Chiara Dailey has won three state cross country championships but never a state track title.

The all-time great San Diego Section competitor has the option of trying to win three Section championships at Mt. Carmel this week, but what will the Stanford-bound La Jolla senior do?  She has a deadline Thursday  to determine if she’ll go in the 800, 1600, or 3200 races, or all three, with an eye on a last opportunity for a gold medal in the 106th state track meet at Clovis Buchanan May 29-30.

Dailey is the state leader in the 1600 (4:39.31), second in the 3200 (9:53.8), and 19th in the 800 (2:10.95), is first in each event locally and  would be favored in all three at Mt. Carmel, where she would bolster La Jolla’s hopes in team point standings.

Competition will stiffen up and down California’s 10 CIF Sections this week. Other outstanding middle-distance and distance runners also will be deciding what events to enter in respective section showdowns, all eyeing the state meet and the grueling two-day event in Clovis.

Dailey warmed up for the section championships by winning the  800 (2:16.40), 1600 (4:47.44), and 3200 (10:15.01) in the Division III meet at Canyon Hills last week.

Will she try for the triple at Mt. Carmel, or choose one or two events, setting herself up for the battles that await in Clovis?

San Diego Section athletes in state top 25 are noted in Athletic.net, except any with the — designation.  *Junior. **Sophomore. ***Ninth-grader. Bold indicates season best achieved last week.

GIRLS

His wasn’t the best mark of the day, but Oceanside’s Javen Buchanon continued a family tradition, a couple generations removed, in the San Diego Section Division I track championships at Del Norte’s magnificent facility Saturday.

Buchanon, the grandson of former NFL and San Diego Chargers star cornerback Willie Buchanon, triple jumped 47 feet, 8 inches, almost a foot better than his previous best of 46-7 ¾ at the Mt. Sac Relays April 18, and elevated to fifth in the event in California this season.

Willie Buchanon ran the 120 high hurdles in :14.5 and the second leg for an Oceanside 440-yard relay team that clocked :41.5 in 1968 and was a prime contender for a state championship in the event until anchorman Ed Johnson was slowed by a pulled leg muscle.

Season’s top marks  at Del Norte included Rancho Bernardo’s :41.51 in the 4×100 Relay and Scripps Ranch’s 3:17.19 in the 4×400, and the 23-foot, 10 ¾-inch long jump by Mekhi Oluwa of Mater Dei in the D-III meet at Canyon Hills.

Top two finishers at Del Norte, Canyon Hills, and University City (D-II) automatically qualified for the Section championships this Saturday at Mt. Carmel.  Fields will be filled by the next best performances.

San Diego Section athletes in state top 25 are noted in Athletic.net, except any with the — designation.  *Junior. **Sophomore. ***Ninth-grader. Bold indicates season best achieved last week.

BOYS

Horizon’s Division V powerhouse reached the state championship game but couldn’t keep up or get up as high as Modesto Christian, which  commanded the backboards and denied coach Zach Jones’ team.  El Camino got to the D-II regional championship but lost to state champion Compton Dominguez. San Diego Section teams generally exited early from the challenging Southern California postseason.
PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
DIVISION I
Southwest (12-16) 47, @1 Rancho Buena Vista (23-4) 91.
It virtually was over after  the Longhorns raced to a 20-7 first quarter lead and rode with Jamahl Mosley, who scored  31 points.
Rancho Bernardo (18-11) 73, @Morse (19-8) 74.
Sweetwater (14-14) 55, @Helix (22-5) 78.
Granite Hills (16-14) 59, @4 Poway (21-7) 64.
Fallbrook (13-14) 53, @3 Chula Vista (23-4) 61.
Vista (14-13) 83, @Bonita Vista (22-6) 99.
Torrey Pines (17-12) 63, @Valhalla(20-8) 58, OT.
Mt. Carmel (12-15) 49, @2 Point Loma (22-2) 78.
Jaiger Allen escorted the Pointers with 21 points, 15 rebounds.

