Clovis North’s McKay Madsen, Bakersfield’s Jalen Ford highlight impressive day at West Coast Relays

With some of the top track and field athletes in the state competing, it’s no wonder there were some outstanding marks Saturday at the historic West Coast Relays at Veterans Memorial Stadium at Clovis Buchanan High.

Clovis North senior McKay Madsen, the defending state champion in the shot put and discus throw, entered the meet with the top marks in California this year in both events.

Although Madsen, a Brigham Young commit, didn’t set new season bests in either event, he did win both titles for the second year in a row, securing the shot put with a mark of 61 feet (18.59m), and the capturing discus with a 200-3 (61.04m) effort.

Perhaps even more impressively, three of Madsen’s four discus marks were at least 190 feet.

McKay Madsen of Clovis North | Photo courtesy of Clovis North

Bakersfield junior Jalen Ford had an impressive day, winning the 100 (10.80) and 200 (21.61), both running into a headwind, in addition to being part of the winning 4×100 (41.54) and 4×400 (3:19.64) relay teams.

Damarious Johnson, Isaiah Richard and Brenton Brown joined Ford in the Drillers’ 4×100 victory, with Kamren Owens, David Avena and Bryce Gridiron part of the winning 4×400 lineup.

Jalen Ford of Bakersfield | Photo courtesy of Bakersfield

Pittsburg senior Khaliq Muhammad, second in the state last year in the pole vault and who shares the top mark in California this year, was victorious Saturday.

The first three heights Muhammad attempted, 15-8, 16-2, and 16-8 (5.08m) resulted in no misses, but the Arizona commit was unable to clear the fourth height, 17-2.25 (5.24m).

On the girls side, there were several multiple-event winners.

Clovis East senior Indiana Davis, a Sacramento State commit, won both the high jump with a 5-5 clearance (1.65m) and triple jump with a 38-5.50 (11.72m). Davis also ran in the 100 hurdles, finishing second in 15.59 in the silver section.

Clovis North sophomore Giselle Renney pulled off an 800 double: winning the open 800 with a PR time of 2:11.18 and running the third leg of Clovis North’s winning 4×800 relay (9:25.02), which also included Sabella Sanchez, Keira Quigley and Demi Villalobos.

Keani Neuhs, a senior at Templeton, finished second in the 800 in 2:12.76, with junior Ryleigh Schoonover from Clovis West taking third in 2:13.41.

Keani Neuhs of Templeton, left, with Giselle Renney from Clovis North, center, and Ryleigh Schoonover of Clovis West | Photo courtesy of Clovis North

Clovis East won the boys 4×800 relay, with Jordan Herrera, Ethan Hickey, Mark McAleenan and Marcus Salinas running 7:56.66.

Salinas also prevailed in the boys 1,600 in 4:08.63.

Hollister senior Golda Demby, a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo commit, swept the girls shot put and discus competitions. Demby achieved a season-best 39-9 (12.11m) in the shot and went 135-10 (41.41m) in the discus.

Perhaps the most impressive performance by one school in an event was the girls 1,600 by host Buchanan. Not only did Buchanan senior Sierra Cornett, a Colorado State signee, win the race in 4:56.23, but Buchanan had six of the top seven finishers in the field, including four competitors with sub-5 performances.

Freshmen Gaby Gutierrez (4:56.83) and Brooklyn Buckley (4:57.83) were second and third, respectively, with senior Avery Hutchison placing fourth in 4:59.55.

Archbishop Mitty junior Shiloh Halliburton-Rudy nearly won two events, but after winning the 100 hurdles (14.87), she finished second to Turlock’s Zoe Lamur in the 300 hurdles by a 44.38 to 44.78 margin.

Other girls gold section winners included: Mater Dei’s 4×100 relay lineup of Saige Acosta, Eden Murray, Nabile Alvarado and Savannah Muldrew running 46.88, Clovis North’s 4×400 quartet of Hayden Craft, Emerson Parks, Emma O’Neil and Villalobos clocking 3:51.18, Reedley Immanuel’s Lexi Schartmann (400, 55.27), Pittsburg’s Temi Aganju (100, 12.00), North Salinas’ Clara Adams (200, 24.66), Bullard’s Isabella Ramirez (3,200, 10:39.84), Hollister’s Hannah Vincent in the long jump with a leap of 18-1 (5.51m) and Clovis West’s Brooklyn Ashjian in the pole vault with a 12-2 (3.71m) clearance.

Other boys gold section champions included: Buchanan’s Hudson Hergenrader (110 hurdles, 14.30), Fresno Central’s Emmanuel Morgan (400, 47.57), Bullard’s Noah Mikusevich (800, 1:55.94), Stockdale’s Vincent Carnegie (300 hurdles, 37.95), Visalia Redwood’s Hunter Skoglund (3,200, 9:18.88), Rio Mesa’s Jackson Knowles clearing 6-7 (2.01m) in the high jump, Clovis’ Kayden Lewis-Burnley achieving a 22-11 (6.98m) effort in the long jump, and Dublin’s Nathaniel Maddox taking the triple jump with a 46-11.50 (14.31m) performance.