “Raincross Tradition”, also known as the City Championships.

On King’s home turf, the Raincross Tradition seemed to “rise” … not necessarily from the ashes, but from the effects of the COVID pandemic that cancelled the meet in 202o and has impacted it, and the sport generally ever since.

The meet director, John Corona, was pleased with the day. “It was good to see so many participants in this year’s meet as we continue to get past the effects that COVID has had on this meet and the sport of track and field as a whole. The meet itself ran extremely well, there very few glitches and we had some real good competition.”

With members of the Riverside Hall of Fame on hand at the meet, awarding the event placers with medals and patches, it added a nice community touch to the day.

Mason Colwell was second in the 400 meters with a PR of 51.28 while John Wangari won his first ever race, taking the 3200 meter title with a PR of 10:06. Rowan Hudson won both hurdle races and Isaiah Butler was 2nd in the shot with a lifetime best of 48-07. Jayjay Cruz won the high jump at 5-08.

On the girls’ side, Brya Hudson was a winner in the 100 hurdles, Itzy Esquivel won the 300 hurdles and Gracie Guzzetta was 2nd in the 800 meters. Brittany Jordan won the shot put with a PR and got a little closer to the top 5 all time list. Emilia North won the discus.

According to Corona, the biggest applause of the day was reserved for the Unified Sports competitors. King High’s Unified Sports team has already earned the first CIF Title in the sport’s history and were in fine form on Saturday as well. Kendjon Holmes won the 100 meters and 200 meters, Austin Martinez won the shot put. On the girls’ side, Shavani Patel won the 100 meters.

“It was awesome to see our team come together and compete against local competition for once,” said King head coach Mat Vasel. “Doesn’t usually happen. It was nice to see that Track and field in the city of Riverside is alive and very well! I always like this meet because I tell the kids they get some bragging rights around town. I always tell them, hey, you can be the fastest 400m runner in Riverside. Kind of a fun title that they can earn and it gives them that little extra something to compete for. Our kids did just that. It was a great experience.”

ARCADIA INVITATIONAL

The overall results from King’s smaller group which went to Arcadia were mixed, but a new school record in the 400 relay took the spotlight. The group of Alyssa Hope, Coryssa Hope, Amaya Lochard and Sarah Ajayi had been steadily chipping away the 2019 school record of 47.08 and finally had their chance to eclipse it on the big stage of Arcadia. With a very smooth race in the Invitational portion of the meet on Saturday night, the foursome clocked 47.02 and finished 4th overall and finally climbed to the top rung of the all-time list.

For some of the King group that competed over Friday and Saturday in a highly selective meet that drew athletes from over 35 states, the atmosphere was a learning lesson for how perfect you have to be in order to experience success.

“We had some athletes that rose to the task,” Vasel said, “some saw it as an opportunity to compete in a big meet setting, and others that had a hard time fitting into the setting.”

Alyssa Hope, who has been at this level for well over a year now, excelled in the long and triple jumps finishing in second in both. Sarah Ajayi ran 14.91 in the seeded section of the 100 hurdles, finishing 6th. Freshman Maximo Zavaleta ran 9:11 in the “Rated” heat of the 3200 and got his feet wet in a meet he will likely visit again as he progresses through his high school career.

“Hopefully, it was a learning experience all the way around,” Vasel said of the meet. “One that we will remember going forward where the big meets with big implications just keep coming.”

COMING UP JUST SHORT IN BID FOR LEAGUE TITLES

April 3, 2023

EASTVALE: The season isn’t over, but the league title has likely been decided. In a hard-fought battle at Roosevelt between the Mustangs and the Wolves – the two teams likely to vie for the league championship – the home team won and the Wolves returned to Riverside to assess the effort.

On the boys’ side coach Mat Vasel of King knew that his squad was going to have to really battle to upset Roosevelt. And that’s exactly what they did.

“The Boys impressed,” Vasel said. “We came a lot closer than we thought [we would]” he said of the 67-69 loss. “My goal of the day was to compete your butts off, forget times, forget conditions, just compete.”

The windy conditions and cold temperatures were part of the story, but not an excuse. Pole vaulter Jaden McKee secured the victory but bowed out for safety reasons at 13′. “It was too windy to be safe,” he said, speaking of what a gust can do when a vaulter is in mid-flight.

Roosevelt predictably swept all but one of the sprint events; King earned 1 point in the 400. Roosevelt took the 400 relay victory as well. But King amassed 19 points in the three distance events (27 are possible) while dominating in every field event except the highjump. Christian Hicks had a lifetime best in the shot put at 49-4 which lands him just outside the King All time top 5. He’d PR in the discus as well behind Andrew Dixon’s PR toss of 143-5 which won the event

A two point loss is a heartbreaker but given what the spread “should” have been going into the meet.

The girls – optimistic of winning the meet and likely the league title in the process – came up two point short as well. It has been a long time since King’s girls have won a league title and this year’s squad looked poised to do it. Alas, it wasn’t to be.

Roosevelt won 9 of the 16 events. King dominated the long, high and triple jump, scoring 26 of 27 points in those three events alone. Vanessa Hope, a freshman, was second in the triple jump and her mark of 34′ 1.5″ is the second best mark for a freshman in school history. Emilia North finished second in the discus with a PR of 92-8

In close losses one looks for what could have happened, or what should have happened as a key to understanding the difference maker.

“We had some that rose to the occasion and some that chose to be individuals rather than teammates,” Vasel said, reflecting on what could have been. “Hopefully,” he added, “this will be a lesson to those that weren’t ‘all in together’ … that look what happens when we aren’t all in. We come up just short of a league title on both sides.”

A bitter pill to swallow.

HOPE IS FLYING HIGH IN MID-SEASON AT MT.CARMEL

MT. CARMEL: Over 80 teams were on hand for the Mt. Carmel Invitational in North County San Diego on Saturday for the 42nd annual event that brings the best out of athletes as they hit mid-season form.

For King, while only 8 athletes made the trip at the end of their Spring Break, they met the competitive challenge and came away soaring.

The girls 4×100 squad of the Hope sisters – Alyssa and Coryssa, Amaya Lochard and Sarah Ajayi nudged just a little closer to the school record in the event that was achieved back in 2019. Their 47.48 victory still sits at number 2 all time at King, but was a season best and is the fastest time recorded this season in the CIF Southern Section and number 2 in California.

The individual elements of that squad then got down to business in their other events. Sarah Ajayi false-started in the 100 hurdles but made up for the miscue with an outstanding 46.34 effort in the 300 hurdles, good for 5th all time in school history. Coryssa raced superbly in the 200 meters with her lifetime best of 25.07. The time bumped her twin sister Alyssa’s 25.08 from King’s top 5 list. It was good for 4th on the day though she was seeded in the third-best of four heats. She added a season record of 1:00.02 in the 400 meters. (Click here for the all time lists)

Alyssa wouldn’t let a little sibling rivalry take the luster off of her day. After anchoring the relay, Alyssa moved over to the field events where she won the high jump, the long jump and the triple jump. It wasn’t just the event victories though. Her 5’6″ high jump mark is now #2 in school history and a two inch improvement off her previous best. Her horizontal leaps were just slivers off her lifetime PR’s (and school records); in the long jump, her 20′ 3.25″ finish was just a quarter-inch off the all time meet record. To say that she and her teammates are in fine mid-season form would be an understatement.

But King was not done. Isaiah Butler, who is in just his second year of track and field, launched a discus throw that was a full 8 feet past his best. Likewise, Andrew Dixon had a PR in the shot put of 40′.

Rowan Hudson had a superb day in both hurdle races, with a PR of 15.29 effort in the 110 highs and a 41.23 season best in the 300’s.

RECORD BREAKING CREW TOPS 10 YEAR OLD STANDARD

March 19, 2023

ARCADIA: The 4×800 meter relay in track and field is not contested often, but when it is, it can be a barnburner that combines the fuel of distance running with the explosive power of sprinting. The King High School record for the event had stood since 2013 at 8:07.36.

As he watched his group racing well this season in individual races over 800 meters, King’s distance coach, Alfonso Ibarra, was aware he had on his hands a group that could likely challenge that mark, if not obliterate it all together.

Saturday night came the opportunity to take a stab at it at the Arcadia High Distance Challenge. Eight laps later, consider the old record a distant memory and now, a distant second.

“The boys had perfect conditions,” said Ibarra of the race, the track and the weather.

Christian Deloye carried the stick for the first leg (each athlete takes it two laps of the track) in a 1:56.6 split.

“He really jump started the race for us,” said Ibarra, as the senior pulled away from the field after the first 200 meters. Deloye had a 3 second advantage over the chasers when he handed the baton to freshman Maximo Zavaleta who has already broken the King High 9th grade 800 meter record took it next and exchanged with Brayden Lunetta at just a sliver under two-flat. Lunetta ran his leg in 2:00.2.

“Both Max and Brayden ran aggressively knowing the goal was to go after the school record and recorded their fastest 800’s of the year,” said Ibarra.

And then came senior Jack Slavin who closed with a very impressive 1:57.0, extending the lead his teammates had given him. Their time of 7:53.99 was almost 14 seconds better than the old school record. Following the race, Jack reflected, “I think we all knew going into the race that we were gonna break the record but the main goal was to break the 8 minute barrier. Once Christian set the tone I knew it was possible. Christian also had led the group in a team prayer before the race and it seems God answered our prayers. ‘All glory to God’ Christian said.”

The team beat Tesoro High by 8 seconds and 11 other teams as well and their mark stands as the second fastest in the nation this season.

A GREAT DAY AS THE YOUNGINS SHINE BRIGHTLY

March 18, 2023

RIVERSIDE: Now in its 19th rendition, the King High Frosh Soph Classic may not have drawn a lot of schools - only 9 were entered - but in a sport that tends to highlight varsity-only athletes in weekend invitationals, the Frosh-Soph meet that King has hosted for almost two decades is still a niche event that puts the spotlight on "tomorrow's stars."

Under cool conditions and blue skies, the meets the meet moved along nicely. The host school was in the hunt on both the girls and boys sides, but the Wolves would take second in the boys Murrieta Valley (MV) while the King girls were able to hold on to the win over MV by a little over 18 points.

Gracie Guzzetta and Sofia Wesolowski paced the 800, taking 1st and 2nd respectively; Sofia sporting a lifetime personal record (PR) of 2:34.71 for her effort. Earlier in the meet she ran a 5:48 full mile (not the 1600 meters) to take 5th.

Brya Hudson ran well throughout the contest. "She anchored our 4x40o relay, taking us to a big win," said King coach Mat Vasel. She also had victories in both hurdle races, racing a PR in the 300's at 51.25. Andrea Richardson was 4th in the 300's with a PR as well.

Sienna Wesolowski and Vanessa Hope went 1-2 in the long jump and 2-3 in the triple to bring in a nice haul of points for the team. Cassandra Heston and Ariana Flores were 2nd and 3rd in the shot put.

The aforementioned 1600 relay team closed the door, winning the event by a wide 7 seconds. Hudson teamed up with Richardson, Guzzetta and Sofia Wesolowski. "Richardson is another great newcomer for us," Vasel said, "who has always stepped up when called upon."

The boys were chasing the Nighthawks of Murrieta Valley from practically the opening gun where MV would win to King's second place.

But the Wolves wouldn't just play dead, instead, they fought well through the rest of the meet.

In the 400 meters, Alex Juarez and Malachi Stewart both wen 53-seconds for the first time taking 4th and 3rd respectively. In the 100, Christiande Popey Taylor ran well all morning long, helping score points in both relays and putting down an PR of 11.8 in the 100 meters. He tied for 3rd in the high jump, clearing 5-4. Also in the 100, Ben Major shined with an 11.95 PR.

Bradley Quezada and Logan Carlson scored big points in the 3200 meters, going 1st and 2nd respectively, while Alex Wesolowski finished second in the mile at 4:44.70 while Quezada took 4th in that race.

Chase Collopy, Landon Macias and Weston Robinson all scored in the pole vault

Vasel was pleased with the teams' performances. "The youngins' got after it today," he said it excitedly. "Proud too of the enthusiasm and support that our upper-classmen had for them," he added, noting their presence and help despite not competing.

Overall it was a great day for the hosts, as King's future stars got a chance to shine brightly.

NIKE TRACK FESTIVAL BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN KING

March 12, 2023

REDONDO BEACH: Great competition can bring the best out of people. Sometimes, you need to go find it.

That truism was on full display on Friday and Saturday for a number of King's top track and field athletes who endured a long drive to Redondo Beach to compete in the school's "Nike Track Festival" which annually draws many of the CIF Southern Section's finest athletes and teams.

Most of them did not drive home disappointed.

The highlight of the meet arguably came from distance running phenom freshman Maximo Zavaleta. The budding star who has already broken the 9th grade school records for the 800 and 1600, absolutely scorched the track for 8 laps in the 3200 meters varsity race, finishing with an astounding 9:10.97 while finishing 4th overall. The effort eclipsed the old 9th grade record by 45 seconds but is now King's #3 mark all time, regardless of grade. Only the two most accomplished distance runners in school history - Lane Werley and Tyler Janes - have run the event faster, and they did so as seniors. The Zavaleta boys (Francisco, class of '21 and Marcos, class of '15) are also on King's all time lists in the distances and pole vault respectively ... see list here)

Zavaleta's cousin, freshman Bradley Quezada had almost snagged the record himself with an earlier 9:57 personal record (PR) in the frosh-soph version of the race. Quezada doubled in the meet and went home with another PR in the 1600 of 4:38, good for #6 All time of King's 9th graders in the event.

Also in the distance races, Jack Slavin ran a PR himself in the 800 at 1:57.05 to come within a fraction of a second from winning. The boys frosh-soph 4x800 squad (Colwell, Wesolowski, Halama and Carlson) won the event in a time of 8:36, and freshman Brayden Lunetta and Colwell finished 1st and 3rd respectively in the frosh soph 800

A much shorter race is the 400 meter relay, and King's girls 4x100 relay squad of Alyssa Hope, Coryssa Hope, Sarah Ajayi and Amaya Lochard has been clicking on all cylinders this season. Their season best of 47.60 is the fastest in the CIF Southern Section thus far this season and they showed again what the group is capable of, winning the event in 47.81. Notably, they bested Roosevelt, their league rival they'll need to beat again on Wednesday in their Big 8 showdown.

Ajayi returned later to take second in the 100 hurdles varsity division, while Brya Hudson raced well in the frosh soph version, finishing 4th. Gracie Guzzetta ran a PR in the varsity 1600, crossing with a fine 5:33.57 and doubled in the 800 and ran another PR of 2:28

Alyssa Hope continued her amazing field event performances, taking 2nd in the long jump and winning the triple jump. Also in the field, King's acrobatic pole vaulter, Jaden McKee took second in a near school and personal best of 15' 02". His record is 15' 03", so it could be just a matter of time before he ups the record again.

It was a long drive out to Redondo Beach but those who made the drive were not disappointed in the effort. Out there to the west of Riverside were many great teams and athletes, each contributing in no small way to the success King enjoyed.

Of course, the opposite was true as well.

PURSUIT OF LEAGUE TITLE STARTS WITH A WIN

March 9, 2023

RIVERSIDE: The track and field team kicked off the Big 8 League season against Centennial High. The Huskies were outmatched in just about every corner of the oval and in the field and King went home victorious by large margins.

King head coach Mat Vasel wanted the Wolves to take their opponents seriously, even though on paper it looked to be a likely blowout, which it was. Both the boys and girls won by an excess of 65 points each. "I wanted the athletes to focus on the responsibilities before and after each event along with some action during the event that signified us taking this thing seriously," the coach said.

The girls, Vasel would say later, did just that. The first event, the 4x100 set the tone with a 47.60 win, the second-best mark in school history.

Sarah Ajayi ran well in the 100 hurdles, and "freshman Brya Hudson ran a killer PR 100m hurdle race after struggling in that event at Chino Relays" said Vasel.

Coryssa Hope and Kindyl Williams were 1st and 3rd respectively in the 400, with Williams continuing her PR streak.

Ruth Deloye had an impressive 1600 victory at 5:42.92. Vasel, who teaches English during the day couldn't hold off with a pun, saying the junior would later come back with a "ruthless" effort in the 3200 at the end of the meet where she finished 2nd with a PR.

The trio of Brianna Nesser, Kenzie Carrothers, and Itzy Esquivel swept the 100. The same with the 800 trio of Freshman Gracie Guzzetta, Sofia Wesolowski, and Emely Ruiz.

"Overall, I was very pleased," said Vasel.

The boys had a slightly different story than the girls, despite winning by an equally large margin.

"They did well in the execution part, but could use some focus on the preparation side of things," said Vasel, referencing the key component of preparation.

The distance crew got after it in the 1600, 800, and 3200 scoring a total of 27 points for the boys, a clean sweep of all available points. Senior Jack Slavin won the 1600 and 3200 both in PR's and Brayden Lunetta won the 800 with a PR.

The throwers followed suit, save a 4th place finish in shot put. Christian Hicks won the shot with a PR of 47-06.

The one area where the Huskies were dominant came in the sprints and dominated the scoring in those events, but King's sprinters noticed slight improvements, especially in the 400 meters. "Once they get a bit more focused and work to eliminate distractions, they'll be headed in the right direction," Vasel said.

Jaden McKee was a few inches off a new school record in the Vault, clearing 15-0, his best this season. The high-flying spectacle was watched by the entire team as the rest of the meet had already concluded. Reflecting the scattershot way the boys had gone about the meet to that point, Vasel expressed frustration that finally gave way to praise. "I was angry at some of our lack of cohesiveness from some of our groups before hand," the coach said, "but once we all got together to cheer Jaden on, that cohesiveness I saw on Saturday [at the Chino Relays] showed up again."

The program's goal is to win the league title in April and this meet was clearly a solid first step.

That cohesiveness Vasel speaks of will have to come in big heapings as the team faces tougher conference opponenents in the weeks ahead. The first test comes next week against Roosevelt.

"We will look to our four cornerstones of class, character, courage, and commitment to take us all the way against an always talented and deep Roosevelt team," Vasel said.

TOGETHER, TRACK AND FIELD SWEEP THE CHINO RELAYS

March 5, 2023

KING TRACK AND FIELD ALL-TIME LISTS

CHINO: One of the perenial challenges for any track and field coach is to take a sport that can be inherently “individualistic” and make it a unified team sport. At a typical track meet, a casual observor of each of the events can quickly deduce that there isn’t much in common between throwers and distance runners; pole vaulters and long jumpers. Even within the events, individual marks and places have teammates literally competing against each other and the final results show “winners” and “losers” that wear the same uniform. It’s a tall order to keep a track team from fracturing into a collection of event specialties tied together only by the uniform they wear.

And that’s where relay meets come in.

A staple of early-season weekend track invitationals, such meets put only relay squads into competition. A team’s success, then, is dependent entirely on the work and contribution of groups of teammates working together rather than on their own.

At the Chino Relays on Saturday, that togetherness was exactly what King head coach Mat Vasel wanted. “This meet was a great one for a few reasons but the main was that it brought us closer together,” he said. “Everyone is depending on each other and that is something that we really need early one. I loved how close we got today.”

While the boys had dominated the Chino Hills Huskies in the team scoring right from the start and would win the meet by 34 points, the girls found themselves down by 20 points to Chino Hills High at the midway mark. The teamwork Vasel was preaching came through as the girls came storming back to take home the victory, 114-108, giving King a clean sweep of the invitational.

The girls 4×100 squad was the start of the swing in momentum. Amaya Lochard, Sarah Ajayi, Coryssa Hope and Alyssa Hope ran King’s #2 mark all time at 47.64. Just Wednesday, the group had notched the 7th-best time in school history, so now with the school record a half-second away, their sights are set even higher. The girls 4×400 team (Lochard, Ajayi, Grace Guzzetta and Coryssa Hope) finished in second place at the close of the meet, doubling the take of the Huskies who finished 4th and thereby sealed the win for the Wolves.

The boys 4×800 squad ran the third-best mark in school history, an impressive 8:07.60, with the team of Slavin, Gathuu, Zavaleta and Deloye averaging just about 2:02 per man. DeLoye split 1:59 on his carry. The girls 4×1600 squad of Pendleton, Brody, Jacklin and Ruiz took 3rd in 24:13 while the Distance Medley team of Guzzetta, Richmond, Ruiz and Goodson finished in 2nd.

The field events were not contested as relays and King did well there individually and contributed mightily to the final winning team scores. Alyssa Hope won the long jump, triple jump and high jump, Brittany Jordan was second in the shot put. In the boys’ shot put, King swept it with Hicks, Butler and Monroy doing the haul of points in the ring. Elijah Simley-Flores was second in the long jump with a mark past 20′, while Jaden McKee won the vault at 13′ 6″. Butler and Green took second and third in the discus.

The meet was a fun one. “The team left with a lot of hardware, saw some good competition and showed us that it takes all of us giving out all in order to get the outcome we want,” said Vasel.

And that’s what a coach of track and field is aiming for, taking the “I” out of “team”.

RAISE THE BATTLE CRY: CROSS TOWN RIVALRY GOES KING'S WAY

March 2, 2023

RIVERSIDE: When it started snowing – yes, you read that right, snowing – on the King High campus about 90 minutes before the start of the annual King vs Poly rivalry track meet, King coach Mat Vasel was a bit worried. Not that the meet would get “snowed out” but that the flaky stuff drifting down from the leaden skies would prove to be nothing more than a great distraction.

Photo courtesy of Leah Pendleton

“I was worried about distractions and complaints about the weather and conditions,” the coach said. “We need to be able to run in any conditions because that’s what good teams do. Good teams block out the distractions and focus on the goal at hand.”

The clouds and snow were gone by the 4:00 pm start time, replaced by a blue sky and a jagged crown of snow on the distant San Gabriel mountain range, creating a regal rim to the Southland.

On the oval and the field the kids from King apparently got their coach’s message to stay focused and competed thusly. The result extended their undefeated streak over Poly to almost 20 years. The boys won by a score 82-54 and the girls defeated the Bears, 88-47.

“My goal for the kids yesterday was to represent the name on the front of their jerseys and do so by how we conduct ourselves and through some intensity in our competition,” Vasel said afterward.

The throwers had an outstanding day. Isaiah Butler, Kyle Monroy, Christian Hicks and Sam Green have been improving tremendously and scored took the top four spots in the shot, with Hicks and Green tossing Personal Records (PR) in the process. The four did the same in the discus with Green winning it with a PR of 119′ 05″.

In the long jump, newcomer Elijah Simley and veteran Deyton Ford had some impressive leaps. They took 3rd and 2nd respectively in the event, both with PR’s.

The girls 4×100 relay team of Amaya Lochard, Coryssa Hope, Sarah Ajayi, and Alyssa Hope notched school’s 7th-best relay mark with an impressive 48.10. In the cold – the temperatures were in the 40’s at that point – it makes their performance all the more impressive.

Christian Deloye had a big impact in the boys 400 with a 52 second performance. Maximo Zavaleta set a 9th grade school record in the 1600, winning at 4:28.22, taking down Edgar Ortega’s (class of ’21) 2018 mark of 4:29. Later in the 3200, he took second behind Brayden Lunetta (9:58) at 10:02, King’s 2nd best 9th grade mark all time. Fellow frosh, Gracie Guzzetta was 3rd in the 1600 meters at 5:40.22

Ajayi and Byra Hudson went 1-2 in the 300 hurdles and Rowan Hudson won the boys 110 high hurdles

The final event of the chilly afternoon was the 4×400 relay. While the meet victory was already in hand for the Wolves, the boys took on the challenge and finished with, well, a battle cry.

Jack Slavin anchored the 4-lap race and as he crossed the line in victory he let out an exultant, gutteral yell, an audible exclamation mark that finished the sentence of a cross-town rivalry match. “That was a great moment and put the Bears into hibernation,” Vasel said.

Rivalries can do many things, but one of those is that they bring strong emotions and elevated performances. “We will need to remember those emotions and find them again as league starts next week,” Vasel said. “There are many predators that want the Wolves to fall.”

VISTA MURRIETA SHOWS THE WAY AHEAD

February 23, 2023

MURRIETA: The Vista Murrieta track and field program has long been one of the CIF Southern Section's finest. Boasting CIF titles and alums who have competed at the D1 level of college and even the Olympics, the Broncos have a pedigree matched by few others.

King's head coach, Mat Vasel, knows all of that and scheduled the season opener nonetheless. "Their girls are expected to compete deep into CIF," said Vasel, "but getting pushed by them is exactly what we need to open our season."

Under cold temperatures, the two large programs - there were in excess of 400 combined athletes competing - put on a non-scoring meet that for King, gave hope for good things to come and also pointed at areas of weakness that will need to be addressed.

"We had some highs and some areas of focus that we need to get after," Vasel said, "but there were a lot of promising performances on the varsity team and a few on the JV level. Our youngin's have a ways to go with a few of them leading the way, especially in the distances on both boys and girls sides."

One of those 'youngin's' is Maximo Zavaleta who in his first track season set a freshman school record in the 800 meters at 2:02.14. He broke the old mark that was set by Nathan Torres in 2010. Torres would go on to set the school record which still stands at 1:52.63. (Record list) Brayden Lunetta, a sophomore, won the 1600 with a fine, 4:37 mark, a PR.

Another 9th grader, Rami Babino went 56.72 in the JV 400, but it was the third-fastest King time in the event including varsity. The performance caught the attention of Vasel and the coaching staff.

In the opening event of the afternoon, the girls 4x100 ran 49.50, smoothly bringing the baton around the track and between three exchanges to beat the Broncos. "That was a great surprise," exclaimed Vasel. "We upset a great team right there!"

Michael Rodriguez had a great carry of the baton in the longer relay, the 4x400 meters as did Ashlyn Richmond in the girls 4x400.

The meet was non-scoring as both beheamoth programs use the contest, a scrimmage of sorts, to kick the rust off after a year away from the track and to make sense of where they are as the season launches. For the visitors, as they made the drive back to Riverside, they were aware of what lies ahead of them and the work that will be involved. It's the takeaway that competing against one of the State's best teams always seems to illustrate.

