High School

California's best hurdlers are freshman-senior, brother-sister tandem from San Diego

Meet California’s fastest hurdling siblings—Anisa and Jasir Bowen-Fontenot are rewriting the record books.

Roland Padilla

Anisa Bowen-Fontenot and freshman brother Jasir Fontenot at the Texas Relays
Anisa Bowen-Fontenot and freshman brother Jasir Fontenot at the Texas Relays / Bazz Fontenot

California’s two fastest hurdlers in the 110-meter and 100-meter hurdle races both go to San Diego High School. They also just happen to share a roof.

Senior Anisa Bowen-Fontenot holds not only the state’s fastest time, but also the nation’s top wind-legal mark in the 100-meter hurdles this season: a blazing 13.16 seconds. Her younger brother Jasir, a freshman phenom, owns California’s fastest time in the 110-meter hurdles at 13.47, and his wind-legal best of 13.76 ranks No. 12 in the country.

Before the spotlight turned to the Arcadia Invitational, these California hurdlers were already making waves in Texas. USC-bound senior Anisa Bowen-Fontenot dazzled at the 97th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, racing to a wind-aided 12.99 to win the Division 2 100-meter hurdles at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin. The mark made her just the third female athlete from California and the ninth high schooler ever to break 13 seconds under any conditions.

Not to be outdone, Jasir Fontenot stunned the field in the Division 2 110-meter hurdles, clocking a wind-aided 13.47 — the fastest all-conditions time by a freshman in California high school history. Their performances in Austin made it clear: these siblings were just getting started.

That early-season momentum rolled straight into the 2025 Arcadia Invitational, where both siblings turned in more elite efforts.

Anisa's performance at the Arcadia Invite was not only a national leader but was good enough to etch her name into the record books claiming the 2nd best time in meet history only behind the Olympic gold medalist in long jump, Tara Davis who competed for Agoura in 2017. Anisa also went on to record a personal best in the 300-meter hurdles with a mark of 41.25 which is 10th in meet history and ranks her 3rd in the nation currently.

Jasir, meanwhile, ran just 0.03 off his wind-legal personal best, finishing in 13.79 — his first defeat of the season, but still a top-tier mark for a freshman.

It’s rare to see siblings both dominate in the same event group, but even rarer when they’re separated by three academic years. With Anisa closing out her high school career as one of the most decorated hurdlers in the nation and Jasir just beginning his, it’s clear this isn’t a one-year storyline — it’s the start of a legacy.

Anisa was grateful for how her race and season has turned out. She gave her thoughts on how it feels to compete alongside her brother and their future potential on the track.

So what’s next for California’s fastest family duo? Anisa is off to USC, where she’ll join one of the best hurdle squads in the country. And Jasir? He’ll be back in math class Monday—before likely lining up at his next meet to humble a few more upperclassmen.

The baton may be passing from sister to brother, but it’s clear this isn’t the end of the story. It’s just a new leg of the race.

If there were a relay for raw talent, poise and sibling swagger, the Bowen-Fontenots would already have the baton halfway down the track—and everyone else trying to catch up.

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Published
Roland Padilla
ROLAND PADILLA

Roland Padilla is a high school sports journalist, NIL specialist, and analytics strategist covering primarily West Coast track and field, basketball, and football for High School On SI. He began his career in 2015 reporting on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook’s Thunder era for ClutchPoints before moving into full NBA coverage. He later worked directly with the founder/CEO of Ballervisions, shortly leading programming and cross-platform social strategy during its viral 2016 rise covering the Ball brothers—a run that helped propel the brand toward its eventual ESPN acquisition and evolution into SportsCenter NEXT. A three-sport alumnus and current throwing coach at Damien High School, and a former NCAA track athlete at UC San Diego, Roland blends athlete-development knowledge with advanced analytics in his role as a Senior Analyst at DAZN and Team Whistle. He has supported content strategy for major global and U.S. sports properties including World Rugby, FIFA Club World Cup, the New York Mets, MLS, X Games, the Premier League, the NFL, and the Downs2Business podcast. With a strong background in NIL rules, athlete branding, and recruiting, Roland helps families, athletes, and readers navigate the rapidly changing high school sports landscape—bringing national-level storytelling and clarity to the next generation of athletes.

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