Warriors run 40.98 to eclipse meet and program records that stood since 1999 in return of event following two-year absence; Sahaida clears 13 feet in pole vault, McDowell shines in long jump, with Chamberlain, Harris, Fields, McCuller and Mellion all winning twice at American River College

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Following a two-year hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it only took two races in the invitational section Saturday to produce the first memorable moment of the 39th Sacramento Meet of Champions.

And just like McClymonds setting meet and program records in the boys 4x100-meter relay set an impressive tone for the rest of the evening at American River College, the end of the schedule was highlighted by the closest finish in event history in the boys 3,200 meters.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

In between, Oak Ridge senior pole vaulter Alison Sahaida and Lodi junior long jumper Maceo McDowell both moved into the top 10 in California this season with their performances, earning top field event athlete honors, with Riley Chamberlain, Y’Vette Harris, Sharli’e McCuller and Kori Fields all earning multiple victories on the track and Galadriel Mellion sweeping the girls discus throw and shot put.

McClymonds took down a pair of standards that were established in 1999, with the quartet of junior Javian Thomas and seniors Michael Dansby, Jay’Vion Cole and Trey Hammork clocking 40.98 seconds to eclipse the all-time meet mark of 41.16 by Vallejo.

The Warriors also eclipsed their 1999 program record of 41.25, joining St. John Bosco (40.80) and Fresno Central (40.92) as the only three teams in the state to produce sub-41 efforts this season.

Sonora senior Adin Dibble edged St. Mary’s Berkeley junior Mateo Malko-Allen 9:10.09 to 9:10.13 in the invitational 3,200, covering the final lap in 57.6 seconds and producing a well-timed lean at the finish line to emerge victorious.

Chamberlain, a Brigham Young-bound senior at Del Oro High, prevailed in 4:45.42 for the fastest time at the meet since 2007 and the No. 4 mark in event history, and returned to triumph in the 800 in 2:14.55 to earn top female track athlete honors.

Chamberlain helped friend and Loomis Elite club teammate Cate Joaquin of Sacramento St. Francis achieve a sub-4:50 effort for the first time in her career, with the Georgetown signee clocking 4:48.58 to place second.

Natalie Wieland of Ponderosa High, a UC Davis commit and fellow Loomis Elite competitor, ran a personal-best 10:41.68 to produce the program record in the girls invitational 3,200, eclipsing the 1997 mark of 10:46.65 held by Jen Schindler.

Kyle Ortega-Gammill of Reno achieved the fastest 1,600 performance since 2017 by clocking 4:12.52.

Harris, a junior at Lincoln High in Stockton, won both invitational hurdling races, clocking a wind-legal 14.28 in the 100 hurdles and 44.02 in the 300 hurdles.

McCuller, a senior at Edison High in Stockton, produced her first sub-12 performance in the invitational 100-meter dash with a wind-legal 11.98 and also contributed to a 3:59.87 victory in the 4x400 relay. McCuller also finished second in the 200 in 24.73 and helped Edison finish runner-up in the 4x100 relay in 48.37.

Stockton St. Mary’s won the 4x100 in 47.39, with Fields anchoring the winning effort, along with emerging victorious in the 200 in 24.57.

Jadyn Marshall, a UCLA-bound senior at Stockton St. Mary’s, earned top male track athlete honors after clocking 13.91 in the 110-meter hurdles, in addition to running 10.98 in the 100-meter dash to earn sixth.

Cornell Davis of Pinole Valley achieved a wind-legal personal-best 10.62 to triumph in the invitational 100.

Mellion, a junior at Weston Ranch, prevailed in the shot put with a third-round mark of 42-1.25 (12.83m) and had a 134-1 (40.86m) effort in the fourth round of the discus.

Sahaida cleared 13 feet (3.96m) for the first time in the pole vault, achieving the height on her third attempt.

McDowell produced a personal-best 23-7 (7.18m) in the third round of the invitational long jump to overtake early leader Elias Reed of Salesian at 23-1 (7.03m).

Cate Peters of Monte Vista, a junior, ran a personal-best 54.72 to triumph in the invitational 400 and finished fourth in the 200 in 25.04.

Ashanti Elie of Whitney, the state leader in the high jump, cleared 5-7 (1.70m) to prevail and sophomore teammate Juliana Roberson produced a 37-8 (11.48m) effort in the sixth round of the triple jump to secure the victory.

Torre Anderson of Pleasanton Foothill captured the win in the invitational long jump with a fifth-round effort of 18-1 (5.51m).

Elijah Jordan of Freedom was victorious in the invitational triple jump with a wind-legal 45-6 (13.86m) effort on his third attempt.

Ray Oldham of Davis Senior cleared 6-7 (2.00m) on his first opportunity in the invitational high jump.

Ian Strode of Turlock produced a 15-8 (4.77m) on his third try to prevail in the invitational pole vault.

Enochs’ Abayomi Babalola saved his best for last with a 179-7 (54.73m) effort on his sixth attempt in the discus.

Simon Dixon of Paradise triumphed in the invitational shot put with a mark of 55-8.75 (16.98m) on his second attempt.

Zion Allen of Manteca won the invitational 200 in 21.71, with Bryce Thomas of Moreau Catholic securing the invitational 400 in 49.08 and Noah Pagaran of Stockton Lincoln clocking 1:55.07 to take the invitational 800.

Anthony Sausedo of Ripon prevailed in the invitational 300 hurdles in 38.97, with Stockton Edison sweeping both 4x400 titles by clocking 3:22.44 in the boys race to conclude the meet.