Fresno Central girls could stand in way of Buchanan’s quest to set section records with fourth straight championship, ninth overall title

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

It could be a day of first-time champions or past winners adding to their impressive legacies Saturday at the CIF-Central Section Masters meet at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Buchanan, which has won the past three girls team titles, five in six seasons and eight in 18 years, will be challenged by Fresno Central. The Grizzlies’ best showing in section history is a runner-up finish in 1994.

Buchanan is looking to become the first girls program to win four in a row in section history, breaking a tie with Fresno Edison (1976-78), Fresno Roosevelt (1984-86), Clovis West (1997-99) and Bakersfield Stockdale (2002-04).

The Bears are also looking to break a tie with Clovis West for the most girls championships in section history. The Golden Eagles won their first title in 1980, but secured their last crown in 2011.

Clovis North is also looking to become a first-time boys team champion, having never placed in the top two since the school opened during the 2000-01 academic year. The Broncos captured their lone girls crown in 2014.

Buchanan, which has won seven of the past nine boys section titles, is also a contender, along with reigning champion Central.

Fowler junior Jocelynn Budwig is looking to become the sixth female athlete in section history to win three consecutive discus throw titles, in addition to winning her first shot put championship.

Bakersfield Liberty freshman Faith Bender, the top ninth-grader in the country in the discus and shot put, is also a contender in both events.

Buchanan sophomore Corie Smith is looking to become the first female runner since Clovis West’s Kimberly Smith in 1999-2000 to win the 1,600 and 3,200 championships in consecutive years.

Desert senior Asia Mallory is looking to defend her titles in both the girls long jump and triple jump, looking to become the first female athlete to repeat in both events since former Clovis High and Oregon standout Jenna Prandini won both championships three consecutive years from 2009-11.

Clovis West pole vaulter Elizabeth Funk, the section’s sophomore and junior class record holder, looks to challenge the meet record of 13-5 set last year by Clovis North’s Brooke Tjerrild.

Following a victory by Sanger’s Chinenye Agina, Clovis senior Alexis Vincent-Walker seeks a third career high jump title.

Clovis senior Jake Woods, the defending champion in the boys 300 hurdles, looks to become the first male athlete to sweep both hurdles titles since Buchanan’s Sean Johnson in 2010.

Bakersfield Highland senior Moises Medrano, the reigning 800 champion, is pursuing an 800-1,600 double, last achieved in 2014 by former Bakersfield Stockdale star and current Oregon athlete Blake Haney.