Metro corps strong throughout
CLOVIS, Fresno County — Defending state champion.
It’s a title that carries a welldeserved sense of pride, but also the burden of expectations.
California-San Ramon junior Alyssa Brewer (800 meters), St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda senior Cooper Teare (3,200) and Lincoln senior Pamela Amaechi (discus) carry it all to Buchanan High for the two-day, 99th CIF State Track and Field Championships.
Teare (9:01.48) is the top qualifier for Saturday’s 3,200 final and Brewer’s 2:08.37 leads qualifiers in Friday’s trials. The state meet qualifying times are based on performances at last week’s section championships.
Each has gone faster: Brewer at 2:06.86 in last year’s state meet and the Oregon-bound Teare at a national-best 8:41.46 in the Arcadia Invitational two months ago.
Amaechi, who has committed to Princeton, enters the state meet ranked second in the discus (161 feet, 11 inches) but threw 169-10 earlier this season, which ranks third nationally. Last year, she became the first San Francisco Section girl to win a state title with a throw of 164-1.
Amaechi also ranks fourth in the shot put (44-9), though she has a best this season of 47-8½, which is better than top qualifier Faimalie Sale (Los Alamitos), who won the Southern Section last week at 46-11¾.
“I don’t look at any of it as pressure,” Amaechi said last month. “Being called the defending state champion is great, but I don’t see it as an advantage or disadvantage.”
Said Brewer: “I definitely think I embrace that title. I know everyone is trying their best to beat me and that only pushes me even harder. I like that.”
Teare said he always feels pressure, whether or not he is the favorite. It doesn’t help that he broke the small toe on his left foot during league finals three weeks ago. It cemented a decision to simply defend his title and not try to double in the 1,600.
He ran smoothly Saturday at the North Coast Section Meet of Champions.
“I’ve put in all the hard work so I don’t really feel that much pressure,” he said. “I’m just looking forward to finishing my high school career on a high note.”
Of the 138 other Metro Area athletes — and 19 relay teams — here are seven with with the best chances to make the podium with a top-six finish: