SPHS Runners Burn Up the Track and Field Season Qualifying for CIF Masters and State Finals

 

South Pasadena High School had a tremendous track season this year with several Tigers qualifying for CIF-SS Finals in Division 3 (of 105 schools), CIF Masters and State Championships. At the CIF Finals, SPHS had twelve medalists. Three events qualified into CIF Masters and SPHS has one individual CIF Champion in the 300m hurdles event.

The track post CIF season continued for the Tigers into Saturday’s CIF Masters Meet at Moorpark High School. The top 6 finishers at the Masters Meet qualify for State plus anyone 7th-12th that can achieve the State at large standard will qualify go to California State Championships. The 300m hurdles at large standard is 43.92 or faster.

Both Keeran Murray and Mia Holden competed at the Masters Meet and both qualified for California State Championships taking place next week at Clovis, Buchanan High School. Murray is only the 3^rd distance runner from South Pasadena High School to make it to the State level. Mike Parkinson made it in 1979 in the 1600m and Sam Pons won the 3200m in 2010 and placed 2^nd in 2011. Murray is also the only distance runner in SPHS history to qualify for State in the 800m. Holden is the only hurdler to qualify for State in school history.

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Coach CB Richards told us, “Keeran in the 800m, got a little boxed in from the start and moved his way to second place with 300m to go. He pushed with the finisher and crossed the line in 5th place with a time of 1:53.80 – a lifetime personal best for Keeran and the 5th spot overall and under the state at large mark of 1:53.96 for the 800m.” Murray’s time of 1:53.80 is only 0.31 seconds off the school record. He is currently #2 all time South Pasadena and the Junior Class School record holder. Twelve will make it from Friday’s State preliminaries to the Final on Saturday.

Richards went on to say, “Mia was 6th place qualifier in the 300m Hurdles (ranked 9th coming in and running from lane 1) She finished strong again with a 43.95 time (the 2nd time in one week she has run under 44 seconds. Her 2nd fastest time ever) and 6th automatic qualifier spot from all of CIF-SS 642 high schools.”

“Mia also had a great triple jump series with three jumps over 38-00 ft. She finished 7th place overall with a best of 38-04.5 but only 6 automatic entries to state. The state at large mark to hit was 38-06. Just missing qualifying in a second event by only an inch and half.  Still a great effort and top series of triple jumps for her. There are 10 CIF sections in the state of California. Each section is allocated a few entries into the state meet. Mia Holden’s 7th place jump in CIF Southern section Masters Meet would have made her the 1st place Girls triple jumper in any of the 9 other CIF sections in the State. Of the 25 triple jumps accepted to State, Mia would be ranked 7th overall based on her masters jump –  unfortunately the California State system is not set up yet to accept more than 6 entries from CIF Southern section. This is something we are trying to fix with CIF for future deserving student athletes as well.”

The athletes and coaches will head up to Clovis (near Fresno) on Thursday as State Prelims will be held on Friday night May 26 where each will need to be in the top 9 to advance to the Saturday State Championship in their events.

SPHS medalists at the CIF Finals:

1. Boys 800m Keeran Murray 1:53.97 – 2nd place @ qualified to Masters meet #2 seed overall
2. Girls 300m Hurdles Mia Holden 43.81 1st place CIF Individual Champion 300m Hurdles – qualified to Masters meet
3. Girls Triple Jump Mia Holden 37-01.75 4th place qualified to Masters Meet
4. Girls 4×100 49.41 5th place (Kezia Gavlak 10, Lyla Keller 11, Anna Kowal 9, Annalea Pearson 12)
5. Girls 100m Hurdles Mia Holden 15.04 4th place
6. Girls 100m Lyla Keller  12.45  6th place

7. Girls Triple JumpKezia Gavlak 35-03.5 5th place