2022

SCHOOL RECORDS SET THIS SEASON

Triple Jump - 41' 3" - Alyssa Hope
Long Jump - 20' 4" - Alyssa Hope
Pole Vault - 15' 5" - Jaden McKee

ALYSSA HOPE SELECTED INLAND EMPIRE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

By MATT JOCKS | preps@pe.com and ERIC-PAUL JOHNSON | ejohnson@scng.com |
PUBLISHED: June 10, 2022 at 3:07 p.m. | UPDATED: June 10, 2022 at 3:08 p.m.

Alyssa Hope’s junior season started a little slowly on the approach. It built up speed about halfway down the runway before launching into a powerful takeoff.

And what a landing.

The star jumper from King High who had just turned 16 and started the season trying to build her confidence not only ended it as a CIF State champion, but she blew away an elite field in the state triple jump final. Hope took five jumps that counted, and they were the five top marks of the day.

Just to add an exclamation point, Hope took second in the long jump, setting a school record of 20 feet, 4 inches. Hope joined Olympian Tara Davis as the only girls to top 40 feet in the triple jump and 20 feet in the long jump at a state final.

Her high-flying state meet capped a brilliant season that has earned Hope the IE Varsity girls track and field athlete of the year honor.

The finals performance in the triple jump typified Hope’s style. The winning mark was 40-2 3/4, but all five legal jumps were within a combined range of just 8 1/4 inches.

“It’s very rare,” King coach Mat Vasel said of Hope’s consistency. “Look at the other top jumpers, and they will pop off those big jumps here and there. But to hit that level consistently, over and over, is just nuts.”

Hope competed in track and field as a youngster, stepped away from it to concentrate on volleyball, then returned a couple of years ago. She has some track and field in her blood, her grandfather having been a college teammate of Carl Lewis and her mother having competed at Canyon Springs.

She also has a predisposition to hard work and taking her craft seriously. When Vasel raves about Hope’s consistency, she doesn’t always see it the same way.

“If you look at videos of me,” she said, “at the end of almost every jump, I’m always shaking my head because I think I just did a terrible jump.”

Confidence, Hope said, was the biggest hole in her game when the season began. The COVID disruption to the early part of her career took a toll, forcing her to watch track videos at home when she wanted to have the feeling of landing in the dirt.

Strong finishes in prestigious invitationals stamped Hope as a state contender. The confidence gained pushed her to a higher level.

“In the beginning, I would get in my own head,” she said. “Now I really feel at home out there. It’s just fun.”

Vasel points to the Mt. SAC Relays as a turning point. Hope’s consistency had meant that she had typically hit good marks on her first jump or two, relieving the pressure. That wasn’t the case at Mt. SAC.

“When you pop off your first jump, that’s great,” he said. “But what happens when you scratch or your mark is off. How do you respond and not let that affect the goal you’ve set for yourself.

“Then you pop off the fifth and sixth jumps and you have that experience. You get to CIF and get in a hole and you know you can get out of it.”

Vasel said there is still room for growth in Hope’s game, pointing specifically to her landings where she often loses a few inches because of her leg placement. And he continues to have an eager student.

“I was telling my mom, ‘Can we just start jumping again?’ ” Hope said. “I hate being home doing nothing.”

— MATT JOCKS

BEST BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS: HOPE, BUTLER AND SOS WIN STATE TITLES

The triple jump event in track and field is a technical, difficult combination of speed, dexterity and strength. To be good at it, you need equal parts of all three skills. Sprinting down the runway at full speed, the athlete leaps, bounds and then jumps into a pit of sand.

Alyssa Hope (Jr) has been doing that really well all season and on Saturday night in Clovis at the 102nd Annual California State Track and Field Championship, she did it better than all others and won hers, and King's first ever individual State title in track and field.

Alyssa became not only King's first to win outright, but almost pulled off TWO individual titles. In the long jump, her second event of the weekend, Alyssa would finish in 2nd place. Runner up is a great accomplishment, but her season-long assault on the 20 year old school record in the Long Jump finally succeeded. Gayle Hunter's 20' 1/2" King High record had stood unchallenged for two decades, but Hope finally took it down on Friday night in the preliminary rounds with a 20' 3.75."

She fouled on her first attempt, "which scared me a little bit," she said afterward. But the record fell on her second attempt. It was a full 7 1/2 inches better than her previous PR, an astounding improvement at already elite marks. "Everything was kind of a blur," she recalled, as she left the pit thinking her jump had been "terrible."

"So imagine my surprise when they said 20-3.75!"

The confidence gained would be needed in just 24 hours as she would be tested in the Finals on Saturday by Sydney Vanek of Clovis High. Vanek landed a 9 inch improvement of her own to win, while Hope essentially matched her feat of Friday with a quarter-inch improvement at 20'4". Second place stings a bit, but is still a great achievement, broke a 20 year old school record and set the stage for the Triple Jump.

There in the harder of the two events, Alyssa was unchallenged on Saturday, despite finishing second to Jada Gatlin of Mission Viejo in Friday's preliminaries. The preliminary round takes the field down from 26 to 12 for Saturday's Final, and it was in the prelims that Gatlin bested Alyssa by 7 inches. That was an advantage that likely seemed insurmountable going into the Final.

But when it counted on Saturday night in the Finals, Gatlin amazingly fouled on every attempt and recorded not one mark. Gatlin's missteps opened a huge door for Alyssa to jump through. Hope would proceed to land 5 legal leaps beyond 40 feet; each one would have won the event on its own. Her best of 40' 2.75" won the day.

On Sunday Alyssa reflected: "As my season comes to an end, I'm happy with what I accomplished. I couldn't have done it without [jumps] Coach Byrd."

Alyssa was not alone at the State meet, as five King athletes qualified for the rounds. On Friday, Isaiah Butler and Aidan Sos combined in the Unified Sports division of the shot put. While the division is in only its first season at the State level, the two throwers combined to beat two tandems from two other schools to win. "I'm really proud of them," said King coach Mat Vasal. "They improved all year. On the last throw, Aidan needed a PR in order to win and he did!"

Sophomore Jaden McKee got his first taste of the State meet in the pole vault. While he did not have his best round (he capped out at 14' 5") and did not move on to the Final on Saturday, he nonetheless gained valuable insight that will be useful in the coming two seasons where making State might be more of an assumption than a dream.

Sarah Ajayi had a solid preliminary round in the 100 hurdles, finishing just a fraction off her best ever mark in the event at 14.89. It finished her 13th overall of the 26 who qualified with the top 9 advancing to Saturday's Final. Sarah is only a junior, so, like Jaden and Alyssa, her plans for the 2023 season have certainly elevated.

The CA State Meet is one of the most competitive high school track meets any state in the union puts out. It is rivaled only by Florida and Texas for its ability to annually put out incredible depth and talent in every event. For King's own Alyssa Hope, Aidan Sos and Isaiah Butler, they proved that they are leaps and bounds better than all contenders and arrived back in Riverside as King High's first-ever State Champions.

THIS STORYBOOK HAS ONE MORE CHAPTER

On the cover, the CIF-SS Masters Meet is a glorified "qualifying meet" for the State Championships. But any attempt to downplay the meet's significance stops there. Yes, it is the doorway to the California State Championships held yearly in Clovis on Memorial Day weekend, but given the meet's structure, it holds a lot glory in its own right.

The CIF-Southern Section (SS) has over 500 schools, most of which field a track and field program. The largest CIF Section is divided into 4 divisions based on school enrollment. Through last week's CIF Finals, athletes go head to head with competitors from similar-sized schools.

Until the Masters meet.

Last Saturday at Moorpark High, the top 9-12 athletes in each event of field and track from all four CIF Divisions combined (based on marks from their respective Divisional Finals) competed against one another. At stake was, yes, a chance to move on to the State Championship one week hence, but in the moment, the meet was a legitimate stage upon which anyone could boast of being "the best of the Southern Section." Given the depth and size of the SS, that's no small matter.

King had athletes in 4 events on that vaunted platform. First-year head coach Mat Vasel, admitted to nerves prior to the first event. "Saturday was something out of a storybook for me," he said, "it's not often we, as coaches, get these opportunities."

His comments would have applied to the meet itself, but he spoke them at the end of the day, after every single athlete King entered at Masters punched their ticket to the State Championships.

Sophomore Jaden McKee arguably had the best day of what was a great day for King. The sophomore's season has been overshadowed a bit by the exploits of Alyssa Hope (more on her below), but on this day, he vaulted his name into the history books. With an improvement of almost a full foot in the pole vault, the talented Soph finished second overall and his 15' 5" clearance landed his name at the top of the school records list, besting Jared Beasley's 15' 3" school record from last year.

Alyssa Hope continued her amazing season qualifying in both horizontal jumps. Qualifying easily in the triple jump by finishing second, she was a bit off her best in the long jump but her mark met the auto-qualifying standard and so she will drive to Clovis on Thursday with two events to contend.

Sarah Ajayi continued her incredible improvement in the 100 hurdles, racing faster by the week. She crossed in 14.57 in 6th place. Her mark moved her to #3 all time at King. Hurdle Coach Tayler Fleming, King's current record holder (14.31 set in 2013) and one of the most accomplished track athletes in King's long history, is clearly working to have her own record replaced by one owned by Sarah.

In the Unified Sports division of the Shot Put, Aidan Sos and Isaiah Butler combined their efforts to also earn a berth at the State Championships, the first in school history.

"The whole day was just awesome," said Vasel. "Big performance after big performance. The kids did what they need to do to move on to what is the most competitive meets [the CA State Championship] in the country."

Vasel is in his first year at the helm of the program but knows that these opportunities don't come around very often. "To have 5 athletes competing at the State Meet is something that puts a huge smile on my face. I'm excited, they're excited."

And that is because the Masters Meet had a storybook ending to it, even though there's still one more chapter left to write.

HOPE HEADLINES CIF FINALS, TEAMMATES FOLLOW

In the 22 seasons of King Track and Field the program has been blessed with more than it's fair share of elite athletes who achieved at very high levels.

It's time to officially add Alyssa Hope's name to that short list of incredibly gifted and accomplished athletes, as she completed something at the CIF Southern Section Finals on Saturday that no one wearing the King uniform has ever done: Alyssa Hope won two CIF individual titles.

In the long jump and the triple jump, the talented and driven Junior soared, as she has done all season, past all challengers. Her long jump mark of 19' 8.25" was another personal record and got her within 4 inches of the school record that is still held by Gayle Hunter after 21 years. Her triple jump landed just off her PR and school record at 40' 2.5", but was a full three feet better than she accomplished last season at CIF Finals. Her victories qualified her to compete at this weekend's CIF Masters Meet, which will serve as a qualifying meet for the

State Championships. Only the top 9 finishers in each event at Finals in all four CIF divisions combined earn a spot at Masters.

Alyssa was not alone in moving on to Masters on Saturday. Jaden McKee, who is only a sophomore, punched his ticket to Masters in the highly technical pole vault event, clearing 14' 3" and finishing ALL CIF in 5th place.

Sarah Ajayi also had an outstanding day, becoming only the 4th girl in King's long history to dip below 15 seconds in the 100 meter hurdles, crossing the tape in 14.93. Equally significant, she was 3rd overall and also earned a lane at the Masters Meet.

When Sarah arrived at the Moorpark High School track facility and took in the electric atmosphere, she said, "is it weird that I'm not even nervous?"

Not really. King's head coach Mat Vasel, noted that Sarah's multiple "big meet" experiences this season had amply prepared her for the big stage that is the Divisional Finals.

"I'm really proud of how we handled our business," Vasel added, as each athlete King had on the track and in the field sizzled under the hot weather.

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Anthony Chavez was in his first-ever CIF Final and did not disappoint. While he was off his personal best shot throw, he nonetheless finished 6th place. Chavez finished his season over 9 feet better than where he was in 2021. Mekhi Gilmore finished his outstanding career, with another sub-50 second 400 meter dash, finishing in 7th.

Vasel was very pleased on the way the King contingent performed. "I'm really proud of how all 5 of our athletes competed. They left everything they had in their competitions and represented the program and themselves with great class, character, courage and a level of commitment that carried them all the way to CIF Finals."

Alyssa Hope may have stolen the headlines with her double victory against a loaded field, but she was in very, very good company from her teammates which made for a very good day for ML King High School.

ML KING WINS FIRST EVER UNIFIED CIF-SS DIVISION TITLE

TRABUCO HILLS HIGH SCHOOL: It took about 18 hours after the event was over but after emails; texts and a refiguring of the team scores, the ML King Unified Sports Track team came away with the first-ever Unified CIF Southern Division Championship this past Friday at Trabuco Hills High School. It is the 11th CIF title in the school's history, all sports combined.

It is the first ever such title awarded in the CIF's commitment to the Unified Sports movement, also known as Unified Championship Schools (UCS). Unified Sports is a program of inclusion where Special Needs students and General Education students compete in teams of two in each event and the average of their efforts determine where they place in the competition. It is a program supported by the Special Olympics through the CIF.

Due to confusion over how the event was to be scored, King initially was deemed the second place finisher in the meet. However, upon further investigation and discussion, King came away the winner with 111 points, outdistancing Trabuco Hills at 74 points and Los Alamitos with 73.

The UCS movement is in its fourth year and this season, the CIF (SS) was divided into a UCS Southern and a UCS Northern Division. The top qualifiers between the two divisions move onto the Master's Meet next week for a shot at making the State Championships in Clovis on May 28. Though 7 events were competed on Friday, only the 100, the Shot Put and the 4 X 100 Relay are the events where the opportunity to go to Clovis is available. At the Masters Meet next Saturday, only the winning team of two athletes--or on the relays- 4 athletes will move on to State.

Using the combined scores of the boys and girls competitions to determine the team places, the Boys "A" 4 x 100 Relay of Christian DeLoye, David Green, Landon Laramie and Maxwell Robinson got things off to a fast start with a very impressive second place time of 46.63. They were behind the team from Oak Hills which clocked 45.95. In the 400, the team of Green and Damien Zemanek finished second to fellow Wolves Jack Slavin and DeLoye who clocked a team average time of 53.93. Ruth DeLoye and Lauren Langner picked up points in the 100 and 200 for their efforts and the Boys 4 X 400 (Slavin, Zemanek, Green and DeLoye) turned in a very fine 3:39.70 for first place. In the Long Jump, Green and teammate David Adams soared to an 18-8 average for first place and Deloye and Robinson finished second. For Christian and David, it was the 4th medal of the meet---quite a haul! In the shot put, Isaiah Butler and Aidan Sos won the event at an average of 30"-11.

Qualifiers for the Master's Meet this coming Saturday at Moorpark High School include both the "A" 4 x 100 and the "B" 4 X 100 of Butler, Anthony Martin, Justin Allen and Seth Flores. Ruth Deloye and Lauren Langner in the 100 and Butler and Sos in the Shot Put.

For Aidan Sos, this is a very special run as he was among the FIRST of our UCS athletes to compete back in 2019 and now in his senior year, he has the opportunity to go to state. "As he has grown," said Coach Mat Vasel, "so has our UCS program."

"I am super proud of our Unified athletes and partners, " said Sondra Lough, Special Ed. teacher and ML King UCS Director. "We are really looking forward to what we can accomplish at Moorpark High next week." Coach Vasel said, " This is a great accomplishment not just for the UCS part of our team but for the entire program. It's a tribute to what EVERY kid can contribute to our success. It's an honor to be the first school to win the Southern Division CIF Championship" and then he smiled, "even if it took a few hours to really decide it."

PHOTO GALLERY

ROCKY ROAD SMOOTHED OVER AS 5 PUNCH THEIR TICKETS TO CIF FINALS

The CIF Division 1 Preliminaries in track and field is a highly competitive affair where many of the finest in the sport assemble each Spring with the intent of qualifying for the CIF Championships. For sure, some are just happy to have advanced out of their respective leagues and hold little chance of qualifying into the next round, but given the depth of talent that CIF-SS Division 1 has to offer, the meet is shy only of the spectacle that the actual Finals will be one week hence.

King's finest found themselves in that mix and experienced the highs and lows that come with being in that kind of arena.

"Often at CIF Prelims, we are reminded just how deep the Southern Section is, especially in Division 1," said King head coach Mat Vasel.

King got off on a difficult foot as the ladies 4x100 meter relay had some struggles getting the baton around smoothly. The Boys 4x100 responded well, running a season's best time, but not fast enough to make it through a very deep division.

King rebounded nicely, however, and did not let those early struggles define the day's results.

There was little surprise to see Alyssa Hope's name at the top of the qualifying ranks in the triple and long jump events. It has been in those events that she has sparkled all season long and she qualified with ease winning the triple and taking second in the long.

Sarah Ajayi (Jr) was glittering as well in the 100 hurdles, racing to a 4th place finish in a lifetime best mark of 15.05. It was a big improvement from last season in the same event, where she finished in 12th and in 16.23. A nice year of improvement!

Senior Mekhi Gilmore notched the sole Personal Record (PR) of the King contingent, racing 49.53 in the 400 meters, which moved him to #4 all time in the event at King. The effort also put him in 8th, just inside the 9 spots that qualify for the Finals. Anthony Chavez was off his PR in the shot by several feet, but his mark of 49' 3" was good enough for the day and put him in 7th and moved him on to the final. It has been a number of years since King has had a thrower at CIF Finals, so this is quite an achievement for the much improved Senior. He is well over 10 feet better than where he was in 2021. Jaden McKee was third in the pole vault and will move on to Finals in this, just his sophomore season!

Vasel put the day in perspective, saying, "What started off as a rocky day, was quickly turned around. I like how we didn't let early hurdles and falls define our entire day. We responded well and picked up the slack when we needed to, just like we have all year long."

TAKING TEN AT TWENTY-TWO FINALS

The Big 8 League came to town on Thursday to compete in the 2022 Big 8 Track and Field Championships. It is a meet in which there are no team scores, instead, individuals compete for league titles in their events and, if they finish in the top 3 places with corresponding qualifying marks, a spot in the CIF Championships which will begin the first weekend of May.

King was well represented at the top of the victory stand on their home track and field, in fact, it was a historic afternoon in that regard.

Alyssa Hope took home three titles; the high jump, the long jump and the triple jump. While none were her personal record (PR) she didn't need to be on her "A-game" in order to best the field three-times over in her best season ever. Juliet McKee was the champion in the pole vault, clearing 10' 9". Juliet was also second behind Hope in the long jump. Sarah Ajayi won last year in the 100 hurdles and repeated the feat here in 2022. Audrey Brunken was the runner-up in both the 1600 and 3200.

Gavin Henry, whose life in the sport spans about a month, notched two league titles in the long and triple jumps. But the shot put toss by Anthony Chavez perhaps eclipsed Henry's jumps. With a heave of 50' 5" (a 2 foot PR!), Chavez landed the ball at the top of the Big 8 field, and maybe more impressively, it was the 2nd-best toss in school history!

"He was ready," said head coach Mat Vasel. "That was an awesome throw!" he added excitedly. History shows that, his mark is the 2nd-best throw since 2009 and the best in the last 5 seasons.

Rowan Hudson continued the hurdling success that has been a hallmark of King track, winning the 110 highs in 15.86. Mekhi Gilmore's 49.71 victory in the 400 meters is the number-five marks in school history, and while Jack Slavin wasn't able to defend his 2021 800 meter title, he did take second and moved to 4th all time at King in 1:57.10.

The ten league titles taken by King fell just shy of the 11 earned in 2021, but this is still the second-most number of individual championships the Wolves have earned at the League Finals since the league was formed in 2009.

"League Finals has always been 'our night'," said Vasel. "That tradition continued with the stellar performances of our kids! Our athletes rose to the occasion and competed, many with everything that they had left."

CIF QUALIFIERS

Michael Morris - CIF Qualifier in the 4x1 - (3rd place)

Jack Crouch - CIF Qualifier in the 4x1 - (3rd place)

David Adams - CIF Qualifier in the 4x1 - (3rd place)

Jacob Petrick - CIF Qualifier in the 4x1 - (3rd place)

David Green - CIF Qualifier in the 4x4 - (3rd place)

Jack Slavin - CIF Qualifier in the 4x4 - (3rd place) and 800m (2nd place)

Brianna Nesser - CIF Qualifier in the Long Jump (3rd place) and 4x1 (2nd place)

Kyla Smith - CIF Qualifier in the 4x1 - (2nd place)

Coryssa Hope - CIF Qualifier in the 4x1 (2nd place)

Audrey Brunken - CIF Qualifier in the 1600 (2nd place) and the 3200 (2nd place)

Brittany Jordan - CIF Qualifier in Shot Put (2nd place)

Jaden Mckee - CIF Qualifier in Pole Vault (2nd place)

Chris Sherman - CIF Qualifier in Pole Vault (3rd place)

Samantha Rodriguez - CIF Qualifier in Pole Vault (2nd place)

GRIT AND PERSEVERANCE MARKS LAST DUAL MEET AND KING VICTORY

Santiago rolled into town to compete in track and field against the Wolves and what was at stake for both squads was a second-place or third-place finish in league. Both teams had lost only to Roosevelt and both teams were evenly matched. The meet went as expected, closely contested, right to the end. The end however, went in favor of King, as both squads won. The final score for the girls was 74-62 while the boys won by a more narrow margin, 71-65.

King coach Mat Vasel was pleased with the meet. "Our mission yesterday was to make two important steps toward our end of the year goal. #1 was to be a good teammate. I saw our kids celebrating their teammates accomplishments, lifting them up when they were down, and believing in them. Just watching the 4x4s and the amount of support our team had for one another was encouraging."

Santiago would actually win that final event of the meet, but the 5-point gain wasn't enough. The Sharks had made a 14 point gain in the boys in the final two events but it fell short. King's strength really shined in the field events, as the boys swept the shot put and the discus, took 2nd and 3rd in the high jump and 1-2 in the pole vault. Gavin Henry again played a key part in the outcome, scoring 10 points in both lateral jumps. All of those points - along with Rowan Hudson's sweep of the two hurdle races - softened the blow from Santiago's sweep of all three distance races (800, 1600, 3200) and winning both relays, a total of 37 points in just 5 events.

On the girls' side, it was just as exciting of a meet. "Our second goal," said Vasel, "was to show up and compete. We had some really gritty performances."

Winning events is one thing, but stacking up a bunch of 2nds and 3rds is always helpful as every coach of the sport knows, and Vasel noted how many of the girls secured those key places.

Audrey Brunken was one of them. After taking 2nd in her main event, the 1600, she doubled in the 3200, an event she rarely covers. "Coach said that we needed at least a second place, so that's what I aimed to do," the senior said. She finished 2nd in 11:44, a personal record. Brittany Jordan PR's in the discus to win at 99-1.5", a PR and also won the shot put. Kyla Smith was another of those key second-place" point getters, taking that spot in both the 100 and 200 meters. She'd contribute to the 4x100 relay win as well. Alyssa Hope was her normal, winning the long and triple jumps at near-PR marks. At 41' 3" in the triple, she set a Stadium Record with the furthest mark ever recorded in 22 years in the King High facility! Juliet McKee, who won the pole vault, was another 2nd place point-getter in the long jump, landing with a PR of 16-11.

"I'm proud of the hard work and perseverance this team has shown," Vasel said. "This was a great way to finish our season as we look towards the horizon which is quickly approaching next week. League finals has always been and will continue to be our night if we can take this one last step as a team."

That League Finals is an individual meet, the team rankings having now been settled. King will host the all six conference members next week having now secured 5-1 records for both the boys and girls and second place in the league.

King High's Top 5 All Time List

LA, RIVERSIDE COUNTY ... EITHER WAY, KING SHINES

Track and Field was spread across a couple of counties to the west and the south on Saturday. They were looking for top-shelf competition.

At the Mt.SAC Relays in LA County and the Inland Empire Championship in Riverside County, they found what they were looking for.

The Mt.SAC meet at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut is one of the finest in the land and over several days, hosts elite high schoolers, collegiate athletes and Olympians. A few King athletes made the stringent cut.

The dynamic duo of Alyssa Hope and Josie Scales were in both the long and triple jump competitions and, typical of their season, the two were separated by only inches when it was all said and done. In the long jump, they were 4th and 5th, while in triple, they took first and second place, with Scales leading Hope in both events. Josie's mark of 40' 3.5" in the triple was a PR. Jack Slavin was the only King athlete on the track to qualify for the meet, and he held his own, racing the 800 meters in only a fraction of a second off his lifetime best. He finished 8th in 1:57.81. RESULTS OF MT.SAC

80-plus members of King's roster qualified to compete in the frosh-soph and varsity divisions at the Inland Empire Championships, hosted by Vista Murrieta High School. Like their remnant over in Walnut, this larger crew used the opportunity to shine as well.

Jaden McKee, put himself over 14' 8" in the vault and with that, also put himself over former school record holder Marcos Zavaleta (class of 2015) for second all time in the event. Gavin Henry inched himself closer to the long jump school record as well, finishing 6th with a PR of 20' 7.5". He was a bit off his best in the triple, but still finished in 3rd place overall. Anthony Chavez finished 4th in the shot put with a heave beyond 48' 2.5", a mark that is just 1 1/2 inches off the #5 mark

On the track there were equally good results. Rowan Hudson was stellar in the 110 high hurdles, finishing 4th. Gray Mavhera continued his strong, consistent senior season with a lifetime PR of 9:43.17 in the 3200, dropping 7 seconds off his previous best. With that he medaled in third place. Impressive run, on the heals of running a lifetime PR in the 1600 at Norco on Thursday. Matt Gywnn who has also been putting together a fine season, PR'd in the same event, clocking 10:12 for the 8 lap race.

In the frosh-soph division of the same event, Brayden Lunetta put down the 8th-best freshman mark in school history, going 10:17. Mekhi Gilmore was the sole individual champion on the day, winning the 400 meters at just under 50 seconds.

On the girls' side, Sarah Ajayi was just off the event win the 100 hurdles but shaved a slice from her PR, finishing second in 15.12. Sophomore Brianna Nesser was outstanding in the 100, taking 3rd overall in a mark of 12.29 which is tantalizingly close to the top five all time at King. Audrey Brunken had another good outing in the 1600, something she's been doing a lot of this season. After getting boxed in early, she was able to break free and finished with a lifetime best of 5:14.51 which was good for 4th place overall. The mark was #10 in school history. Kyla Smith was 6th in the 100.

In the field events, Brittany Jordan had the top finish of any in the field, taking 2nd in the shot at 32' 9.5". Juliet McKee was 5th in the vault at 11-02.

At the end of the day, it didn't really matter which county the King kids found themselves in. LA, Riverside, either one found the Wolves representing themselves well.

Inland Empire Results

A TUNE UP FOR COMING ATTRACTIONS

As King heads into the final stretch of the 2022 season, the Norco Cougars served as an tune up of sorts for the pending showdown next week against the Santiago Sharks. With statistics showing that the Cougars would not likely challenge for the meet win, it was a business trip for the Wolves.

The Cougars did score on both the track and in the field, but it wasn't enough to push the Wolves and King won both the boys and girls divisions handily.

For the boys, who won the meet 95-40, good performances were across the events. Seniors Mekhi Gilmore and Gray Mavhera had a great day, each winning two events and each racing one of them to a lifetime best. Mekhi went 22.59 in the 200 meters, while Gray went 4:37.50 in the 1600.

Junior Rowan Hudson also won two events, in his case it was the 110 and 300 hurdles, and like his aforementioned teammates, put down a 41.13 PR in the 300's, the 10th-best time in school history. The ultra-talented Gavin Henry, in just his second meet ever, defied gravity in the long jump and landed 22' 6.5", the second-best mark in school history. Just for fun, he improved his triple jump best by an inch. So now, in just two meets, in a sport he's never done before, the likable senior has put himself in the top five all time and, in the long jump is just 4 inches away from the school record. Hollywood couldn't write this script!

Norco was a bit closer on the girls' side but fell to King 52-80. Kyla Smith had a two-win day in the 100 and 200. Andreya Goodson won the 800 and Alyssa Hope focused only on the high jump, which she won with a mark of 5-2. Brianna Nesser and Juliet McKee PR'd in the long jump to go 1-2 in that event.

So it was a good day. In light of the fact that King will be at the very competitive Inland Empire Championships this weekend (with a few at the prestigious Mt.SAC Relays) and face their rival Santiago next week, the Norco meet proved to be a gift of the schedule, a tune up for coming attractions.

KING THRIVES IN REVIVED, REVIVED RAINCROSS TRADITION

The Raincross Tradition track and field invitational is also known as the "City Championship" and is also known for its on-off-on-off-on history. The meet started decades ago, evaporated in the 1980's, was revived again by Coach John Corona in the early 2000's and then, thanks to COVID, was off again and kind-of on again over the last two seasons.

On Saturday at King's track and field complex, the meet was on again, in full force, after an altered state last season and a cancellation in 2020.

Former King head coach, John Corona, who continues to manage the meet said, "this year's edition was as competitive and as historic as I can remember. Three meet records in one day? Whoa! That in itself is pretty impressive but overall, there appeared to be a bit of a different vibe this year. Maybe it was because we missed 2020 and had an abbreviated meet in 2021 because of COVID, but there just seemed to be more joy and competitiveness then we've seen in awhile."

Those meet records were the luster on a brilliant day. Juliet McKee broke the meet record held since 2014 by King's Hannah Chang, clearing 11-02. Josie Scales who was snubbed by a technicality from competing under the lights at Arcadia made up for it at King, setting TWO new meet records in the long and triple jump while keeping pace with Alyssa Hope who was tearing up the same events at Arcadia.

In the triple jump, Josie won, and at 38' 2.5" she surpassed the record set by Hope last year. In the long jump, Josie landed at 19' 1". The mark tied the stadium record set back in 2002 but even more, shattered the meet record which had stood since 1988! What a day! (Click here for the meet records)

And it was "a day" for many who found themselves at the top of the five-step victory stand that was painted red and positioned in mid-field for awarding unique "championship patches" to the winners, medals to places 2-5.

King's 4x100 relay team took gold in the first event of the day. Anthony Martin won the 100 meter unified sports division. Jack Slavin took victory in the 800 meters, Christopher Sherman won the pole vault and David Adams the long jump in a PR of 20' 3".

On the girls' side, Brianna Nesser had a great day, winning both short sprints; Audrey Brunken the mile, and both relay teams, the 400 and the 1600 were victorious. Out in the rings, Brittany Jordan took the win in the shot put while Emilia North won the discus with a PR of 84' 2".

King's head coach, Mat Vasel, was pleased with the outcome of the day, saying, "it's always fun to host this historic meet and see the best athletes in the city compete for the title of 'best in Riverside.' Some of our kids were able to grab that title in stunning fashion, setting records. Good day all around!"

Facts: King athletes climbed the steps of the victory stand time and time again. 31 boys finished in the top 5 of their event, while 25 girls did.

"Good vibes" indeed, to use Corona's words. It was a record-setting return of the Raincross Tradition, not just for King but for the 16 schools that competed.

And with that, the Tradition was back. Again.

HOPE TAKES FLIGHT UNDER ARCADIA SPOTLIGHT

ARCADIA: The Arcadia Invitational is a meet reserved for the best of the best and the meet draws athletes from across the nation for the two-day meet. It's a big spotlight that annually shines on historic performances across the track and in the field.

A few King Track and Field athletes made the cut and did not disappoint.

Alyssa Hope continued her historic season in the long and triple jump. Early on Saturday she matched her Personal Record in the long jump soaring 19' 5.5". But in the triple jump under the lights on Saturday evening, she sparkled all the more.

She took the lead on her first attempt and never relinquished it, winning the elite "invitational" section of the contest. More significantly she bested the school record, landing 40' 3.25" beyond the board. It was a record that had stood unchallenged for 20 seasons until last week when Josie Scales went 40' 2". Twenty years untouched, and that record has been broken twice in one week!

Her mark is the best in California this season and currently ranks 11th in the nation. Her long jump PR is 5th best in the state and 16th nationally. Josie's 40' 2" is tied for 12th best in the country and is second in the state only to her teammate. Impressive duo!

Josie and Alyssa will undoubtedly continue to push each other as the season will soon turn to the championship phase.

Sarah Ajayi got her first Arcadia experience in the 100 hurdles and ran well, finishing just a tenth of a second off her lifetime best. Sophomore Jaden McKee also got a taste of the Arcadia spotlight with a 13' 7" clearance in the pole vault.

WOLVES SPURN COMPLACENCY ON HOT DAY, HENRY DEBUTS WITH HISTORIC JUMP

It could have been a perfect setting for complacency. With temperatures approaching 100 degrees on the King High track, coupled with a Corona High team that statistics said would not be much competition for the Wolves, well, the temptation for the host school to just go quickly through the motions and run for shade on Thursday could have loomed large.

Coach Mat Vasel knew that and addressed it before the meet began. "I had 3 goals for our athletes, 1. be a good teammate, 2. Be a good competitor, and 3. Despite the weather, rise up and take that next step towards our end goal," he said.

"It would've been very easy for our kids to sit back and coast through the meet to a victory," but they didn't do that, he added.

In fact, they ran, threw and jumped as if they were being chased, even though Corona scored very, very few points in both the boys and girls contests.

"If you look at all of the PR's [personal records]that occurred yesterday, clearly, coasting wasn't what happened," Vasel said. "I saw our athletes lifting their teammates up, supporting and congratulating our competitors, and the competition speaks for itself. It was the step we needed to take."

Among those many personal records, a couple seemed to stand out. Gavin Henry (Sr), put the uniform on for the first time on Thursday. A full-time tennis player, he asked if he could join track just a week ago "so that he wouldn't have any regrets" for not having tried. He'd never done the sport before and yet gravitated toward the triple jump, one of the field's most technical disciplines.

Jumps coach John Byrd said, "he's a natural." An event that takes most kids weeks or months to get down, Gavin picked up the technique in 3 days. Then yesterday, he competed for the first time and finished 40' 6" past the board and with that ... wait for it ... he notched his name on the all-time list with the fourth-best mark in school history! For good measure, his long jump mark on Thursday puts him in the top 10 all time in that event. Better late than never, Mr. Henry!

Sarah Ajayi dropped a significant slice from her best time in the 100 hurdles, going 15.13, which, like Henry, is now 4th all time on King's record sheet (Click here).

"She was just flying," noted Vasel. "No time in the air, didn't hit a hurdle, I could tell she was on." Sarah continued to fly with another PR in the 200 meters later in the meet, winning that event as well.

Other notable PR's were Ashley Lee breaking 9' in the vault for the first time where she finished 2nd. Mekhi Gilmore, who normally races the 400 meters and recently broke 50-seconds for the first time, dropped down in distance and did well finishing second to Michael Morris in the 100 at 11.43. 3200 meter star Gray Mavhera also dropped down to a shorter race and PR'd in the 800 at 2:10.17, taking second. In short order he doubled back in the 3200 meters, winning that event in 10:17, a fine distance combination on very short rest. Rowan Hudson dropped a personal record in the 300 hurdles at 42.71, while Anthony Foye won the discus with a season best past 128'. Freshman Malachi Stewart won the high jump clearing 5' 4".

Despite the chasm that separated Corona and King on the scoreboard, the meet proved to be exactly what Vasel charged his athletes with. Compete with class and character and, given the heat, some courage as well. Shade can come later.

TRACK HAS A FIELD DAY AT TRABUCO INVITATIONAL

LAKE FOREST: One of the greatest track and field athletes in the history of King High was Gayle Hunter. She wore the uniform before any one on this year's team was even born. Hunter won CIF titles and set five school records, three of which have stood unchallenged for two decades. She would go on to be an elite pentathlete at the University of Pennsylvania.

Of those three standing records, well, scratch that "3" and make it "2."

On Saturday at Trabuco Hills High School Invitational which hosted over 50 teams, one of Hunter's "untouchable" records finally fell. With a 40' 2" Triple Jump Josie Scales not only hopped, skipped and jumped into the record books, she surpassed one of the King all time greats. The record had stood since May of 2002 but it now belongs to Josie. The high-flying senior would also land a 19-0 in the long jump, another PR, and the #3 all time in school history. (Click here for the school records)

An ancient saying still holds true, "iron sharpens iron, and Josie might be the first to tell you that her great success is fueled in part by her teammate, Alyssa Hope, as well it should. Hope continued her tremendous season as well, earning the Field Athlete of the Meet (her second such honor in the invitationals this season) with the school's #2 best long jump (Gayle Hunter hold that mark still) landing at 19' 5.5". Hope's triple jump was just behind Josie's at 39-11 and thus moved her into #3 all time in that event. For good measure, Hope finished 3rd as well in the high jump with a solid 5' 2" clearance.

Sophomore Jaden McKee bypassed the frosh-soph competition and went to the varsity level in the pole vault and it was good that he did. He cleared 13-3 and finished 2nd overall. Anthony Chavez finished 4th in the shot put throwing it 47-feet even.

While Scales and Hope may have been peeking back to the past in King High's history, the head coach was looking to the future.

"We wanted to come to the Trabuco Invitational because of the atmosphere it presented," explained King head coach Mat Vasel, "but if we play our cards right, we'll be back here in a couple of weeks [for CIF Prelims], so we wanted our athletes to get comfortable with this location and the high level of competition so when we're back here, it's just like another day in the office. Alyssa Hope and Josie Scales proved that they're already comfortable in this high intensity environment, which will prove to be incredibly helpful in the post season. They set an example for their teammates and have inspired them to continue to work hard and not let the environment effect performances. We don't want the lights to be too bright and these ladies helped lead the team by example. Something a good team could always use more of."

FOUR RECORDS FALL AT REBOOTED FROSH-SOPH CLASSIC

RIVERSIDE: Most track and field invitationals are meets that attract varsity-level athletes and as a result many frosh-soph athletes miss out on the chance to compete. Each year, the King Frosh Soph Classic seeks to address that fact by limiting the entries to freshmen and sophomores only. After a two year hiatus due to COVID, the meet was back on Saturday and set the stage yet again for younger athletes to shine in their own right.

12 teams were at King High to compete and four meet records fell to some young kids whose "frosh soph" status was likely only for a day.

Eyan Turk of Woodcrest Christian is one of the stars in Southern California, bursting onto the scene with outstanding 9th grader marks already. He came close to taking down the mile meet record in the opening hour of the day, winning in 4:33.97 but it was his 3200 meters at the end of the meet that put his name on the list. He won by almost a minute and took down a record that has been in placesince 2013. He ran 9:48.18.

King's Jaden McKee set the new meet record in the pole vault, flying over 14-01. The old record of 13-0 was set way back in 2011.

Vista Murrieta's Samarra Blake took claimed both hurdle meet records, racing the 100's in 15.32 (the previous record was set way back in 2007!) and the 300's in 45.20.

For the home team, the Wolves had a respectable outing, with the boys finishing in 4th and the girls in third. Vista Murrieta won on both sides. King's Brianna Nesser was a medalist in the 100 and 200 meters with a personal record (PR) in both events. Porter Krepps won the triple jump, Kaylee Magno was second in the 400, an event she has not run before! JaSaeyvion Duffey-Cooper was third in the high jump with a PR of 5-4.

All told, the King athletes set 71 lifetime PR's on the day!

So it another good outing for the younger-ones. A chance to to have the stage to themselves, a chance to shine as they move through their high school careers.

DISTANCE RUNNERS SEND A FEW TO ARCADIA DISTANCE CHALLENGE

A few of the multi-lappers that were not entered in the Frosh Soph Classic made the drive to Arcadia High School to compete in a meet that featured only distance events and a distance relays. A few PR's were notched under the lights despite the small contingent of King athletes who competed.

In the rarely run full mile (the 1600 meters is the high school standard and is about 9 meters short of a full mile) Audrey Brunken ran 5:17.45, the third-fastest mile mark in school history. Emely Ruiz ran a PR in the same event while Adrian Flores and Nathan Curtner ran PR's in the 800 meters. Last, David Bedoya and Matthew Gwynn both notched PR's in the mile as well.

It was a long day of track and field, separated by 60 miles, but in the end, there were many King kids who went home smiling.

SCALES AND HOPE ARE FLYING BUT ROOSEVELT RUNS AWAY WITH IT

RIVERSIDE: Roosevelt High has been one of the stronger track and field programs in CIF over the last ten years or so, and certainly one of the best in the Big 8.

They would end up winning the Big 8 track meet yesterday on King's track, but it wasn't not because the Wolves played dead. King put up a great fight but came up just short in the girls' contest and by a little wider margin in the boys'.

King lost the girls meet by 4 points. It was that close. While there were solid results across the track events, King's field event stars held the team close.

Alyssa Hope continued her incredible season in the jumps, scoring 15 points all by herself, winning the high jump, long jump and triple jump. Her TJ landed at 39' 7", the number 2 mark in school history and currently the leading mark in California! Her LJ was a personal record (PR) as well, at 18-4 which put her in a tie for third-best in school history with teammate Josie Scales who was right there with Hope during the same event. Scales TJ'd 39-4, the #3 mark in school history and currently the #3 mark in the state of California. The two were phenomenal on the day.

King swept the pole vault, long jump and high jump. Audrey Brunken, not a field event jumper but a multi-lapper in the distances scored 10 points by winning the 1600 and 3200. Sarah Ajayi did the same winning both hurdle events, but by basically shutting down the Wolves in the sprints, relays and throws, Roosevelt was able to head home with a 70-66 win. (Roosevelt's Naomi Johnson took down a seven year old Stadium Record in the 400 meters, running 55.43)

It was 76-60 on the boys side, which, given Roosevelt's historic strength was not a terrible outcome. King had its best events show in the field events, outscoring the Mustangs 34-20 in those six events. Jacob Cook, Anthony Chavez and Anthony Foye swept the discus, while Chavez, Cook and Isaiah Butler swept the shot. Jaden McKee and Luke Martincheck went 2-3 in the pole vault behind Roosevelt's Hunter Obrien who set a stadium record in the event at 15-06. Outside of the 400, 800 and 3200 in which King was able to get the event victory, (Mekhi Gilmore, Jack Slavin and Gray Mavhera respectively), it was slim pickings for the Wolves and Roosevelt ran away with it.

"The biggest thing that stood out to me is effort and leadership," commented head coach Mat Vasel. " We stepped up to the challenge and had tons of gutsy battles all over the place. Our leadership showed the future of our program how to respond when met with adversity."

McKEE SIBLINGS SOAR, KING FOLLOWS IN BRONCO INVITATIONAL

March 13, 2022

RANCHO BERNARDO: It must have been all smiles in the McKee household Saturday night when their high flying pole vaulting kids arrived home from the Don Jones Bronco Invitational in Northern San Diego County held at Rancho Bernardo High School.

Among a small contingent of King track and field athletes, the two McKee siblings soared the highest, as they went 1st (Juliet) and 2nd (Jaden) in the pole vault and set personal records (PR) in the process.

Jaden is only a sophomore but his 13-7 bested all but one opponent and nudged his PR up by an inch. It also set King High's sophomore class record in the process.

[caption id="attachment_13558" align="alignleft" width="500"]

Older sister Juliet landed having cleared 10-7. "I was very happy with my PR," she said. "The feeling was exhilarating. As I flew to the mat and looked back up at the bar that was still up, I clenched my fists and yelled to my coach, 'PR!'"

It was all the more satisfying knowing whom she had beaten; several of the girls in the contest were opponents at the Reno, Nevada Pole Vault summit held during the winter off-season. "I still have lots of room to still improve," the Senior said, noting that the journey has just begun. She attempted 11-feet on a bigger pole but fouled out. Nonetheless, the victory was hers.

But it wasn't just the McKee's who had a day. There were enough smiles and PR's to go around throughout the 50-or-so King athletes who competed.

Jack Slavin shaved a fraction off of his PR in the 800, going 1:57.32 which moves him to 5th all time at King in the 2 lap race. Gray Mavhera had a season-best mark in the 3200, breaking 10:00 at 9:56.64. Anthony Chavez continued his fine season thus far in the throws, PR-ing in the shot at 47' 1.5". JaSaeyvion Duffey-Cooper landed his triple jump at 38-6 for a PR.

On the girls' side, Andreya Goodson ran a season-best in the 800, Andrea Guadian did the same in the 3200. Audrey Brunken ran a season PR in the 1600 at 5:23 and finished 5th. Valeria Cabral ran a season best in the 100 hurdles.

Alyssa Hope continued her fine season in the field events with a win in the long jump and a third-place finish in the high jump. Faith Gerren had a PR in the triple jump at 30' 9.5".

Juliet McKee left for home with goals on her mind. "See you soon, 11-feet," she said with the glow of 10-7 still shining.

Such is the stuff of great athletes and great teams. Rancho Bernardo may have produced some solid marks for many, but there is only more to come.

CENTENNIAL DOESN'T GO QUIETLY BUT WOLVES WIN IN THE END

March 10, 2022

CORONA: The boys track team from Centennial High would not go quietly to the Wolves of King on Thursday. Well past the half way mark through the 16 events, "Cen-ten" was leading. King would have to dig their heels in and figure out a way to win.

Which is exactly what they ended up doing, finishing with a flourish and winning 69-58.

The King sweep of the 3200 meters -- one of the final events to be scored -- was a 9 point gain that certainly helped the team's cause. Led by Gray Mavhera's 10:15.93 victory, Matt Gwynn and Freshman Brayden Lunetta closed the door on any Centennial hopes of snatching a point or even the meet win.

Rowan Hudson scored 10 points all by himself, winning both hurdle races. The throwers had a fine day and helped mightily in the win. Anthony Chavez and Jacob Cook went 1-3 in the shot, Chavez went second place in the discus. Another late addition to the score card came in the Triple Jump, where JaSaeyvion Duffy-Cooper, Porter Krepps and Dalen Anderson scored the trifecta and took all 9 points n the event. Duffey-Cooper and Krepps both landed with personal records at 38-03 and 37-08 respectively.

"Centennial is getting better each year and this year, they proved to be a tough opponent," said King's head coach Mat Vasel. "They found a way to exploit our weaknesses, which made for a close matchup."

At one point late in the meet, Vasel walked by a group of his athletes and overheard one exclaim, "Man I've been beaten by the same guy three times today!"

It was that kind of day, but the win was finally earned and King notched their first Big 8 League victory of the season.

On the girls' side, it was the opposite story as King ran, threw, hurdled and jumped away with it, 102-23. Elizabeth Worden and Kianna Barr both ran well in the 400, Worden's second place 1:04.64 was her lifetime best for the one-lap race. Alyssa Hope, Kyla Smith and Brianna Nesser swept the 200. Emalee Spencer-Millard threw the disc a per of 78-05 and Emely Ruiz ran a PR in the 1600 meters of 5:47.50. Another sweep came in the vault, with Juliet McKee, Ashley Lee and Nicole Aghassi doing the honors in the high-flying event.

"A lot of our hard work is starting to pay off," Vasel noted. "This was a good "tune up" meet for the long road ahead, as well as an eye opener for some that what we have done isn't good enough."

That sense, that there is still more work to do, will work as fuel during the workouts leading up to King's next opponent.

"We are going to need a lot of fuel to get to where we want to be in April and May," Vasel said.

HOPE IS RISING; BOYS PULL OFF COMEBACK WIN IN CHINO RELAYS

March 5, 2022

CHINO: King track and field entered the Chino Relays on Saturday as they have many times over the years.

This one proved special.

For Alyssa Hope, one of King's stars, she'd come home with some significant hardware as she was voted by the assembled coaches as the "Field Event Athlete of the Meet", earning the "Grandpa Ray Ortiz" trophy named for the founder of the Chino Relays.

Alyssa had a great day and earned it well. First in the long jump at 17-5, first in the relay at 5' and ran a leg on the 4x200 relay that finished third.

"I was honored" Alyssa said of the award that was bestowed upon her. "Especially early in this season to be the recipient of this was great. I still have work to do and records to break, but I couldn't have done this without the guidance of my coaches, Coach Byrd, Coach Brown, my Mom and my Grandpa," she added, noting the fact that success is rarely achieved alone.

And that is, of course, what Relay Invitationals emphasize: Teamwork. Getting the baton around the track between four individuals is a dance of skill and beauty and how well (or poorly) that baton moves from one runner to the next can often decide the outcome of the race.

"A lot of our depth showed up today," said King Head Coach Mat Vasel. The 2nd and 3rd athletes in the teams stepped up and came to compete. They had their teammates' backs when they needed them."

The girls 4x1600 meter squad of Andreya Goodson, Emely Ruiz, Andrea Guadian and Audrey Brunken were victorious in the 16 lap race and finished in 23:11.71. They had the only event win of the day for the girls on the track, but the 4x100 team of Coryssa Hope, Alyssa Hope, Sarah Ajayi and Kyla Smith and the 4x200 team (Coryssa Hope, Itzy Esquivel, Kyla Smith and Ayanna Allen Jefferson) finished 2-3 respectively.

The girls scored a lot of points in the field events behind Hope's rising stardom.. Brittany Jordan threw the shot 31-7.5 to finish third, and she was second in the discus at 79-02. Juliet McKee, Elyse Abad and Ashley Lee all scored in the vault, going 3-5-6 respectively. Behind Hope in the long jump was Faith Gerren in third with a Personal Record (PR) of 15' 8".

By the end, King was outdone by the Huskies of Chino Hills, but settling for second was a great outcome.

The boys had a different story with the same Husky squad. Trailing Chino Hills for most of the meet, it took some late coming heroics from King to earn -- by one point! -- the victory, 92-91. Riverside Poly was a distant third with 64 points.

The distance crew had an outstanding day with two firsts, in the 4x1600 and in the Distance Medley Relay (DMR). In the 4x1600, Gray Mavhera, Braden Lunetta, Matthew Gwynn and Jack Slavin all combined for a 19:47.60 mark, besting Murrieta Valley by 5 seconds. Nearing the end of the meet, another 10 points were gained in the DMR, which proved to be needful in surpassing Chino Hills. Slavin, Mekhi Gilmore, Gwynn and Mavhera teamed up for the 1200/400/800/1600 relay and won it.

Distance coach Pedro Sandoval noted that it was "nice to see the hard work put into action as they took the lead with Slavin (opening leg) and never let it go through to Gray's finish (1600 leg)."

"That was a big victory," exclaimed Vasel as the late event pushed King into the lead, the lead that they would hold to the win.

But the multi-lappers had help in the field events, especially. Anthony Chavez had a great day in the throws, going 2-3 in the Shot and Discus respectively. Jacob Cook was third in the shot and Anthony Foye and Dylan Kells went 5-6 in the discus. Collectively it was a haul of points for the Wolves coming from the rings. Jaden McKee won the vault with a season best of 12-6. Dalen Anderson was 4th in the triple were another good take of points near the end of the meet.

Vasel was pleased. "This shows us the potential of what possibilities are in front of us," he said, hand gripping the trophy King carried home.

Hope is indeed, rising.

THE USUAL ON AN UNUSUAL DAY: KING BEATS POLY

March 3, 2022

RIVERSIDE: What was unusual about yesterday was the unseasonably warm temperature. With a high of 88 degrees, it wasn't a normal early March day.

What was usual about yesterday, at least as far as King Track and Field was concerned, is that they beat Riverside Poly again.

In the 20-or-so years the two schools have gone head to head on the track, not once have the Bears gone home victorious.

That happened again yesterday with a final tally that saw King winning in the boys by a score of 84-52, and the girls by a larger margin, 105.5 to 28.5.

"It was a great team win against a solid Poly team," said Head Coach Mat Vasel after the meet was concluded. "One of this team's strongest parts is its energy and excitement. That carries over to the way we celebrate and support our teammates," he added.

There were some solid results from the Wolves across both track and field and in both the boys and girls contests.

Josie Scales had a huge lifetime personal record (PR) in the long jump, landing 18' 2.5" past the board. The mark is #3 All Time in King's history. Mekhi Gilmore continued his torrid sprinting with a double-PR day in the 400 and 200, winning both. Brittany Jordan tossed the shot 35' 1". Not only is that mark almost 3 feet beyond her best in 2021, it is the 6th-best mark in school history.

Brittany won the discuss as well, making herself, along with Gilmore, one of 5 athletes who won two events on the day. Rowan Hudson and Sarah Ajayi won both hurdles and Jack Slavin the 800 and 1600, and the girls relay squads won both the 400 and 1600 relay events. Rowan was excited, saying, "I got a PR in the 110's!"

Thomas De La Vega had two PR's in the hurdle races. After the races, the first-year varsity athlete noted, "I felt motivated and determined in my race to not just try and win to beat the Poly hurdlers but also to just improve and know that I was doing my best."

The road ahead for the Wolves only gets tougher. With the Big 8 League starting next week, as much as beating a cross town rival is a fun thing, resting the whole season on it wouldn't be wise. The Big 8 is paved with challenge.

"It's time to get back in the lab and put some solid workouts together," said Vasel. "This one was good, as it's always great to beat the Bears, so we'll take some time to enjoy it, but then the focus shifts to Cen10 [Centennial HS] and the Chino Relays."

So, if you see the track team walking with a pep in their step, chalk that one up to beating Poly. If you peek at their schedule, you'll know that energy and enthusiasm will need to carry them into the next challenge which is only days away.

Which, come to think of it, is pretty usual.

FIRST STEP OF MANY FOR TRACK AND FOR VASEL

February 24, 2022

MURRIETA: Coach Mat Vasel's tenure as the Director of Track and Field at Martin Luther King High School officially kicked off on Wednesday.

Replacing the legendary and long-tenured head coach John Corona after Corona retired at the close of the 2021 season, Vasel took the reigns of a program he helped build. A graduate of King in 2011, Vasel was a standout a decade-plus ago, had earned team MVP honors his senior season and had gone on to compete at a high level for both RCC and UCR.

The past is now the present and under cold (temperatures in the high-40's) and drizzly skies (including a brief dump of hail or snow) and against one of the state's preeminent track and field powers, Vista Murrieta, it's likely that Coach Vasel's history may not have even crossed his mind as he focused on the moment before him: The 200-plus athletes and 14 coaches under his leadership had a meet to compete in.

He couldn't have picked a better opponent than the Broncos, the crown jewel of track and field in the Inland Empire. The weather? Yea, that was another story. "Cold" and "track" are not a good combination as the 16 events demand warmth if they are to be engaged at a high level. "The weather was crazy, freezing!" Vasel exclaimed. Nonetheless, the two large teams launched their seasons together in a friendly, non-scoring scrimmage.[]

"Vista Murrieta is a tough team and they pushed us today," said Matthew Gwynn (Jr) who competed in the 1600 and 3200, scoring 3rd in the shorter race. "We may not have had the greatest conditions for competing today and a lot of the time we didn't do as well as we wanted to, but at least now we know where we stand."

King was shut out in the short sprints, save Mekhi Gilmore's (Sr) second place finish in the 200 (23.32) and Kyla Smith (Sr) finishing third in the 200 on the girls' side at 27.87.

The 400 meters was arguably the brightest spot for the Wolves under the leaden skies, as Kiana Barr, Aiyana Allen-Jefferson and Gilmore all placed in the girls and boys events respectively. Gilmore won at 51.59. It was another PR and landed 13th on King's all-time list for the event. Not bad considering the less than ideal elements!

Jack Slavin (Jr) and Andreya Goodson (Jr) each took 2nd in the 800, while Audrey Brunken (Sr) and Gray Mavhera (Sr) matched those finishing spots in the 3200 meters. "It was a good way to start the season," Brunken said, "while showing me how much harder I have to work to accomplish my goals."

Juliet McKee (Sr) cleared 10-0 in the vault to take third, and her brother, Jaden (So) won the boys vault with a clearance of 12-0. Faith Gerren (Jr) won the triple jump with a leap of 29-11. Anthony Foye (Sr) and Jacob Cook (Sr) went 2-3 in the discus while Anthony Chavez (Sr) heaved a PR in the shot at 44-02. It was a 3-foot improvement off the best he did in 2021!

"We did a good job considering the circumstances," Vasel said "but we have a lot of work to do."

When asked about the personal significance of the meet, the new head coach was quick to say, "It wasn't significant. I don't get into that kind of hype. It was the first step of many that we need to take and that I need to take as a coach. Business as usual."

2021

SCHOOL RECORDS SET IN 2021

Jared Beasley - Pole Vault - 15' 3"

BEASELY AND BENSON PERFORM IN STATELY MANNER

June 26, 2021

Written by John Corona

ARCADIA: The California State Track and Field Championships is arguably the most competitive high school championship meet in the United States. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meet, like so many other events this past season, was cancelled. However, a small group of “Trackies,” led by Rich Benoy, who is president of VS Athletics; Rich Gonzalez who is the guy who runs Prepcaltrack.com and the Arcadia Invitational and Chris Drescher of the Finished Results timing company stepped up to the plate and in the period of about 5 weeks were able to put together a State Meet for those youngsters who could qualify. It was a welcome opportunity for many kids to get “one last chance” at competing in high school. This past Saturday, June 26, most of the best the state had to offer converged on Arcadia High School

Two ML King athletes benefited from that opportunity as Jared Beasley (pole vault) and Brandon Benson (Long Jump and Triple Jump) qualified to compete in the meet. Both King kids had been in the top echelon of their events in the state standings throughout the season and though there were a number of athletes from across the state who chose not to perform in this final venue, the competition for both was both intense and rewarding. There is an old saying among field coaches-“It only takes one.” The meaning of that statement is based on the idea that because athletes get multiple attempts at the pit or the bar or in the ring, that despite having a bad attempt, you only need one good one to count. Both Jared and Brandon depended on that mantra during the course of the meet and it brought them wonderful results.

For Jared, who has been in the top ten vaulters in the state most for the season, his moment came when he was going at his season best of 15-3. He had missed twice at that height and he had not looked good in his first two attempts. Down to his final attempt, he raced down the runway, got up and over and brushed the bar on his way down. The bar bobbled and swayed but stayed put. He would go on to bow out at 15-9 and based on misses, he would finish 7th overall-the best state finish ever for a King vaulter. Jared’s improvement over the span of the last 16 months has been off the chart-a full three feet! Almost unheard of in the pole vault.

For Brandon, it was a bit of a scarier path but the mantra still applied. “It only takes one.” The regular season had been a bit of a struggle for Brandon since jumping a near school record 46-1 two months ago. Not long after that jump, he sustained a hip pointer and it hobbled his performance through the remainder of the season. He battled on-refusing to rest-but improvement wasn’t coming as it should and there were some disappointing moments. On Friday, he failed to qualify in the long jump. He didn’t look good in the triple jump either but on his final jump of the day, he got out to 44-8 and qualified for the finals on Saturday. The next day in the finals, again, he struggled a bit. He did manage to get into the final 9 where he was sitting in a precarious 5th place with one jump to go. Some of his opponents had either passed him or had gained momentum in their previous jumps. On his final attempt, he soared out to 46-0-his second best mark ever and that clutch jump would place him 3rd in the State, a mere 3 inches behind the winner.

To finish in such a way and on such a high note, was indeed special for both young men and the program. Though it wasn’t quite what we are used to in a State Meet, it was still enough for our King kids–and the many other kids who were there-to perform in a “stately” manner.

CIF FINALS AN UNCHARACTERISTIC ENDING; KING EARNS 4 ALL CIF HONORS

June 12, 2021

LAKE FOREST: The CIF-SS Division 1 Track and Field Finals were held on Saturday at Trabuco Hills High School and signified an ending. Normally, the Finals is a misnomer of sorts, for in pre-COVID times, the meet served as a divisional championship and a qualifier for the CIF Masters meet held a week later which served as a qualifier for the State Championships contested a week later still. In other words, the meet had always been a "Final" that wasn't final.

But COVID cancelled the California State meet this season which in turn nixed the Masters meet which made CIF Finals uncharacteristically the final meet of the year.

King was represented by 8 athletes in the highly competitive meet which showcases the top 9 athletes in the division in each event from across Southern California.

Alyssa Hope (So) and Brandon Benson (Sr) earned spots in two events each, the Triple Jump and Long Jump; impressive as each is a newcomer of sorts to the sport. Benson has graduated but joined track only in his junior year, Hope is sophomore. But for each, their rookie year ended prematurely as the pandemic shut everything down after just two meets had been contested. So for these "rookies" to make the CIF Finals with their limited background is impressive.

Hope struggled a bit in her triple jump and finished 7th but rebounded nicely to finish third in the long jump with a PR of 37' 2.5", and with it, earned "All CIF" distinction. Benson has had a terrific "not-rookie rookie" season and has demonstrated incredible talent in the jumps despite the lack of experience. He landed 4th in the triple and 5th in the long, both earning All CIF honors and his long jump of 21' 10.25" sits as the sixth-best mark in school history while his triple jump of 45' 8" (set earlier this season) is the #2 mark in school history. Hope's two personal bests are each the #4 mark in the program's 22 years. An uncharacteristic ending for relative novices but such speaks volumes to their excellence.

Jared Beasely launched himself vertically rather than horizontally and he too, excelled. His 15' 3" pole vault clearance matched his school record and would earn him 4th place and All CIF distinction. He was sandwiched by a vaulter from both Santiago and Roosevelt; the Big 8 league therefore had one-third of the vaulters in CIF Finals.

The girls 4x100 relay team of Jade Roberts, Kyla Smith, Sarah Ajayi and Coryssa Hope had a solid effort of 49.49 and finished in a dead heat for 6th place, earning All CIF honors. Francisco Zavaleta was the only member of the team who had to run further than 100 meters. In the 3200 meters he struggled uncharacteristically and finished 8th, well off his personal best. But the disappointment does not dull the luster from what has been an incredible season and year for the Cal Poly Pomona bound senior. Undefeated and league MVP in cross country, his 9:14.65 3200 meter time sits #3 in school history and he was selected as the male King High Athlete of the Year. Not a bad way to end a great high school career!

For coaches John Corona and Brad Peters, the meet was an ending as well as it marked the final time the two retiring coaches would oversee their charges on the track and field. Both were satisfied with how it all ended and grateful for the journey of the last 21 years coaching together.

King Top 5 marks in school history

HOPE FOUND AMID SO-CAL'S ELITE: KING PUTS 8 INTO THE BEST 9

June 5, 2021

MISSION VIEJO: Trabuco Hills High School hosted the CIF-SS Division 1 track and field Preliminaries on Saturday and King had its usual contingent of 20-some-odd participants who had qualified for the round out of league finals.

The meet is held to advance athletes in each of the 16 events of the sport into Saturday's CIF Finals. Those throwers, jumpers, sprinters, vaulters, throwers, hurdlers and distance runners come from across Southern California and vie for one of 9 spots to Finals. Unlike most sports where divisions are created based on "strength of program", in track, division placement is done by school enrollment size. Division 1 -- schools that exceed 2800 students -- is the most competitive of the four, and each division is made up of approximately 90 schools each. To make it to the Preliminaries is, in its own right, a great accomplishment.

Such competitive fire-power was on display Saturday and was both matched by and, in some cases, tutored King athletes. Kids wearing the King uniform were scattered broadly over most event categories and they held their own. The Wolves would ultimately advance 8 athletes into the Finals to be held June 12, also at Trabuco Hills.

Jared Beasley is one of the best pole vaulters in California so his qualifying, while never a shoe-in in the high flying event, came as little surprise. He cleared 14-0. Francisco Zavaleta was also seeded as one of the "favorites" to move on in the 3200 and he did that by winning his heat in 9:20. Brandon Benson also had a fine day in both the long and triple jump, moving on in both events; in the triple, his mark of 43' 8.5" was fourth-best on the day.

The girls' 4x100 team put together four nice exchanges to advance with the 8th-best time. Jade Roberts, Kyla Smith, Sarah Ajayi and Coryssa Hope all carried the stick. For Smith, Ajayi and Hope, it'll be their first trip to the Championship, for Roberts, she distinguishes herself among King's all-time best as she is now the 14th female athlete in school history to advance to CIF Finals twice in her career.

Coryssa's twin sister, Alyssa Hope had the best day of all as she flew to two new personal bests in the long and triple jump, both marks improving her #4 All Time records in King's history.

For those who went, competed and came up short of finishing in the top 9, while disappointment was present, for most who are underclassmen and have another season or two ahead of them, the skill and depth of Division 1 in CIF SS Track and Field can serve as ample instruction of what's not only possible, but also of what is expected if you want to make it to the Finals.

UNIFIED SPORTS SHINES IN MISSION VIEJO

MISSION VIEJO: During the 2018-2019 school year, the CIF (SS), in partnership with the Southern California Special Olympics, made the idea of Unified Sports a reality. Unified Sports is a nationwide program and is designed with the idea that athletes with intellectual disabilities and with athletes without intellectual disabilities team up together in the spirit of competition and inclusion. Though there are numerous schools across the country implementing the Unified Sports Model in numerous sports, the first sport in the CIF and right now, the only sport, in which the program has been implemented is Track and Field.

The athletes compete in teams of two, one special needs athlete and one non-special needs athlete. They compete in their chosen event(s) (the 100, the long jump, etc.) in pairs. They get their individual mark and those marks are added together and divided by 2 to get an average. ( If a one athlete runs the 100 in 13.0 and their teammate runs in 16.0–that is 29 total-for 14.5 average). That average is what places them in their order of finish. In the only other event, the 4×100 relay, there would be two special-ed student and two regular-ed students making up the team.

King Head Track Coach John Corona, a member of the CIF Track Coaches Advisory Board, heard the initial presentation in the Fall of 2018. “I knew right away-this was something we needed to get

involved in” Corona enlisted the aid of Special Needs teacher Sondra Lough and was able to recruit and put together a small Unified team of 4 that competed in the 2019 Unified CIF Prelims and Finals. The long jump team of Zach Chellette and Bryce Goldman came away with 3rd place in that final competition.

Flash forward from 2019 past 2020 to the 2021 season and despite the challenges of the past year, the Unified Sports program at King is growing and finding great success, This past Friday, the King Unified Track team competed in the Unified CIF meet held at Trabuco Hills High School. 13 King student-athletes took part in the competition. Pitted against teams from Tesoro High; Trabuco Hills High and Oak Hills the Wolves represented themselves and their school extremely well. The Unified Sports track meet was sandwiched in between events for the South Coast League Finals.

In the first event of the day, the Wolves came through in “flying” colors in the long jump. Teammates David Green and Austin Goetsch jumped 18-1 and 17-3 respectively for a 17-8 average to win first place. They were followed by fellow Wolves- Christian DeLoye and Marcus Harper in second with a 16-10 average. Not bad for a bunch of guys who were introduced to the event some 5 days ago!! In the 100, the Wolves also did well. The team of Ruth DeLoye and Lauren Langer pulled a third place overall in 17.12 with Ruth getting her individual PR for the season at 15.36. The team of Jordan Bringus and David Green placed second in a 12.48 while teammates Robert George and Deloye came in third. Finally, the boys 4 x 100 relay of Bringus, Green, George and DeLoye came in second in an excellent time of 50.95.

Other King participants in the days’ events were Samantha Rodriquez; Aidan Sos, Damien Villareal, Andrew Smisek and Tyson Garber. It was a great day, especially because of the effort of the athletes and the best part is that all of these athletes-except Lauren Langner -will returning to the King Track program and our Unified sports team next year. “It was great to watch our kids compete within the Unified Sports model as it is meant to be. All these kids are regular members of the track team and they all compete in our dual meets, but watching them compete in this event, watching their excitement and seeing the smiles on their faces was special.” said Corona

KING KIDS ETCH A DAY TO REMEMBER

May 27, 2021

NORCO: “Wow! What a great day you guys are having. You are crushing it! exclaimed Jim McCarron to King head coach John Corona. McCarron knows of what he speaks; as the 5-time state title winning coach the Riverside City College track and field program he is well acquainted with exceptional track and field performances.

Indeed, the Wolves were having quite a day; as they almost always seem to do at the League Finals. For the 22 years of King Track and Field, across four different leagues, the last meet of the league season has always gone exceptionally well. The 2021 version saw many King kids again set personal records (PR) in almost every event – 40 in all, JV and Varsity combined – and when the day was over, King would go home with 11 individual varsity league championships.

Corona said after the meet, “Honestly, I don’t think we have done something like this since our days in the Sunkist League (2001-2005). What great performances by our kids, not just the league champs, but all of our kids. The PR’s, the pure effort and their dogged determination. They all shone brightly.”

The veteran coach is correct. In the Sunkist League King earned 19 titles in 2003 and 16 in 2004. The most King has earned in the Big 8 since entering the conference in 2009 was 9, done back in 2015 and 2016.

Three athletes took home two titles a piece: Alyssa Hope, Brandon Benson and Francisco Zavaleta. Hope (So) swept both horizontal jumps and in the long jump, set a new PR of 17′ 11″ which is the number 4 mark in school history. Benson (Sr) duplicated the feat of Hope with victories in the same two events, his 21′ 8″ in the long a PR. Zavaleta pulled off a tough double, winning the 1600 and 3200 meter distance races. “That 1600 was tough” he said after, a nod to the fast pace that started right from the gun, in which he’d battle with four others for the lead, a position he took only over the last 80 meters of the race. His time of 4:20.59 sits as the #7 mark in school history.

In the field events (which were contested on Tuesday), Jared Beasley (Sr) cleared 15-0 in the vault but had to settle for second. Jaden McKee (Fr) cleared 13-6 to solidify his 9th grade school record and medal in third place. Danielle Cabrera (Sr) closed out her career with a PR 32-2 in the triple jump. Samantha Rodriguez (So) had to go to a jump off and clear 8-6 (a PR) to earn third place. Nicholas Wilson (Sr) set a PR in the high jump at 5-8 to take second place there. Dylan Kells (Jr) threw the discus 118-10 but was just out of the medals in fourth place while Jacob Cook (Jr) took third in the shot with a toss of 42-0.

If there was an area that King struggled in on the otherwise fine day, it was the sprints, but that may have been in part due to the improving Norco squad and the dominating depth and talent of the Mustangs of Roosevelt. But that “dogged determination” that Corona spoke of was nonetheless on display. Ryan Hernandez (Sr) finished 4th in the 200 meters with a season-best time. “I was happy for Ryan who has had a frustrating senior year getting where he wanted to be; but to finish his career with a PR in the 100 and then what he did in the 200 … really nice” Corona said.

Coryssa Hope (So) ran a PR in the 200 at 25.99 and finished 4th there. Jade Roberts (Sr) who has been an integral part of the program all four years finished well. She set a season-best in the 400. Corona noted the satisfaction in seeing the likable senior race well: “Really happy for Jade; she’s been frustrated this season but she not only helped get the 4×100 relay into CIF, she almost did the same for the 4x 400 team as well.” At 49.63, that 400 meter relay squad (Roberts, C.Hope, Sarah Ajayi and Kyla Smith) will advance to CIF as the second place finisher in the league. The 4×400 squad would miss the move-on by one place.

It was a historic performance for the distance runners as well. Never in the program’s history have the boys and girls multi-lappers made an almost clean sweep of their three events. The most league titles King’s distance runners have notched at a League Final in the Big 8 era was 3, done in 2016. Here in 2021 it was 5 of the 6 available.

Audrey Brunken (Jr) was almost beside herself in glee as early on in the meet she stunned with an amazing 10-second PR in the 1600 and breaking free of two opponents in the last 120 meters to win at 5:17.85.

The fast early pace set it up as it broke the field early, leaving just her, Elisa Huerta of Corona and Diana Bautista of Santiago to duke it out up front. “I looked at the first lap split and thought, ‘oh boy, this is going to go really good or its going to go really bad’ Brunken said of the torrid opening lap. There’s no debate, it obviously ended “really good.” (see interview)

Fellow Junior, Andrea Guadian would win the 3200 after breaking free on lap 3 and eventually opening up a gap of 50 meters. Her time of 11:40.96 was also a lifetime PR. In the 800, Andreya Goodson (So) dropped a PR of 2:23.94 for third place and a qualifying mark for CIF.

After Zavaleta‘s 1600 title early, the 800 meters, which goes off mid-meet was a predicted showdown between two sophomores, Dylan DeLoyola of Santiago and Jack Slavin of King. Each one had beaten the other once in the season and both were flirting with the chance to go sub-2:00 for the first time. It happened. The two were knitted together before DeLoyola took the lead going into the final turn. But Slavin would not be denied and with a terrific final 100 meters, and an emphatic fist pump as he crossed the line, he notched the win in 1:57.86, the #6 time in school history and a sophomore school record. (see interview) The 3200 was a measured pace for the first mile as a group of 6 hummed along, but a strong move by Gray Mavhera (Jr) in the second half of the race broke it open. He towed Zavaleta along and the two gapped the pack and took home the 1-2 finish. Mavhera would run the second lifetime PR (9:50.44) of his last two races and qualified along with Zavaleta for CIF.

“I was so impressed by Gray” Corona said, “he had the courage to take the race out in the 3200. From basically out of nowhere, he took charge and did not wait around for anybody else, even Francisco, to get out and go with him.” Indeed it was the move of the race.

There were two league titles earned in the hurdles. Kyrien Strickland (Sr) who is in only his first year of track would take the crown in the 110 high hurdles at 15.93, a PR. He’d finish 2nd in the 300 meter hurdles. Sarah Ajayi (So) won the 100 hurdles for the league title and was 5th in the 300’s.

Corona was honored in front of the crowd at the end of the meet for his announced and impending retirement. He couldn’t help but get a little emotional.

“We are not finished yet” said the veteran coach who has seen more the 35 league final track meets in his long career. “There’s still two weeks to go through our abbreviated CIF season, but for me personally, as I head out the door, what a wonderful gift, what a wonderful memory I received from our kids today. I’ll be carrying this day around with me for a long time.”

THE PRESENT MEETS THE FUTURE AT I.E. CHAMPIONSHIPS

May 15, 2021

Written by Mat Vasal

MURRIETA VALLEY: Along with almost every other track event in 2020, the annual running of the Inland Empire Championships down at Vista Murrieta High School was canceled last season. When the team got news that this event might be possible this season, the veterans were excited because they knew the level of competition the meet always carries with it.

Thankfully, 2 days before the meet, the county gave the “go ahead” to Vista Murrieta to put on what would be quite the interesting day for King athletes. As the meet began, Vista Murrieta Head Coach Coley Candaele reminded the entire stadium how awesome it was to be getting close to “normal” again watching all of our athletes competing against each other. King athletes, young and younger certainly were ready to show the Inland Empire what they were all about.

Coach Corona described the meet as one where King’s veterans of the present met the youth of the program and together rose to new heights of competition. The performances were outstanding on all sides of the age spectrum, but it was the younger cohort that noticed success after success on the track and in the field.

The young Lady Wolves (Soph/Frosh) scored enough points to mount them a solid 2nd place to host Vista Murrieta’s group 109 - 70. The Hope sisters decided to split the duties of track and field with Alyssa heading the responsibilities in the latter. Alyssa scored a 4th place in the long jump with a mark of 16’-6” and won the Soph/Frosh section of the triple jump with a bound of 36’-3”. Her sister Coryssa Hope scored some medals of her own on the track taking home two red ribboned 2nd place medals with her performances in the 400 (PR 59.97) and in the 200 (PR 26.01).

Sophomore Sarah Ajayi also came away with 2 2nd place finishes in the hurdles. Sarah ran 15.88 in the straight race and a PR of 47.93 in the curved hurdle race. The ladies were not done yet. Itzelle Esquivel ran a PR in the 100m and Samantha Rodriguez got over 8’-6” in the pole vault to earn herself a PR as well. The last IE champ on the youngsters side came from Sophomore Brittany Jordan as she won the shot put at 31’-2” and was noted as “the best sophomore thrower in Riverside County,” by her own Coach Eric Sousley. “A mark,” he said “that no one can take away from you.” Jordan also came away with a 4th in the discus.

King’s young men were led by the sheer moxie of Sophomore Swiss Army Knife Jack Slavin. Slavin, or Die Hard’s “John McClane” as one coach likes to refer to him as, ran an incredible mile with a PR of 4:33.95 in the Invite section of the boys Frosh/Soph mile and took home the victory after gapping the field the last 100m. His rest was short lived as all of the distance races occurred at the end of the meet, one after the next. Slavin turned around some 30 minutes later and threw down a gutsy performance in the 800 finishing at 2:04. Freshman Pole vaulter Jaden McKee decided he wanted to be an IE Champ as well and did so with a vault of 12’ 9”. The Frosh/Soph boys 4x1(Elijah Perez,Robert George, Jordan Bringas, and Michael Morris) also came home with some medals putting together a season best 47.19, a mark that had them finish 4th overall. Rowan Hudson received a medal for a 4th place finish in his hurdle race and Amare Lochard ran an impressive PR of 56.46, dropping over a second off his previous PR.

The veterans of the program, being thinned out by some senior activities, did not shy away from the competition either. Jared Beasley’s impressive season continued when he pulled in a second place finish in the Pole Vault with a leap of 14’-9”. Fellow vaulter Juliet McKee also had a strong outing with a vault of 10’-3” in a very competitive field. The veteran throwers had a nice outing in the wide open fields of Vista’s throws gallery. Jacob Cook came away with a PR in the discus tossing the metal UFO 113’-0”. Anthony Chavez lobbed the shot put to a new distance for himself reaching 40’-10”. King’s rookie senior hurdler Kyrien Strickland performed well above his experience based title and came away with a 5th place finish in a very deep hurdler field with a time of 16.45 in the high hurdles stampede. Junior Gray Mahvera capped of the veterans night in the invite section of the Varsity 3200 with an impressive lifetime PR of 9:53.97 in a very stacked field of 2 milers.

