High school athletes leap into state trials
Defending state long jump champion Malcolm Clemons, left, a junior at St. Mary's-Berkeley, finished ninth in long jump qualifying Friday at the CIF State Track and Field Championships in Clovis. At right, Stanford-bound runner Liam Anderson, of Redwood-Larkspur, wins the 1,600-meter trials.
CLOVIS — Liam Anderson looked like he just got out of the steam room. He was relaxed, smiling and dewy fresh.
The Redwood-Larkspur distance runner, on the eve of his final high school showcase, had just powered his way to a 1,600-meter trials win in 4 minutes, 12.20 seconds, followed with an easy cool-down around the Buchanan High warmup region.
“Feel great,” said the Stanford-bound senior. “I’m ready.”
His Redwood coach, Laura Schmitt, said Anderson was born ready. Anderson “is completely level and methodical,” she said. “He leaves nothing to risk or change.”
That’s why he doesn’t give into pressure, she said. And as the defending 1,600 champion, there’s a load of it. Especially after he won the Nike Cross Nationals in the fall.
He’s trying to become the third runner in state history to win both the 1,600 and 3,200. He was fifth in the longer one last year in the state meet. If he does so, he’ll likely cement his standing as the finest distance runner in Bay Area prep history.
Schmitt and her assistant coach, Jake Schmitt, her son, think Anderson already has done enough to lay that claim.
Such hyperbole and credentials might weigh on a runner. Not Anderson.
“I embrace it,” he said. “I know it puts a big target on my back. But I really don’t mind. I like it.”
The fact he hasn’t won a 3,200 title “leaves me feeling I have some unfinished business to take care of,” Anderson said.
If he doubles, he’ll join Belmont’s Roman Gomez (1984 and 1985) and Riverbank’s German Fernandez (2008) as the only males to do so.
Asked about what kind of times it will take to win — he won last year’s crown in 4:09.31 and has a best of 4:08.36 — Anderson just grinned and said: “First one to the tape. That’s all the matters.”
Said Laura Schmitt: “He loves to race and no one around here has done it better.”
Anderson will have plenty of local company in the 1,600 final. Dublin junior Christopher Middleton-Pearson had the second fastest qualifying time in a lifetime best of 4:09.46. Bellarmine sophomore Colin Peattie (4:10.48), St. Francis senior Eric Eng (4:11.53) and Dougherty ValleySan Ramon senior Lucas Badcock (4:12.77) also advanced.
The two most impressive Metro showings came from Amador Valley-Pleasanton senior sprinter Chinyere Okoro, who qualified first in lifetime bests of 11.56 (100) and 23.82 (200), and Clayton Valley-Concord senior Cameron Reynolds, who qualified for the finals in the 200 (lifetime best 20.99, second best mark), 400 (47.96, sixth), 400 relay (41.86, seventh) and 1,600 relay.
Okoro missed last year’s state meet because of a hamstring injury. “I sort of shocked myself,” she said. “This is a fast track and I was just ready. I could still execute a little better and if I do that, I’ll go far.”
Reynolds finished off a remarkable day with his anchor leg in the 4x400, where he was clocked at 45.4, which would approach a national record.
“It’s my last meet,” Reynolds said. “I wanted to show everyone that the (North Coast Section) isn’t as slow as everyone thinks (in the relay). So glad we could get some young guys experience to run in a state finals.” In the 200, Reynolds chased national leader Kenan Christon of Madison-San Diego, who qualified first in 20.67. “He’s a monster,” Reynolds said of Christon. “I just tried to stay with him. He carried me.” Max Preps senior writer Mitch Stephens covers high school sports for The San Francisco Chronicle.