Santiago junior Braelyn Combe sets her sights high, so she was disappointed during cross country season when she didn’t break 16 minutes at the Woodbridge Classic or break 17 minutes at the CIF State Championships.
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Santiago junior Braelyn Combe takes a break on the track on Monday, June 9, 2025 in Corona. Combe has been chosen the IE Varsity Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
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Santiago junior Braelyn Combe takes a break on the track on Monday, June 9, 2025 in Corona. Combe has been chosen the IE Varsity Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
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“I needed to accomplish everything I wanted to accomplish,” Combe said. “It started with winning the DMR at nationals.”
That distance medley relay win, during the indoor season, was the springboard to an outstanding outdoor season in which Combe won two state titles, earning her IE Varsity Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year honors.
Combe did not come out of nowhere to a successful track season.
A year ago, she took second in the state in the 1600 meters and was the top returner in the event after Ventura’s Sadie Engelhardt chose not to compete at high school meets for her senior year.
Combe’s second-place time (4:39.73) set a new Inland Empire record. She also ran the anchor leg of Santiago’s 4×800 relay that finished third in the state.
Just before the 2025 outdoor season began, Santiago went to the Nike Indoor Nationals and on March 14, Combe ran the anchor leg (1600 meters) of Santiago’s distance medley relay team (along with Rylee Blade, Taylor Davis and Nicole Samson) that set a state indoor record of 11:37.35, that was also the 14th all-time fastest indoor mark in U.S. high school history.
This season, Combe had success in the 800 meters as well. She finished second in the 800 to JSerra’s Anne Elise Packard at The TEN (running a PR of 2:09.59) and won Big VIII League and CIF Southern Section Division 1 titles in the event.
In the 1600, she had success during the regular season, but not what she wanted. Prior to the state meet, she never got closer than four seconds to her PR from her sophomore year. She was only 10th at the Arcadia Invitational but rebounded to win CIF-SS Division 1 and CIF-SS Master Meet titles.
Nerves nearly got the best of her at state. Previously when she raced against Engelhardt, she felt no pressure because Engelhardt was the overwhelming favorite.
Now she was the favorite.
“I told my coach, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ He said, ‘OK, but if you scratch the 1600, you have to scratch the 4×800 too,’” Combe said.
Combe said she never would’ve actually scratched in the 1600, but knowing she would’ve let down her teammates by also scratching in the 4×800 made the decision to race that much easier.
She was the top qualifier for state finals, and in the championship race, she didn’t lead at the 400, 800 or 1200-meter marks but leaned at the finish to edge out Santa Rosa Montgomery’s Hanne Thomsen (4:35.64 to 4:35.69). Combe set a new Inland Empire record with that time.
“I think it gives me confidence,” she said. “I know I have that In my tool belt. Every race has been another opportunity to learn other racing styles.”
Then came the 4×800 relay and running the anchor leg. Combe fell behind Packard, who had finished fourth in the 800 earlier in the evening.
“When the girl from JSerra (Packard) passed her, I said, ‘that is a mistake that’s going to cost JSerra,’ ” Santiago coach Rick Etheridge said. “When she passed Brae, it was the perfect storm. Brae could just stay behind her until the end.
“With a lap to go, I said, ‘we’re going to win.’ ”
Combe held back then passed Packard on the final lap, and Santiago set a meet record with a time of 8:49.01 to defeat JSerra, which was second in 8:52.68.
Combe ran the final 800 leg in 2:07.44, which would have been good enough to finish third in the open 800 earlier in the day.
“She executed to perfection,” Etheridge said. “One of the most awesome qualities about Braelyn that I appreciate as a coach is she’s so coachable. I tell her how to do it and she does it exactly that way.”
— PETE MARSHALL
IE VARSITY COACH OF THE YEAR
Rick Etheridge, Santiago
Etheridge guided the Sharks to another successful season, as the team finished third at the CIF Southern Section Division 1 finals and tied Long Beach Poly for second place at the CIF State Championships. Braelyn Combe won two titles at the section finals, and she and Rylee Blade won Masters Meet championships. Combe went on to sweep the postseason medals in the 1600 meters as she won the state championship in that event. Santiago also brought home this season’s state championship in the 4×800 relay.
— ERIC-PAUL JOHNSON
IE VARSITY FIRST TEAM
Taylor Anyansi, Murrieta Valley, Sr.
Kaylee Best, Norco, Sr.
Rylee Blade, Santiago, Sr.
Bella Cablayan, Murrieta Mesa, Jr.
Kaycia Carridice, Hemet, Sr.
Braelyn Combe, Santiago, Jr.
Megan Crum, Temescal Canyon, Sr.
Kylani Gaines, Riverside Poly, Jr.
Zenani Guannu, Claremont, Jr.
Ndiah Hall, Rancho Cucamonga, Sr.
AB Hernandez, Jurupa Valley, Jr.
Alyssa Jones, Roosevelt, Sr.
Jordin Lieberman, Murrieta Valley, Sr.
Arelle Middleton, Chino, Jr.
Jenna Morales, Ayala, Sr.
Grace Smith, Claremont, Fr.
Katelynn Suemnick, Chaparral, Sr.
Amira Whitehead, Summit, So.
Su’Riah Williams, Redlands, Sr.
Keelan Wright, Chaparral, Sr.
IE VARSITY SECOND TEAM
Trishelle Barge, Chaffey, Jr.
Isla Bulmer, Claremont, Jr.
Kaia Burns, Roosevelt, Sr.
Layla Campbell, Cajon, Sr.
Shelly Coates, Great Oak, Sr.
Obioma Emechete, Ayala, Sr.
Elizabeth Hib, Western Christian, Fr.
Amirah Jones, Beaumont, Sr.
Erika Kirk, Vista Murrieta, Sr.
Kaahliyah Lacy, San Jacinto Valley Academy, Fr.
Jada Lavender, Rancho Cucamonga, Jr.
Ryan Leonard, Vista Murrieta, Jr.
Gabriella Loza, Hemet, Jr.
Daneira Pellum, Beaumont, Sr.
Gabriella Petrucci, Western Christian, So.
Khalia Phyfier, Rancho Cucamonga, So.
Hailey Place, Ayala, Jr.
Alanna Potts, Upland, Jr.
Nicole Samson, Santiago, Jr.
Braidyn Thomas, San Jacinto Leadership Academy, Jr.
— ERIC-PAUL JOHNSON
