Spradling clocks 4:08.97, Engelhardt runs 4:38.53 to secure prestigious victories; Buchanan becomes fourth girls program in state history to eclipse 9-minute barrier with 8:59.12 effort, joining Bears’ boys team as California leaders, with Long Beach Poly and Torrey Pines earning thrilling triumphs

By Pete Marshall for DyeStat

WALNUT, Calif. – Can Buchanan High be considered the top 4x800-meter relay program in the state?

For now, yes.

EVENT VIDEOS | RESULTS | INTERVIEWS | PHOTOS by Chuck Aragon

During Friday’s elite high school session at the 63rd Mt. SAC Relays, the Buchanan girls quartet of Tayler Torosian, Sierra Cornett, Elle Lomeli and Grace Hutchison posted a meet-record and a state-leading time of 8 minutes, 59.12 seconds to beat runner-up Chino Hills by more than 19 seconds. It was also a school record and the fourth-best time in California history.

“We knew we had a shot of breaking nine (minutes) today, so that was our goal,” Cornett said. “The fact that we did that is amazing to believe. Having the support of each other has been so amazing.”

While Buchanan’s boys 4x800 relay team didn’t compete Friday, that squad still holds the top mark in the state this season, with a 7:43.84 performance April 7 at the 55th Arcadia Invitational.

Buchanan boys held onto that spot, despite a very competitive invitational race Friday in which Long Beach Poly (7:44.90), Herriman High from Utah (7:45.07) and Clayton Valley (7:46.21) were all tightly packed at the front.

“They just made me fight for it, and I’m just glad we came home with the win,” said junior Xai RIcks, who ran the anchor leg and has also posted the second-best time in the state in the 800 this season.

Ricks was joined by Lamarr Kirk Jr., Cameron Rhone and Noah Addison.

Torrey Pines' Nathan Christmore, Matt Conway, Jonas Rickert and Ryan Thomas set a school record in winning the boys invitational 4x1,600 relay in 17:19.10, which also improved on its own national-leading mark. Torrey Pines barely edged out Menlo School (17:19.22), San Clemente (17:20.50), Herriman (17:21.54), and Great Oak (17:21.96).

“It was really, really crazy, because we were pretty far back,” said Thomas, who ran the anchor leg.

“I attached to the lead pack… I made my move with about 600 to go. At that point I was really hurting, getting ready to keel over. I knew I had to push through and with 200 to go, the Menlo runner, Justin Pretre, passed me and I wasn’t about to let him win the race. WIth 100 to go, I pushed as hard as I could and I managed to sneak it out in the end.”

While the 4x1,600 is not a state meet race, Torrey Pines’ quartet indicated they would go for the 4x800, which is a new championship event for the state meet this season.

For the girls 4x1,600, Campolindo’s Kate Kabenina, Quinn Guthrie, Shea Volkmer and Ellie Buckley won by a much more comfortable margin, running the best time in the state this year (20:58.18), beating Herriman by more than 20 seconds.

“Honestly, I feel pretty good. This is my first time running at Mt. SAC ever,” Guthrie said. “I feel like this is a great way to start.”

It’s hard to imagine being disappointed with setting a meet record, but that’s where Ventura sophomore Sadie Engelhardt is at the moment with her dominance in the mile.

Engelhardt set the meet’s all-time mark in winning the girls mile, but came up short in her pursuit of the National High School Federation record. 

Engelhardt’s time of 4:38.53 easily crushed the meet record of 4:45.24 set by Saugus’ Mariah Castillo in 2018. The next three runners (La Costa Canyon’s Gioana Lopizzo at 4:47.76, Del Norte’s Hannah Riggins at 4:48.21 and Corona Santiago’s Rylee Blade at 4:48.69) were not that close to Engelhardt, but were each within 3.5 seconds of the meet record.

Engelhardt continues her pursuit of the national record of 4:33.87 produced in 2018 by Katelyn Tuohy of North Rockland High in New York.

“There’s obviously that competitor in me that wishes I would’ve run 4:33,” Engelhardt said. “I think I’m getting better with that feeling of not getting a certain time after a race. I’m realizing now that record is very hard to get.”

It was a good time, but not as good as her PR set last year at the Arcadia Invitational (4:35.16).

She figures it will take an opponent to really push her for her to get the record.

“I hope someone comes and pushes me,” she said. “That would be a best-case scenario.”

Carter Spradling of Clovis East won the mile with a time of 4:08.97, the second-best mark in the state this season and the first time since 2018 that a male athlete has achieved a sub-4:10 performance at the meet.

It’s the first time this year he’s run the mile, although his time Friday was better than his mark in the 1,600 on April 1 at the West Coast Relays, holding off Matthew Donis of Palmdale Highland at 4:10.96 to earn the win.

“Being able to do this is exciting,” Spradling said. “I think it opens up some options. I’m not sold on doubling at the state meet, but it’s a confidence booster.” 

Like the boys 4x1,600 and 4x800 relays, the girls 3,200, was a tight finish, with Bakersfield Highland’s MIa Torrecillas edging out Marjourie Lopez of Shadow Hills, 10:38.41 to 10:39.72. 

“Lopez was pushing the pace the whole way,” Torrecillas said. “She was definitely keeping me on my toes. I just tried to stay with her and race.”

While the boys 3,200 wasn’t close to a meet record or the state’s top time this year, it was another exciting finish, with University City’s Caden Hicks surprising himself by edging out Ridgecrest Burroughs’ Zion Ortiz (9:14.51 to 9:15.49). Hicks also set a PR by more than 12 seconds. The gap between first and seventh was just 3.3 seconds.

“It was the most stacked race I’ve ever been in, in track,” Hicks said. “It was fun being in that group for the majority of the race. I thought I could get sub-9:20 at the best. Running 9:14, I wouldn’t have thought it was possible.”