QUARTERFINALS
Morse (19-9) 66, @1 Rancho Buena Vista (24-4) 86.
Helix (23-5) 49, @4 Poway (22-7) 48.
Bonita Vista (22-7) 81, @3 Chula Vista (24-4) 91.
Torrey Pines (17-13) 50, @2 Point Loma (23-2) 57.
SEMIFINALS
2 Point Loma (24-2) 79, 3 Chula Vista (24-5) 64, @Serra High.
Jaiger Allen was on the court for 24 minutes and scored 33 points and retrieved 25 rebounds as Point Loma, opening the game with an 11-0 run,  eliminated the Spartans. “He had an all-CIF night,” said Chula Vista coach Mike Collins.
1 Rancho Buena Vista (25-4) 59, Helix (23-6) 53, @Serra High.
Jamahl Mosley’s 25 points and 14 rebounds led the way, but it was sophomore Aaron Abrams’ four points in the final minute that propelled RBV past the Highlanders, who made only 10 of 20 free throw attempts and got 18 points from Brad Zollinger.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Rancho Buena Vista (26-4) 78, Point Loma (24-3) 61, @UC-Diego Rimac Arena.
Jamahl Mosley’s 33 points and 16 rebounds were the difference as the Longhorns overcame a 37-32 halftime deficit with a 21-13 third quarter and 24-11 final eight minutes.
“We’re Jamahl Mosley, young and deep,” exclaimed RBV coach John O’Neil of the team’s second title in the last three seasons. Mosley converted 13 of his 16 field-goal attempts and was 7×12 from the free-throw line.
On any other night, the Pointers’ Jaiger Allen would have the spotlight.  Allen scored 26 points and pulled 20 rebounds.  Aaron Abrams, one of five Longhorns sophomores, abetted Mosley with 19 points.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL PLAYOFFS
DIVISION I
Westchester, L.A. City (25-6) 66, @Rancho Buena Vista (26-5) 63.
Aaron Abrams’ three-point attempt with eight seconds remaining hit the back of the rim and bounced away as the Longhorns, who committed 27 turnovers and only made 18 of 28 free throw attempts, bowed to the legendary state power. Jamahl Mosley scored 24 points.
D-II
1–El Camino (25-2), bye.
2–Ramona (23-4).
3–Grossmont (20-5)
Serra (11-13) 78, @El Capitan (12-14) 81.
Monte Vista (9-19) 28, @Hilltop (18-10) 43.
El Cajon Valley (9-15) 58, @4 Oceanside (20-7) 79.
Travis Bray scored 26 points and Pirates teammate Justin Austin added12 points and blocked 10 shots.
Castle Park (9-14) 58, @West Hills (19-7) 74.
Patrick Henry (10-17) 56,  @Scripps Ranch (18-10) 71.
QUARTERFINALS
El Capitan (13-13) 71, @1 El Camino (26-2) 89.
Hilltop (18-11) 50, @4 Oceanside (20-8) 56.
West Hills (19-7) 56, @3 Grossmont (20-5) 54.
Scripps Ranch (19-10) 74, @2 Ramona (23-4) 69.
SEMIFINALS
El Camino (28-2) 82, Oceanside (20-9) 53, @San Dieguito.
Henry LaLane scored 20 points and his slam dunk finished an 18-2 run in the first quarter for the Wildcats.
Scripps Ranch (20-10) 84, West Hills (20-8) 63, @San Dieguito.
“This time we took it to them,” said Charles Butcher, who scored 25 points.  “Last time (a 72-67 loss earlier in the season) we let them bring it to us.”
A 21-5 run pushed  the Falcons to a 49-28 lead in the third quarter and they finished by making 20 of 27 fourth-quarter free throws after the fouling Wolf Pack had closed to 60-53.
CHAMPIONSHIP
El Camino (29-2) 77, Scripps Ranch (20-11) 66, @UC-San Diego Rimac Arena.
Coach Ray Johnson’s Wildcats, state-ranked number three in the division and No. 7 overall, broke from a 32-32 halftime to a 53-46 advantage in the third quarter and then rode a free-wheeling, 24-20 fourth quarter to the victory.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL PLAYOFFS
Villa Park, Southern (25-6) 74, @El Camino (30-2) 82.
Henry LaLane scored 23 points and Dion Booker had 17 points, eight rebounds and two steals for the Wildcats.
Scripps Ranch (20-12) 69, @Compton Dominguez, Southern (26-5) 91.
A 6-25 wipeout in the second quarter doomed the Falcons, whose Charles Butcher scored 21 points.
REGIONAL SEMIFINALS
Bakersfield Highland (28-5) 76, @El Camino (31-2) 93.
Six-foot 7 Shawn Daniels scored 39 points and had 14 rebounds, but the Scots couldn’t match the Wildcats’ quickness.  “We were too good in the open court,” said Wildcats coach Ray Johnson. “We know how to finish.”
Henry Lalane scored 25 points, Clint Evans 20, and Joe Eyres 18.
The visitors from the Central Section did not recover after El Camino broke from a 24-24 tie with an 11-0 run late in the first quarter.
“Shawn had a big game,” said Highland coach Beau Redstone, “but the story was at the other end of the court. Their guards had a phenomenal game. Lalane was phenomenal. It’s tough to win at their tempo.”
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
El Camino (31-3) 63, Compton Dominguez (28-5) 78, @Anaheim Pond Arena.
The Wildcats trailed, 58-53, with 5:57 remaining but fouls that knocked Joe Eyres and Dion Booker out of the game took a toll.
El Camino was behind, 25-10, in the first quarter but took a 29-28 lead and the score was deadlocked at 35 at halftime.
Tayshaun Prince, a future NBA standout, led the Dons with 24 points and 10 rebounds and was 4 for 6 on three-point attempts.
D-III
QUARTERFINALS
Madison (11-16) 74, @4 Kearny (16-11) 89.
La Jolla (6-19) 71, @3 Clairemont (15-12) 49.
Mar Vista (7-17) 38, @2 St. Augustine (20-9) 53.
1 University (21-4), bye.
SEMIFINALS
University (22-4) 46, Kearny (16-12) 45, @Coronado High.
No. 1-ranked Uni avoided an upset by the 4 seed Komets when John Roberts took a half-court pass from Luke Walton and scored a layup for the winning basket with one second remaining.
K.J. Nears’ two free throws with six seconds remaining had given Kearny a 45-44 lead.
St. Augustine (21-9) 49, @La Jolla (6-20) 42.
The Vikings kept it close until the Saints converted six free throws in the last 1:27 in La Jolla coach Rick Eveleth’s final game.
CHAMPIONSHIP
University (23-4) 58, St. Augustine (21-10) 39, @UC-San Diego.
The Dons held the Saints to 12 points in the first half.  Uni’s David Abramowitz had 10 points, five assists, and five steals.
Luke Walton had 18 points and 11 rebounds and Ron McMillan 12 points and 10 rebounds as the Dons won their 18^th straight game.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL PLAYOFFS
Hemet West Valley (26-5) 37, @University (24-4) 62.
St. Augustine (21-11), 46, @Studio City Harvard Westlake, Southern (32-1) 75.
REGIONAL SEMIFINALS
Inglewood Morningside (22-7) 58, @University (25-4) 72.
A 14-point lead had shrunk to seven midway through the third quarter, when Mac Clark, following a basket by John Roberts, buried a pair of three pointers to put University ahead, 41-26.
Morningside didn’t threaten again and Phillips added six consecutive free throws for a total of 14. “I don’t know what the score was but I knew we needed to get something going again, said Clark.”
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
University (25-5), 40, Studio City Harvard-Westlake (34-1) 47, @Cal State Fullerton.
The Dons had narrowed their deficit to 41-40 with 3:01 remaining before surrendering a turn-around, two-foot basket by future NBA player Jason Collins and a steal and basket on the inbounds play by Rico Cabrera for  a 45-40 lead for the also-named Dons.
D-IV
SEMIFINALS
4 Imperial (12-12) 38, 1 Coronado (19-5) 65, @Grossmont College.
3 Lincoln (15-12) 45, 2 The Bishop’s (20-7) 60, @Grossmont College.
CHAMPIONSHIP
The Bishop’s (21-7) 51, Coronado (19-6) 31, @UC-San Diego Rimac Arena.
Coronado froze in the second half, 0 for 11 from three-point range and four for 24 overall, after leading, 20-18, at the break.
The Knights opened the second half with a 13-2 run and refrigerated the Islanders.
Fentris Winn became the third coach, after Patrick Henry’s Fritz Ziegenfuss and El Camino’s Ray Johnson, to win a boys’ and girls’ championship, and the first win both championships in the same season.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL PLAYOFFS
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel, Southern (26-5) 65, The Bishop’s 52, @Torrey Pines.
The Eagles’ 11-0 outburst in the fourth quarter was the difference.
Coronado (19-8) 41, @2 Santa Monica Crossroads, Southern (28-3) 87.  Cash Warren scored 28 points and future NBA player Baron  Davis added 21 as the speedy Roadrunners, ranked seventh in California, lived up to their name.
D-V
FIRST ROUND
1 Horizon (24-1), bye.
2 Christian (18-7), bye.
3 Santa Fe Christian (14-11), bye.
4 Lutheran (16-7), bye.
Calipatria (9-16) 42, @Calvin Christian (14-10) 68.
La Jolla Country Day (9-19) 61, @Calexico Vincent Memorial (10-10) 37.
Escondido Adventist (13-5) 37, @Tri-City (18-6) 66.
Julian (12-12) 45, @Francis Parker (11-12) 65.
SEMIFINALS
1 Horizon (26-1) 64, Tri-City (19-7) 29, @University City High.
The Crusaders improved on their defensive average of 43.7 points.
3 Santa Fe Christian (16-11) 69, Christian (18-8) 53.

