Jordan duo aiming high at CIF State meet
Washington, Stevens look forward to competing with California's best again
LONG BEACH » Jordan sprinter Jordan Washington doesn't mind that he finished in second place to defending 100- and 200-meter state champion senior Rodrick Pleasant of Gardena Serra at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet on Saturday.
Washington ran wind-legal personal bests of 10.24 seconds in the 100 and 20.81 seconds in the 200, narrowly finishing second to Pleasant's 10.14 (state record) and 20.76 times.
Last year as a sophomore, Washington finished second in the 100 (10.44) and fourth in the 200 (21.38), behind Pleasant at the CIF State Track and Field Championships.
“I feel good,” Washington said. “I know what I can do now. I know that I'm able to compete against him now. I have an opportunity to win now. I'm pushing him to his limit and all I have to do is work on myself and stay chilled and keep moving forward through the line. If I stay like that, I feel like I can come out on top at state.”
Washington's talented teammate, senior hurdler Darryll Stevens, is also relishing another appearance this weekend at the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Buchanan High in Clovis on Friday and Saturday.
“I had to power through it and hopefully get to 37,” Stevens said when asked about his new personal best of 37.72 in the 300 hurdles.
Stevens finished sixth at last year's state meet in the 300 hurdles in 38.10.
“I did it last year. I have to do it this year,” Stevens said when asked about another potential podium finish, which would put him in the top six. “I want to end the year on the podium. I'm going to college next year.”
Stevens and Washington also run on the team's 4x100 relay, which also qualified at Masters (42.04) for the state meet.
“We're doing way better than we did last year and we exceed our limits each time we come out here and run against this top competition in California,” Washington said.
“I feel like we have a big chance to take this win home or at least one of the top teams in California,” Stevens added. “So I have a pretty good feeling about the state meet.”
Jordan is looking to improve on last year's eighthplace finish with 16 points, which was the best on the boys side in the area.
“With a guy like Jordan Washington, who is just amazing and has such a high ceiling, he's not done developing,” said Jordan coach Sharaud Moore. “He's not reached the peak of his sprinting potential. Eventually, I believe Jordan can go sub-10 (in the 100), but definitely this year he can go under 10.2 in the 100 and under 20.5 in the 200.”
Moore also believes his team's 4x100 relay and Stevens have big potential as well.
“Our relay can run a lot faster. We've run faster earlier in the year. We're looking to go 41 low and make it to the finals and score some points there and then with an amazing hurdler like Darryll Stevens, who dropped a lifetime best of 37.72 (at Masters), the possibility is endless for us. So where a lot of people thought we were counted out and we didn't have the numbers that we had last year (when it won the CIF-SS Division 2 title) or the entries that we had last year this year, we proved it's the size of the fight in the panther.”
Moore said the fact that Washington, Stevens and another key relay team member, senior Jacob Hernandez, competed at last year's state meet gives Jordan, a small yet experienced team.
“Last year, some of our performances kind of faded at the end and the moment was huge for a lot of our guys,” Moore said. “Now they've been there. They know what it takes, they expect themselves to be there. It's a part of them and who they are. It's not just some outside thing happening to them, it's something that they're doing in their regular lives.”
State contenders
Poly junior Xai Ricks (400) and senior Lamarr Kirk Jr. (800) are contenders to win individual state titles.
Freshman Noah Smith also qualified in the 400. Poly's 4x400 relay and 4x800 relay and senior ambulatory runner Gabriel Tyler are also threats to win, which puts the Jackrabbits boys team in a prime position for the team title.
Poly's girls team will send four entries in the 4x100 (46.89), Kennadi Reed (300 hurdles), Jillene Wetteland (high jump), and Mai Ricks (shot put).
After finishing third at last year's state meet, the Wilson girls track program will compete for a team title behind senior sprinter Aujane Luckey, who signed with Arizona State.
Luckey is the No. 1 seed in the 400 (52.71) and also hopes to score points in the 200 (24.12). Wilson's 4x100 relay (46.28) and 4x400 relay (3:43.19) are title contenders.
Sophomore long jumper Loren Webster and two hurdlers, sophomore Kaylin Edwards and senior Ma'Nia Tidwell, who announced her commitment to San Jose State recently, could also score key points that could boost the Bruins' team title chances.
Wilson senior Marcell Francis-Mitchell is a title contender in the 800. Junior JT Kraemer qualified in the 400. Wilson's 4x800 relay (7:48.79) is going for gold at the state meet, especially after the team's 4x400 relay was disqualified at the Masters Meet.
Lakewood junior Jai'ya Jones is the area's only qualifier in the girls 100 (11.87).
Jones will also lead Lakewood's 4x100 relay (47.33) at the state meet.
Millikan junior Jason Parra, who has an 8:46 personal record in the 3,200, is a title contender in the event after qualifying for the state meet with a thirdplace finish (8:58.06) at Masters.
Glenn senior Mike Udengwu is a state title contender after qualifying in the discus. Udengwu's personal best is 193 feet.
Warren senior Jaylon Wells, who signed with Long Beach State recently, is a podium contender with a personal best and school record of 60-8 in the shot put.
Los Alamitos sophomore Devin Bragg qualified for the state meet in the 100 (10.48). Bragg is also a podium contender.