Overall, the day was a success! King’s youth rose to the occasion of the heights and pressures that the Inland Empire Championships presented while their veterans did what veterans are known to do, COMPETE. Hopefully the IE’s will have prepared the athletes for what lies ahead in league championships, and perhaps even further into the future with CIF looming on the horizon.

CLUTCH LEAP TAKES KING TO TITLE

May 12, 2021

RIVERSIDE: "Clutch. Just clutch."

Three words head coach John Corona said in front of 125 assembled members of the King Track and Field team. His words were directed toward and about senior Dryden LaCour who had PR'd in the high jump to finish a crucial second place in the high jump. His 5' 8" clearance had the whole team watching with somewhat bated breath as the other 15 events on the docket were completed and the outcome of his jumps would determine if the boys team tied for the 2021 League Title with the Santiago Sharks, or if they'd go home having lost by one point.

75-75 read the final score. "We had preached to the kids for over a week that this meet was going to be razor thin close and that the intensity would be high" Corona said later. "Boy, did that turn out to be an understatement!"

Santiago came out and hit King hard early. The Sharks delivered the message that they wanted the title as much as King did, and after Santiago won the opening relay and took 6 of the 9 points in the 1600, King would have to chase points for the rest of the afternoon.

"It was tough sledding and it seemed like we just couldn't catch a break and make a run" Corona said. Tough, because a number of events were decided by fractions.

Kyrien Strickland (Sr) and Austin Goetsch (Jr) salvaged a few points in the 110 high hurdles finishing 1-3 respectively. The 400 had Santiago taking first but 1-2 they went in the 100. The 800 turned into a barnburner, with Jack Slavin (So) taking the lead with 250 meters to go, then relinquishing three spots with 150 left, before storming down the stretch to close in second, a heartbreaking 3/100ths of a second out of first. It was a stirring performance nonetheless.

"That kid is just a tough nut" Corona said of Slavin and his racing guts. While the Sharks would go first and third in that event, Slavin's surge seemed to indicate that the Wolves were not just going to go away whimpering from the Shark attack.

"It was disheartening at times but the kids kept working, they kept their focus, they didn't back down" Corona said. Jared Beasley took his school record in the vault another three inches to win it, while Greg Pedaline took 3rd. Jacob Cook and Anthony Foye scored 11 points between the two throwing events.

As the track events neared their conclusion, Ryan Hernandez (Sr) picked up an important 3rd in the 200 while Austin Goetsch and Kyrien Strickland went 1-3 in the 300 hurdles.

In the penultimate event, the 3200 meters, Gray Mavhera (Jr) set a strong pace, daring the field to chase him down. It had a withering effect, it seemed, on Santiago's top runner who was beginning to fade by lap 6. Fransico Zavaleta and Edgar Ortega would take 1-2 in that race, a big 8 points that was due as much to Mavhera's work as it was the two seniors'.

Minutes later King mounted a stirring come-from-behind victory in the 1600 relay and completed the track events with both teams deadlocked in the score. Only two field events were still to finish, the high jump and triple jump.

King edged ahead 65-62 after the triple jump as Brandon Benson and Dryden LaCour went 1-3 respectively.

And then all eyes turned to the high jump. It didn't begin well as King's jumpers struggled to clear the necessary heights and there were times when it looked like it was over for the Wolves.

But Mr. Clutch stepped up. LaCour made 5' 6" then after one stressful yet successful 3rd attempt at 5' 8" - the highest bar he's ever cleared - Coach Jones said "Dryden brought us back from the ashes on that one."

"Talk about high drama!" Corona exclaimed. "For him to earn the points to get us that final tie, and in the way he did it, well, we'll be talking about that in the program for a long time to come. He took a few years off my life having to make a couple of heights on his last attempt but I am so proud of him and so happy for him. He has been one kid during the last 15 months that never lost faith in what was possible this year for him and for the team. From my perspective, it was apropos that he be the one who finished it for us."

The girls didn't have quite the same drama as the boys did, but a victory would secure the Runner-Up spot in the Big 8 this season and a victory was had by King with a score of 82-54.

"I would put our girls team up against just about anybody in the Inland Empire" said Coach Corona. "Their growth has been off the chart."

Alyssa Hope had the best field event day King has seen in a long time, going 17-2 in the long jump and 36-9 in the triple and 5-0 in the high jump.

Audrey Brunken ran a PR early in the meet in the 1600, winning by a large margin. Andrea Guadian and Evenie Fuentes both ran strong efforts to go 1-2 in the 3200. Sarah Ajayi won the 100 hurdles with a lifetime PR of 15.80 and would later win the 300. Brittany Jordan, Brooke Shiflett and Emalee Spencer-Millard swept the shot put, while Tia White won the Discus with a PR and Juliet McKee took victory in the vault.

"I am very proud of this entire team." Corona said. "These kids faced challenges no team before them has ever had to face. We weren't sure we would even have a season. They have shown great flexibility in dealing with the constantly changing COVID landscape and great courage even just coming out for the sport. I can't say enough about them and the legacy they have built. This is one year we sure went "All the way together."

RESULTS PHOTOS (TRACK ONLY)

THE TRADITION HOLDS: 'CITY MEET' SOLDIERS ON

May 8, 2021

RIVERSIDE: It took some 4 weeks to put together proposals and safety plans; to get approval from the Riverside County Department of Health and to organize three different sites for the12th annual Raincross Tradition but it all came to fruition this past Saturday in a most spectacular and efficient way.

To be sure, it certainly wasn't the same event as years past. Only 8 of the schools that usually participate could take part; the number of entries was limited; the field events were spread out to three different sites in the morning while the running events took place at ML King High in the afternoon. It was an abbreviated version of a meet that has come to mean much to the Riverside community but it WAS a multi-team event nonetheless and if you were to judge by the competitive spirit exhibited and the smiles on the faces of the kids, you would have thought it was just another year.

"I am just so excited and thankful we were able to do this," said Meet Manager and King Head Coach John Corona. "It certainly was a challenge but the high school Track and Field coaches in this town really came together in making this happen. Their cooperation; support and their willingness to take part made all the difference. The results we saw on the track and in the field substantiate that. The kids -- from all our schools -- performed well."

Though most of the events were smaller in number than usual, that did not keep the athletes from performing at the top of their game. On the girls side, Poly's Kalista Tibbels won the mile(5:26) and the 800 (2:24) and came in second in the 3200. In fact, in that girls 3200-there were 4 girls under 12 minutes led by King's Andrea Guadian who finished first in 11:48.7. Tibbels came in second in 11:49.4. King's Evenie Fuentes (11:49.7) and Audrey Brunken (11:50.7) rounded out that top 4. North's Brianna Olukoju was the 400 winner with teammate Breija Strredic winning the 200.

Gisselle Macias from Hillcrest was a double winner in the shot put and discus as was King's Alyssa Hope in the triple jump and long jump. Sophmore Kayden Croy of Poly improved 6 inches in the high jump winning the event at 5 feet. In the girls pole vault, it was a wild battle between Juliet McKee of King. Paige Pansen of Hillcrest and Regan Behney of Poly as all three girls cleared 10 feet. When the dust cleared, Mckee had cleared 10-6 beating Hansen (also at 10-6) on misses. North won the 4 x 400 relay. Also winning City titles for King was Kyla Smith in the 100; Sarah Ajayi in both hurdles and the girls 4 x 100 of Smith, Ajayi, Coryssa Hope and Jade Roberts.

For the boys Owen Pennington from Poly won the high jump in the morning session at 6-3 and then returned to win the 200 in the afternoon. Add to that his anchoring of Poly's win in the 4 X 100 and it was quite a day for the 11th grader. Xavier Rideout of Arlington showed his versatility in winning the 100; coming in second in the 200 and was also second in the shot put. William O'Rourke of North won the pole vault at 13-6 while Hillcrest's Emmanuel Robert won the long jump and Poly's Ethan Tijerina was the victor in the triple jump. Isaac Umana of Poly was the winner in the mile and

finished a close second in the 800 to Hillcrest's Conner Britain. Ramona's Juan Espino won the 3200 by some 30 seconds.

The Wolves had a string of City titles with Isaiah Donnhauser winning the 400, Kyrien Strickland winning both hurdle races; Jacob Cook winning the shot put while throws teammate Anthony Foye won the discus at 130-3. The King 4 X 400 team also won with Mekhi Gilmore, Strickland, Donnhauser and Jacob Bright making the rounds.

Though they may not have won a title, a number of other Wolves registered fine performances said Corona with a smile. "Our kids were spot on today, a number of great efforts and results. It seemed like every time I turned around, I was being told, 'Coach-I got a PR!' That's an awful good feeling."

In the end, a meet happened that a few months ago wasn't supposed to happen. "A good part of the Raincross Tradition is the history of track and field in this town. History will record that in 2021, we were able to keep that history." said Corona.

ZAVALETA ZOOMS TO LEAD KING AT ARCADIA INVITATIONAL

May 7-8 2021

ARCADIA: The Arcadia Invitational has evolved over the decades into one of the premier high school track and field invitationals in the land. It annually draws athletes from a dozen-plus states and sees national leader marks set every year in most events.

The 2021 version almost didn't happen and COVID protocols diminished much of the star-power the meet usually holds. This year, athletes were limited to California only. Spectators were banned; the empty stadium a contrast from the packed and noisy crowds of yesteryear. Nike's conspicuous corporate sponsorship was muted.

But, despite all that, it was still Arcadia! and the seven athletes King athletes who earned a right to compete (the entry standards remained high, despite the quarantine) made the most of it.

Francisco Zavaleta has been on a tear all season and used the platform of an elite field of distance runners to put together the best and fastest 3200 meter race of his career. Clipping off 69-70 seconds per lap for the first of seven laps, he positioned himself well in tenth place of the 25 man field, then dropped a 62 final circuit to finish fifth in 9:14. The mark is the 3rd fastest in school history and was a 13 second improvement from his previous best set 2 weeks ago. "I felt so good out there!" he said after the race, beaming over the big moment.

Brandon Benson and Jared Beasely were in the triple jump and pole vault respectively. Both were off their best marks, but had solid performances nonetheless with a triple jump in excess of 43' for Benson and Beasley clearing 14'3. For both it was their first experience at Arcadia.

Gray Mavhera, Bohdin Rush, Jack Slavin and Edgar Ortega all competed on Friday night in the 4x1600 meter relay. Like Benson and Beasley, they were not far from their personal bests and punctuated their individual legs with a competitive spirit and drive that was impressive. They finished 16th in 18:32.

Ortega would return Saturday morning to compete in the seeded section of the mile. In a field that featured a number of racers with PR's significantly faster than his 4:20, Edgar allowed the train to take him for a ride. He was in 5th until the final stretch but he was beaming with joy at the 4:19.01 (4:17.51 if converted to 1600 meters) which put's him #4 all time over 1600 meters.

The meet may have been lacking in some of its normal highlights, but the efforts put forth by the King athletes surely made up for it.

NORCO DOESN'T GO QUIETLY, WOLVES ARE WORKED FOR THE WIN

May 5, 2021

NORCO: A 23 point margin of victory in most sports - track included - isn't normally viewed as a "close win" but in the Big 8 League meet track and field contested at Norco it was almost a "close loss."

The final score for the boys was 77-54, but it only shows what was happening near the end of the meet. In the early going, King was on the ropes as a much improved Norco program was giving the Wolves all they could handle, and more.

"This one is on me" Coach John Corona of King said to his athletes at the end of the meet, tapping his chest with his left hand as he did. "I overcoached and it almost cost us a win."

That overcoaching was the deliberate holding out of key scorers, many of them prepping for the prestigious Arcadia Invitational or the Raincross Tradition Invitational this weekend; or, looking for a little rest before the showdown next week with Santiago.

Norco was happy to take advantage and make King sweat it out, and it would take some late scoring for King to secure the victory.

Midway through the contest may have been a turning point. After getting swept in the 100 meters, Isaiah Donnhauser (Sr) threw down a terrific 400 meter race, moving to the lead with only 50 meters to go. As he sprawled out on the infield trying to recover from the event effort, the victory was becoming the momentum shift that King needed. All of the normal King scorers in the distance events were not racing, leading to a Norco runner winning both the 1600 and 800, but in the 3200 at the end, King would sweep all nine points with Malachi Cabanilla, Jack Slavin and Jonathan Weaver doing the work.

In the 200, Ryan Hernandez blunted the 9 point advantage the Cougars had earned by sweeping that 100 race. In the deuce, Hernandez stormed over the half-lap to a season-best 23.81 to win ... Norco would take the next three places! Kyrien Strickland contributed as well, late in the meet, winning the 300 meter hurdles. Austin Goetsch took second, a big 8 points earned with three events to go.

In the field events, King was holding it's own. With Jared Beasley not competing in the vault - he'll be at the Arcadia meet on Saturday - freshman Jaden McKee won at 13'0", just an inch below his own freshman school record set two weeks ago. Gregory Pedaline (Sr) and Luke Martincheck (Jr) helped sweep the event, an important 9 points for the cause. Norco was strong in the throws, but King was able to counter that winning the triple jump; Brandon Benson placing first, Dryden LaCour third.

On the girls' side it was still a good meet of competition, but King would prevail 85-50. Juliet McKee, Jaden's older sister, won the vault at 10'0". She was followed for the sweep by Alexandria Herrera and Samantha Rodriguez. Kyla Smith was the winner in the 100 and second in the 200. Coryssa Hope and Kianna Barr were 1-2 in the 400. Andreya Goodson (So) ran a well paced 800 to run a PR and finish second there. Sarah Ajayi and Avalon Provance went 1-3 in the 100 hurdles, with Sarah returning later in the 300's to notch another win. Brittany Jordan threw the shot to a PR to place third.

A good meet was had. Norco is a growing program whose future is bright. King had to work to win it. At the end of the day, both really good things.

Some photos

SOARING ON A SATURDAY, WOLVES WIN

May 1, 2021

Saturday's in track and field are days reserved for big invitationals, full of top competition, numerous teams and athletes, and usually take most of the day to complete.

On Saturday at King High, for the first time in 22 years, the track and field team contested a dual meet on a Saturday. Yea, it's never been done. Kind of a big deal historically, though Temecula-Chaparral and King have competed often over the years on weekdays. Days reserved for dual meets.

But such is life (or scheduling) in the era of COVID. With most invitationals on hold or cancelled outright, teams do what they need to do to compete and so for the Pumas and Wolves a dual on Saturday morning at King High was as good a day as any to compete.

It wasn't big, there were only two teams, it was over by noon and it wasn't highly competitive. King won both the girls and boys by large margins, the girls won 106-29, the boys by a score of 93-34.

But the kids soared nonetheless.

The star of the show was again Jared Beasley in the pole vault who showed he wasn't content with his school record set Wednesday at 14-6; he flew by that height and went to 15-0, clearing it on his second attempt. In just over two seasons (the 2019 campaign was cut short after just three meets) Beasley has improved 6 1/2 feet! As of this writing, it ranks #9 in the entire state of California.

Despite the lack of push in most events, King's athletes made the most of their Saturday morning. Audrey Brunken (Jr) had two victories in the 1600 and the 800. Coryssa Hope won the 400 ahead of rookie-to-the-event Andreya Goodson and took second herself in the 200. Brooke Shiflett won both throwing events. Julian Morgan and Malachi Cabanilla both had a fine day with two PR's in scoring efforts in the 3200 and 800 and Brandon Benson won both the horizontal jumps with some fine marks, 20' 5.5" and 46' 6.5". Kyrien Strickland won both hurdle events.

Not bad for a dual meet. Even one on Saturday.

BEASLEY UPS HIS OWN SCHOOL RECORD AS KING GAPS CORONA

The only thing “close” about the track and field meet against Corona High School on Wednesday was the narrow miss Jared Beasley (Sr) had at his 15-0 attempt in the pole vault. Every other event of the meet had been completed, Corona High’s team had left the facility and the entire King team was assembled on the sideline to watch the talented pole-bender take his own school record up for a second time on the day. Beasley, who set the SR last week against Roosevelt, then failed to clear any height on Saturday at Ramona, had already bumped up his record to 14-6 some 10 minutes earlier.

The spectator-teammates hushed as he stormed down the runway and launched. He grazed the

bar sending it and himself earthbound to appreciative applause.

“I was pretty tired” he said afterward, having climbed up numerous bar-placement levels in order to avoid the “no-height” from Saturday.

Throughout the 2 1/2 hour meet, the Wolves easily cleared the competition the Panthers posed as Corona had few athletes who could mount a challenge. With no JV scoring, the girls won by 118-11 and the boys 98-29.

That said, there were solid performances nonetheless. Andrea Guadian, bucking to be the most improved athlete of the year, dropped two lifetime PR’s in the 800 and 3200. Coryssa Hope, Kyla Smith and Josephine Scales all PR’d in the 200 to sweep, this despite a significant headwind. Kaylee Magno (Fr) was second in the 800 with a lifetime PR and Alyssa Hope won the triple jump with a PR of 35’9″.

Behind Beasley’s great day, the boys’ team was also humming along nicely. In the throws Jacob Cook and Anthony Foye both PR’d over 40′ to take 1-2 in the shot. Kyrien Strickland had PR’s in both hurdle races, winning both as well. Bohdin Rush had a terrific season best time of 4:43 in the 1600 to place second behind Corona’s Victor Ceja. Isaiah Donnhauser was victorious in the 400 and ran well in the 100 and 200, finishing second in both. Jonathan Weaver won the 800 in 2:14.

HIGH FLYIN', MULTI-LAPPIN' KIDS HAVE A PR KIND OF DAY (AND NIGHT)

April 24, 2021

While the sport of track and field functions as a team sport of multiple events, one of the luxuries of the sport is that the individual disciplines or events can often function - and compete - on their own, absent the other events present in a normal track and field meet.

Such was the case as King's pole vaulters and a couple of distance runners competed in two different locations; the vaulters under the sun, a couple of distance runners under the lights.

In the morning hours of Saturday, the vaulters headed across town to Ramona High for a double dual meet. In an effort to get more pole vault competition in the midst of the pandemic, Ramona coach Scott Hanes had invited three schools, King, Roosevelt and Great Oak to compete in this first ever event.

For the King vaulters, it was a day well spent as 7 of the 11 Wolves present put together personal records.

On the boys side, frosh Jaden Mckee shattered the old freshman vault record by a full foot clearing 13-1 to garner 4th place overall. Luke Martincheck (Jr), who picked up a pole for the first time about two months ago has improved greatly clearing 10-1. Greg Pedaline (Sr) also got his PR at 11-1. For the girls team, Juliet McKee (Jr) matched her younger brother's feat with a PR of her own at 9-7 and made a great attempt at 10-1. Highlight of the day tough, may have been the significant improvements of Nikki Agasshi (7-7), Angleina Pulido (7-1) and Samantha Rodriquez (8-1) Samantha and Nikki, in particular, showed their happiness with unrestrained celebrations, pretty much jumping out of the pit and rushing to their teammates.

"I have been at this an awful long time," said Head Coach John Corona, who for a change was a spectator, "but I've neve gotten tired of watching kids display such unbridled joy when they are able to accomplish something special."

"I am just glad we were able to do this today, said Vault coach Megan Melton, "it was a big deal for the kids. Here's hoping we can do more of this type of thing, for the entire team, as we move forward."

Later in the evening and under the lights, a hastily assembled Arroyo Distance Meet of Champions (the meet had been cancelled and then just seven days ago resurrected with 6 races of the 800, 1600 and 3200 for athletes who met stringent qualifying marks) saw two King multi-lap distance runners, Francisco Zavaleta and Edgar Ortega compete. Held at Arcadia High School on a brand new track, both distance runners took advantage of their first invitational platform in a full year.

Edgar was first across the line in "heat one" of the 1600 with a lifetime PR of 4:20.21. (If both heats were combined his would be the 9th fastest of the day).

Less than an hour later, Francisco ran a gutty 3200 to finish 9th (he was entered with the 19th best seed time), also with a lifetime PR of 9:27.40. The mark moves him to #4 all time at King over 3200.

So it was a good day for a couple fractions of the whole. That full team will be reunited with all events on Wednesday as they take on the Corona Panthers.

Pole Vault Results

Distance MOC Results

GRIT, TENACITY LEAD TO BIG WIN OVER ROOSEVELT

Eleanor Roosevelt High School has long been a hurdle in the way of King High's league title hopes. They have consistently put out quality teams and have earned multiple league titles. The 2021 version of the Mustangs program is still that barrier King or any other Big 8 team must get over if they hope to wear the crown in the end.

On King High's track and field surfaces under cool, cloudy conditions on Wednesday, the two teams put on a great show. While the girls from Roosevelt were able to continue their dominance of the league, beating King handily by a score of 86-45, on the boys' side, the Wolves put forth a great fight and ended up victorious, 76-60; the program's first victory over Roosevelt since 2016.

Typical of a great matchup, the two teams see-sawed back and forth on the track. Roosevelt dominated the sprints and relays. winning every available point in those five (of 16) events, a 37-0 shellacking.

But in the distance races (800, 1600, 3200 meters), the Wolves clawed back, allowing only 1 point (of 27 available) to their rivals. Seniors Francisco Zavaleta and Edgar Ortega went 1-2 in the 1600, sophomore Jack Slavin won the 800 with Ortega and Zavaleta in tow, and then in the 3200, Gray Mavhera (Jr.) took the win, leading the entire way, and was followed by Malachi Cabanilla (Sr) and again, Zavaleta who tripled in the three events and scored all three times. The near-shutout of Roosevelt for a combined three-and-a-half miles of racing proved to be a turning point as few people anticipated it going in. "What a great job those guys did at that moment, at just the right time" coach John Corona said.

"Roosevelt is such a great team" Corona added. "They always bring out the best in our kids and today was no different. Our young men showed a lot of grit and tenacity. They understood what the plan was in in terms of scoring and they went beyond that plan especially in the distances and the hurdles."

The field events helped counter Roosevelt's sprinting prowess as well and they were led by vaulter Jared Beasley (Sr).

Beasley has been nibbling all season at the 4 year old pole vault school record of 14' 3" held by Marcos Zavaleta, ('17 and Francisco's older brother) and on this day he finally made the SR his own, going 14' 4". Exultant cheers went up as the hard working high-flyer landed backside on the foamy pit. Gregory Pedaline (Sr) finished third with a personal best of 11-0.

At the other end of the field sits the throwing rings, shot and discus. Jacob Cook (Jr) and Anthony Foye (Jr.) went 1-2 in the shot, scoring a crucial 8 points early in the match. King went 1-3 in the discus, scoring six points there with Foye winning it and the third spot earned by Dylan Kells (Jr).

King would sweep the high jump, with Kedan Strickland (So) Brandon Benson (Sr) and Nicholas Wilson (Sr) all clearing 5-2 to earn the 9 available points in that event. In the hurdles, Kyrien Strickland scored in both events, the 110's and the 300's.

The score was locked at 52-52 heading toward the end of the 16 events. But King closed well. When the final 4 events -- pole vault, high jump, the 3200 and 4x400 relay -- came in the Wolves outscored the Mustangs 24-8 to secure the win. In 2019, the last time the two competed against one another, Roosevelt had closed fast to secure a close win. On this day, the roles were reversed.

The hoped for reversal of fortunes on the girls' side wasn't to be, as the Mustangs would run away with it 86-45. Roosevelt, the defending CIF Division 1 champions (2019) were too much to handle for King. Roosevelt swept all of the sprints, the 100, 200 and 400. King would have to chip away here and there to earn whatever points they could. Andreya Goodson (So) finished second in the 800 with a lifetime PR of 2:27. Audrey Brunken (Jr) ran a gutty race to win the 1600 in a season best 5:29. Andrea Guadian (Jr) took second place in the 3200 with a lifetime PR of 12:08.

Sarah Ajayi (So) was victorious in the 100 hurdles and 2nd in the 300. Brittany Jordan and Brooke Shiflett were successful in the throws, going 1-3 in the shot. Brooke would win the discus with a PR of 90' 5". Alyssa Hope was the winner in the triple jump with a season best.

"It's not often a team will be outscored 37-0 in the sprints and relays and still win the meet" Corona said, referring to the guys' side of the meet. "I felt like, yeah ... we were going to struggle in the sprints against them but I felt like we had an advantage in the other events and that we could win if we performed in those events. It has always been our philosophy to have as complete a team as possible and it is what carried us to the win today on the boys' side. We emphasize "team" a lot in our program. Today was a team win, no question about it."

PHOTOS

KING BEATS CENTENNIAL BY LARGE MARGINS

The first Big 8 League contest of the 2021 track season commenced in Corona against Centennial High on Wednesday. King came away the winner of both boys and girls contests, winning by large margins, 108-26 for the boys, 95-36 for the girls.

Brandon Benson (Sr) who is new to the sport of track and field has made it a quick study as

he shined in three events (high jump, triple jump and long jump) winning all three. But it was the triple that was extra special as he went 45' 8", the second-best jump in school history! (Click here for the record list) Anthony Foye won the discus with a life-time best over 129'. In the 3200, Francisco Zavaleta was pulling a train of PR's. His 9:30 was the #5 time in school history,

Edgar Ortega finished right behind him in 9:36.77, good for the #7 all time mark. Both guys were splayed out on the infield a few meters past the finish line, spent on the effort. Gray Mavhera ran a season best for third place in 10:03 and all three guys battled a head wind on the back stretch in their great efforts and times. Bohdin Rush was fourth with a fine effort and season-best like Gray as well.

Jonathan Weaver, Rush and Scotty Biddle swept the 800 while Isaiah Donnhauser took 1st in the 400 and second in the 200 (in a lifetime best of 24.03) and Ryan Hernandez scored twice in the 100 and 200 dashes, each in season-best marks.

The girls saw a good afternoon of marks and performances as well. Josie Scales went 1 and 2 in the short sprints, Coryssa Hope ran a PR in the 200 at 26.79 to win that event. She was second in the 400 but ran a PR there as well to make it a great day.

Sophomore Andreya Goodson ran a lifetime best to win the 800, while Jocelynn Stevenson (Sr) was right behind her in second. Andrea Guadian had a two-PR day setting the marks in the 1600 and 3200. Sarah Ajayi followed her cue with two PR in both hurdle races. Brittany Jordan likewise had two PR's in both throws.

So it was a good afternoon with two more wins to extend the undefeated season another week. Eleanor Roosevelt High School will pose a much greater challenge when they come to King next week.

LIGHT COMPETITION CAN'T SLOW A PARADE OF PR'S

April 7, 2021

Danielle Cabrera was excited about her victory in the triple jump Wednesday in a dual meet against Moreno Valley Valley View (VV). "I won!" she said excitedly when asked, but was quick to note that something else exciting occurred, something bigger than an event win. "I happened to just check my email during the meet and I found out I got accepted into Stanford!" She had a hard time containing the joy and even a mask couldn't hide the smile that moved the shape of her face and lit up her eyes.

It was that kind of day for King: good, victorious, and with very little competition, a chance to check on one's college acceptance letters or some other such nice distractions.

VV had few athletes in uniform and therefore were not able to challenge King's large squad that numbers more than a hundred. King's boys won 119-17 and the girls by a similar chasm, 114-22.

The Wolves competed well, even in the absence of stiff opposition. Many personal records (PR) were set as well as season records (SR). Corysa Hope and Amara Thomas went 1-2 in the 200 with PR's. Andreya Goodson ran a great 800 with a well-timed last 100 to win and run a PR of 2:35.38.

Justine Marshall was second in the 1600 with a PR of 5:54.35, and Evenie Fuentes PR'd in the 3200 at 12:32.31. Sarah Agayi won the 300 and 100 hurdles, both with PR's. Brittany Jordan was an inch behind the winner in the discus, but threw a PR of 80-04 and Juliet McKee won the high jump with a PR. She cleared 9-0 in the vault to win that event.

Valley View's best athletes on the boys' side were in the distances and they pushed King's multi-lappers to some solid performances. In the 1600, King had 12 SR's or PR's and 11 runners broke 5:00, a bench mark of sorts for high school boys. Francisco Zavaleta won and was followed by Edgar Ortega, Jack Slavin and Gray Mavhera who all raced tenaciously to sub 4:40 times and pushed VV's first runner back to 5th overall. Slavin doubled back to win the 800 and Zavaleta gutted out a 9:58.47 solo effort in the 3200 to win there. Kyrien Strickland won both hurdle races in PR's. Jacob Cook, Anthony Foye and Dylan Kells all PR'd in the shot to sweep that event while Jared Beasley was PR'ing in the high jump to win at 5-4, followed by Kedan Strickland who PR'd at 5-2.

Brandon Benson was on point in the long jump with a victory and PR of 20-11.5. He would double back to win the triple jump as well.

Meets where the competition is scarce are ripe for nonchalance, for checking one's phone, for enjoying comradery with one's teammates rather than focusing on competition. But that isn't what the King athletes did on this afternoon.

They got after it, competed well. Amid it all, at least one still had time to check and see if Stanford had come a-calling. They did.

Which made for a very good day for Danielle and for all who wear the blue and red.

JUST LIKE OLD TIMES IN WIN OVER POLY

April 3, 2021

It wasn't quite where they left off in 2020, but it was a start. Prior to the pandemic hitting 54 weeks ago, Coach John Corona would have described his program as "just getting started" on the season. After winning the first two meets of 2020, the teams left for quarantine last March, assuming the rest of the season would come after a short break.

It wasn't to be.

So, the "restart" came in the form of a new season and kicked off on Saturday with an old rival, Poly High, a team King has never lost to.

King won both the boys and girls contests; the boys by a large margin (108-23), the girls had a tighter battle but pulled away at the end, winning 70-57.

King's 4x100 relay squads got the meet going in the right direction with victories.

The girls 1600 was won by Poly's Kalista Tibbels, but Andrea Guadian (Jr) gave great chase and finished in third for King with a lifetime PR in 5:42.

In the throws, Brittany Jordan, Brooke Shiflett and Emalee Spencer-Millard swept both events. Juliet McKee won the vault clearing 9-6. Alyssa Hope took the victory in the long jump.

The boys were not pushed by Poly, but the intra-squad competition was solid in many events. Jack Slavin (So) won the 800, his first varsity victory and with a PR at 2:04. He was pushed by senior teammates Francisco Zavaleta and Edgar Ortega; all three raced hard side-by-side to the finish. Zavaleta and Ortega doubled in the 1600 and went 1-2 with sub 4:30 efforts.

"Today was a great day for me along with my teammates" Slavin said. "The 800 really came down to a sprint off between Franny, Edgar and me. For that I'm grateful to have amazing teammates that can bring out the best of me everyday. I am proud of my race, but not yet satisfied because I know that better results will come if I train harder."

Jared Beasley has been training hard all winter and was soaring in the vault, winning at 14-0. He attempted the school record at 14-4 but will have to await another day to pull off that feat. Brandon Benson, Dryden LaCour and Nicholas Wilson swept the long jump. Anthony Foye had a great day in the throws, setting two personal records; he PR'd in the discus at 128-8 to win the event and PR'd again in the shot to finish second behind winner Jacob Cook.

Both head coaches, Phil Orr of Poly and Corona would admit that its been a great challenge navigating the protocols, changes and diminished rosters induced by the pandemic. Organizing a track program, even in the best of times, is a bit like running a three-ring circus.

But just like old times, albeit with a few changes since the last time they competed, King track got started again, and beat Poly again. Seems like normal.

Some photos

2020

A COVID CANCELLED SEASON

On March 13, 2020 as the Pandemic was becoming a national concern, schools across the state left for what many thought was going to be a 3 week break. That three weeks extended until May 1, upon which it was announced that the season would be cancelled completely.

An historic moment in high school sports and for the Martin Luther King High School community.

What follows are the stories of the competitions held before quarantine began.

TEAMING UP FOR SOLID RELAY RESULTS

Written by Mat Vasel

A majority of the Wolves track and field squad woke up at the crack of dawn on Saturday and headed down to Portola High School for the Earl Engman relays. The "all-relays" meet was a good one for King and both the boys and girls finished in 3rd place in the Division 1 category.

The day started off with the field events getting underway and Dryden LaCour leading the Wolves to their first 1st place relay win of the day with a solid jump of 19' 4". Sheredyn Pfeiffer noted that she was "feeling a little rusty" with this being her first Long Jump competition of the year. She managed a 17' 8" mark that landed her a foot over her next closest competitor.

The lady Long Jump team also secured a first place for the Wolves.

Shortly thereafter, the track events began to roll. There were many solid performances from all of the relay teams. Freshman Jack Slavin tasted varsity for the first time with two strong performances. He started the boys 4x800 off with a blazing 2:04 800m split and later went on to split 55 in the 400 of the Distance Medley Relay.

Joan Green and her 4x800 battalion had a fast race and finished 3rd in Division 1.

The inseparable Allison Chruszcz and Aiyana Allen-Jefferson were busy running 400's, 200's, and 100's wherever they were needed and never backed down from a challenge.

Dryden LaCour wasn't done for the day as he and his High Jump pal Brandon Benson took home new PR's of 5' 8" and 5' 6" respectively.

Newcomer and soccer star Ashley Quiroz was a busy body as well, having to run a 400, 200, and 100 with little break in between races and did so with a "what's next, coach?" attitude.

Overall it was a productive and eventful outing for the Wolves. A day built around team bonding and relationship fortification proved to be just that for the Wolves.

Over at the Palomino Relays at Valley View High, the King vaulters dominated the action as both boys and girls teams finished first in Pole Vault relays. The boys, led by Corey Thomas's 12 ft jumper eked out a the win by six inches. Greg Pedaline and newcomer Chris Sherman rounded out the rest of the team. Sherman, a first year track athlete, leaped to PR of 10-0.

Led by Skye Hutchinson's 10 foot leap, the girls won by 7 feet over their closest rivals. Juliet McKee continued her upward ascent tying her PR at 9-0.

King also had a girls "B" and "C" compete. Ashley Lee, Samantha Rodriquez, Alexandria Herrera, Audrey meadows, Angelina Pulido and Nikki Agasshi all preformed well.

The quality day in two places was much needed as Big VIII league meets loom large over the near future of the season.

Earl Engman RESULTS

Palomino RESULTS

WOLVES PREVAIL OVER TOUGH DIAMONDBACK SQUADS

Serrano High is located in the high desert, and their track team came down the hill for the second year in a row to provide a solid opponent to King's. Well coached and seasoned, the Diamondbacks gave King all they could handle, especially on the girls' side, but King prevailed in the end on all four levels, girls, boys, varsity and JV.

The girls' contest was separated by one point until the very end as King's sprinters swept the 200 meters, an event that stands century near the end of the meet. Kayla Seldon, Raykiyat Olukoju and Sheredyn Pfeiffer took the race and King was able to put some breathing room between them and their worthy opponents. Earlier, Seldon, Pfeiffer and Juliane Malalos swept the 100.

In the pole vault, King had a fine day. Skye Hutchinson - a fitting name for the high-flying senior - won the event with a near PR of 9-0. Mia Beam (2nd), Juliet McKee (3rd) and Ashley Lee (4th) all set Personal Bests. Freshman Alyssa Hope won the long jump with a second PR on the short season and came back to win the triple, helping Tatum Lakshin and Danielle Cabrera sweep that event for King. Her long jump mark is the best 9th grader mark in school history. That one-point lead that King held near the end, expanded to a full 15 in the final score.

Coach Mat Vasel said of the meet, "Serrano is a tough squad and we got through and did what we needed to do with some inspiring performances on our end."

Which happened in both the girls and the boys' contests and even in a few JV performances.

Jack Slavin, John Gathuu, John Wangari and Damien Zemanek are all freshmen with bright varsity futures ahead of them, as demonstrated by their 1-2-3-4 sweep of the JV 1600. Slavin notched the 4th fastest 1600 time for a 9th grader in school history at 4:37, while Gathuu put down the 6th fastest frosh time ever at 4:39. Wangari was just behind them with a lifetime PR and Zemanek also raced his fastest time in history! It was an "inspiring" set of performances indeed. (all time list)

In the varsity edition of the race, Edgar Ortega and Francisco Zavaleta were 2-3 but it was 4th place finisher Bohdin Rush who two years ago was a 5:23 miler, busted a 4:36 PR and was unable to stifle the grin that spread across his delighted face.

The final score was 89-46 in favor of the Wolves, due in no small part to event sweeps. Kai Sana, Jacob Petrick and Onate Nyingifa did the brooming of the 100, Zavelata, Ortega and Malachi Cabanilla swept the 3200, while Corey Thomas, Jared Beasley and Gregory Pedaline crowded all scoring spots in the vault. In the long jump, Dryden Lacour, Chris Nurse and Brandon Benson swept; Lacour and Nurse both PR'd at 19-5.

The season is young, and despite the 2-0 record of both varsity teams, Vasel noted that "we have a lot of room to improve and will need to do so quickly with league meets starting next week."

Indeed. The Wolves may have avoided being snake-bit on Wednesday, but the powerful league rival Roosevelt is just two weeks away and if King thought Serrano's teams a challenge - as they rightly should have - the Mustangs are a whole different animal.

Stay tuned.

Results A few photos

TIP O' THE CAP TO VASEL AND KING IN BIG FIRST WIN

Yorba Linda High's (YL) track and field team traveled to take on King in the season opener for both teams. For King, the hosting duties were of large proportions, as King's squads number in excess of 200 athletes, while the Mustangs brought well over 100. Long time head coach for the Wolves, John Corona, was absent on this Opening Day as he was in Georgia, celebrating his son's graduation from the Army Boot Camp. In his stead stood current assistant coach Mat Vasel, an alum of the program (class of '11); and on this day he wore the Head Coach hat.

Vasel and his Wolves all came through and King won on all four levels.

The girls beat YL by a score of 78-57. Joan Green had a fine outing in the 1600 and 800, running a near Personal Record (PR) in the 1600 at 5:31. Raykiyat Olukoju, Sheredyn Pfeiffer, Kayla Seldon and Juliane Malolos picked up where they left 2019 - which was at the State Championships - with fine performances in their respective sprint events. Freshman Alyssa Hope was a double winner in the long and triple jump, with her long jump mark landing 8th best in school history!

King swept the pole vault led by Skye Hutchinson's 9-0 clearance. Senior Brooklyn Black scored twice, finishing 1st in the 100 hurdles and 2nd in the 300 hurdles.

The boys won by a larger margin than did the ladies, 85-48, completing the sweep as King did in 2019 when the two schools faced each other at Yorba Linda. It was, perhaps, a sweep of the 3200 at the end of the meet that sealed the deal for King, as Malachi Cabanilla, Bohdin Rush and Francisco Zavaleta helped the team push well ahead of the Mustangs who were edging closer to King in the score at that point. Kai Sana won both of the short sprints. Xavier Magana, Cameron Jones and Austin Goetsch swept the 110 hurdles. Matthew Baumann was the winner in the shot.

In light of the monumental amount of work it takes to put on a track meet the size of Thursday's, Coach Mat Vasel wondered aloud with a smile, "I wonder how Coach Corona is even still alive doing this job week after week!"

Indeed, it is a big job. One that Vasel and the 200-some-odd teenagers under his watch managed with great success and a hint of excellence.

A tip-o'-the-cap to them all.

2019

SCHOOL RECORDS THAT WERE SET IN 2019

400 METERS - Reyte Rash, 48.53
300 HURDLES - Reyte Rash, 36.41
200 METERS - Raykiyat Olukoju, 24.28
400 METER RELAY - Kayla Seldon, Sheredyn Pfeiffer, Jade Roberts, 47.08

REYTE RASH EARNS ONE FINAL HONOR

State Runner up. CIF Master Champion. Big 8 League Champion. 2xschool record holder. King Stadium Record holder. Top 5 in the nation. King High’s Athlete of the Year. Team Co-MVP.

It’s been quite a year for Reyte Rash, but the Press Enterprise bestowed another title on him today, selecting him as their “Track Athlete of the Year.”

Here is their story, written by Dennis Pope

Reyte Rash admits to having big – but perhaps unrealistic – expectations for his final high school season.

After surprising many with his win in the 300-meter hurdles at the 2018 CIF Southern Section Masters Meet, the Riverside King senior said the pressure to perform early and often may have stunted his times early this year.

“I had crazy-high expectations for myself, and it wasn’t actually a good thing that I was doing that because after doing something so unexpected last year it kind of makes you really confident in yourself and I let that take control,” Rash said.

So he went back to basics, focused on his technique and his team, and remembered that improvement is measured in increments.

“I needed to calm down and take things slow, and just be happy with the progress I was making,” he said, “because getting faster doesn’t happen just like that. It takes a lot of time; weeks, months.”

A turning point came during King’s Big VIII League dual meet against Roosevelt on March 13. Needing to avoid a sweep by their rivals in the 400 meters, Wolves track and field coach John Corona asked Rash to compete in the event.

“He’s always been a great team athlete (and) that is sometimes hard to find in track, but we needed something to try to break up Roosevelt’s dominance in the 400 and he stepped up,” Corona said.

Not only did Rash make the podium but he won the only 400 race he ran all season, posting the third-best time in the Inland area in the process.

“We said, ‘We only need to you to get second or third,’ ” Corona said, “but he goes out and ends up winning the race and sets the school record in the process with a 48.53. It was just incredible and a big turning point.”

Formally a specialist in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles, Rash was again the Big VIII League champion in both events this season, and he also ran a leg on King’s league champion 4×100 relay team.

He finished second at the CIF-SS Division 1 finals in both hurdles events and went on to win his second CIF-SS Masters Meet title in the 300 hurdles, but he had to withdraw from 110 hurdles because of a nagging groin injury.

“The injury really slowed down my work so I really couldn’t go as hard in practice or it would make it worse, or I’d have to wrap it so tight that it would make it hard for me to move my leg,” he said.

Rash nursed the injury and advanced to his second CIF State meet, making the final of the 300 hurdles where he ran the No. 2 time in the state and No. 3 time in the nation (36.41 seconds). Upland’s Caleb Roberson edged him at 36.32, the state’s top time and second-fastest in the nation this season.

“That was the race that I wanted to go out with a bang because it was the last race I was ever going to run in high school,” he said. “Even though I stumbled a little, and it was enough for me not to be able to catch up, I’m still happy with it.”

Rash now will head to Cal State Fullerton on a full-tuition scholarship — his reason for running track from the beginning.

“The whole goal of my high school track career was to make sure I got a scholarship to college, and now it’s up to me to go as far and as fast as I can,” he said.

— Dennis Pope

REYTE RASH EARNS KING HIGH'S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD

NOT A GOOFY LITTLE FRESHMAN ANYMORE

Reyte Rash has a back story behind his way to becoming one of the best hurdlers in California over the last two seasons.

He started his King athletic career playing football and appeared to have joined track in the Spring of his freshman year just to get in better shape for the grid iron.

“He didn’t have much going on that freshman year” recalls head track coach John Corona of Rash’s early days of sprinting then finding his way over to the hurdles.

As would now seem obvious, his proficiency in the hurdle races began to show. “He seemed to have a bit of potential” Corona remembers, “but he was pretty much just another goofy freshman.”

It was during his sophomore season that Reyte would begin his run toward stardom. In fact, it was in the King Frosh Soph Classic invitational in 2017 where he won the 300 hurdles in a big way.

“Will Jacobsmeyer, who has been the announcer of the meet every year, still talks about that race. “He was just dominating! I thought, ‘holy cow!’ this kid is going to be good!” Rash would go on to finish 4th in the Big 8 300 hurdles that sophomore year, demonstrating that while success was coming, there was still room for the young racer to grow.

Corona recalls, “Despite those accomplishments he was inconsistent in his effort, in his approach. But Reyte will tell you that he learned a lot watching Senior Dillon Lay (’17), do his thing with the hurdles that year.”

So, with the example set and the taste of success in his mouth, Rash began listening with greater intent to King’s hurdle coach Ken Bracey and the climb to success began with earnest.

That success was memorialized in a last five weeks of 2018, a competitive span that is one for the ages.

Starting with the Big VIII Finals, Rash went on a unprecedented run of success in both hurdle races all the way to the California State meet. He would win the CIF Championship in the 300 Hurdles, become the first Master’s Meet Champion (best of 4 CIF Divisions combined) in King History and then finish in second place finish at the State Championships in the 300’s. He would finish 10th in the state in the 110 hurdles.

“Nobody, and I mean nobody saw that coming” said Corona.

His senior year has been just as good. Rash was a team captain exhibiting a quiet leadership not just within his event group but for he entire team. He won the Big VIII championship in both hurdle races (110 meters and 300 meters) and ran a leg on the League champion 4 × 100 team. He won major invitational races and was second in CIF D1 in both the 110’s and the 300’s. His time in the 300’s clocked in as the 4th best in the nation for 2019. In the 300’s he won the Masters Meet for the second year in a row and advanced to State.

But it hasn’t been just about himself.

Reyte has been the ultimate teammate and no greater example was the 2019 dual meet with Roosevelt. In an attempt to break up the dominant 400 group the Mustangs had, the King coaching staff entered Reyte in the 400 meter race, a race he’d contested only once during high school. His instructions were to “just get second if you can.”

In a stunning upset, Reyte won the event in a School and Stadium record time of 48.58 and kept the Wolves in the meet. He would double back after about 40 minutes to win the 300 Hurdles. Though King would lose by a mere four points, Reyte’s incredible efforts for the cause are what coaches dream about.

When informed later about Reyte’s performance, Coach Don Jones of San Diego track power Rancho Bernardo High School commented, “It’s good to see when an athlete sacrifices and competes for the good of the team. What a great day for that young man!”

Corona concurs, as he’s had a front row seat to the rise of Rash.

“We have really been proud of what Reyte has accomplished both for him and for our program” said Corona. “However, I have been most impressed by his calm, humble demeanor around his teammates, with opponents and with the media. A lot of kids would get a blown out of proportion vision of themselves. He hasn’t been close to that.”

Corona smiled. “He’s not that goofy little freshman anymore, that’s for sure.”

Reyte is one of many Track and Field Athletes who have been honored with the title “Athlete of the year”. Here is the list of past recipients:
2016 – Tyler Janes (Cross Country and Track)
2011 – Lane Werley (Cross Country and Track)
2010 – Justin DeCoud (Football, Track)
2008 – Marques Lea (Football, Basketball, Track)
2005 – Ian Peebles (Football, Soccer and Track)
2004 – Michael Myers (Football and Track)
2002 – Marvin Lea (Basketball and Track)

2017 – Kathryn Hammar (Cross Country and Track)
2013 – Tayler Fleming (Soccer and Track)
2012 – Cydnie Jones (Basketball and Track)
2011 – Hanna Peterson (Cross Country and Track)
2010 – Kelsi Tippets (Cross Country and Track)
2009 – Kelsi Tippets (Cross Country and Track)
2008 – Lotolelei Franklin (Basketball and Track)
2005 – Stephanie Erdodi (Basketball and Track)
2004 – Megan Fairley (Cross Country and Track)
2003 – Markisha Lea (Volleyball, Basketball, Track)
2001 – Markisha Lea (Basketball and Track)

SHE’S GONNA NEED A NEW GOLF BAG

Morgan Sjoerdsma has spent almost her whole life golfing. She first picked up a club at four years old. You read that right … four.

Lucinda Brewer, King High’s former softball coach, PE teacher, and long time friend of Morgan’s parents, Ann Dena and Gregg, was at the range that day back in 2004 and should take the credit for getting Morgan’s career going.

“I went into the clubhouse to get the range balls and saw a pair of Snoopy golf bags with a driver, an iron and a putter” Brewer said. “It was around Christmas, so I bought both bags for Morgan and her sister Chandler.”

Some times an impulse buy can pay off.

The sisters soon started going to the driving range with Brewer. Keeping it fun they would play putting games on the practice greens together. But as the sisters grew older, golf lessons, time and ultimately the frustration that a game like golf can create almost ended their careers before they took off.

Following sound advice from Brewer’s father (and former golf coach himself) Lucinda found a new coach for Morgan and Chandler near the end of their elementary school years.

“Coach Kati Bisantz is worth a million dollars.” Brewer said. “Morgan’s game took off with Coach Kati’s instruction, and her aptitude for being a good student along with the support of her family helped too. It did not take long for Morgan to see the improvement, and when she starting beating me, I decided to take lessons from Coach Kati, too!” Brewer said smiling.

She got to King ready and focused, but as is fitting for a well rounded student-athlete, Morgan and her parents wanted her to have a wide array of athletic experiences along the way. She played a season of basketball and ran two seasons of track and field.

“I believe it was her being on the track team where she gained a lot of confidence in herself that carried over to the golf course.” Brewer said. Head track coach, John Corona agreed. “She was the consummate teammate. She told me once that after having experienced sitting in the blocks, waiting for the gun to go off in front of like 1000 people, she would never be nervous over a three foot put again.”

Her golf game was soaring. Varsity for all four years, Morgan was a key contributor to King earning four league titles during her career at the school. She was the Rookie of the Year that first season and the team MVP and Big 8 All Academic for three. She made varsity her freshman year.

In her final season last Fall, she advanced through the first two qualifying rounds of CIF and fell just a few strokes shy of making the cut in the third round for the Final 20 players to compete for the State title. Her career is reminiscent of Nicole Smith’s from King’s early years. Smith was inducted into the King High Athletic Hall of Fame last September.

King head golf coach Keith Moorman enjoyed every minute of the journey with the talented and gracious senior.

“She led by example” said Moorman. “Teammates and opponents always requested to play with her.” No surprise, she was selected for the King “Character Counts Award” and the Peak Athletic Award that reflect that integrity that is bedrock to great sportsmanship.

“It helped too that she is the daughter of two successful coaches who provided her with the ability to help and encourage her teammates” (Ann Dena was King’s first girls basketball coach and Gregg has coached basketball, cross country,track and tennis in his 33 year long career)

“Morgan possesses many characteristics needed to be a champion; passion, discipline, athleticism, mental toughness.” Moorman added.

After graduation, Sjoerdsma will attend Cal State Los Angeles in the Fall and continue her golf career there.

Chances are she won’t be taking that Snoopy bag with her.

RASH PUNCTUATES THE STATE MEET WITH AN EXCLAMATION MARK

CLOVIS: When Reyte Rash dove across the finish line of the 101st edition of the California State Track and Field Championships he was literally the last King athlete of the year to finish competing. He went out big and on the biggest of stages.

In a sense, that stage had started construction one year ago, when the then unheralded Rash surged through the CIF rounds and almost won the 2018 300 meter hurdles State title, losing by a fraction to Upland High School’s Caleb Roberson.

The two would return in 2019 and return with purpose. Both had outstanding seasons of improvement. Through the CIF rounds, the two talented seniors would share “lesser” titles in the 300 meter hurdles; Roberson took the Southern Section DI title, Rash the Masters’.

All that was left was the stage of State. Both young men would share the spotlight again. It was a race many were anticipating for days in advance.

Head track coach, John Corona said that the plan going into the race was to “sell out, empty the tank.” Which is what Reyte had to to do just to catch Roberson after the Upland star exited the turn with the lead. The final 100 meters required a toll just to get close.

Roberson stuttered going into the final hurdle which left just enough daylight for Rash to make one final effort.

Or lunge, actually. He dove for the line, Roberson did too. It was that close. 9-100th’s is all that separated the two.

“That was my plan if we were neck-and-neck at the finish,” Rash told the media. “In races like this, it sometimes comes down to who wants it more. I think both of us wanted that win equally. Caleb is a great runner and we just keep pushing one another.”

That mutual pushing put both of them atop the victory stand, but perhaps even more so, atop the nation. Roberson’s 36.32 time and Rash’s 36.41 are the second and third fastest times in the United States this year. (click here for the national ranking)

Corona was beside himself. “Third fastest in the country? Wow! That a kid from King High is (ranked that high) in the nation! Just wow!”

