The CIF State Track and Field Championships get underway today at Buchanan High in Fresno.

Qualifying starts this afternoon, with the finals scheduled for Saturday evening.

Here is an event by event breakdown of the action in the boys events. (Click here to go to the Girls Track and Field: State Meet Preview.)

100m

County Participant: Kyle Middlebrooks (Fountain Valley)

Fountain Valley junior Kyle Middlebrooks. Rod Veal/The Register

Outlook: Should be quite a battle for the title of state’s fastest runner. Cathedral senior Randall Carroll is the top seed and has posted a wind-legal, fully automatic time of 10.30 this spring, third fastest in state history. Middlebrooks (10.68) battled Carroll (10.50) throughout the race at the Masters meet and ultimately finished second and will eagerly be looking forward to another chance at Carroll. Bishop Amat senior Sheldon Price will also be worth keeping an eye on in this race, as he enters tied for the second best wind-legal time in the state this season (10.51)

200m

County Participant: Ameer Webb (Tustin)

Tustin senior Ameer Webb

Outlook: Cathedral’s Carroll is the state leader this season and a favorite here, but Webb opened many eyes at the Masters meet, rallying to beat Carroll, and will enter the race extremely confident. Rashad Ross of Vallejo High (21.22) has the highest qualifying time entering the competition, followed by Tevin Carter of Santee (21.38), and Tom Blocker of Jesuit (21.44)

400m

County Participant: Chad Rozean (Trabuco Hills)

Outlook: Competing in an event against La Sierra standout Reggie Wyatt promises to be quite a daunting task, as he is the favorite to bring home a state title here. Rozean, second in the county from this distance, will need to produce a big seasonal best time to advance past prelims.

800m

County Participants: Sean Krinik (Valencia); Cole Guerin (Dana Hills); Brenden Confer (Servite)

Valencia junior Sean Krinik. File Photo

Outlook: Krinik produced the race finish of the Masters meet, rallying past over half the field in final 150 meters to win after nearly falling when his legs tangled with a couple of other runners. He enters the meet with the second fastest time in the state this season (tops among qualified runners) Guerin (1:54.33) and Confer (1:54.75) are among the top 12 seeded runners in the field and should not only advance past prelims, but be in contention for the state title in the finals.

1600m

El Toro senior Toby Villalva and Dana Hills senior Tyler Valdes. Joshua Sudock/The Register

County Participants: Toby Villalva (El Toro); Tyler Valdes (Dana Hills); James Cameron (Mission Viejo); Zak Phillips (Dana Hills)

Outlook: One of the meet’s most anticipated competitions will commence here, as some of the finest 1600 runners in the nation look to claim a state title. University City senior Mac Fleet has the best qualifying time (4:09.46), but Villalva enter the race on the heels of three straight narrow victories, including a 4:10.05 at the Masters meet, his best in 2009. Valdes has finished second to Villalva in three straight competitions, but has posted a 4:09.95 this season and is more than capable of winning this race. Cameron and Phillips are also ranked in the top ten in the state this year and have the potential to claim the top spot.

3200m

County Participant: Matt McElroy (Edison)

Outlook: This race produced one of the most dominant efforts in prep running history a season ago, when former Riverbank star German Fernandez burned up the track on the way to a national and state meet record time of 8:34.23. Though unlikely that time will be challenged, the action should be no less compelling. The state’s top two times of the season were turned in on the same day, as Novato junior Erik Olsen won the North Coast Section Meet of Champions 3200 in 8:55.06, while Camarillo sophomore Heydon Wolff (8:57.66) outlasted McElroy (8:59.91) to win the Masters. That trio are the only runners in the field to crack 9:00.00 this season and it is very likely that one will emerge as the state champion.

110m Hurdles

County Participant: Devalle Pedrogo (Mission Viejo)

Mission Viejo junior Devalle Pedrogo. File Photo

Outlook: A strong favorite to bring home a state championship, Pedrogo will enter the competition as the state’s second ranked wind-legal hurdler from this distance (best in all conditions) and should be among the top three finishers.