CHAMPIONSHIP
3 Santa Fe Christian (16-12) 44, 1 Horizon (27-1) 50, @UC-San Diego Rimac Arena.
The score was tied at 37 after three quarters and Horizon was held to almost 20 points below its season average of 69.8.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL
Santa Fe Christian (17-12) 54, @Oxnard Santa Clara, Southern (23-6) 48.
Buoyed by Dean Vesera’s 16 points, the visiting Eagles sent the Saints to their first home loss since 1987.
L.A. Pilgrim, Southern (18-8) 43, @Horizon (28-1) 77.
REGIONAL SEMIFINALS
L.A. Pacific Hills (23-8) 53, @Horizon (29-1) 69.
Detrick Watts scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half and the Panthers, who trailed by nine points early in the game and were tied at 21 at halftime, pulled away from the Southern Section champion Bruins.
Santa Fe Christian (17-13) 42, @Pasadena Poly (28-1) 48.
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Horizon (30-1) 70, Pasadena Poly (29-2) 49, @Cal State-Fullerton.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Horizon (30-2), 38, Modesto Christian (33-0) 53, @Anaheim Arrowhead Pond.
“Rebounding was the difference,” Said Horizon coach Zach Jones.  “That’s been our Achilles heel all year.  Once they hit the boards, they took us out of our game.”
The Panthers led, 23-14, in the early going and 28-25 at halftime, but a five-point third quarter led to a 40-33 Modesto lead. Christian’s game rebounding advantage was 35-24 and it held Zack Jones, Jr., Horizon’s top offensive threat, to 12 points.
The Crusaders became the state’s first undefeated champion since 1993 and they came within one win of the state record of 34 by San Anselmo Sir Francis Drake in 1982.

