CLOVIS — About a month ago, Vista del Lago’s Jordan Carter would have been viewed as a long shot to even be competing in the boys triple jump final at the CIF State Track and Field Championships.
Carter only took up the triple jump this season as a senior, and his personal best entering this postseason was a respectable-but-hardly-eye-popping 44 feet, 5 inches. But Carter went on a late-season tear and improved his PR three times, including a wind-legal 48-6 3/4 during Friday’s state meet qualifying session.
He was unable to match that mark during Saturday’s championship session at Buchanan High School’s Veterans Memorial Stadium, but Carter did leap 47-2 1/4 to bring home the silver medal. Carter’s second-place finish in the triple jump was the best by an Inland boys athlete at this year’s state championship meet.
Carter’s progression during the postseason has been impressive. He went 46-7 1/4 to capture the title at the CIF Southern Section Division 1 finals and 46-6 to finish second at the section’s Masters Meet. Friday, Carter was on the verge of seeing his high school career come to an end, but he unleashed that 48-6 3/4 on his last attempt to take the top qualifying spot.
Carter actually took the lead Saturday night on his sixth attempt, but Bishop O’Dowd’s Brandon Rush went 47-5 on his final attempt to claim the title. Rush was the No. 2 qualifier Friday behind Carter.
Beaumont’s Daniel Agbelusi had a slight lead down the stretch in the boys final of the 300-meter hurdles, but he clipped the final hurdle. Agbelusi did not fall to the track, but momentum was briefly halted, and he crossed the line fourth in a time of 37.75. Canyon Country Canyon’s Jordehn Gammage won the title in 37.35.
Great Oak’s Nicolas Alexis capped a breakout junior season with a third-place finish in the long jump. Alexis posted two wind-legal jumps of 23-7 1/2, topping his previous best by 5 1/2 inches.
Great Oak had a strong showing in the 4×800 relay, as the combination of Jacob Brown, Marco Franco, Jack Paradise and Gabriel Rodriguez placed third with a time of 7:40.66.
Murrieta Mesa’s Arthur Celestine placed fifth in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.19.
Vista Murrieta’s Kosi Nwafor finished fifth in the boys triple jump with a mark of 46-9 3/4.
Roosevelt’s Jeremiah Harris was the lone Inland boys athlete who qualified for two individual finals Saturday. Harris placed seventh in both the 100 meters (10.58) and 200 meters (21.04).
Long Beach Poly compiled 33 points to claim its state-record 11th boys team championship. The Jackrabbits edged out Clovis North (28) and Long Beach Wilson (27). Great Oak was the top Inland boys team, placing 10th with 12 1/2 points.