Rash was proud too, though the coming-in-second part takes some getting used to. “I am somewhat bummed that the same guy (as last year) beat me” he confessed, “but at the same time I shouldn’t, because third in the nation is pretty crazy. Like, that’s the (whole country)! So I’m definitely proud but still have a small bummed feeling in the back of my mind thinking of things I could have done better.”

Feeling bummed was a normal emotion for the girls 4×100 relay squad of Raykiyat Olukoju, Sheredyn Pfeiffer, Jade Roberts, Kayla Seldon, Julianne Malolos and Anna Berrydidn’t compete as they hoped to in their first-ever trip to the State Championships. Kayla got to Fresno sick and never saw the track, and a couple of poor exchanges doomed their hopes of getting out of the Friday Preliminaries and into the top 9 of Finals. They finished 17th.

But that disappointment couldn’t dim the luster off of Rash’s accomplishment.

“Based on that time, and place, I would say he did in fact empty the tank” Corona said. “It was great to see his career and our season end on such a tremendous high note. He represented all of us well and want an exclamation point to another fine season for King Track and Field.”

Photo gallery

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED AT MASTERS

At the end to the day, the CIF SS Masters Track and Field Meet is just a qualifying meet for the State Championships to be held this weekend in Clovis, CA. But using the word “just” in that sentence under describes the meet. It’s more than that.

The CIF Southern Section in track consists of 4 divisions, totaling nearly 500 schools. To get to the Masters, an athlete must compete exceptionally well in their Divisional Finals where the four divisions run separately. To get a shot at the Masters Meet one has to finish in the top 9 per event from all 4 Southern Sections divisions combined, thus making Masters a stage on which only elites from Southern California can tread.

To make the State meet, athletes must finish in the top six places of their event, or beat a qualifying mark.

That was the setting and those were the stakes on Saturday for King High. At the end of the day, Masters was “mission accomplished.”

The girls 4×100 relay squad of Raykiyat Olukoju, Kalya Seldon, Sheredyn Pfeiffer, and Jade Robertswas first to take the track and executed flawless exchanges while getting the baton to their anchor Raykiyat in 6th place, the last of the qualifying spot. Ray bolted down the home stretch passing two opponents to bring the team across the line in 4th place with a time of 47.13, just a fraction off their best time of the year. They will be the first relay squad in school history to compete in the State meet.

Reyte Rash, who was State runner up in 2018 in the 300 meter hurdles has been down this road before. However, a slightly injured groin muscle necessitated him dropping the first of his two events, the 110 meter high hurdles as a precaution.

The leg didn’t seem to hinder him in the 300’s though as he took the lead coming off the turn and powered his

w ay to the victory at 36.89, just 3-10ths off his best ever mark set last week at the CIF D1 Finals.

“I was a bit worried going into today” said Head Coach John Corona. “I was worried about where the kids might be in their mind set. It was a tough week mentally and physically for all of them. There were a lot of ups and down, peaks and valleys, a lot of pressure because the Masters is the meet that gets you to State. But, boy! They certainly responded didn’t they? What a great achievement for all those youngsters and for our program.”

Raykiyat would compete a second time herself in the 200 meters where she finished 9th, a remarkable achievement in it’s own right for the 9th grader!

Also included in the day’s agenda at the Master’s Meet was was the inaugural Unified Sports Track Championships. This program, in partnership with Special Olympics, partners a student-athlete of Special Needs and a General Ed student-athlete in competition against other teams in various events. An average of the two competitors marks then determines their standing in that competition.

Representing King in the long jump was Bryce Goldman and Zach Chelette, who made it through last’s weeks’s qualifiers at Trabuco Hills High School. Both young men suffered a bit from nerves at first, competing in such a high profile event, but they put together a series of good efforts, including Bryce’s PR jump of 14-4 to finish third. “What a great accomplishment for those two kids. We are really proud of them. ” said Coach Corona. ” The Unified Sports concept is a great one and as this idea gains momentum throughout CIF member schools, our program plans to be part of that wave.”

So the mission at Masters was accomplished as all of King’s crew who entered will move on to the 101st running of the California State Championships to be held this Friday and Saturday in Clovis.

RESULTS Photo gallery

THE EYES HAVE IT: RASH, GIRLS' RELAY ADVANCE TO MASTERS

In the blink of an eye. …In the high school track and field postseason that is the CIF rounds, that’s all it takes. In the blink of an eye, everything you’ve worked for, almost everything the season has been about either becomes reality or goes out the window. In the blink of an eye, you have lived to compete another day or you are going home, your season finished. In what was a hotly competitive 2019 CIF Finals across all four divisions, the King High Wolves found their successes and their disappointments mostly in that blink of the eye.

It was a day where the King Girls 4×100 team of Kayla Seldon, Sheredyn Pfeiffer, Jade Roberts and Raykiyat Olukoju finished third in D-1 with a time of 47.40, only an eyelash ahead of Rancho Cucamonga at 47.43. That time and place gave them a slot in the Master’s Meet next week where the qualifying for the State Meet takes place.

Also earning the opportunity for that final step to Clovis was Reyte Rash. Rash earned a second in the 110 Hurdles with a 14.50 just a blink of an eye over his PR and he also got second in the 300 Hurdles, dropping his new PR and school record to 36.59. The 300’s were billed as the ‘race of the day” as Reyte and his counterpart of Upland High, Caleb Lutalo Roberson battled all the way to the finish. Right at the end, in the blink of an eye, Roberson won the event in 36.35, the fastest time in the nation this year. Reyte’s time was fourth fastest in the nation so far this year. At press time, it appeared that Olukoju had made her way to the Master’s meet in the 200 as she finished 4th in D-1 at 24.60 and appeared to have the 8th best time of the day.

It was also a day where that blink of an eye worked against the Wolves. The Boys 4 X 100 relay made up of Rash, Nick Beam, Kai Sana and Isac Meza recorded a solid time of 42.39 but it would take a sub 42 to get into that final 9 at the Masters. Olukoju ran a fine time of 12.23 in the 100 but it wasn’t good enough to advance. Sheredyn Pfeiffer, battling physical issues, could not get anything going in the long jump. and finished 9th.

It was a day that would end with league rival Roosevelt girls winning the CIF D-1 Championship by two points over longtime power Long Beach Poly; a day where the the Lady Wolves would tie for 16th place in CIF Division 1 and the King Boys would finish tie for 11th. These finishes are in a division that hosts close to 100 schools. As the weeks go on, the competition just gets tougher and as it gets tougher that “blink of the eye” gets even faster.

Photos from Tuesday competition Prelims Results (varsity events)

RAYKIYAT ROLLS AND LEADS KING TO FINALS

It’s been a long time since King had an athlete qualify for the D1 CIF Finals in more than one event, but Freshman Raykiyat Olukoju did just that on Saturday competing in the CIF Prelims of track and field at Trabuco Hills High School. She will be one of a number of King athletes who punched their ticket to the finals.

The meet got of exceedingly well when both 4×100 relay teams — which are the first events held in the meet — qualified by winning their heats. For the girls that squad included Ray, Sheredyn Pfeiffer, Jade Roberts and Kayla Seldon while the boys were running a “B team” of Kai Sana, Nick Beam, Isac Meza and Ray Cota. Missing from the squad was their normal back-stretch man, Reyte Rash who was held out as a precaution due to a strained groin.

Rash’s injury didn’t seem to hamper his efforts in his main events, both hurdle races, where he qualified in both. It is unknown as of today whether Rash will compete in the relay at Finals.

Pfeiffer was also a qualifier in the long jump where a 17-8.5 was good enough for fifth on the day. Ray would come back to qualify in both the 100 and 200.

Ray’s historic “triple” has few precedents. Orlisha Henlon did it for King twice, back in 2002 and 2003 qualifying in the high jump, the 100 and the relay in ’02 while switching out the relay for the 200 in ’03. Tayler Fleming advanced in both hurdle races and the 4×400 back in 2012.

Nick Beam was 10th in the 100 meters and will head to Finals with a shot at the race as the first alternate.

The exceptionally competitive Division 1 of the Southern Section has a way of filtering out most, and historically, it’s done that for King. But for Ray and for a good group of her teammates on Saturday, they were able to navigate through that crowd and will now move on to the CIF D1 Finals, to be held this Saturday at El Camino College in Torrance.

Results Some Photos

KING FOR A DAY IN SPEED CITY USA

For decades, the term “Speed City” has been applied to college and high school track programs with a preponderance of top of the line sprinters. These programs tend to feature young people whose speed and quickness bring themselves and their teams into the limelight. For the most part in its 20 years of existence the King Track program rarely, if ever, had been mentioned in such company. That is, until last Thursday evening at the 2019 Big VIII Track and Field finals, where the Wolves, at least for a day, earned the title, “Speed City.”

In a meet described by California High School Track expert Rich Gonzalez as the “second best (the Southwestern League down the 215 Freeway was first) league performance of the week in the entire CIF -Southern Section”, the Big VIII League Finals once again demonstrated an overall depth and competitiveness not matched by many leagues across the state. ….and in among that depth and competitiveness, buoyed by their sprint corps, stood the King High Track team.

Things got off to a hot start with the Girls Varsity 4 X 100. The King quartet of Kayla Seldon, Sheredyn Pfieffer, Jade Roberts and Raykiyat “Ray” Olukoju blazed to a new school record in 47.08 only to lose to Roosevelt who ran 47.07 . As of Thursday night, those were the second and third fastest times in CIF Division 1!!! The boys followed with their fourth straight Big VIII title in that event recording a season best 41.76. That mark put the team of Kai Sana, Reyte Rash, Isac Meza and Nick Beam second all time on the King record lists.

Reyte Rash would go on to win the 110 Hurdles and 300 Hurdles for the second straight year; Ray Olukoju would win the 100 meters against an impressive field in 12.03 followed by Pfieffer in fourth at 12.28 and Seldon in fifth at at PR 12.35.

Beam, third a year ago, raced to the championship in both the 100 (10.88) and the 200 (22.08). He will be joined in the 100 at CIF by team mate Sana who came in at 11.09 for third. Robert Barraza did well in the long sprint-the 400-recording a PR at 50.88. Olukoju would get second in the 200 meters with a new school record of 24.28 and Seldon PR’ed again with a 25.24. Barraza would double back in the 4 X 400 and help his team of Ibraheim Al-Khalili; Brian Green and Garrett Vasta qualify for CIF with a season best 3:29.03.

Not to be outdone by their counterparts in speed, the rest of the Wolf track team rose to the occasion. Garrett Vasta “had a plan” and worked it to perfection as he took over the 1600 with about 200 meters to go and won the league title with a PR 4:19.9. “That (the win) was something I’ve wanted all four years of high school” the Portland State-bound senior said.

Soph Edgar Ortega, who has had a fine season, came in third in 4:21.19-a PR for him. Brian Green, though o,t of CIF consideration, ran a PR in the 800, finally going sub two minutes at 1:58.66. Austin Fortenberry gutted out a great performance, finished 4th in the 3200 losing out on a CIF spot by .46 seconds!

Amanda Sosa ran a stellar 1600 until hurting her ankle during the course of the race and she had to settle for fourth place at 5:19. Joanie Green finished 5th in the 3200 with a season best 11:56.6. Robert Kells garnered a second in the shot put with a PR toss of 47-8; Treyjon Anderson qualified for CIF for the second year in a row in both the long jump and triple jump; Pfeiffer qualified in the long jump and Corey Thomas who began the season at 11-7 in the pole vault cleared 13-3 for 5th place in the league.

The Wolves really showed up on the Soph/Frosh level as well. The boys were lead by Ryan Hernandez who was a member of both winning relays ; won the 200 and was second the 100. Isaiah Donnhauser was not far behind as a member of both relays and the 400 Champion. Austin Goetsch was league champ in both hurdle races in PR times. Malachi Cabanilla was a triple winner, sweeping the championships in all three distance races. Jacob Cook won the shot put while throws team mate Anthony Foye won the discus. Rebecca Hales was a triple winner sweeping the Girls High Jump; the Long Jump and Triple Jump. Audrey Brunken was the runaway winner of the 1600 and finished second in the 3200. Julian Harb won four medals as part of b oth relays and great races in the 100 and 200.

Over the years, the coaching staff has come to note, and say, that “League Finals Night is OUR night” and that proved to again be true. With great and gutsy performances coming from all over the track, King athletes acquitted themselves well. The King Track and Field program has always emphasized the need for a strong balanced team and that has also shown over the years.

But for tonight anyway “Speed City” led the way!

TEAMS GO IN TWO DIRECTIONS TO GET TO THE SAME PLACE

The final Saturday of the regular season found the King track program headed in two different directions, bot literally and figuratively, but both paths ended at the same place: success.

Off to the Mt. SAC Relays -“Where the World’s Best Compete”, was a small group of King varsity athletes bent on using this stage as a final tune-up for the ever tough Big VIII Finals and the CIF rounds beyond. The event being held at El Camino

College in Torrance until the new facility at Mt. San Antonio JC in Walnut is complete, King would see some of the best competition this side of Arcadia.

Reyte Rash broke out early with a second place finish in his heat of the 110 Hurdles running a season best time of 14.49. He followed up that performance with a victory in the Invitational 300 Hurdles with another season best time of 37.20. He then turned around and ran a leg on the boys 4 X 100 relay which placed third in their heat with a season best time of 42.46. The rest of that 4 X 100 team was made up of Kai Sana, Isac meza and Nick Beam. In all, Reyte ran 3 races in the span of about an hour and a half. The girls 4 X 100 finally seemed to put things together after a season of ups and downs Kayla Seldon, Sheredyn Pfeiffer, Jade Roberts and Raykiyat Olukoju got the stick around winning their heat in a season best 48.01. It sits as the 5th fastest time in school history! In all, it was perhaps the best day a King team has EVER had collectively at the Mt. SAC Relays.

Going the other direction to Corona High, a number of soph/frosh athletes made their way to the Corona Soph/Frosh Showdown. This would be the final meet of the year for a lot of the King participants but you wouldn’t know it by the performances that were meted out. In the team scoring, the King Girls finished second to Oak Hills 107-81 while the boys were a distant third (68 points) getting outscored by Elsinore (111 points) and Roosevelt (118).

Things got going well as both the boys and girls 4 X 100 relays finished third. The boys team of Isaiah Donnhauser, Jacob Petrick, Alonso Moore and Ryan Hernandez clocked 45.68 and the girls, Priscilla Cheng, Brianna Olukoju; Aiyanna Allen-Jefferson and Jullan Harb crossed the line in a season best 53.09. Harb would come back later and finish third in the 100 in 13.4. The youthful girl hurdlers got a passel of points with Eden Yost getting second, Avalon Provance getting third and Kendelle Dixon finishing sixth. All three girls medaled and for Avalon and Kendelle, they earned PR marks of 18.61 and 19.89 respectively. Gabriel Cabellero also PRed in the 110 Highs for fourth place at 17.79 and again in the 300 lows at 46.13. The big story of the day however, might have been the story of the boys 1600 where Julian Morgan PRed five seconds to 4:51 and 9th grader Jacob Scott churned out an 13 second PR going under 5 minutes at 4:58!! Scott is the 21st King boy to break 5:00 in the 1600 this season. The boys 4 X 400 team of Hernandez, Petrick, Donnhauser and Korey Knight turned in a VERY respectable 3:37.77 for second place.

In the field events, the Wolves made a big push throughout the day. Rebecca Hales – one of three sisters who have preformed for the Wolves over the years — won the long jump at 14-10 and then finished second in both the high jump and triple jump. Ariel Delgado was 5th in both the long and triple jumps and Zoe Barbee was able to claim third in the HJ at 4-6. In the boys long jump Dryden LaCour finished third before winning the high jump on his final attempt. He would clear 5-6 for a PR and would be joined by Josh Alejos and Issac Jones who both cleared 5-2 for third and fourth place. For Josh, that mark was a PR to go with his PR in the triple (32-10) and in the long jump-(16-2). Lorenzo Arroyo PRed finishing 4th in the triple jump at 34-1. 9th grader Hayden Thomas brought up visions of brother Corey’s quick ascent a year ago in the vault clearing 10-6 for second place. At the King Soph/Frosh Classic back on March 23rd, Hayden cleared 9-3. A 15 inch improvement in less than a month. Impressive! Greg Pedaline cleared 10-0 for 6th and Ashley Lee; Juliet Mckee and Alex Herrera all medaled in the girls vault. Malia Ewens grabbed fourth place in the discus with a PR of 71-00 and Jacob Cook, though not a medalist, got his PR in the discus at 96-0.

Torrance for some, Corona for most, either way, it ended up being a successful day for the Wolves Track and Field program

Corona Results Mt.SAC Results King’s Top 5 All Time List

GIRLS WIN IT WITH THEIR LAST MINUTE

It takes about 3 hours to finish a track meet, but in the last dual of the season yesterday, the last minute was all that mattered.

A lot was on the line in the last lap of the last event. 9th grader Raykiyat Olukoju got the baton for the final leg of the 4×400 meter relay and already quickly getting away with a 25

meter gap was her Santiago opponent. Scattered across the infield were a couple hundred King and Santiago athletes, all of whom had already finished their events and awaiting the outcome of this last event of the day.

What was on the line was this: She who wins the race, wins the meet for her school. Those three hours had come down to the last race, the last lap, the last athlete, and by the looks of it with a minute to go, was the race was Santiago’s to lose.

Ray had a different idea.

She started driving, racing away at the chasm between her and the leader. Around the final turn, into the home stretch, with the crowd going wild, Ray finally caught the Santiago sprinter with just 30 meters to spare and crossed the line to win. Of the 57 seconds it took her to run that one lap, 54 would elapse before Ray found the lead she — and her teammates — so desperately wanted.

And with that last minute, King won their last dual meet of 2019.

Santiago had made the Lady Wolves earn every point. As the number of events dwindled, the points tightened, and a sweep of the 3200 (the event just before the 4×400) by Lauren Peurifoy, Audrey Brunken and Briana Rodriguez put King in a position to grab victory out of the mouth of defeat. Santiago had taken valuable points in the 100 meters hurdles, the 800 and the 400. Skye Hutchinson’s 3rd place vault of 9-6 kept the Sharks from sweeping that event. Sheredyn Pfeiffer and Danielle Cabrera were 1-3 in the long jump, but Santiago swept the triple jump. Amanda Sosa won the 1600 ahead of 9th grader Brunken, but she was able to take only the 2nd position in the 800.

So it was that kind of meet, back and forth, forth and back … until the final lap, the final meters of the final race, when King emerged with the win.

The boys’ contest was very different than the girls, as King distanced themselves early on and never really had to look over their shoulders. A win in the opening relay, then a sweep of the 1600 by Garrett Vasta, Mitchell Machuca and Edgar Ortega had the Wolves quickly on their way to amassing 101 points on the day to Santiago’s 35. Sweeps were common, with the 100, 200, both relays and the 3200 seeing King take every point available in the event.

Nick Beam, who has had a terrific season of sprinting, scored in the 400 relay and won the 100 and 200. In the 200, his 22.32 was his fastest ever, despite a head win, and gave him sole possession of the #4 time in school history. Ray Cota was just behind him and ran a lifetime best as well.

Robert Barraza ran his best time ever in the 400 to win that event. Brian Green won the 800, but it was a frustrating success, as his 2:00.58 marked the fifth time this season he’s run two-flat. Sub 2:00 will have to wait another week!

Reyte Rash saved something special for the last time he’d race on his home track. In the 300 meters, and without any competition to push him, he rocketed around the track to a 37.34 time and the stadium record. The fastest time of his season, it’s just 2-tenths off his best time ever, set last year at the State Championships, and broke a stadium record that was set in 2011. It was his goal and he will leave King with two stadium records and two school records in the 400 meters and the 300 meter hurdles.

It was a fun way to finish the dual meet season. King will now prepare for the League Championships in which individuals will work toward event titles and a chance to advance to the CIF Championships.

Results Photo gallery

BOYS FINISH SECOND AT IE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Inland Empire Championships held yearly at Vista Murrieta High School is a competitive meet that brings together most of the track and field programs across the Inland Empire. King had a good day, in fact, the varsity boys finished second among all team, trailing only the perennial State power, and host of the meet, Vista Murrieta.

Reyte Rash accounted for a number of the team’s points, winning both hurdle races as he begins his march toward CIF and State competition in May. He was also part of the 100 relay which finished 3rd in a season best and 4th best in school history. Nick Beam was solid in that relay and in the 100 meters, where he finished second. The 4×400 team finished in second behind Vista. Robert Kells scored in the shot put and the discus. Edgar Ortega had a big lifetime PR in the 3200 meters at 9:43 he sits just outside King’s all time top five in the event.

The girls’ team wasn’t in the top group of scoring teams, but nonetheless had a good day. Jade Roberts ran 61 seconds in the 400 to notch her fastest time ever. Amanda Sosa finished 4th in the 800 with an impressive performance over the two laps. Raykiyat Olukoju improved a fraction on her King #3 all time 200 to finish in fourth.

Sheredyn Pfieffer was the champion of the long jump, besting 17 feet in doing so.

Coach Corona was pleased with the day, saying, “It was really gratifying at the end of the meet and we were informed that the boys had finished in second place. Across the board, both boys and girls, we really preformed well against quality competition…some of the best we will see until you get to CIF. As we head into the final week and look towards League Prelims and Finals, this is the momentum we want.”

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A CENTENNIAL PUSH REWRITES HISTORY

RESULTS PHOTOS

CORONA: Scoring 100 points against Centennial had been a somewhat common experience for the boys and girls track teams from King since arriving in the Big 8 close to ten years ago. That history changed yesterday as the Wolves had to scratch and claw on the boys side to eek out a much more narrow victory than in past contests. And while the girls won by a few more points than the boys did, they too weren't able to run away with it despite some history (re)making in the sprint events.

"Centennial really took it to us and it looked like that they might send us home with an ‘L” said head coach John Corona. "However, one of our goals every year is to have a team that has balanced scoring and that was the difference. "

It was the field events that saved it for the boys, as Centennial commanded the track events.

"Our field events carried the day" Corona said.

Robert Kells, who has quietly had a great season, won both the shot and the discus. Matthew Baumann and Aaron Costa helped to sweep the shot and discus, collectively the three throwers earned 18 points for the team. Denver Murray won the high jump, Corey Thomas PR'd in the vault at 13'0" and Treyjon Anderson PR'd in the long jump. At 22' 3" it's the second farthest leap in school history (Click here for the top 5 all time). He'd come back to win the triple jump as well, scoring 10 points for the cause.

The track events were still good, though not quite as commanding as their field partners. The 3200, the second-to-last running event was swept by Austin Fortenberry, Mitchell Machuca and Brian Green. As the meet was closing in on finishing, that sweep vaulted King over the threshold of 69 points needed for victory. Nick Beam had another good day in the sprints. Edgar Ortega was 2nd, Machuca 3rd in the 1600, while Reyte Rash continued his mastery over all Big 8 hurdlers, winning both events.

The girls were solid across both track and field. In fact, history was rewritten in yet another way in the sprint events.

The all time list in the 100 was altered first, as Raykiyat Olukoju and Sheredyn Pfeiffer scorched the straight-away race with the help of a tail wind, running 12.11 and 12.12 respectively and putting their names in the top 5 all time at King. Olukoju PR'd in the 200 as well, running the #3 time in school history. Amanda Sosa won the 1600 and 800 while freshman Audrey Brunken won the 3200 and PR'd in the 1600, finishing second. Naomi Benson was second in the 100 hurdles, Brooklyn Black and Kathy Drake went 2-3 in the 300's, both with PR's.

Pfeiffer PR'd in the long jump to win, improving her #3 all time mark in the proces, while freshman Rebecca Hales finishing 3rd. Kimberly Garza won the discus and took third in the shot and Skye Hutchinson won the vault with a PR of 9-6

"It was a grind, all day" said Corona. "I'm really proud though of the way our kids kept battling."

RIVERSIDE IS TRACK TOWN FOR A DAY

The city of Riverside, back in the day, was known as a “track town.” In the 1960’s and 70’s a host of elite track athletes, many to become future Olympians, hailed from the city, and the annual “Riverside City Championships” was the showcase event of the season.

During the 1980’s and 90’s the meet dissolved but was revived again in 2010 by long-time

track coach and Riverside resident, John Corona and King High has been hosting the event now for almost a decade.

The city and the sport have changed a bit since those yesteryears, (the meet name has evolved into “The Raincross Tradition) but on King High’s track this past Saturday what stayed the same was quality performances across both track and field.

For the King athletes in fact, the day served as a bit of a showcase of their talents as they found themselves at or near the lead of almost every event.

In the short sprints, Nick Beam ran a season best of 11.11 in the 100 and was followed by Kai Sana and Ray Cota to make it a King sweep. Briana Olukoju ran a PR of 13.71 to finish second in the 100 on the girls’ side. Beam and Cota were 1-2 in the 200 while Briana’s sister, Raykyat won the 200 with Kayla Seldon in the runner-up spot. Jade Roberts ran a PR of 1:02.52 in the 400 to win that event while Brooklyn Black PR’d in 5th place with 1:03.98. Robert Barraza was 2nd in the 400 also with a PR of 52.19

The middle distances had King athletes at the front. Amanda Sosa won the 800 (and later the 3200) by a large margin, going 2:23.09 unpushed. Brian Green matched Poly’s Justin Bartlebaugh for all 800 meters and finished second just 1/100th behind Bartlebaugh at 2:00.35. Mitchell Machuca won the full mile (not the 1600) in a quality time of 4:32.62 while Joan Green took second in the same event with a PR of 5:33. Freshman Audrey Brunken was third and Briana Rodriguez was 4th to crowd the victory stand.

Joan Green and Austin Fortenberry were both second place in the 3200. Naomi Benson took second in the 100 hurdles, as did Abraham Alkhalili in the 300’s. In the longer hurdle race, Benson finished fourth. King’s girls and boys squads won both relay events.

