San Diego Section, school records fall at state track and field meet

In 2019, the San Diego Section set a record with seven victories in the California State Track and Field Championships at Buchanan High School.

Compared to Saturday night, that was child’s play.

San Diegans captured 10 gold medals and set five section records, with Mt. Miguel sophomore Brandon Arrington leading the way. He swept the sprints, capturing the 200-meter dash in 20.55 seconds — equaling the fastest ever run by Madison’s Kenan Christon in 2019.

Earlier he captured the 100 in 10.33, just off the 10.30 by Christon in 2019 and Southwest’s Riley Washington in 1992.

Equally impressive were the other individual records.

San Diego High School junior Anisa Bowen-Fontenot finally heard the time she has sought all season when she won the 100-meter hurdles in 13.59. That broke the old mark of 13.61 by Scripps Ranch’s Aaliyah McCormick of 13.67 in 2022 as well as the school of 13.67 by Charlize James the same year.

Then there was the girls 800-meter race. Poway’s Tessa Buswell rolled to victory in 2:06.51, pulling along Carlsbad’s McKenna Herbst (2:07.23 in third) and Westview’s Kaitlyn Arciaga (2:08.08 in fourth).

Del Norte’s Hannah Riggins, who saw her year-old section 1,600-meter record erased a week ago, previously held the 800 mark at 2:06.69.

Eastlake’s Jaelyn Williams reached two goals in one shot when she captured the 3,200 in 9:57.11, eclipsing the standard of 9:59.08 by Gioana Lopizzo a year ago.

And Carlsbad junior Morgan Herbst won the 300-meter hurdles in 41.26, moving Cathedral Catholic’s Dani Johnson’s (41.30 in 2015) to No. 2.

“Not many people win the state 100 and 200, especially sophomores,” said Arrington. “I don’t know why but at the finish of the 100 I eased up a little. I’ll run 10.20 next year. I just came to compete and win, and I’m proud to represent San Diego.”

Bowen-Fontenot has been chasing that section hurdle record all year but left no doubt this time.

“As usual, I had a slow start —I usually trail to the first hurdle and sometimes to about the third,” said the Caver. “I took the lead at the sixth hurdle. This was my first clean race (without hitting a hurdle) in weeks, and that’s how I won and set the record.

“It wasn’t a perfect race, though, I’ll get faster when I lean more into the hurdles.”

She didn’t know how fast she’d run, just that she won, until she heard the announcer Tim O’Rouke, give the time.

The victory by Anderson was one of the mild upsets.

Plagued by a sore hamstring, he fought through the pain running down the runway to equal his season best and, as a junior, he’s looking for the section record of 17-2 set by La Costa Canyon’s Garrett Brown in 2021.

“I’m pretty happy,” said the 16-year-old Anderson. “If you don’t have speed on the runway, you can’t be a good pole vaulter, so I just tried to put it out of my mind. I really look forward to getting that record next year.

Other victories:

• La Jolla’s Payton Smith won the 400 at 53.39, not only winning the gold medal but erasing a 50-year-old school record of 53.53 by Janet Wiser. Wiser won the race in the first state championship in 1974.

• Amirah Shaheed of Madison captured the 200-meter dash in 23.53 after she was left in the blocks in the 100.

• Cain Evans of Carlsbad captured the boys 800 in 1:50.21, second only to Shyan Viziri’s 1:50.15.

This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune .