Despite challenges faced in schedule, including absence of another state meet as a result of pandemic, Bears demonstrated maturity, strength and depth in distance and field events to become most well-rounded girls group in the nation

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Buchanan enjoyed winning the first California girls state track and field title in program history in 2019, but there haven’t been many causes for celebration for the Bears since that championship moment at their home, Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis.

The past two state finals at their own venue have been canceled as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Buchanan’s annual trip to the Arcadia Invitational to challenge itself against several of the elite athletes and teams from across the country was reserved to only California competitors this season.

And after winning an 11th Central Section crown in dominant fashion June 19, a few Buchanan athletes participated the following week at Arcadia in a showcase of talented competitors and relays at the California Track and Field Championships, but with no team recognition as part of the event.

But all the missed opportunities in their home state didn’t prevent the Bears from developing one of the deepest and most well-rounded rosters the program has ever showcased under veteran coach Brian Weaver, and a lineup capable of competing against any team in the country, even if their actual schedule never provided that chance.

“Everyone got a new perspective and respect for how we can’t take things for granted,” Weaver said. “We’ve all learned in a harsh reality that things can be taken away way too fast, so just go out there and work hard and appreciate any opportunity that you get.”

Buchanan’s strength and versatility, along with its resolve and perseverance, were validated by winning a DyeStat Dual Meet National Championship with a 70-66 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas High of Florida, after coming up just short of reaching the final in 2019 with an 11-point setback to eventual winner DeSoto High of Texas.

“It’s truly exciting and it’s something to say about these young ladies and this program, and all the coaches involved in it at Buchanan High School to be able to doing something like this because it’s not a guesstimate,” Weaver said. “Times speak for themselves and distances speak for themselves, so it’s not an opinion, it’s fact-based, which I think is really exciting that you can really compare and truly find out how good you are as a program and as a team.”

Buchanan defeated Oregon 6A winner Oregon City, Colorado 5A champion Valor Christian, Texas 6A dynasty DeSoto and the only two-time champ in tournament history, Arizona Division 1 power Chandler High on its journey to reaching the final.

And once again in the championship, the Bears demonstrated just how significant their performances were in the field events, relying heavily on New Mexico signee Lauren Fowler and Columbia commit Helen Chu in the horizontal jumps, junior Hannah Butler in the high jump and sophomore Jordan Leveque in the pole vault, as well as junior Chinyere Egbuziem in the discus throw and shot put.

“Field events are definitely sometimes overlooked, especially at bigger meets. They can make all the difference in the world. Only defeating teams 70-66, just those few points, they do matter, and a lot of times they do come from field events, especially since they are toward the end of the meet, and that’s what everybody is watching during the 4x400 and all those things,” Fowler said. “But they are definitely a huge part when it comes to any of the meet aspects, because they are all over the place, and you can score a lot of points in the field events, so they are very important (for us), especially in a time like this.”

In addition to the performances of Fowler and Fresno State signee Alexa Dandridge in the sprints, hurdles and relays, Buchanan also benefited from the nucleus of a distance corps that won the 2019 Division 1 state cross country title and placed fifth at Nike Cross Nationals.

Sophomores Sydney Sundgren and Grace Hutchison, along with Fresno State commit Morgan Hutchison stood up to the challenge of every lineup they faced inside of the state during the season, as well as outside California throughout the tournament.

“I’m really proud of our team and how we did, and the fact that we’ve been able to do this, even though it wasn’t an actual national meet,” Sundgren said. “Just seeing how our times and all of our places and everything worked together to perform at this type of level makes me really happy and proud of our team.”

Despite the interruptions in the schedule and the absence of a state meet once again, Dandridge knew Buchanan would maximize every opportunity it had, just like the championship group did in 2019.

“I think that all of us are really competitive and we were going to work hard no matter what the season was going to look like,” Dandridge said. “I think the girls in 2019 set the bar pretty high for us, so the qualities of just hard work and being so supportive to all of our teammates carried on with us, and I hope it will continue to stay that way.”

Weaver knows it will be difficult to fill the holes left by another strong senior class, including Gianna Chiaramonte, Delaney Custer, Jazlyne Kirkman and Maria Lawson, along with Morgan Hutchison, Chu, Dandridge and Fowler.

But with the distance depth still in place, including Kaylee Elliott and Caroline Mendyk, and unsung heroes throughout the lineup, such as Layla Clay, Makayla Doswald, Lyndsey Jennings, Nina Navarette, Jemma Nelson and Maddie Passmore, Buchanan is prepared to handle whatever adversity and challenges it encounters in the future, both on and off the track, in order to remain one of the top programs in the country.