King had a field day as well. Kimberly Garza was second in the shot put with a season best toss of 34-5. Amaya Brown-Kent was 6th with her best throw ever at 28-2.5. Robert Kells was third with a PR of over 138 feet in the discus and was third in the shot, also with a PR of 46-1.75. In the long jump, Treyjon Anderson was second while Denver Murray, Dryden LaCour ad Nicholas Wilson were 2-3-4 in the high jump. Danielle Cabrera was second for King the triple.

So it was that kind of day for King, their names and marks scattered evenly over the track and field events and mostly near the top of the rankings.

And, for a day at least, Riverside could lay claim to being, once again, a “track town”.

RESULTS SMALL PHOTO GALLERY

RASH AND ORTEGA REP KING AT ARCADIA INVITATIONAL

Just two of King's athletes qualified for the prestigious Arcadia Invitational. With over 700 schools from three countries and 35 states, one can understand gettin in is hard.

Edgar Ortega's goal since December was to qualify for the "Rising Stars Mile", a heat reserved for the fastest 9th and 10th grade boys. He was excited and raced well, if not his best. At 4:30 for the full mile, his mark wasn't his fastest of the year but the precocious sophomore had a great experience and it whetted his appetite to come back in 2020 and do even better.

Reyte Rash competed under the lights in the select "invitational" section of the meet. In the 110 and 300 hurdles the talented senior had another successful outing, even if it ended in spectacular fashion. In the 300's -- the better of his two events -- he was closing in on the lead with just one hurdle to clear. In the lane adjacent to Rash, the leader hit the final hurdle, knocking explosively into Reyte's lane. Hitting it was unavoidable, which Rash did and down he went. He crawled to the finish line and almost rolled his chest across it and notched ... 38.33! Impressive time for someone who runs the full 300 meters rather than run 285 and crawl 5.

So both athletes had a good day on the big stage of Arcadia.

FROSH SOPH CLASSIC GIVES SPOTLIGHT TO UP AND COMERS

Occasionally in the sport of track and field, a freshman will burst on the scene and upstage the veterans. More often, sophomores can do the trick, but usually it is the juniors and seniors who garner all the attention and hog the spot light. The sport is notoriously slow in development requirements and thus, for most 9th and 10th graders, their moments are at least a couple of years away.

Enter the King Frosh Soph Classic. The goal of the meet is to put the “stars of the future” on the stage today. Now in its 15th

annual running, the meet’s records are littered with the cherubic names (and faces) of kids who later became young adults and graced the CIF and State stages.

Last weekend a fresh batch of young-ens took to the King Track and Field to have their own moment in the sun. On the girls’ side, Santiago of Corona dominated the field and had their names sprinkled heavily across most of the events top spots. Samantha Bartz won the 100 and the 200, with her 26.39 in the deuce serving as her new PR. King’s Jade Roberts pushed Norco’s Trista Michael with a PR of 63.63 to Trista’ 63.28. Trista came back shortly after with a win in the 800, notching a 2:28.70. But, the Sharks were right there in 2nd and third with freshmen Allyson Abandonato and Mara Holmes, picking up valuable points.

In the mile (not the 1600), Serrano’s Tiani Goeson ran side-by-side for the full four laps with Santiago’s Diana Bautista, only .02 separated the two at the line with Goeson winning. King’s Audrey Brunken ran a PR at 5:31.48. Goeson won the 3200 over Bautista and Brunken, but it wasn’t as close this time around. Of the 16 finishers in the 3200, 11 of the girls ran Personal Records.

Murrieta Valley swept the top three spots in the 100 hurdles and the 300 hurdles, boding well for the Nighthawks’ future. Serrano’s Kelly Allebes won the high jump in a clearance of 4-10, while Santiago too the top two spots in the vault. Arlington’s Minaya Valentine won the long jump with a leap of 14-10.

Murrieta Mesa’s boys are truly developing into one of the wider track powers and their victory on Saturday bodes well for more of the same down the road. While “event winners” didn’t really describe their day, they were well represented in the scoring. Jaylen Lynch and Dylan Barilone were 2nd and third in the 400, but Orange Vista’s Lovewyn don-Willies ran a PR of 52.39 to win it.

Sophomore Gabe Jasperson of Mesa had quite a day, tripling in the distance events! He was second in the 800 running a PR of 2:00.89 and won the 3200 in 10:00.02 and the mile in 4:31.63. Folks, that ain’t easy!

King’s Austin Goetsch won both hurdle events for the Wolves. In the shot, freshman Cade Moran of Murrieta Mesa won by 7 feet over Arlington’s Anthony Martinez. Moran would place second in the discus behind Riverside Poly’s Alondee Telemaque who threw a PR of 136-10 to win. The Rams scored big points in the vault, taking the top three spots behind Andrew Knauer’s win at 12-03.

None of these names are “house hold names” in the CIF or even the region. At least not yet. Give them time though, and the platform King provided on Saturday just may prove to be one of their stepping stones on the way to the big time.

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ALL SMILES AT THE MEET OF CHAMPIONS

AZUSA: Tears flowed down Edgar Ortega’s face after his 1600 performance under the lights at the Azusa Meet of Champions Distance Carnival Saturday night. “These are tears of joy” he told his coach. “I just love this so much.”

There was a lot to love for the passionate sophomore who ran 4:24.64 in the 1600, his fastest ever. Deploying a “Come and get me” approach to the Invitational Frosh-Soph race – the fastest heat of the day – he took the lead at 400 meters, extended it to 10 meters by the bell lap and dared anyone to take it away. Only two did but they had to work to get him. Edgar took his medal from the three-time Olympian Jim Ryun, the first high schooler to break 4 minutes in the mile and recognized as “the greatest high school runner in history”. Ryun was there to honor the event and add his legendary fame to the evening. Catching his breath, Edgar soaked in that moment as well. There were a lot smiles all afternoon, as just about every King runner who raced, came home with a lifetime or season best time. Mitchell Machuca was beside himself with joy as he dropped 11 seconds off his 1600 PR, running 4:30 and winning his heat. “That was fun!” he yelled.

Brian Green did the same big drop finishing in 4:32 of his heat. Amanda Sosa ran 5:16 in the 1600, the biggest PR she’s recorded in a long time. Isaiah Cunningham was simply ferocious, breaking 5:00 for the 1600 for the first time in his life and sprinting away from the field to win his heat – the first race he’s ever won! He too was smiling but it was mixed with a bit of shock.

Gray Mavhera was the last race of the day and night for King, and after running another PR in the 3200 at 9:55 and even more importantly holding his own in a loaded and fast group in the Invitational 3200 meters, was smiling as well. Joan Green broke 5:30 for the first time in the early afternoon. Jeff Ortiz dropped below 5:00 in the 1600 with a 4:58, the fastest time of his life. Dathan Chann, Nikko Guzman, Daniel Lopez, Hector Ruvalcaba and Austin Fortenberry were all well below their fastest times of their career and are among the 19 King boys who have broken the 5:00 barrier for the 1600 meters this season.

Garrett Vasta was smiling after his 2:00 800 meter, though admittedly, the smile masked a bit of relief. Diagnosed with mono and having taken the last week off to rest, he wasn’t even going to race until about 6 hours before the race, when he decided “why not” and gave it a go. It was a great effort for the four year runner.

King has attended the meet in all 20 seasons of its existence and the “magic of Azusa” yearly does it’s work. Senior, Briana Rodriguez, has been at three different high schools and had only heard of the Azusa lore. “I’m nervous” she said before the 1600. “You’ll be fine” said her coach. “You’re going to run a PR.”

When her race and a 9 second lifetime best was recorded, she too, flashed a big smile. Fellow Senior, Faith Chick, couldn’t control the grin on her face as she returned to the stands having notched a 15 second lifetime best and breaking 6:00 for the first time in her life.

From 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM, the King kids raced, raced, and raced some more. Almost all of them went home smiling.

So too did the coaches.

RESULTS PHOTOS

ABNORMAL ENDING AND BEGINNING WRITE THE CORONA STORY

Normally, the 800 meter race in a track meet marks the middle of the meet. Normally, the first day of Spring in So-Cal marks the end of the rainy season and the start of dry weather.

Things were not normal on Wednesday in the track meet between King and Corona. The 800 spelled the end of the meet and the first day of Spring saw more of the glorious and wet weather Southern California has enjoyed this (past) Winter and as a deluge fell from the heavens, the meet was called off after the last of the 800 meters contestants crossed

the line. It was a strange ending to the meet in a strange beginning to Spring.

It might just be a moot point however as the boys from King were within one point of locking up the meet with the minimum 69 points to win, and the girls, while a few more points from there than the boys were, had a sizable lead and seemed like they were on their way to their second league meet win of the season.

Prior to the downpour that had everyone skittering off to cover, the lads from King were running quite well. Cameron Jones, Xavier Magana and Austin Goetsch swept the 110 hurdles. Ryan Hernandez won the 100 meter dash with a lean at the line in 12.05. Ibraheim Alkhalili, Kevin Moreno and Nick Beam went 1-2-3 in the 400; Ibraheim with a PR of 52.19. In that “final” race of the day, the 800, Brian Green, Edgar Ortega and Dathan Chann brought the squeegee – er, the broom – and swept the top three spots. Likewise, in the shot put and the discus Robert Kells, Luke Melton and Aaron Costa took all 9 points in each event, Kells threw a PR in the discus. Treyjon Anderson, Chris Nurse and Brandon Avila swept the long jump.

The girls’ score was King 58, Corona 28 when the meet was called, so the Lady Wolves were within 11 of clinching the victory. They, like the boys, were smoothly executing a strong meet. Winning the opening event, the 4×100 relay, the girls were rarely challenged. Danielle Cabrera launched a season best mark (14-11) in the long jump, finishing second. Reagan Alley set a personal best of 4-10 in the high jump while Kimberly Garza won both throwing events.

It is unclear whether or not the meet will be completed at a later date. If it is, that too, wouldn’t be normal, which would only add to an otherwise abnormal day.

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SPLIT SQUADS SPREAD SUCCESS ACROSS SO-CAL

King Track and Field split their squads on Saturday sending some North and some West. Both groups performed admirably.

About 90 members of the King Track team headed out to the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains to participate in the Monrovia Invitational. Despite the fact that the meet fell 2 hours behind its proposed time schedule and the hot weather that has been missing most of the season, the King kids performed admirably. There were numerous fine performances during the course of the day as the Wolves competed at the varsity and soph/frosh levels.

Things got off to a great start with the girls 4 X 100 relay of Julianne Malalos, Grace Roberts, Jade Roberts and Dominque Turner finishing in third place in 51.71. Skye Hutchinson was the meet winner in the pole vault while teammate Nicole Skaggs got fourth. Akimi Scott soared out to a PR for fourth in the long jumP at 14-11. . In the girls soph/frosh division, Audrey Brunken had a nice double in the 1600 and the 800 finishing in the top 5 in both events. Camille Bradford nailed down a PR in the 1600 at 6:01.04. The girls Distance Medley of Bradford, Jade Roberts, Justine Marshall and Nevaeh Gonzalez finished second. Alexandria Herrera was a third place finisher in the vault.

On the boys side of things, things were just as successful. The boys 4 x 100 relay finished fifth in 45.5; Cameron Jones and Xavier Magana finished third and fourth in the 110 Hurdles; and Iberheim Al-Khalili got a new PR and third place I the 300 Hurdles at 41.08. Chris Nurse soared to a new PR in the long jump at 19 feet. In the soph/frosh division Malachi Cabanilla won the 800 in 2:06 and Alonzo Moore ran to a new PR in the 100 tying for third place. Isaiah Donnhauser and Korey Knight finished 3rd and 6th respectively in the 400. Francisco Zavaleta won the 1600 in 4:44.15 and teammate Gray Mavhera ran to a new PR of 4:45 for third place in a photo finish. Freshman Austin Goetsch got PR’s in both hurdle races. Nick Wilson got two first places winning the high jump and 5-4 and soaring to a new PR of 19-3 in the long jump. Collin Klosinski won his first invite medal with a third place in the discus. The S/F DMR of Zavaleta, Knight, Cabanilla and Mavhera won the race going away.

While the majority of the team was at Monrovia, a smaller contingent of King Track Athletes made their way to Long Beach Woodrow Wilson High for the California Relays and they made their mark on a very competitive early season field. Reyte Rash led the way finishing first the 110 hurdles at 14.67 and also managed a third place in the 300 Hurdles at 37.53. Nick Beam pulled a 4th in the Invitational 100 meters and also anchored the 4 X 100 to a second place finish behind state leader Long Beach Poly. Teammates Kai Sana, Ray Cota and Isac Meza helped the Wolves to their second fastest time of the year at 43.41. Out in the field events, Robert Kells pulled off a smart double in the Shot put at 45-3 for 4th place and in the discus where he tossed the plate 127-8 for 5th place. Rounding out the weekend, Trey Anderson got a 2nd in the Open Long jump at 21-5 and a second in the triple jump at 41-4

KING'S COMPASS POINTED IN THE DIRECTION OF "C"

Class, Character and Courage have been the three compass words of King High Track and Field ever since Coach John Corona took the helm of the program back in 2003. Like the north star, the words — and more importantly the values embodied in them – have been the constant, guiding ideas of thousands of King track and field athletes who have worn the uniform over nearly two decades.

Those “Three C’s” were on evident display yesterday on King’s home track and field as the mighty Roosevelt Mustangs rode into town. Long the best team in the league, Roosevelt has given everything King can handle and more on a yearly basis.

Before the meet, Corona shared an old saying with the team: “A person is not brave if they go into a fight worrying about whether they will win or lose; they should just go and fight.” ‘It basically means to go into competition and give it your all and the results will take care of themselves.'” Corona explained.

So King knew what it was in for well in advance of Wednesday’s first gun.

Cue the C’s.

“What a performance our kids put on tonight” the head coach said after it was done. “Just a complete team effort against one of the best programs in the CIF. We went blow for blow with them-we never backed away. The 3 C’s were certainly on display throughout the competition.”

The boys’ contest was incredibly close and came down to the final two events in which Roosevelt administered the final punches and finished with a four-point win, 70-66. But across the field and track, King gave them everything they could handle. Reyte Rash was no small part of that effort, adding to his normal menu of two hurdle races by carrying the

stick in the 4×100 relay and then put his talent to the 400, a race he rarely runs. Rash ran that 400 like it was familiar territory, and he ran it really fast. Maybe it was because there were no hurdles in his way, or maybe it was because he was embracing “Courage” and “Class” as he rose to the challenge. Gritting his teeth over the last painful meters, he out leaned Roosevelt’s best 400-guy and broke King’s school record and set the stadium record (which had stood since 2011) in the process. 48.53 seconds for the 400 meters is very, very good.

But he was not alone. All told, boys and girls combined, of the 200-or-so King athletes at JV and Varsity levels who competed, King had 127 Personal Records and 55 Season Record marks recorded. It was an astounding effort by the King kids and is indicative of the Character instilled and expected by Corona and his coaching staff.

Examples are legion. In the 3200, the second-to-last event and one King knew it needed to earn some points in three PR’s were set despite coming up short in the scoring. Austin Fortenberry, Mitchell Machuca and Gray Mavhera burned the track up with phenomenal, gutsy races. Mavhera, PR’d by 29 seconds and set the freshman school record for the distance a 9:58! All six boys who ran the 100 set a SR or PR, led by Nick Beam’s victory at 11.12. Beam, like Rash, was a point taker on the day, earning 10 for his efforts. Rash, in the 400 and both hurdle wins took 15 points for the Wolves. Brian Green and Garrett Vasta went 1-2 in the 800 with gritty performances. Earlier, Vasta took second in the 1600. In the JV 1600, 14 of the 16 who toed the line ran an SR or PR.

Treyjon Anderson put himself into the All Time top 5 list in the triple jump, winning with a 43’1″ leap. Dryden LaCour was second at 39′ 10″. Anderson won the Long Jump at 21-5. In the throws, Robert Kells and Aaron Costa were 1-3 for six points in the effort and Luke Melson PR’d in the discus to win (132′ 10″). Costa took third in that ring and Denver Murray won the high jump.

The girls contest wasn’t nearly as close, as Roosevelt ran away with it early, but it was still hotly contested by the Lady Wolves.

Sheredyn Pfeiffer, King’s quite tornado, was outstanding again, with a lifetime PR past 18 feet in the long jump to land the #3 jump in school history. She was second in the 100 with a SR of 12.69, but dragged Kayla Seldon, Grace Roberts and Juliane Malolos across the line with SR’s each as well. Freshman Raykiyat Olukoju had an outstanding day, running 57.92 in the 400, the #4 time in school history and won the 200 in 25.39 which sits just outside the top-five. Amanda Sosa ran her SR in the 1600 in second place, while Naomi Benson ran an SR in the 100 hurdles to take second. Kimbery Garza (SR) and Danny Cupples (PR) were 2-3 in the discus.

“Losing this one really hurts” Corona said after, “mostly because our team gave so much in their attempt to win. They laid it all out there and were valiant in what they gave in their events and what they gave to each other. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Pride … after a loss. It is a doable emotion if one’s compass is pointed at class, character and courage and the path you’re on is firmly headed in that direction.

RESULTS PHOTOS

RASH'S RETURN TO RANCHO HEADLINES A GOOD DAY FOR KING TRACK

Looking back, the 2018 Rancho Bernardo Invitational (RBI) was a day that seemed to indicate the beginning of Reyte Rash’s ascendancy in the hurdle events. After a good but not great sophomore year, Reyte was unheralded at the 2018 RBI, but a couple of outstanding races stunned many, put him in the the discussion of the State’s best and sent him on his way ultimately to a second place finish in the 300 hurdles at the State Championships three months later.

Yesterday, back in Rancho Bernardo where he started, Reyte showed that 2018 was no fluke as he propelled himself across the track and over hurdles of the 110 and 300 meter varieties, winning easily in both events. His 110 High Hurdles mark is currently among the 7 best in all of the state, and his 300 meter time is #2 in the state. It was a great invitational debut for the soft-spoken senior.

While Rash is clearly the elite athlete on King’s 2019 roster, he headlined a good day the King squad had as a whole. The team competed under idyllic weather in North County San Diego and went home with hardware, PR’s and invaluable experience. “It was a solid day for us” said Head Coach John Corona.

The boys 4×100 relay team was second in that event in 43.58, a solid early-season mark. Corey Thomas continues his improvement in the pole vault and placed 4th overall. Edgar Ortega PR’d just a sliver ahead of his last race of 2018 in the 1600, with a well-paced effort over four laps. Trey Anderson soared to 21-5 in the long jump for 5th place in the Invitational division. Matt Bauman in his first invite ever got a 3rd place in the Open Division Shot Put while teammate Robert Kells tossed the shot out 44-1 for fifth place in the Invitational Division while Luke Melton PR’d in the Discus with a toss of 127-9 for fourth place. Brian Green, made of all grit and toughness, ran a lifetime best in the 800 meters, at 2:00.15. Austin Fortenberry and Mitchell Machuca both dipped under 10:00 in the 3200 meters to notch PR’s early in the day.

While the meet is generally a varsity only meet, they do stage a freshman-only 1600 meters race, and King’s two top 9th graders did exceptionally well. Gray Mavhera ran 4:50 to finish in second, having raced with boldness and just getting out-leaned at the line. Audrey Brunken ran a PR of 5:36.13 to finish in fourth; she’s already improved 25 seconds in the event just since the time trial in January!

Sheredyn Pfeiffer went 16-7 in the long jump for fifth as well in the Invite of the event. Amanda Sosa had a spectacular day, running a super effort in the 800 for her first PR at the distance since 2017! Persistence pays off! She came back with a carry in the Distance Medley Relay clocking 5:26 for the 1600 leg. Kim Garza got the discus out to 102 feet for a 6th place finish in the Invite, while Akimi Scott jump 29′ 3.5″ in the long jump.

“We always enjoy going down to the RBI.” said John Corona. “It’s a great environment; it’s always great competition, and getting to face different people is always refreshing for the kids. They have always treated us well and fortunately, we’ve had good success there over the years. ”

In fact, as King left the stadium, Rancho Bernardo’s head coach and meet manager Don Jones joked with Corona saying: “We are going to put a restriction on you guys next year as to how many medals you can win.”

Indeed, it was a good day. Makes one wonder where it will lead … what the program will discover when it looks back in 2020.

Results Photo gallery

GOLIATH WINS, GETS READY TO BE DAVID

In a sport measured by time and distance, with incremental improvements the standard agent of progress, it’s sometimes a foregone conclusion going into a track and field meet which team will likely end up on top.

Giants usually take down the underdog in this sport. Times, inches … well, they don’t lie, and the sport is hopelessly void of a “hail Mary pass” or miracles that give Davids a shot at beating Goliaths.

It can happen, but usually doesn’t. It would take a miracle.

Not sure if Norco was looking for five smooth stones of biblical proportions yesterday as they saw King’s large and capable team come marching into their stadium, but if they were, they couldn’t find them and, as many would have predicted, King left town the triumphant victor.

“We saw some awfully good things yesterday and left with a positive feeling as to our direction” said Head Coach John Corona of the overwhelming victories all four of his squads amassed. Norco may not have even noticed that a good number of King’s normal scorers were sitting out the meet or training through it, as King dominated almost every event in both the boys’ and the girls’ competitions.

Treyjon Anderson soared in the long jump, serving as a metaphor for the whole boys team on the afternoon. His leap of 21-10 was the sixth best in school history. Freshman Gray Mavhera scored 10 points for the team, winning the 1600 and the 3200, both in personal-best times. In fact, that 1600 he led was a special one as his pace helped pull Dathan Chann in second place to a PR and newcomer, Joseph Caraan to his first-ever sub-5:00 mark! (Bohdin Rush, at 4:52 in the JV race, was third-fastest on the day) Malachi Cabanilla took the 800 in a PR of 2:08 and led his five teammates across the line with PR’s of their own. Kai Sana won the 100 meters in a season-best mark of 11.59 but it was Ray Cota in second who, at 11.70, notched his best-ever mark. Goliath beat David, 121-14.

On the girls side it was almost as unfair, with King winning 96-40. Norco was strong in the sprints and the throwing events which made the gap narrower than on the boys’ side. Sheredyn Pfeiffer was a two-time event winner in the 100 and the long jump. Freshman Audrey Brunken won the 3200 and took second in the 800, scoring 8 points on the day, both in PR’s. Briana Rodriguez was second in the 1600 behind Joanie Green, and ran her fastest time of her career, significant in this is her third high school after stops at Eagle Rock and Canyon Springs. Briana Olukoju won twice as well, in the 200 and 400, but it was Amanda Sosa’s PR 1:02.86 in the 400 followed up by a win in the 800 just 15 minutes later that was equally impressive.

Coach Corona was impressed as well and hopeful for what the effort of the teams portends. “This meet gives us some impetus heading into what will be a very difficult competition next week against the league’s best, Roosevelt.”

Yes indeed, for while King may have felt very much like an untouched Goliath yesterday, they’ll be looking a whole lot more like David next week, and wondering where they can find those stones.

SNAKEHANDLERS: KING DEFEATS SERRANO

In the first ever dual meet against Serrano High School of Phelan, King was looking for a match up against a quality program and the Diamondbacks were looking for the same.

Mission accomplished for both squads.

While King would run away with the victories at all four levels, Ken Quinn, the head coach of Serrano, noted they were grateful to be a part of the contest.

John Corona, the head coach of King, was equally complimentary. “Serrano is a high quality program and for our kids to compete the way they did against them is a testament to our kids and their will to compete.” Before the visitors boarded their buses to head back to the High Desert, the 200+ members of the Wolves gave their guests a standing ovation for a well staged, honorable and decent competition.

And it really was that, right from the beginning. King’s girls had the closest of contests, needing the last couple of events to seal the win at 74-62. (69 points are necessary to win a dual meet). From the 400 relay to start and the 1600 relay to finish, the Lady Wolves were had somewhat of a see-saw competition going, with both squads taking their points. But it was the sprint events where King really came through, sweeping the 400, 100, 200 and the aforementioned relays. Sisters Briana and Raykiyat Olukoju (10th and 9th graders respectively) were in the JV and Varsity 400’s but by the time both heats had finished, the two sibs were the two fastest on the day with impressive 61 and 62 second marks for the one-lap race. For Raykiyat, her 1:01.00 is the fourth fastest 9th grade time in school history. Sheridyn Pfieffer got the win in the 100 and also in the long jump. Kimberly Garza was the winner in the discus with a season-best throw of 106′ 2″.

The boys had an easier time handling the Diamondbacks, winning 89-47. King swept the long jump with Treyjon Anderson, Denver Murray and Isac Meza bringing the broom and all improving off their marks from the season opener last week. The Wolves would also take all scoring positions in the 3200 meters, as a pack of Wolves ran in tandem for most of the 8 laps before sophomore Edgar Ortega made a move to gap his teammates and close with a 67 last lap and run a 9:59.23 PR. Mitchell Machuca and Austin Fortenberry were 2-3 with very good early season times, as did Francisco Zavaleta who finished in 4th. Freshman Gray Mavhera ran 10:30 in his first high school 3200 meters and notched King’s 10th-best 9th grade time at the distance in school history. Robert Kells, Luke Melton and Aaron Costa swept the discus event. Kells’ 121′ 07″ was his best ever mark.

Garrett Vasta had a fine afternoon, winning the 1600, the 800 and helping carry the stick in the 4×400. In that final relay, the squad that also included Nick Beam, Robert Barraza and Reyte Rash at 3:30.27 serves as the 10th fastest time in school history. “It’s a very solid time for this early in the season” Corona said.

Rash was victorious in both hurdle races, impressive after enduring a short break for injury rehab. Nick Beam won the 100 meter dash and took second in the 200.

Both JV teams won by large margins.

So it was a good showing, one both head coaches wanted and received. King avoided getting snake-bit and moved to 3-0 on the young season for both boys and girls teams.

"A good start for us" Corona said, "this will help establish our team identity."

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