Kenan Christon sat still and endured three false starts in the 100 meters, cautiously came out of his starting blocks on the field’s fourth attempt, and still smoked a wind-assisted:10.26 in the San Diego Section trials last week at Mt. Carmel.

Christon continued his monster, late-season run later in the afternoon by taking the national lead at :20.55 in the 200 and qualified in the long jump and 4×100 relay.

The Madison senior’s now seeming routine of 4 wins a week took place on a day when rain greeted competitors for the first time in the 58-year history of the San Diego Section trials or championships.

The rain left, but, with a few field events remaining, a lightning threat cleared the stadium, according to Steve Brand of The San Diego Union.  Athletes retreated to the Mt. Carmel gymnasium and fans and spectators were urged to seek shelter or return, posthaste, to their automobiles.

Action resumed about 45 minutes later, said Brand.

New section leading marks and personal bests are in italics.  Marks in parenthesis show where San Diego Section performers rank in California.  National leaders have been added to the weekly bests.

A “w” next to a mark stands for over-allowable wind assistance, which caps at 2.0 meters.

BOYS

GIRLS

San Diego Section seasonal bests were recorded in four events, 2 each in girls and boys, as the 16 leagues participated in their championships last week.

Scripps Ranch’s Jaymie Rustkovich logged a wind-aided 24.41 200 and ran a leg on the the Falcons’ 4×400 relay team, anchored by Brianna Sproles, daughter of Darren, the popular former Charger and 13-season NFL running back, that recorded a 3:55.28 in the Western League meet at University City.

Garrett Stanford of La Costa Canyon improved his 1600-meter run best with a 4:13.77 in the Avocado West championship at Canyon Crest.  Stanford’s brother, Jacob, was close behind in 4:13.85.

Grossmont’s 4×400 relay team ran 3:22.18 in the Grossmont Valley-Grossmont Hills meet at Mount Miguel.

The carnival of races, jumps, and throws moves to Mt. Carmel Saturday for the section trials, followed by section championships May 18 and the state meet in  Clovis May 24-25.

Top nine performances this week qualify for May 18.

CHRISTON BREEZES

Kenan Christon didn’t equal his season bests but the compact and carved Madison senior surveyed the five-star layout at Kearny and hummed to :10.45 and :21.28 victories in the 100 and 200 and anchored the Warhawks to :42.73 and first in the 4×100 relay.

It was easy to spot Christon as he warmed up.  He was wearing a pair of cardinal-and-gold jogging shoes, matching the colors of USC, whose football team Christon will be joining in the fall.

New section leading marks and personal bests are in italics.  Marks in parenthesis show where San Diego Section performers rank in California.

A “w” next to a mark stands for over-allowable wind assistance, which caps at 2.0 meters.

GIRLS

BOYS

The Countdown to Clovis begins this week as 16 San Diego Section leagues move through trials and finals with an eye on the state championships May 24-25 at Buchanan High in the Fresno suburb, where competition will be as hot as the weather, guaranteed to offer temperatures close to or at 100 degrees.

At the moment there is no one as hot as Madison’s Kenan Christon, whose foot-scorching :20.67 in the 200 meters at the Escondido Invitational shattered his week-old :20.90 section standard, set at the Mt. San Antonio Invitational.

Christon, now fourth in the U.S. in the 200, also moved up to a tie for second in the section 100-meter standings with a career best of :10.42 on the Escondido High track.

The USC-bound senior tied Helix’ Reggie Bush, who ran :10.42 in 2002 and trails San Diego Southwest’s Riley Washington, who ran :10.30 in 1992.

Christon likely will get another shot in Clovis at Caleb Grubb of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, who has decisioned Christon once in the 100 and twice in the 200 in meets at Mt. Carmel in March and Arcadia in early April.

Grubb leads California with his :10.40 in the 100 and is second with a :20.93 200.

Christon also moved into first place locally with a 24-foot long jump in a triangular meet with Crawford and host Lincoln.  No report on wind activity in that event but Christon’s races at Escondido were well under the 2.0 m.p.h. limit.

The Madison runner could join very elite company should he go on to a California sprint title. Championships in the 100 and 200 are few and far between in San Diego, just five in the 100 and three in the 200 since the first state meet in 1915 (see table below).

There was a conversion from yards to the internationally accepted meters in 1980. The 220-yard race was slightly longer than 200 meters. One-hundred meters is more than nine yards longer than 100 yards.

