Humphries accumulates 3,796 points in pentathlon debut for second-highest outdoor total in California prep history and No. 3 all-time high school outdoor mark; Ricks doubles up in boys 300 and 600, with Warr sweeping girls 60 and 150, in addition to Dezeurn running national freshman 60-meter record

By Pete Marshall for DyeStat

Photo by Jimmy Su

ARCADIA – The official start of the high school track and field season is still two weeks away, but the California Track and Field Winter Outdoor Championships on Saturday at Arcadia High just might be the precursor of a special spring for some of the best athletes in the Golden State.

Take Castaic High senior Meagan Humphries and Long Beach Poly senior Xai Ricks as examples of athletes who shined Saturday, just as they excelled last year.

And Bishop Alemany freshman Demare Dezeurn might have given the first taste of what to expect for the next four years.

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Humphries made the state finals in four events last year and Saturday, she decided to go for five events, competing in the pentathlon, an event she plans on competing in college at Texas.

Not only did Humphries win the pentathlon, but she finished first in each of the five events (60-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800 meters) among the seven competitors and set a meet-record with 3,796 points, blowing away the meet record of 3,622 set in 2016.

In addition, her pentathlon marks in the high jump (5-10) and long jump (19-6.75) were better than the winning marks in the open  competition in those events.

Humphries achieved the second-highest outdoor pentathlon score in California prep history and elevated to the No. 3 all-time outdoor high school competitor.

“I wasn’t expecting to win all of them,” Humphries said. “I had a pretty good feeling about long jump and high jump. I felt confident about hurdles, even though that was only my third time running hurdles. I was surprised about the 800, because I haven’t properly trained for it and I also don’t know how to race properly.”

Humphries also considered competing in an additional event, the 300 meters, where she was the defending champion and had the top qualifying time for the finals, but ultimately decided not to run.

Ricks, meanwhile, won both the 300 (33.85 seconds) and 600 meters (1:17.60), although he was unable to surpass his own meet record in the 600 he set last year.

“You always want to be the best out there,” Ricks said. “I want to be aggressive up front in any race I’m going into. To me, it helps the training (for the 400 and 800 meters) a lot, a 300 and a 600 is more of a sprint compared to a 400 and an 800. Being able to maintain a high speed the whole way it’s going to help me keep getting better for the 400 and 800.”

While Ricks and Humphries are known quantities, Dezeurn showed big things should be expected of him in the sprint events.

Dezeurn not only barely edged out Granada Hills senior Jordan Coleman in the 60 meters (6.711 to 6.719 seconds) to set a new meet record, but he set a national all-time mark for freshmen in the event, eclipsing the previous ninth-grade outdoor standard of 6.76.

Dezeurn ended up only competing in the one event. He had been scheduled to compete in the second-to-last of 20 heats of the 150 meters.

Brandon Arrington of Mount Miguel repeated in the boys 150, handing Coleman another heartbreaking setback by a 15.922 to 15.924 margin.

This was the eighth edition of the California Winter Championships and several other meet records fell.

Mikaela Warr of Canyon Country Canyon set meet records in winning the 60 meters (7.28) and the 150 meters (17.42) surpassing meet records set by Reign Redmond of Carson last year.

“I just executed the whole way,” Warr said after winning the 60, the first of those two events. “I just plan on running an even faster time (for upcoming meets) indoors.”

Canyon added another victory in the girls 800-meter sprint medley relay in 1:48.51.

Oaks Christian set a new meet record in winning the boys 4x200 meter relay (1:27.16). 

“We practiced running the 4x200 quite a few times this week,” said sophomore Davon Benjamin, who ran the third leg. “We’re going to keep jelling.”

Oaks Christian also swept both the boys and girls distance medley relay titles. The Lions were victorious in the boys DMR in 10:47.77 and secured the girls DMR victory in 12:49.04.

La Jolla senior Payton Smith finished third in the 150 meters, before setting a new meet record in winning the 300 (37.82).

“I was talking to my coaches about it (setting a record) because I didn’t know if it was possible,” Smith said. “Just this early on and there were crazy fast times. They told me I have to run like a championship at state. When I crossed the line, I didn’t even think I did it.”

Two runners actually beat the old record in the girls 3,000, but JSerra sophomore Summer Wilson (9:48.62) beat out Murrieta Valley’s Arielle Avina (9:55.37) and is the new owner of the meet record.

“I’m happy the hard work paid off and I’m excited for the rest of the season,” Wilson said.

Birmingham’s Deshawn Banks also set a meet record of 6-9 (2.05m) in winning the boys high jump.

Oaks Christian’s Niya Clayton prevailed in the girls 60-meter hurdles in 8.91, in addition to finishing second in the 60-meter dash in 7.43 and fifth in the 150 in 18.02.

After running 7.92 in the boys 60 hurdles prelims, Helix senior Shon Martin triumphed in the final in 8.03.

Jordin Lieberman, a junior at Murrieta Valley, won the girls 1,500 in 4:34.39.

Martin Luther King sophomore Maximo Zavaleta clocked 3:59.88 to prevail in the boys 1,500.

South Torrance junior Liam Miller took the top spot in the boys 3,000 in 8:40.63, in addition to placing fifth in the 1,500 in 4:02.57.

Makenna Herbst from Carlsbad triumphed in the girls 600 in 1:33.46.

Chino Hills earned the victory in the girls 4x800 relay in 9:45.96.

Fountain Valley captured the boys 4x800 crown in 8:06.64.

St. Mary’s Academy won the girls 4x200 relay in 1:42.26.

Santa Monica was victorious in the boys 800 sprint medley relay in 1:33.72.

Jacob Emerson, a senior at Sage Creek, repeated as boys pole vault winner by clearing 15-11 (4.85m).

Kelly Dejong, a senior from Maranatha Christian, cleared 12-8 (3.86m) to prevail in the girls pole vault competition.

Zach Lewis, a senior at Garden Grove Pacifica, won the boys shot put title with a mark of 60-3.75 (18.38m).

Mai Ricks, a senior at Long Beach Poly, captured the girls shot put crown with an effort of 41-8.25 (12.70m). 

Pleasant Grove senior Jacob Lozano achieved a dominant performance in the boys weight throw to triumph at 68-7.75 (20.92m).

Folsom senior Ronan Gallagher produced a 52-5.25 (15.98m) effort to prevail in the girls weight throw.

Jillene Wetteland from Long Beach Poly edged Valentina Fakrogha on fewer overall attempts for the girls high jump crown after both athletes cleared 5-6 (1.67m).

Koside Nwafor, a senior at Vista Murrieta, won the boys triple jump with a performance of 46-10 (14.27m).

Alyssa Alumbres, also a senior competing for Vista Murrieta, earned the girls long jump victory with a leap of 18-9.50 (5.72m).

Keith Cotlage from Cajon secured a tiebreaker win against Brandon Cheeks II of Mission Bay in the boys long jump final after both athletes achieved performances of 22-3 (6.78m). Cotlage triumphed with a better second effort of 21-11 (6.68m).

AB Hernandez, a sophomore at Jurupa Valley, won the girls triple jump championship with a mark of 38-2 (11.63m).

The lone Nevada competitor to triumph in any competition was the boys pentathlon, with Tristan Rutledge from Carson accumulating 3,178 points to hold off La Costa Canyon’s Hudson Shaver at 3,167 points.