By Leonard COUTIN

The performances of four local athletes at the CIF Masters track and field meet were found to be exceptional on Friday, allowing them to continue their journey to compete in the CIF state meet on June 3 in Fresno. Cerritos College again hosted the Masters meet which began early with the girls’ pole vault.

Burroughs High School star pole-vaulter Sarah Prystupa made her qualifying state mark by clearing the necessary height of 11-07, but unfortunately could not get over the bar at the next height of 12-01 like she had at the finals. Nevertheless, she will have a chance to qualify on Friday for Saturday’s state meet. Prystupa had the eighth best vault of the day of the 12 competitors. Junior Rachel Baxter of Canyon/Anaheim won clearing 13-7.

Hurdler Jasher Foster of St. Francis High School faced some fierce competition in his events, managing to take third in both the 110HH (14.16) and 300IH (37.72). Foster was originally seeded with a time 14.03 that he ran one week before at the CIF finals in Division 3. La Quinta’s Korty Burton won running 14.06, slower than his seeded time at the finals (13.97), and Upland’s Joseph Anderson took second running 14.08. He was seeded the week before with a time of 13.67.

La Cañada’s Katie Scoville in the 3200m ran against some of the most talented distance girls in the state. Destiny Collins of Great Oak, Amanda Gehrich of Tesoro and Jennifer Sandoval took the leads coming off the back. Scoville looked comfortable running from behind as she trailed most of the first mile behind the second pack of girls. It wasn’t until the fifth lap that Scoville started to make her presence known as she passed several runners. At the final lap, she switched gears, putting on a burst of speed to finish fifth running a PR time of 10:28.92, bettering her seeded time of 10:39.82. Collins won with a time of 10:18.35 and also took second in the 1600m running 4:45.85. Sandoval placed second in the 3200m running 10:20.90 and Gehrich, who won the 1600m earlier with a time of 4:4139, placed third with 10:25.71.

Flintridge Prep ace Jack Van Scoter looked confident when racing alongside the leaders of the pack in the 3200m before deciding to break away to take a commanding lead in the last mile. But in the last 20 meters, San Luis Obispo junior Callum Bolger grabbed the lead to win in a time of 8:52.40 over Van Scoter who ran 8:52.88. Not to be outclassed, Van Scoter the gentleman gave a handshake to Bolger and the rest of the pack for their hard work running the eight laps.

The 98th annual CIF State Track & Field Championships are June 3-4 at Veterans Memorial Stadium – Buchanan High School in Clovis. On Friday, qualifiers in discus begin at 4:30 p.m., field events will start at 5 p.m. and running races will begin at 6:15 p.m.

On Saturday, qualifiers in discus begin at 4:30 p.m., field events will start at 6 p.m. and running races will begin at
7 p.m.

  Leonard Coutin