10 athletes/storylines heading into hot CIF State High School Track and Field Championships

Triple-digit temperatures should match the sizzling marks, action, drama on the field and track for the 104th annual event

Servite track and field impressed at the CIF Southern Section finals. / Arcadia Invitational via Image of Sport

CLOVIS, Calif. — Numbers, numbers, numbers.

They are, of course, what drives all track and field events, and athletes. Times, marks, personal records are at the center point.

Mix that in with personal drama, the journeys of people and coaches and families, and a game of numbers becomes much more compelling.

Especially at the finish line.

That's where roughly 1,500 student-athletes are sprinting and striving and why upwards of 10,000 fans will be on hand Friday and Saturday for the 105th California (CIF) State Track and Field Championships at Veteran's Memorial Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High School.

It is considered one of the crowning jewels of all Golden State high school sporting events.

Here's 10 storylines/athletes to watch heading into Friday's trials which are scheduled to start 3 p.m. (field events) and 5 p.m. (running events).

• ENTRIES FOR ALL EVENTS | CIF Track and Field Championships

The top 9 in running and top 12 in field events from the trias advance to Saturday's finals which are scheduled at 4:30 p.m. (field) and 5:45 p.m. (running), all pending a heat index that likely will cause delays. Temperatures both days are expected to rise just above triple digits.

1. The Herbst twins

Carlsbad senior twins Morgan and Makenna Herbst are more than a little competitive — and talented — showed in last week's San Diego Section finals. As described by legendary sports scribe Steve Brand, Morgan broke the state 300-meter hurdles record in a time of 39.95 seconds and is behind only Olympian Sydney McLaughlin (38.90), of Union Catholic (N.J.), and former North Cobb (Ga.) star Jasmine Robinson (39.81) in U..S. history. Morgan, an Arkansas commit, beat the 2001 California mark of 40.10 set by Ebony Collins, of Long Beach Wilson. Morgan's historic run came just 30 minutes after Makenna lowered her own section record in the 800 at 2:03.30, the best time in the nation this year. The two also ran on Carlsbad's winning 4x400 relay team (3:48.52). "I want more, I have more," Morgan told Brand. "It wasn't my cleanest race, so I'm going to work on that."

2. San Dieo section girls

The twins weren't the only San Diego Section to flurry. La Jolla's Chiara Dailey recorded the state's leading qualifying mark (from section finals) in the 1600 (4:43.57) as did San Diego High School's Anisa Bowen-Fontenot in the 100 hurdles (13.38) and Del Norte pole vaulter Paige Echsner (13 feet, 5 inches).

3. How low will they go?

Servite track and field boys' relay team medals at the 2025 Arcadia Invitational. / Arcadia Invitational via Image of Sport

That will be a question for this weekend and year's to come for the remarkably talented and young Servite 4x100 relay team. The 400 team of Jordan Wells, Benjamin Harris, Jaelen Hunter and Robert Gardner set a state record of 40.00 at the Arcadia Invitational, and qualified first for the state meet after winning last weekend's Southern Section Masters Meet in 40.40. Wells and Hunter are freshmen and Harris and Gardner are sophomores. With such hot conditions and top competition, the quartet will shoot for sub 40 seconds.

4. Local boy (McKay Madsen) making REALLY good

Clovis North senior McKay Madsen (3) is one of California's top all-around senior athletes. He's rushed for 1,677 career yards and 28 touchdowns. / Photo: Bobby Medellin

Essentially his home track, Clovis North senior McKay Madsen wants nothing more than to put a bow on an illustrious career by doubling for the second straight year in the shot put and discus. The BYU signing, also a football standout, ranks first in the state and fouth nationally in both the shot (68-4) and discuss (211-6). His qualifying marks while winning Central Section championships at 67-4.25 and 204-9 also lead the competition.

5. De La Salle title run to honor late coach

De La Salle's 2025 track and field team and coaches following off a stirring performance for their late head coach John Harvey at Dublin High School, May 24, 2025. / Photo by Mitch Stephens

The North Coast Section school known for its football prowess is after its first state track and field championship and with close to a dozen athletes in varied events, the Spartans have a chance. They are led by junior sprinter Jaden Jefferson, a North Carolina football commit, who broke a NCS record in the 100 at Saturday's Meet of Champions in 10.30 seconds, the top qualifying mark. He also has the fourth best 200 time of 21.11 (he let up near the end), and ran a strong second leg on the No. 5 4x100 relay team (41.20). With other section champions Anthony Dean (triple jump), Trey Caldwell (3200) and Chase Young (110 hurdles), the Spartans have a shot to win during an emotionally raw month after losing their head coach John Harvey, who died unexpectedly on April 28 due to a respiratory ailment. The scored a school record 93 points Saturday while winning their seventh NCS MOC.

6. AB Hernandez saga

CIF State office updated statement regarding CIF State track and field championships / Screenshot from CIF Office

The issue of transgender and female rights has centered nationally around Jurupa Valley senior A.B. Hernandez, an openly transgender athlete who is the state (seasonal) girls leader in the triple jump (41-4) and ranks second in the long jump (20-1.50). Hernandez also qualified for state in the high jump. President Trump ordered Hernandez not to compete on Tuesday, the same day the CIF rolled out its weeks-long plan to make adjustments to additional entrance and medals.