San Diego Section athletes in state top 25 are noted in Athletic.net, except any with the — designation.  *Junior. **Sophomore. ***Ninth-grader. Bold indicates updated season best.

GIRLS

Come May, come marks.

San Diego Section boys turned in some of the season’s best efforts in league finals last week, with Dylan Yarbrough of San Dieguito pole vaulting 17 feet, 1 inch, to take the state lead and joining Jestian Richardson of Oceanside (49-7 triple jump), Josiah Bowman of Sage Creek (1:49.54) of Sage Creek and Jasir Fontenot of Mater Dei (:13.67 110 high hurdles).

Fontenot, rounding into the form that made him a 2025 state meet champion after a 2026 early-season ankle injury, is tied for the lead with a runner from Concord De La Salle of the North Coast Section.

Competition picks up again Saturday, May 16, with championships in Divisions I (Del Norte), II (University City), and III (Canyon Hills), leading to overall Section championships at Mt. Carmel Saturday, May 23.  The 106th state meet will be at Clovis Buchanan High May 29-30.

San Diego Section athletes in state top 25 are noted in Athletic.net, except any with the — designation.  *Junior. **Sophomore. ***Ninth-grader. Bold indicates updated season best.

BOYS

San Diego Section athletes in state top 25 are noted in Athletic.net, except any with the — designation.  *Junior. **Sophomore. ***Ninth-grader. Bold indicates season best achieved last week. Girls’ marks tomorrow.

San Diego Section athletes in state top 25 as noted in Athletic.net, except any with the — designation.  *Junior. **Sophomore. ***Ninth-grader. Bold indicates season best achieved last week.