Medina, Williams, Johnston, Dowdy qualify for CIF state track meet

Four Citrus Belt League track and field stars punched their tickets for the California Interscholastic Federation state championship meet scheduled for May 29-30 at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High School in Clovis.

Elijah Medina of Redlands East Valley High, who has blossomed into one of Southern California’s best runners from 800 to 3200 meters, qualified with a seventh-place finish at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet on Saturday, May 23, with a personal-best time of 4:10.25.

Medina’s time was slightly better than the 4:10.32 he ran at THE TEN Invitational at JSerra Catholic High on March 28. His best 1600-meter time as a freshman was 4:33.82. He won this year’s Citrus Belt League championship in the event in 4:18.

Maximo Zavaleta of Martin Luther King High in Riverside won the race in 4:06.30. Jace Deledonne of Riverside Poly finished fifth in 4:09.85.

Beaumont High senior Daryl Williams qualified seventh in the 400 meters in 47.96, just shy of his personal best of 47.75 accomplished at the CIF Division 1 finals on May 16.

Williams finished 12th in the Masters 200 meters in 21.23 but still qualified for state because 16 runners in two heats bettered the state qualifying standard of 21.35. Williams has run 21.12 this season.

Williams’ teammate, senior Kai Johnston, qualified fourth for the state meet in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, timed in a personal-best 37.53. His previous best was 37.64, set at the 2026 Mt. SAC Relays on April 16.

The only girl from the Citrus Belt League to qualify for state is Yucaipa’s Emmalyne Dowdy, who advanced in the discus with her personal best of 132 feet, 3 inches, set at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 16. Dowdy’s best throw at the Masters Meet was 127 feet, 10 inches. She was one of six athletes to qualify for state.

Carmen Robles of Redlands High qualified for the Masters Meet in the discus and finished ninth Saturday at 122 feet, 11 inches, a personal best, but did not advance.

Robles also competed in the shot put, where she set a personal best of 39 feet, 7 inches at the Southern Section Division 2 finals on May 16, but was eliminated by a foul throw Saturday. The CIF state qualifying standard in the shot put is 41 feet, 0 inches.