CIF state track and field: Adams advances in the 400 for North Salinas
CLOVIS — An historic track and field season for Clara Adams continues to write new chapters.
The freshman qualified for the CIF State track and field finals in the 400 meters Friday — the first North Salinas girl athlete to achieve that feat.
Adams took second in her heat in the 400, blistering the track in 54.63 at Buchanan High in Clovis, posting the third fastest overall time among the four heats.
The 15-year-old Adams will be in Lane 4 — her favorite lane — for Saturday’s finals, slated for 6:40 p.m., where she’ll have a visual with most of the field in front of her.
“I need to get out over the first 175 meters,” Adams said. “I can’t let off the gas. I’ll have something left at the end. The goal is sub-54. If I do that, I’ll podium.”
The first North Salinas girl athlete to qualify for the state meet in 27 years, Adams also produced a personal best in the 200 of 24.31, but did not qualify for the finals, finishing 12th overall.
Her mark in the 200 in Friday’s trials did move her to No. 2 all-time in the county behind former Olympic Trials qualifier Sani Roseby of Monterey.
“Being in Lane 8, it played with my mental makeup,” Adams said. “I set a personal record, which was okay. I’m thankful for making the finals in the 400. But I wanted to advance in the 200 as well.”
Adams is no stranger to running 400’s in back-to-back days. In fact, when she competed in the Junior Olympics last year, she ran the 400 in three consecutive days.
“It shouldn’t be a problem with the 24 hour turnover,” said Adams, the North Salinas school record holder in both the 200 and 400. “I need to take a long bath and get a lot of rest. I’m tired.”
Last week Adams broke the Monterey County record in the 400 meters with a mark of 54.46, then came back to become the first North Salinas girl athlete to win a CCS title in the 200.
“What I’m happy with in the 400 is I was consistent,” Adams said. “That’s two weeks in a row of running in the 54s. I will approach the race the same way as I have all year. It is always going to be hard in the end.”
Adams is the first county girl’s athlete to qualify for the 400 finals since Santa Catalina’s Makalya Revera achieved the feat during her junior year in 2016.
Chalk it up as a learning experience for junior distance ace Mack Aldi, who ran 1:55.19 to finish 16th overall in the 800 for Carmel.
“I learned that state is fast,” Aldi said. “I didn’t feel overwhelmed. I felt like I had a shot in the beginning of the race. I felt great. I felt I could keep up. Then I got boxed in. I was pretty cooked at the end.”
Aldi, who came in with a career best of 1:54.18, advanced to the state meet after finishing third at the CCS finals. The pace among the three heats at the state trials was sizzling, as evident by 1:53.72 being the final qualifier.
“I didn’t have my best race,” Aldi said. “I got boxed in three times. This has been the first season I’ve competed at this level. I learned a lot. I’m super excited about next year. It will be a different result.”
A state meet qualifier in cross-country as well last fall, Aldi was the Gabilan Division champion in the 800 and 1,600 meter runs this past spring.
For the first time in 23 years, Alvarez was represented at the state meet, as Angela Ayozie uncorked the shot put 37-feet-2 1/2 to finish 17th overall out of 28 competitors.
The junior produced a massive personal best of nearly five feet from last season, including a two-plus foot career best three weeks ago at the Masters Meet.
Two-time state meet qualifier Jack Nolan failed to clear a height in the pole vault for Salinas, finishing the year with a career best of 15-feet.
