Newbury Park junior Sahlman clocks 4:04.86, followed by 8:57.27 effort in 3,200 by sophomore teammate Lex Young, as California standouts sweep all four championship races, with Crescenta Valley senior and Virginia signee Barnett running 4:43.11 in mile and Mira Costa junior Frias taking 3,200 in 10:24.79

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. – Four of the top California distance runners found all of the competition and incentive they needed Saturday in what is becoming their home away from home in neighboring Arizona.

With elite national fields gathered in Myrtle Beach, S.C., for the mile and 2-mile races Saturday and Sunday at the NSAF USA Meet of Champions, Newbury Park teammates Colin Sahlman and Lex Young, along with Crescenta Valley senior Mia Barnett and Mira Costa junior Dalia Frias all made the most of their opportunities in the championship races at the third and final Sundown Track Series event at Queen Creek High.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

Sahlman and Barnett both survived road trips of more than 400 miles to each produce national-leading outdoor times in the 1-mile race, in addition to ascending among the elite competitors in California history, with Frias and Young demonstrating impressive potential in the 3,200 meters for whatever the rest of the spring track season holds in their home state.

Sahlman continued his string of exceptional efforts during the past four months in Arizona, remaining unbeaten during that stretch by clocking 4 minutes, 4.86 seconds.

The junior, who opened the series Feb. 13 by running 4:09.86, achieved a 1,600-meter split of 4:03.58.

His full mile time ranks 10th in California prep history, including second among all juniors, and his 1,600 split is No. 16.

Sahlman has also run 8:47.05 for 3,200 meters Feb. 27 and 14:27.03 for 5,000 meters Dec. 5, leading five Newbury Park athletes under the 15-minute mark, a feat never before accomplished by any high school team.

Isaiah Givens, a junior at Pasadena High, who ran 4:18 to open the series Feb. 13, took second in 4:08.43, with a 1,600-meter split of 4:07.06. Ajani Salcido of Jesuit took third in 4:11.96, coming through the 1,600 mark in 4:10.39.

Barnett, a Virginia signee, pulled away from a deep field that had four athletes under the 4:50 mark and two others producing sub-5 performances.

Her 4:43.11 effort ranks No. 7 in California history for the full mile and her 4:41.32 split is 15th among all 1,600 performances.

Lauren Ping, a sophomore at Desert Vista High, achieved the No. 4 all-time mile mark in Arizona at 4:44.94. Her 1,600 split of 4:43.26 ranks second in state history.

Newbury Park junior Samantha McDonnell and sophomore Katelyn Maley of Basalt High in Colorado, who took the top two spots in the Feb. 13 mile at Queen Creek, were third and fourth Saturday, both enjoying significant improvements.

McDonnell ran 4:48.21 for a seven-second PR, including 4:46.50 for 1,600 meters.

Maley finished fourth in 4:49.03, after winning the opening race of the series in 4:54.24. Her mile performance – including a 1,600 split of 4:47.25 – is No. 2 by a sophomore in Colorado prep history and ranks 11th all-time in the state.

Katie Sigerud, a junior at Desert Vista, ran 4:52.83 to place fifth, including a 4:51.01 split at 1,600 meters.

Sadie Engelhardt, the top distance runner in the country in the class of 2025, secured sixth in 4:55.16, including 4:53.01 at the 1,600 mark. Engelhardt, representing Valley United Striders, produced a 4:56.96 effort Feb. 13, before clocking 4:51.94 in the mile Feb. 28 at the adidas indoor nationals in Virginia Beach.

Lex Young became the fourth member of Newbury Park’s 2019 Nike Cross Nationals championship lineup to eclipse the 9-minute mark in the 3,200, relying on a strong surge over the final three laps to clock 8:57.27.

Nico Young (8:40.0), Jace Aschbrenner (8:44.93) and Sahlman are the other Newbury Park athletes to achieve the feat, with Daniel Appleford closing in on the goal after placing third Saturday in 9:04.03.

Nick Goldstein, who led at the 2,000-meter mark Saturday before placing ninth in 9:14.68, achieved a 9:00.50 performance Feb. 27.

Bryce Gilmore, a junior at Sage Creek in California, endured similar frustration Saturday that Goldstein experienced a month earlier, finishing second in 9:00.43, still a 10-second improvement from a March 20 dual meet in San Diego.

Frias enjoyed a 24-second improvement from her only 3,200 race last year, taking over the lead from Riley Chamberlain of Del Oro and withstanding several strong moves from the fellow junior to prevail in 10:24.79.

Frias, a Foot Locker All-American in cross country, had twice run under 10:50, but achieved an impressive breakthrough in her first competitive track race in more than a year.

Chamberlain ran 10:27.22, her fifth career sub-10:30 performance.

Harper McClain, a senior at St. Helena High and an Oregon signee, took third in 10:35.57.

Oaks Christian freshman Payton Godsey finished fourth in 10:39.92, improving by more than 11 seconds from her Feb. 13 effort.

Cate Joaquin of St. Francis High in Sacramento placed fifth in 10:44.76.

Braden King of Jesuit High ran 9:11.31 in the unseeded section of the 3,200.

Karissa Chamberlain, Riley’s younger sister and a freshman at Del Oro, clocked 11:15.46 in the unseeded girls 3,200.

Newbury Park’s Aaron Sahlman posted the fastest mile time in the boys open section by clocking 4:15.44.

Sabrina Zanetto of Los Gatos prevailed in the open section of the girls mile in 5:11.08.