300m Hurdles

County Participants: Mikey Fischetti (Dana Hills); Brandon Phillips (Irvine)

Outlook: Another event that La Sierra senior Reggie Wyatt appears to be a heavy favorite in. Fischetti (38.14) was third at the Masters, while Phillips (38.24) was fourth. Both are seeded in the top ten and should qualify for the finals.

400m Relay

County Participant: Orange Lutheran

Outlook: Serra blazed to state leading time of 40.74 at the Masters and will be a favorite to claim the title, along with traditional relay powers Long Beach Poly, Crenshaw, and De La Salle High of Concord.  The Lancers placed fifth at the Masters Meet and have been running well over the last couple weeks. If they continue their strong efforts, a top five finish could be attainable.

1600m Relay

County Participants: Orange Lutheran, Trabuco Hills

Outlook: Rancho Verde has been one of the nation’s best this season and will be looking to claim the mile relay title. However, Roosevelt and Millikan enter on the heels of sub 3:15 performances and should be in the hunt. The Lancers (3:15.65) finished fourth at the Masters and will be looking to duplicate their efforts from a season ago, when they ran the second fastest time in county history 3:13.98. The Mustangs have the ninth best qualifying time and another strong race from them could put them into the finals.

High Jump

County Participant: Harrison Steed (JSerra)

JSerra junior Harrison Steed. File Photo

Outlook: Steed, the defending state champion, will not have an easy road back to the tip of the podium this season. Three other jumper have cleared higher heights this season, including Vista Murrieta senior Nick Ross, the state leader and third in the nation at 7 feet, inches. Oaks Christian senior Jules Sharpe has cleared 7-1 this season and will be looking to end a stellar career with a championship.

Long Jump

County Participant: Devin Harrison (Dana Hills)

Dana Hills sophomore Devin Harrison. Paul Rodriguez/The Register

Outlook:

State leader Justin Sutter of Granite Bay (24 feet, four inches) will be look to win the title, though De La Salle senior Chase Wheeler leads the field with qualifying mark of 23-11 ¾ at the North Coast Section Meet of Champions. Harrison was the top finisher at the Masters Meet with a seasonal best of 23-4 and is more than capable of placing in the top five or better.

Triple Jump

County Participant: None

Outlook: Deer Valley senior Hammed Suleman is the state leader and the only jumper to go over 50 feet this season. A trio of Southern Section jumpers (Rancho Verde’s Curtis Wilson, Ayala’s Obum Gwachum, and Vista Murrieta’s Nick Ross) are also in the top five in the state and should finish similarly during the state competition.

Pole Vault

Mater Dei junior Michael Woepse. Armando Brown/The Register

County Participants: Michael Woepse (Mater Dei); Matt Cooper (Mater Dei); David Kim (Los Alamitos); Sean McNanny (Mission Viejo)

Outlook: Woepse is the state leader in the pole vault this season at 16 feet, nine inches, establishing himself as the best vaulter in county history in the process. Teammate Matt Cooper has also enjoyed a stellar season, winning the Masters Meet with a lifetime best effort of 15 feet, four inches. Both should be in the title mix.  Kim (14-10) and McNanny (14-4)  at the Masters meet are more than capable of advancing to the finals.

Discus

Newport Harbor junior Cecil Whiteside. Andy Templeton/For the Register

County Participants: Cecil Whiteside (Newport Harbor); Jake Pendleton (Esperanza); Trevor Ofisa (Magnolia); Brendon Birdsell (Beckman)

Outlook: Whiteside, third in the state this season enters the meet on the heels of a big effort at the Masters, winning the competition with a throw of 182 feet, five inches. He will have to compete against Frontier junior and state leader Matt Darr and Saugus senior Daniel Swarbrick (second in the state). Pendleton, the Sunset League champion and Birdsell, the Orange County champion, have each gone over 180 feet this season and could be potential dark horse contenders. Ofisa enters with the eighth best qualifying mark, and with a big effort, could land in the finals.

Shot Put

County Participant: None

Outlook: All four throwers that have gone over 61 feet in the state this season will be in the competition, including Arroyo Grande senior Austin Field, the state leader and the only thrower to go over 62 feet this season. Darr and Swarbirck, the top two discus throwers, should also be in the title chase here.
RELATED:

• O.C group looks to win at State meet
• O.C. qualifies strong group for state track

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