Electronically-timed races are first noted in David Russell’s 1977 victories.

Four season bests in each of  girls’ and boys’ competition highlighted last week’s activity.  Leaders through April 26 (marks in italics represent new season or new personal bests; those with parenthesis indicate where San Diego Section competitors stand in the state):

w–Wind-aided.

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BOYS

Madison’s Kenan Christon blasted the San Diego Section 200-meter sprint record, vaulted to No. 1 in California, and into the top 10 in the U.S.

The USC-bound senior lit up the El Camino College track in the 61st Mt. San Antonio Invitational, covering the distance in :20.90 and bettering the section record of :20.98, set in 1997 by Morse’s Ike Okenwa.

Christon, who also won the 100 in :10.66, is ninth in the country in the 200 this season.

Rancho Bernardo’s Ashley Callahan pole vaulted 13 feet, 6 inches, at Mt. Sac to move to second in the state, a tie for fourth in the country, and a tie for first in the San Diego Section with Westview’s Kortney Ross, who cleared 13-6 in 2010.

Callahan’s associate, Jacob Rice is in a tie for seventh all-time locally and currently is 10th in the country with a 16-foot, 4-inch pole vault.

RIEDMAN ROLLS

La Costa Canyon’s Jessica Riedman also covered some ground at the Mt. Sac event, moving to third in the state, 15th in the U.S., and 15th all-time in San Diego with a 2:11.37 in the 800.

Kristin Fahy’s, Riedman’s teammate, is No. 1 in California and sixth in the country with her 4:48.34 in the 1600.  Fahy also is No. 1 all-time in San Diego with her 10:15.80 in the 3200 and currently No. 2  in California, and sixth in the U.S. .

Coronado’s Alysha Hickey is fourth in the U.S. with her 5-10 1/2 high jump and No. 3 all-time in San Diego.  She has an all-time long jump of 20-9 1/2, which would be a San Diego Section record, but is wind-aided.

The Escondido Invitational, which opened years ago as the Orange Glen invite, is scheduled this week and is the last major locally before league trials and the big meets in May.

Marks in italics represent new season bests; those with parenthesis are where San Diego Section competitors stand in the state.

W–Wind aided.

GIRLS

BOYS

The Mt. San Antonio Relays, for decades hosted on campus in the community of Walnut, moved west about 30 miles to El Camino College in Inglewood a couple years ago and will headline the menu this week.

Mt. Sac at one point was supposed to be the probable site of the 2020 Olympic Trials and the 50 years-plus layout was to undergo a makeover in preparation.  The trials now will be beld in Eugene, Oregon.

Outside of Washington, D.C., nowhere are politics as pungent as you’ll find in track and field.

The Escondido Invitational takes place April 26, followed by league trials and finals, San Diego Section trials and finals, and the state meet in Clovis May 24-25.

The Valley Center and Jim Cerveny invitationals were the featured meets last week.

Including dual meets and the 2 invitationals, five boys and one girls season bests were recorded.  Madison’s  :42.23 4×100 relay and Jacob Rice’s 16-foot, 4-inch pole vault led the way.

Marks in italics represent new season bests; those with parenthesis are where San Diego Section competitors stand in the state.

W–Wind aided.

GIRLS

BOYS

San Diego Section runners and jumpers warmed to the competition in the Arcadia Invitational, turning in season highs in five girls events and three boys events; the young men brought the total to 9 in a City League triangular meet between Madison, Clairemont, and Christian.

Christin Fahy was third in the 3200-meter run at Arcadia, but her 10:15.80 race elevated her to No. 1 all-time in San Diego.  She is second in the state and fourth in the U.S. and continues as the state leader in the 1600 and fourth in the country.

Fahy’s teammate, McKenna Brown, held the 3200 record at 10:15.97 in 2018.  Fahy ran 10:16.44 in 2018.

Eric Parker of Helix became the 21^st 400-meter runner to break 48 seconds when he moved into a tie for 20^th with his :47.99 and also anchored Helix to its best time of the season, 3:23.1 in the 1600 relay.

Madison’s Kenon Christon long-jumped 23 feet, ½ inch against Clairemont and Christian and was fourth in the 100 meters at Arcadia with a time of :10.62, one-tenth slower than his best non-wind aided time.

Marks in italics represent new season-leading bests; those with parenthesis are where San Diego Section competitors stand in the state.

W–Wind aided.

BOYS

 GIRLS