The CIF Southern Section held its all division track and field championship meet Saturday at Moorpark High School.
Inland boys athletes put on a show during the Division 1 portions of the meet by claiming 10 of the 14 individual championships.
Rancho Cucamonga junior Rodney Sermons flashed his speed and swept the sprint events. He claimed the Division 1 title in the 100 meters with a time of 10.36 seconds, the best wind-legal time of his career and only 0.06 seconds off his best time under all conditions. Sermons later captured the 200-meter title in a time of 20.92, also a best wind-legal time and 0.04 second off his PR.
Sermons is the first Inland boys athlete to sweep the Division 1 sprints since Yucaipa’s Asani Hampton pulled off the feat in 2018.
The double win by Sermons helped the Cougars bring home the Division 1 runner-up plaque for the third time in program history. Rancho Cucamonga’s 4 x 400 relay team picked up valuable points with a second-place finish (3:13.56).
King sophomore Maximo Zavaleta pulled off a double championship in the boys distance races. Zavaleta won the 1600 meters with a personal-best time of 4:07.15. He came back and claimed the title in the 3200 meters in a season-best time of 9:01.99.
Zavaleta is the first Inland boys runner to sweep the Division 1 distance races.
Temecula Valley senior Jack Stadlman cruised to victory in the 400-meter dash, winning in a time of 46.27. Stadlman just missed out on a double championship himself, as he placed second to Sermons in the 200 meters with a time of 21.20.
Inland athletes excelled in the Division 1 field events, as well.
Cajon senior Keith Cotlage also pulled off a sweep by winning titles in the horizontal jumps. Cotlage claimed the championship in the long jump with a winning leap of 22-8. He won the triple jump title with a top mark of 48-8. Cotlage’s victories extended two streaks, as Inland boys have now won nine straight Division 1 long jump titles and eight consecutive Division 1 triple jump titles.
Yucaipa senior Benjamin Lingenfelter won titles in both throwing events. Lingenfelter won the discus with a personal-best throw of 200 feet. He also won the shot put with a winning mark of 57-3. Lingenfelter became the first Inland boys athlete to sweep the Division 1 throws since Valley View’s Josh Johnson did so in 2017.
Ayala junior Nathaniel Baca won the championship in the high jump at 6-10, three inches better than his previous career best.
The Murrieta Valley boys track and field team brought home the Division 2 runner-up plaque, the program’s best section finish.
Leading the way for the Nighthawks was senior Noah Cavender, who won the 800 meters with a personal-best time of 1:52.23. Murrieta Valley also won the 4 x 100 relay (Darius Johnson, Camden Connor, Sedwrick Dunklin and Brandon Ortega) in 41.60.
Redlands senior Michael Cullen captured the Division 2 pole vault championship with a personal-best mark of 16-3.
Elsinore senior Nicolas Alexis won the Division 2 long jump title (23-5) and placed second in the triple jump (48-0 1/2).
Woodcrest Christian senior Eyan Turk claimed the second track and field section championship of his career, as he successfully defended his Division 4 title in the 3200 meters. Turk posted a winning time of 9:00.36.
Several other Inland athletes and relay teams finished top three in their respective divisions.
Murrieta Mesa’s Darryl Conyer III placed third in both the Division 1 100 meters (10.66) and 200 meters (21.48). Riverside Poly’s Beckett Sullivan was second in the 800 (1:15.37), and Great Oak’s Jack Paradise placed third (1:52.41). Chaffey’s Daniel Reza finished second in the 3200 (9:11.17). Temecula Valley’s 4 x100 relay placed second (41.48).
Etiwanda’s Brandon Andrade was second in the Division 1 300 hurdles (37.63). Orange Vista’s Terrence Whaley placed third in both the 110 hurdles (13.99) and 300 hurdles (38.04).
Ayala’s Josh Komrosky finished second in the Division 1 discus (175-9) and third in the shot put (54-0). Etiwanda’s Drew Harisay placed second in the shot put (57-1).
Riverside Poly’s Leon Shorter IV was third in the Division 1 long jump (22-3 1/2). while Great Oak’s Colin Green placed third in the triple jump (47-10).
Bonita’s Max McCune placed second in the Division 2 100 meters (10.63). North’s Dontae Smith was third in the 400 (47.91), while Bonita’s Davieon Woodley finished third (48.16). Norco’s Trajan Cephas placed third in the 800 (1:54.29). Murrieta Valley’s 4 x 400 relay was third (3:20.70).
Damien’s Jaxson Gates finished second in the Division 3 100 meters with a time of 10.44.
Big Bear’s Aiden Brewer placed second in the Division 4 110-meter hurdles (15.04) and third in the high jump (6-4). California School for the Deaf-Riverside’s Darius Zarembka finished second in the high jump (6-4), and Linfield Christian’s Drew Taylor was third in the 110 hurdles (15.62). Notre Dame’s Kaden Tennyson placed third in the shot put (49-1 1/2).
Ontario Christian’s Nathan Lacambra was second in the 800 meters (1:58.00), and teammate Matthew Croulet was third in the long jump (20-11 3/4).
Western Christian’s Sebastian Talamantes placed second in the discus (148-6), and teammate PJ Hib finished third (147-9). Western Christian’s Jonah Maningo was second in the triple jump (41-9 1/4).
The Southern Section will hold its annual Masters Meet on Saturday, May 24 at Moorpark High School. The division champion in each event qualified along with the next 14 best performances (and ties in the vertical jumps).
Below is a list of Inland qualifiers for the Masters Meet. The athlete’s division and place is shown in parenthesis.