7. All right with Brooke White

In this terrific feature by Sacramento Bee writer Joe Davidson, River City of West Sacramento senior hurdler and jumper Brooke White holds down the region's primary hope for a gold medal and does so with a flair and style all her own. The 4.3 student, who ranks second (seasonally) in the state in the 100 hurdles (13.73) behind Bowen-Fontenot and third via qualifying marks in the long jump (19-4.50) also offered a wide view of the Hernandez controversy. “I believe that everyone deserves an equal opportunity to compete, and (Hernandez) being there (in the state meet) does not bother me at all,” she told Davidson. “She does just as much training and goes through just as much anxiety as we all do during track. ... I don’t believe that she deserves any of this backlash, and I’m sure it’s making her feel worse.”

8. Family ties, making amends

Khaliq (left) with his dad and coach Gary Muhammad after setting the NCS MOC record. / Photo by Eric Taylor

Pittsburg pole vaulter Khaliq Muhammad finished second at state last season as a junior, the same year his sister Jathiyah won the girls state pole vault. Their father Gary is a pole vault coach, now helping out at Pittsburg. Muhammad, behind a new regimented running plan, has been a model of consistency and last week set a NCS MOC record with a vault of 17-1, just off his best of 17-2. He'll join his sister next season at the University of Arizona, hopefully with his own gold medal. He'll have to defeat, among others, defending champion, Kai Anderson, of University City-San Diego. “I expect myself to break records and win titles because I’ve been training at this for 12 years,” Muhammad said last week. “Everything is consistent with me now. I’ve hit 17 feet three meets in a row. Hopefully I can make it four.”

9. Another local hoping to make good

Kayden Lewis-Burnley, only a sophomore, could be a second Clovis native to land at the top of the victory stand. The Clovis High School long jumper smashed his previous best by more than 18 inches with a Central Section winning mark of 24-8.75, the top jump in the state this year and No. 12 in the nation.

10. Open doors

Hanne Thomsen (right) won her fifth and sixth North Coast Section Meet of Champion titles on Saturday, May 24, 2025. / Photo by Eric Taylor

With a pair of defending champions out in the boys sprints and girls middle distance, opportunity knocks. Mount Miguel senior Brandon Arrington, the heavy favorite to repeat in the 100 and 200, sustained a leg injury earlier this month and wasn't able to compete at the section level. He won last year in 10.27 and 20.55, respectively. Top contenders now in both events are Jefferson, Alemany sophomore Demare Dezeurn, Mission Bay senior Elliot Getz, El Cerrito sophomore Chad Works-Wright, along with Servite sophomores Gardner and Harris. Ventura's Sadie Engelhardt, one of the state's all-time greats with four crowns including the 1600 last season in 4:32.06, opted out of her senior season to turn pro. It would have been fun to see Engelhardt and Makenna Herbst tangle in the 800. The 1600 is wide open now with Dailey, Montgomery senior and Stanford bound Hanne Thomsen, Santiago junior Braelyn Combe, and a host of others in the mix.

manual

Top qualifers in each event

BOYS

100 meters — 1. Jaden Jefferson (De La Salle) 10.30.

200 — 1. Rodney Sermons (Rancho Cucamonga) 20.97.

400 — 1. Jaelen Hunter (Servite) 46.91.

800 — 1. Lucas Alberts (Jesuit) 1:51.27.

1600 — 1. Conor Lott (Clovis North) 4:05.80.

3200 — 1. Landon Pretre (Menlo School) 8:48.57.

110 high hurdles — Jasir Fontenot (San Diego) 13.40.

300 hurdles — 1. Kingston Waring (Culver City) 36.91.

4x100 relay — 1. Servite 40.40.

4x400 relay — 1. Long Beach Poly 3:10.83.

4x800 relay — 1. Mira Costa 7:37.84.

HJ — 1T. Joshua Harel (Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks), Matthew Browner (Chaminade), 6-10.

PV — 1. Khaliq Muhammad (Pittsburg) 17-1.od) 14-2

LJ — 1. Kayden Lewis-Burnley (Clovis) 24-8¾.

TJ — 1. Keith Cotlage (Cajon) 48-10.

SP — 1. McKay Madsen (Clovis North) 67-4½.

Discus — Madsen (Clovis North) 204-9.

GIRLS

100 meters — 1. Journey Cole (Redondo) 11.36;

200 — 1. Keelan Wright (Chaparral) 23.21;

400 — 1. Clara Adams (North Salinas) 53.23.

800 — 1. Makenna Herbst (Carlsbad) 2:03.30.

1600 — 1. Chiara Dailey (La Jolla) 4:43.57.

3200 —  1. Rylee Blade (Santiago) 10:11.38.

110 high hurdles — 1. Anisa Bowen-Fontenot (San Diego) 13.38.

300 hurdles — 1. Morgan Herbst (Carlsbad) 39.95.

4x100 relay — 1. Long Beach Poly 45.94.

4x400 relay — Long Beach Wilson 3:43.71.

4x800 relay — 1. Claremont 8:59.39.

HJ — 1T. Riley McMullen (San Ramon Valley), Jasleen Gandhoke (St. Francis-Sacramento), all 5-6.

PV — 1. Paige Echsner (Del Norte-San Diego) 13-5.

 
LJ — 1. Amaya Estes (Canyon Creek Academy) 19-6.

TJ — Hatcher (St. Mary’s) 40-10½.

SP — 1. Jaslene Massey (Aliso Niguel) 49-7½.

Discus — 1. Massey (Aliso Niguel) 165-6.