East County girls shine at state meet

By Ramon Scott
Updated: May 30, 2026

Evie Allison, Aniya Scott, Asia Broussard, and Livia Allison of Steele Canyon

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP TRACK AND FIELD

Parker, Thomas, Steele Canyon relay, and Joseph earn medals at CIF State Championships

EastCountySports.com staff report

CLOVIS — East County’s female athletes carried the region’s banner at the CIF State Track & Field Championships this weekend, producing four medal-winning performances and several state finalists at Buchanan High School.

Leading the way was Helix freshman Ava Parker, who continued her remarkable breakthrough season by placing third in the girls’ 400 meters in 53.47 seconds, improving upon her preliminary-round time of 53.91. Parker also reached the state finals in the 200 meters after posting a personal-best 23.93 during Friday’s qualifying round.

Parker’s performance highlighted a strong showing by East County athletes competing against California’s best.

Grossmont senior Gabrielle Thomas capped her high school career with a third-place finish in the girls’ 100-meter hurdles. After qualifying second-fastest on Friday with a personal-best 13.81, Thomas improved again in Saturday’s final, clocking a wind-aided 13.72 to earn a place on the state podium.

Steele Canyon’s record-setting sprint relay team also delivered on the state’s biggest stage.

The quartet of Evie Allison, Aniya Scott, Asia Broussard and Livia Allison ran 46.10 to place third in the girls’ 4×100-meter relay. The Cougars entered the meet after breaking a 49-year-old San Diego Section record with a 45.78 at the section championships and backed up that performance by earning a state medal.

Patrick Henry’s Kymani Joseph added another podium finish for the local contingent, placing third in the boys’ long jump with a leap of 24 feet.

The East County medal haul was particularly noteworthy because it was largely driven by girls athletes. Parker, Thomas and the Steele Canyon relay accounted for three of the area’s four podium finishes, continuing a spring season that saw East County girls programs excel across multiple sports.

Several additional East County athletes also advanced to the state meet and competed among California’s elite.

Steele Canyon’s Evie Allison reached the state finals in the 100-meter hurdles after qualifying third during Friday’s preliminaries while also helping the Cougars earn bronze in the relay. Teammate Aniya Scott competed in the girls’ 100 meters before returning for relay duty. Santana’s Harper Diaz earned a state-meet berth in the girls 800 meters, while Granite Hills hurdler Niko Williams qualified for the boys 110-meter hurdles field.

For many athletes, simply reaching Clovis represented the culmination of months of work and the opportunity to compete in the state’s premier high school track and field event.

East County’s strongest performances came from athletes who elevated their performances when the stakes were highest. Parker improved from prelims to finals in the 400 meters, Thomas lowered her hurdle time from Friday to Saturday, and Steele Canyon’s relay team posted a slightly faster mark in the championship race than it did during qualifying.

The results also underscore a bright future for East County track and field. Parker is only a freshman, while much of Steele Canyon’s sprint corps is expected to return next season.

Around the State Meet

San Diego County athletes enjoyed success throughout the two-day championships.

Mater Dei Catholic sophomore Jasir Fontenot successfully defended his CIF State title in the boys’ 110-meter hurdles, winning in 13.33 seconds after overcoming an injury-shortened season.

La Jolla’s Chiara Dailey finished second in the girls’ 1,600 meters while lowering her own San Diego Section record to 4:38.82.

Del Norte’s Caitlin Khieu earned a third-place medal in the girls pole vault at 12 feet, 6 inches, and Sage Creek’s Josiah Bowman was among the county’s top distance performers.

Among the meet’s biggest statewide storylines, Servite shattered a state-meet record in the boys 4×100 relay with a blazing 39.73, while Santiago-Corona’s Braelyn Combe completed a distance double by winning both the girls 1,600 and 800-meter championships.

Aliso Niguel thrower Jaslene Massey also produced one of the nation’s top performances of the season, launching the discus 196 feet, 4 inches to extend her national-leading mark.

Jurupa Valley’s AB Hernandez also turned in one of the meet’s most notable performances, capturing state titles in the girls’ high jump and triple jump while adding a medal in the long jump.

PARKER ARRIVES ON STATE STAGE

Helix freshman Ava Parker entered Clovis as one of California’s fastest young sprinters.

She left as one of its medalists.

Parker qualified fifth for the girls’ 400-meter final after running 53.91 on Friday, then improved to 53.47 on Saturday to claim third place in the state. She also reached the state final in the 200 meters after posting a personal-best 23.93 during preliminaries.

The performance capped a remarkable freshman season and established Parker among the state’s premier underclassmen heading into 2027.

SIDEBAR

Steele Canyon’s sprint relay team added one final accomplishment to an already historic season.

After breaking a San Diego Section record that had stood for nearly five decades, the Cougars traveled to Clovis and earned a third-place state medal in the girls’ 4×100 relay.

Evie Allison, Aniya Scott, Asia Broussard, and Livia Allison finished in 46.10, improving slightly on their preliminary-round performance and finishing behind only Rosary and Canyon Country.

The state medal capped one of the finest relay seasons in school history.