100 Meters
Rodney Sermons, Rancho Cucamonga, 10.36 (D1, 1)
Jaxson Gates, Damien, 10.44 (D3, 2)
Max McCune, Bonita, 10.63 (D2, 2)
Darryl Conyer III, Murrieta Mesa, 10.66 (D1, 3)
Daron Tyson, San Gorgonio, San Gorgonio, 10.68 (D3, 7)
Lamar Taylor, Rancho Cucamonga, 10.70 (D1, 4)
Derrick Brown, Etiwanda, 10.71 (D1, 5)
200
Rodney Sermons, Rancho Cucamonga, 20.92 (D1, 1)
Jack Stadlman, Temecula Valley, 21.20 (D1, 2)
Darryl Conyer III, Murrieta Mesa, 21.48 (D1, 3)
400
Jack Stadlman, Temecula Valley, 46.27 (D1, 1)
Dontae Smith, North, 47.91 (D2, 2)
Daiveon Woodley, Bonita, 48.16 (D2, 3)
Jayden Saldana, Rancho Cucamonga, 48.24 (D1, 4)
Daryl Williams, Beaumont, 49.02 (D1, 7)
800
Beckett Sullivan, Riverside Poly, 1:51.37 (D1, 2)
Noah Cavender, Murrieta Valley, 1:52.23 (D1, 1)
Jack Paradise, Great Oak. 1:52.41 (D1, 3)
Mason Colwell, King, 1:53.28 (D1, 7)
Trajan Cephas, Norco, 1:54.29 (D2, 2)
1600
Maximo Zavaleta, King, 4:07.15 (D1, 1)
Daniel Reza, Chaffey, 4:10.29 (D1, 4)
Jace Deledonne, Riverside Poly, 4:12.75 (D1, 6)
3200
Eyan Turk, Woodcrest Christian, 9:00.36 (D4, 1)
Maximo Zavaleta, King, 9:01.99 (D1, 1)
Daniel Reza, Chaffey, 9:11.17 (D1, 2)
110 Hurdles
Terrence Whaley, Orange Vista, 13.99 (D1, 3)
Cameron Simmons, Temecula Valley, 14.10 (D1, 4)
Joab Vela, Vista Murrieta, 14.26 (D1, 5)
Brandon Andrade, Etiwanda, 14.72 (D1, 7)
300 Hurdles
Brandon Andrade, Etiwanda, 37.63 (D1, 2)
Terrence Whaley, Orange Vista, 38.04 (D1, 3)
Keegan Schmidt, Los Osos, 38.57 (D1, 5)
Aden Johnson, Summit, 38.60 (D1, 6)
Luke Amico, Roosevelt, 38.73 (D1, 7)
Quishawn Stanford, Alta Loma, 38.79 (D1, 8)
400 Relay
Temecula Valley, 41.48 (D1, 2)
Murrieta Valley, 41.60 (D2, 1)
Santiago 42.13 (D1, 4)
Beaumont 42.25 (D1, 5)
1600 Relay
Rancho Cucamonga, 3:13.56 (D1, 2)
Cajon, 3:16.68 (D1, 5)
Orange Vista, 3:18.22 (D1, 8)
Damien, 3:19.04 (D3, 5)
Murrieta Valley, 3:20.70 (D2, 3)
High Jump
Nathaniel Baca, Ayala, 6-10 (D1, 1)
Exzavior Oliver, Grand Terrace, 6-6 (D2, 4)
Joshua Thompson, Upland, 6-4 (D1, 4)
Edward Moody, Rancho Verde, 6-4 (D2, 8)
Darius Zarembka, CSDR, 6-4 (D4, 2)
Christian Walton, Etiwanda, 6-2 (D1, 5)
Aiden Brewer, Big Bear, 6-2 (D4, 3
Pole Vault
Michael Cullen, Redlands, 16-3 (D2, 1)
Isaac Lanaro, Etiwanda, 14-8 (D1, T4)
David O’Brien, Roosevelt, 14-8 (D1, T4)
Kade Prosser, Great Oak, 14-2 (D1, 7)
Bennett Jeppsen, Greta Oak, 13-8 (D1, T8)
Shot Put
Benjamin Lingenfelter, Yucaipa, 57-3 (D1, 1)
Drew Harisay, Etiwanda, 57-1 (D1, 2)
Joshua Komrosky, Ayala, 54-0 1/2 (D1, 3)
Noah Buchanan, Murrieta Mesa, 52-9 1/2 (D1, 5)
Justin Coute, King, 51-5 (D1, 6)
Benjamin Lin, Ayala, 51-2 (D1, 7)
Discus
Benjamin Lingenfelter, Yucaipa, 200-0 (D1, 1)
Joshua Komrosky, Ayala, 175-9 (D1, 2)
Drew Harisay, Etiwanda, 165-1 (D1, 4)
Benjamin Lin, Ayala, 157-10 (D1, 6)
Isaiah Casillas, King, 156-2 (D1, 7)
Andrew Dixon, Murrieta Mesa, 156-2 (D1, 8)
Cole Clark, Murrieta Valley, 150-1 (D2, 5)
Long Jump
Nicolas Alexis, Elsinore, 23-5 (D2, 1)
Keith Cotlage, Cajon, 22-8 (D1, 1)
Leon Shorter IV, Riverside Poly, 22-3 1/2 (D1, 3)
Ryan Rim, Santiago, 22-0 (D1, 5)
Kayden Borden, Murrieta Valley, 21-11 1/2 (D2, 4)
Jeremiah Brown, San Jacinto, 21-9 1/2 (D1, 6)
Triple Jump
Keith Cotlage, Cajon, 48-8 (D1, 1)
Nicolas Alexis, Great Oak, 48-0 1/2 (D2, 2)
Colin Green, Great Oak, 47-10 (D1, 3)
Nathaniel Baca, Ayala, 44-8 1/2 (D1, 6)
Akello Rasshan, Chino Hills, 44-7 3/4 (D1, 7)
