After finishing second in a rare defeat at the Arcadia Invitational, San Diego High School Jasir Fontenot stormed off the track.
He is not used to losing and his time was “only” 13.79 seconds — just off his section-record time of 13.76.
But Fontenot had a whole week to prepare for the Mt. SAC Invitational in Walnut and he left no doubt there, not only winning Saturday’s event but setting a section record and personal best time of 13.62 seconds.
That is significant because the freshman’s previous fastest time was 13.65 seconds en route to setting the age group record a year ago while winning the National Junior Olympics.
The aiding wind of 0.4 meters per second was easily legal and he left little doubt as he beat Murrieta Mesa’s William Bright, who clocked a 13.85, and Ramona High’s Sterling Bryant, who had a wind-legal 13.86 in third.
Fontenot came back to capture the seeded 300-meter hurdles in a personal and section-leading 37.75 seconds
It was one of two section records as Mount Miguel junior Brandon Arrington trimmed another .03 seconds off his personal best by not only winning the 100 in 10.21 seconds (with an aiding wind of 1.8 meters per second), but setting up another sprint sweep when he won the 200-meter dash in 20.44 seconds (with a legal 0.5 mps breeze).
The significance there was not just that Arrington’s time is No. 1 in the state, but it erased the meet record of 10.27 by Vista Murrieta and future Olympian Michael Norman in 2016. That’s rare company.
He’s the national leader in the 200 with the 20.35 at Arcadia.
Elsewhere, Eastlake’s Jaelyn Williams is back. She captured the Jaguar Night Invitational 3,200 meters at Valley Center in a personal season-best 10:17.63. The defending state champion, who has been battling hamstring injuries, won by almost two minutes.
In addition to Fontenot and Arrington, there were five other yearly section-best performances.
University City pole vaulter Kai Anderson moved to within an inch of the section record by clearing 17 feet, 1 inch at Mt. SAC. He and two others had cleared 17-1, so he was unable to ask the bar to be placed at 17-3, which would have topped the 17-2 by La Costa Canyon’s Garrett Brown in 2021.
Del Norte’s Paige Echsner increased her state lead in the pole vault by soaring 13-9, Cathedral Catholic junior Nathan Wilbur clocked a 9:08.87 to take the lead the 3,200-meter run, the Scripps Ranch girls’ 4×800 relay team improved the section best to 9:13.06 and not be outdone, the Falcons boys lowered the 4×800 relay best to 7:52.61.
