Kenan Christon, meet Riley Washington.

Christon won the state 100-meter dash championship in 10.30 seconds Saturday at Veteran’s Stadium at Buchanan High, matching the San Diego Section and state meet record set by Southwest High’s Washington in 1992.

“Normally I look at the clock when I finish, but I didn’t this time,” said the USC-bound senior. “I feel good. Usually I have the (4x100) relay as a warm-up but not this time, so I made sure I got ready.”

Christon fell behind early, as usual, as Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s Christian Grubb got a sensational start.


“My start is the worst part of my race, but I gained on everyone on my drive phase,” said Christon. “Once I was out of the drive, I knew I’d win.

“This feels amazing … it’s exactly what I wanted.”

He came back to add the 200-meter dash title in 20.69 seconds, joining Patrick Henry’s David Russell (1977) and San Diego’s Jimmy Willson (1929) as section double-state sprint champions.

While the spotlight, justifiably so, has been on Christon and Coronado’s Alysah Hickey, who won the high jump at 5-8, others have in less dramatic fashion succeeded at the highest level.


Athletes like University City sophomore quarter-miler Katriina Wright, the Scripps Ranch girls 4x100 relay team, La Costa Canyon 3,200-meter standout Kristin Fahy and Rancho Bernardo sophomore pole vaulter Ashley Callahan bided their time.

Fahy led wire to wire to capture the 3,200 in a section record 10:11.38, bettering her own 10:15.80, giving the San Diego Section a record seven gold medals.

Wright had the fastest qualifying time Friday in the 400, but since she had not competed in major meets like Arcadia and Mt. SAC, no one knew just how fast she could run.

So she showed them, clocking a personal-best 53.93 seconds to win the state 400-meter run.


“At the start of the season, I told myself I’d run 53 and win state,” said the precocious 10th-grader. “I don’t think of my races before an event. I don’t think it’s healthy to do that.

“Today when I got to the starting line I told myself I was going to win.”

Wright trailed early but coming off the turn, she powered past the early front-runners and once in the lead, simply would not be passed, beating Long Beach Millikan freshman Samarra Monrroy who ran 54.25.

She credited coach John Hutsel for her success.


“Even when I don’t trust myself, I trust him,” said Wright.

After running a state-leading time early in the season, the Scripps Ranch relay team kept its composure as injuries slowed the group but with two weeks left, the original four runners — Aubree Bell, Jaymie Ruskovich, Brianna Sproles and Aaliyah McCormick — reunited.

The result couldn’t have been better as the quartet captured the state championship where they clocked a season-best 46.51, edging Clovis Buchanan’s 46.75.

That’s the sixth-fastest time in section history but only the second team to capture the state championship, joining Crawford’s team that ran a converted 45.94 section record in 1977 at UCLA.


Sproles, the lone senior, ran a sizzling third leg that gave Falcons’ freshman Aaliyah McCormick a large enough lead that no one was going to catch them.

“I saw the girl next to me fall at the exchange,” said Sproles. “From that moment on I had tunnel vision.”

Aubree Bell had the leadoff leg.

“I worried the other teams would get out fast, so I just tried to make up the stagger,” said the junior. “It was scary leading off. We’ve been working since January for this.”


The quiet member of the foursome, Ruskovich, ran the second leg and she said she was less nervous than the day before when she and Bell had a little trouble with the baton before qualifying at 47.00.

“This time I was more focused,” she said. “I was aware that everyone was running faster, but that was OK.”

McCormick couldn’t remember the finish.

“I heard the gun go off (at the start) and I just blacked out,” she said. “I kept running for my life. I get so anxious but this time I was just unconscious.”


Callahan became a state champion when she was the lone vaulter to clear 13-4, equaling her best, in an event where five of the 12 vaulters were from San Diego.

The sophomore was the most consistent and though she brushed the bar, it stayed up. She tried a section-record 13-7 for the eighth time this season only to miss all three attempts.

“It still hasn’t hit me,” said Callahan, whose seasonal best of 13-6 equaled the section record. “It just felt good after a close miss at 13 feet.”

Hickey switched gold medals, winning the high jump after capturing the long jump last year.


“I love competing here,” said Hickey, who was third in the long jump. “I just wanted to be sure to make my first attempts, which I did until 5-8 (which she made on her second try).”

Brand is a freelance writer.

