Coming off impressive performances at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet, Redondo athletes will compete in the CIF State Track and Field Championships for the eighth consecutive year.
“California is an extremely competitive state in track and field so it’s very, very difficult to make this meet,” Redondo coach Bob Leetch said. “The Southern Section, our region, has 580 schools that offer track and field making it the largest high school participation sport in the state. We are very proud to have had athletes qualify for eight years in a row.”
The State Championships take place Friday and Saturday at Buchanan High School in Clovis. Redondo will be represented by boys and girls pole vaulters Tate Curran and Kaitlin Heri along with the Sea Hawk’s 4×400 relay team of Kennedy Hardemion, Trinity Leonard, Kristen Hamlin and Zuri Henderson.
Hamlin will be seeking her second state championship this school year after playing a vital role on Redondo’s Division 1 State Champions girls volleyball last fall.
Curran captured the Bay League boy’s pole vault championship with a mark of 14 feet, 9 inches and has reached 15 feet three times this season, winning the Mustang Relays and South Championships and in a third-place finish at the CIF Southern Section Division finals. At the Masters Meet, the sophomore won a jump off with a mark of 14-9 to claim the sixth and final qualifying spot for the State Meet.
Heri tied her personal best vault of 12 feet, 1 inch in a sixth-place finish at the Masters Meet and won six championships this season including the Redondo Nike Invitational, Mustang Relays, South Bay Championships and Bay League Finals.
“We are thrilled with the results of our pole vaulters Kaitlin Heri and Tate Curran,” Leetch said. “They have had a great season and competed very well to advance to state. Along with our girls 4×400 relay, I believe they have a great shot at podium finishes.”
Redondo’s relay team placed fifth at the Master Meet with a time of 3:50.25. The group finished fourth in the CIF-SS Division 1 finals with a mark of 3:49.20, the eighth-best time in the state this year.
“While she advanced in the 4×400 relay we were hoping Zuri would advance in the 400,” Leetch added. “Her time of 55.95 would have easily won most regions. The same goes for Sergio Rodriguez who ran 1:53:43 in the 800 but failed to advance. His time would easily have advanced elsewhere. It’s one of the fastest times a runner from the South Bay has ever run.”
Mira Costa hurdler Shante Robinson also has a chance to reach the podium after placing second in the 300 hurdles at the Masters Meet with a time of 42.77. The Bay League champion’s second-place time of 42.27 at the CIF-SS Division 1 finals is the fifth-best time in the state and the 25th fastest in the nation.
“Shante has had an amazing season,” Mira Costa coach Moe Russell said. “What better way to end her sophomore season than to reach the podium at the state meet. Shante’s hard work and dedication has given her this opportunity to compete amongst the best hurdlers in California and she is ready for the challenge.”
Also qualifying for the State Championships are South Torrance’s Kimberly Coscia, who ran a 10:34.00 in the 3200 at the Masters Meet and Bishop Montgomery’s Tessa Allen, who finished third in the high jump at the Masters Meet with a mark of 5 feet, 5 inches.
PVHS star makes a run for state title
Coming off a personal-best performance, Palos Verdes distance runner Jacquelyn Smith is peaking at just the right time.
The junior will represent the Sea Kings by competing in the girls 1600-meter race this weekend at the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Buchanan High School in Clovis.
Smith transferred from Marymount and helped Palos Verdes capture the CIF-Southern Section and State Division 3 cross country titles last fall and continues to improve her times on the track.
“Reaching State has been a goal of mine all year long,” Smith said. “This is the first year of really focusing on my running. Marymount is not very competitive in running so training with runners at Palos Verdes has pushed me. It’s been exciting to see the improvements in my times, including the 800.”
Smith won the Bay League 1600 crown with a time of 4 minutes, 57.68 seconds. Two weeks later, she won the CIF-SS Division 3 individual title crossing the finish line at 4:54.03. She also placed second in the 800 (2:13.57).
Last Friday, Smith earned a berth in the State Meet finishing fourth in the 1600 at the CIF-SS Masters Meet with a personal best 4:51.26.
“Jacquelyn ran a very savvy race as she emerged from a large pack of contenders,” Coach Brian Shapiro said. “Jacquelyn looks primed to run well at the state meet.”
Smith’s teammate Robert Franklin just missed the cut in the boys 1600 race finishing 10th with a time of 4:15.38.
“Rob narrowly missed the state meet at-large qualifying time. Not bad for a young man who did not even advance out of the Bay League last year,” Shapiro said. “He was a little bit of a victim of some tactical racing that slowed the pace down in the middle of the race. That made it tougher for Robert to run the required qualifying time.”
Smith will celebrate her 18th birthday Friday by running in the prelim race.
“The State Meet has the added challenge of having to race on back to back days if you qualify for the final, but Jacquelyn is well prepared for that,” Shapiro said. “She raced very well at the Arcadia Invitational this year which required races on Friday and Saturday also.”
Shapiro attributes Smith’s improvement in the 1600 to hard work and big-race experience such as the Arcadia Invitational and Mt. SAC relays.
“It is very beneficial to learn to race against other elite athletes,” Shapiro added. “Jacquelyn has really developed her ability to excel in tactical race scenarios.”
Smith said running cross country has built up her endurance and was instrumental in preparing her for the track season.
“I’m really excited to see how much I can push myself against the runners at State,” Smith said. “The competition will be tough but I’m looking forward to it.”
