Finally, the wind cooperated.
San Diego High School freshman Jasir Fontenot had run under the CIF San Diego Section 110-meter hurdle record before, but each time the wind was over the allowable 2.0 meters-per-second allowed.
When his sister, Anisa Bowen-Fontenot, won the girls’ 100-meter hurdles in 13.50 seconds at the University City Classic Saturday, there was a 2.8 mps breeze. But for just a few seconds, the wind calmed down to 1.9 and Jasir took advantage to clock a time of 13.76.
That erased the year-old section standard of 13.84 by Helix’s Shon Martin. The previous best of 13.86 by Montgomery’s Reggie De had lasted 27 years.
Mind you, nothing Fontenot does is surprising after he ran 13.65 last June to win the National Junior Olympic championships.
The 13.76 mark is tops in the state, suring the 13.87 set by Murrieta Mesa’s William Isaiah Bright. It’s the section’s best, too, breaking the mark of 13.98 set by Ramona’s Sterling Bryant. Bryant’s mark was aided by a barely over-the-allowable 2.1 mps wind.
It’s No. 6 nationally for wind-legal performances behind a 13.52 by Texas’ Swayde Griffin.
But it wasn’t the only highlight from the UC Classic and Willie Banks Invitationals.
University City’s Kai Anderson cleared 17 feet in the pole vault, becoming only the second vaulter in section history to do so. The section record of 17-2 was set by La Costa Canyon’s Garrett Brown in 2021.
Anderson s Pittsburg High’s Khaliq Muhammad as state leaders; their marks rank No. 6 nationally.
In an event where wind is not a consideration, Cathedral Catholic’s Jocelyn Gibson edged Patrick Henry’s Miriam Aguirre in the girls 1,600 at UC. Gibson’s section-leading 4:56.40 barely edged Aguirre’s time of 4:57.08.
Otay Ranch’s Claire Schroeder moved into a tie with Central Union’s Alana Ortiz by scaling 5-4 in the high jump.
Coronado’s Lauren Gilhooly, who ran 11.70 at the Mt. Carmel Invitational but was aided by a 2.9 mph wind, duplicated the feat without excessive wind in edging Steele Canyon’s Aniya Scott (11.91) and Otay Ranch’s Zamaria Mack (12.02) for a personal best. The mark is No. 6 in the state.
Cathedral Catholic senior Steven Evans-Glynn bounded 23-8 in the long jump to move atop the section in that event. His mark is No. 4 in the state.
At the Willie Banks Invitational, Oceanside sophomore Malia Jones triple jumped 39-4, just behind her wind-aided 39-10¾ (2.2 mps), which is No. 2 in the state.
Carlsbad’s Makenna Herbst stepped down to the 200-meter dash and dipped under 25 seconds for the first time at 24.98, second in the section only to Gilhooly’s 24.73. The wind was a legal 1.1 mps.
