Helix’s Parker, Sultan Diaz race to CIF titles

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP TRACK AND FIELD

SAN DIEGO CIF DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS

By East County Sports Staff

DIVISION I

Helix Phenom Parker, Steele Canyon Relays Bluster Way to CIF Titles

SAN DIEGO — Led by a historic freshman performance from Helix’s Ava Parker, a dominant relay showcase from Steele Canyon, and individual mastery from Grossmont and Santana, the top racers from the East County were on point heading into next week’s State Qualifier.

Here is how the East County fared on the track across all three divisions:

Division 1: Parker’s Star Rises; Steele Canyon Burns Up Track

The biggest headline of the entire weekend for the locals belonged to Helix freshman phenom Ava Parker, who officially cemented her status as one of the premier young sprinters in the nation.

Parker cruised to the fastest girls’ 400-meter Varsity time of the day, clocking an elite 54.59. Showing veteran poise, she returned to the track later in the afternoon to ride a 4.2 mps tailwind, scorching the field in the 200-meter dash with a section-seasonal best time of 23.73.

Not to be outdone, the Steele Canyon girls’ relay teams put on an absolute clinic in baton-handling and pure speed. The powerhouse unit of Evie Allison, Aniya Scott, Asia Broussard, and Livia Allison left the field in the dust in the 4×100 relay, winning by over a full second with a blistering 46.46. The Cougars doubled down on their dominance in the 4×400 relay, lowering their season-best to a state-caliber 3:49.53.

In the hurdles, Grossmont senior Gabrielle Thomas handled business like a seasoned pro. Thomas took care of a loaded field in the 100-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 14.00 flat to secure her place at the top of the local hurdles hierarchy.

On the boys’ side, El Capitan senior Spencer Chastang provided a massive individual highlight over the barriers, flying to a personal-record 38.06 in the 300-meter hurdles. The Helix boys 4x400m relay team (Aiden De Hoyos, Adrian Weatherford, Jeremy Robinson, Jackson Ellis) also turned in a stellar performance, crossing the line in 3:18.07.

Division 2: Santana’s Diaz Dominates Metric Half-Mile

Over at University City High School, the mid-distance events were center stage for Grossmont Conference runners, and Santana junior Harper Diaz proved she belongs in the conversation with the state’s best.

In a grueling Girls 800-meter Varsity final, Diaz dropped the hammer to clock a season-best 2:11.78, capturing the Division 2 individual crown and locking down a top-30 California time for the 2026 season.

Diaz’s gold medal performance set the tone for a resilient day of East County distance and relay results:

• Boys 800m: El Capitan junior Elias Alcorta picked up a massive PR, finishing 6th in 2:00.42, while Santana’s Dylan Chappelle grabbed a podium spot right behind him with a PR of 2:02.51.

• Girls Sprint Relays: Local depth was on full display in the Girls 4x100m, where Mount Miguel (Holiday, Fulcher, Chrisp, Steel) stormed to 3rd place in a season-best 49.24. West Hills finished 6th (50.49), and Monte Vista took 8th (50.56).

Division 3: Merritt Leads Small-School Contingent

At Canyon Hills High School, the region’s Division 3 athletes pushed for every mark as the top local small-school honor went to Christian High senior Bella Merritt, who fought her way onto a highly competitive finish in the Girls 100-meter Varsity final, finishing 7th with a strong 13.00 flat.

Liberty Charter also saw strong underclassman performances, with junior Sam Rohrer taking 10th in the Boys 1600m (4:40.65) and freshman Abigail Funk placing 12th in the Girls 400m (1:03.47).

With divisional hardware secure, the East County’s elite now shift their focus to Mt. Carmel High School next weekend, where a trip to the CIF State Championships in Clovis will be on the line.