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South Pasadena High sophomore Tianhao Wei is headed to the next level of competition after winning the Division 3 triple jump at last weekend’s CIF Southern Section Track and Field Championships at El Camino College in Torrance.
Wei is now preparing to participate in the CIF Masters Meet slated for Friday and Saturday at Cerritos College. With a standout performance, he will be headed to Buchanan High School in Clovis, near Fresno, on June 1 and 2 to compete in the State Meet.
Just a sophomore, Wei qualified for the Masters with a 46-feet, 6-inch performance for a personal best. Mayan Schexnayder holds the South Pasadena High record of 47 feet, 1 inch, recorded in 2011.
While Wei won the Division 3 title, he had the second best leap in all divisions at the CIF finals, only behind the returning state triple jump champion from Great Oaks.
“He puts in a lot of hard work at practice with our coaches,” said Tigers’ Head Track and Field Coach C.B. Richards of Wei’s work ethic. “He’s constantly improving his technique. Combining speed with a great jumping ability, it’s wonderful to see him reach this kind of success so early in his high school career. He has the ability to be one of the best triple jumpers in the state with his continued focus and dedication to the sport.”
For a comparison, the current male and female world record holders are Jonathan Edwards of Great Britain, with a jump of 18.29 meters (60 feet 0 inches), and Inessa Kravets of Ukraine, who jumped of 15.50 meters (50 feet 10 inches). The pair of records were set during 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg.
Wei was joined by other CIF finalists from SPHS, including: Oliver Chang, Ashley Hugasian, Cayley Whiman, Christina Taylor, Riley Segal, Gianna Beasley, and Kai Detman.
