LONG BEACH — Long Beach Poly freshman sprinter Benjamin Harris said it’s a great feeling to be crowned the fastest in the Moore League, especially since he is one step closer to becoming a state champion.
Harris, who has a personal best of 10.38 seconds in the 100 meters on April 6 at the Arcadia Invitational, won the 100 (10.88) and 200 (22.00) at the Moore League track and field finals, hosted by Lakewood but held at Long Beach Poly Thursday night.
“This season has been a big surprise to me because I didn’t even know I could go that,” Harris said. “I didn’t know I was capable of that so going that fast in this season, very grateful, very humbling, it’s a great accomplishment overall.”
The Moore League finals allowed dozens of area athletes to qualify for CIF-Southern Section prelims and move closer to winning CIF-SS and CIF State titles.
“My coach has been telling me, my family, that I have a great chance at winning state as a freshman so I’m trying to take it day-by-day and step by step,” Harris continued.
Meanwhile, Wilson junior jumper Loren Webster soared 20 feet and 9.5 inches to win the girls long jump. That is the new No. 1 mark in California and amongst all high school athletes in the USA.
“I just do it and it’s just in the moment,” Webster said when asked about her new personal best. “I don’t really realize it until after but it’s really exciting.”
The Wilson girls track and field team is the defending CIF State champions. Webster, who finished fourth in the long jump at last year’s state meet, believes the Bruins can bring home back-to-back state titles.
“I think just blocking out all the negative, staying strong mentality and really focusing on our goals and the plan that we had can really help us get back there,” Webster said. “A lot of us have been distracted I feel and just let a lot of the stress get to us but when we really lock in and really pay attention, we tend to do better.”
Wilson junior hurdler Kaylin Edwards, the defending state champion in the girls 300 hurdles, narrowly won the 100 hurdles in 14.73 over Poly senior Anise Becker’s 14.76. Becker led toward the end of the race but Edwards pulled ahead right before the finish line. Both Edwards and Becker ran top 25 times in California.
Becker sought and found redemption in the 300 hurdles and won in 43.63. Edwards was second in 43.90. Both results were top-10 times in California.
Meanwhile, on the boys side, Wilson freshman sprinter Kaedyn Burroughs narrowly won the 400 in 47.66, which was a personal best. Poly senior sprinter Xai Ricks (Georgia signee) was second in 47.72. Both Burroughs and Ricks ran top-10 times in California.
“It felt good because it’s my first one… some of my goals are to make state in the 400, 4×400 relay and possibly the 4×100 relay,” Burroughs said.
Poly junior sprinter Nevaeh Lewis bounced back from a fifth-place finish in the 400 and braved the strong headwind to win the girls 200 in 24.77, a top-50 time in California.
“The 200 is actually my favorite race out of all three sprint events so coming in first, winning this for Moore League feels amazing,” said Lewis, who later anchored Poly to a 4×400 relay victory in 3:51.26 against rival Wilson (3:51.46).
The Poly boys 4×400 relay, anchored by Xai Ricks, won in 3:17.12. Wilson finished second in 3:18.12.
Millikan senior Jason Parra won the boys 1,600 in 4:12:47 and led the Rams to a podium sweep, followed by junior Maximiliano Ramirez (4:26:28), Aiden Ransom (4:27.13) and Jack Brown (4:28.30).
Less than three hours later, Parra, the defending CIF-SS Division 1 champion, won the 3,200 in 8:54.46, a top-50 time in the U.S.
Poly sophomore Avery Peck won the girls 1,600 in 5:02:74 and 3,200 in 11:09.43.
The Jackrabbits went 1-2 in the girls 100 with sophomore Brooklyn Lee winning in a time of 12.43, narrowly edging teammate Leisa Holland (12.44). The Poly girls 4×100 relay won in 46.49.
Poly senior Mai Ricks won the girls shot put with a throw of 40 feet and 4.5 inches, a top-25 mark in California. Ricks also won the discus in 127-5, a top-50 mark in California.
Poly junior Jillene Wetteland won the high jump with a mark of 5 feet and 5 inches, a top-25 mark in California.
Wilson sophomore Journii Spencer won the girls triple jump in 37 feet and 8 inches, a top-25 mark in California.
Jordan junior Jamar Andrews won the triple jump with a personal best of 46 feet and 1.25 inches, a top-25 mark in California.
Wilson senior JT Kraemer led a Bruins sweep in the 800. Kraemer won in 1:56.56. Sophomore Wyland Obando was second in 1:57.11. Junior Cash Obando was third in 1:58.95. All three are part of Wilson’s 4×800 relay team, which is expected to be a contender for a state title.
Wilson senior Sedwitz Dumont won the boys 110 hurdles in 14.79 and 300 hurdles in 39.46. Both results were top-50 times in California.
Wilson sophomore sprinter Brooke Blue won the girls 400 in 55.81. Poly junior Jaylin Hunter finished second in 56.04, a personal best.
The Bruins finished second in both 4×100 races in 42.15 (boys) and 47.74 (girls).
Harris began the meet by running a blisteringly fast second leg on Poly’s winning 4×100 relay team that crossed the finish line in 41.42 and included fellow freshmen Julius Johnson and Donte Wright Jr.
“The fact that we’re going out there this young, dropping these times is just very great, very humbling,” Harris explained. “Even though we’re young guys, we still put in that work, competing with the best of the best.”
Long Beach Poly boys 4x100m relay wins the Moore League Track Finals in 41.42. pic.twitter.com/rZCYf4LHb0
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) April 26, 2024
Long Beach Poly girls go 1, 2 in the 100 at the Moore League Track Finals. pic.twitter.com/jBslqOjIxZ
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) April 26, 2024
Wilson junior hurdler Kaylin Edwards wins the girls 100m hurdles in 14.73. Poly senior Anise Becker was second in 14.76. #LongBeachVarsityReport pic.twitter.com/3FST6caomg
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) April 26, 2024