“They were happy to be there and they really wanted to compete. They really wanted to just work and showcase their abilities. I think that was the number one thing they really wanted to do. They wanted to do something they really enjoy, and having that taken away the way it was, that was hard on everyone, the athletes, the parents, the coaches, it was a challenge,” Weaver said. “They really ran with that, in their training and obviously in their racing, it really showed. Their true character really came out during this time, and that’s why they are so special, and this is one of the reasons why they are getting this honor.”

First-round results:  BOYS | GIRLS

Second-round results:  BOYS | GIRLS

Regional semifinal results:  BOYS | GIRLS

Regional final results:  BOYS | GIRLS

TOURNAMENT BRACKETS

DUAL MEET CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

Buchanan CA 70, St. Thomas Aquinas FL 66

Buchanan High of California rose to the occasion in its first appearance in the tournament final to hand St. Thomas Aquinas of Florida another disappointing defeat in the championship showdown.

Following four years of Arizona Division 1 champion Chandler High and Texas 6A winner DeSoto High representing the West Regional in the event final, Buchanan not only beat both teams along its journey to the championship, but denied St. Thomas Aquinas from becoming the first team from the East, and Florida, to secure the title since Miami Northwestern captured the inaugural crown in 2016.

DeSoto prevailed by a 78-58 margin over St. Thomas Aquinas in the 2019 final, but the Raiders rallied from a 24-point deficit in the field events against Buchanan to mount an impressive comeback and take a brief one-point lead with three events remaining.

But the veteran leadership of New Mexico signee Lauren Fowler and the distance depth of sophomores Sydney Sundgren and Grace Hutchison, along with Fresno State commit Morgan Hutchison, helped Buchanan become the first California program in either gender to capture the dual meet crown.

Alabama programs twice stood in the way of the only California boys teams to reach the championship.

Vista Murrieta High lost by a 71.5-64.5 margin to Auburn in the inaugural boys final in 2016 and Great Oak High was edged 69.3-66.7 by Hoover in the 2018 championship showdown.

Buchanan, which lost 73.5-62.5 to DeSoto in the regional final in 2019, relied heavily on its jumpers and throwers throughout the tournament to build a decisive advantage in the field events every round.

The Bears benefited from an uncontested sweep in the triple jump against St. Thomas Aquinas, but also had sophomores Jordan Leveque and Nina Navarette take the top two spots in the pole vault, junior Chinyere Egbuziem and senior Jazlyne Kirkman place first and second in the shot put, and junior Hannah Butler win the high jump with sophomore Makayla Doswald taking third.

Even with North Carolina signee Eddiyah Frye winning the long jump for the Raiders, Fowler and Columbia commit Helen Chu finished second and third for Buchanan. The same scenario occurred in the discus throw, with freshman Lauren Thomas winning for St. Thomas Aquinas, but Egbuziem and Fresno State commit Maria Lawson securing the next two spots for the Bears.

Even with Sundgren and the Hutchison sisters sweeping the 1,600 for Buchanan, creating the team’s largest advantage at 25 points, the Raiders continued to apply the pressure on the track with their sprints, hurdles and relays.

St. Thomas Aquinas won the 4x100 and swept the 100 hurdles with Frye, Coastal Carolina commit Alexis Glasco and sophomore Leyanis Armenteros-Castillo. They had Glasco and Frye also place second and third behind Fowler in an exceptional 100-meter matchup.

The biggest momentum shift for the Raiders occurred with the 400, 300 hurdles and 800, with St. Thomas Aquinas securing the top two spots in all three events to grab a one-point lead, with only the 200, 3,200 and 4x400 remaining.

Sophomore Cha’iel Johnson won the 400 and 800, supported by senior Britney Chatfield in both events, with Glasco and Frye both finishing ahead of Fresno State signee Alexa Dandridge in the 300 hurdles. Freshman Jemma Nelson was the only scorer in the 400 for Buchanan, with Grace Hutchison taking third in the 800.

But Fowler’s victory in the 200 against junior Endeyah Lane and sophomore Morgan Crockett helped stabilize the Bears, allowing them to even the score, before Sundgren the Hutchison siblings responded with another crucial sweep in the 3,200, making the outcome of St. Thomas Aquinas’ victory in the 4x400 a non-factor, especially considering both teams had already maximized the four-event rule for several of their top athletes.

The four-point victory for Buchanan was the narrowest margin in any of the five girls championship matchups in tournament history.

Meet Results