Engelhardt elevates to No. 4 all-time 800 competitor in California with 2:03.48 effort, Morgenfeld improves from third last year in invitational 3,200 to triumph in 8:50.95 and surpass Spradling’s standard; Combe, DeBrouwer, Dybdahl and Morales also achieve impressive victories

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Alexis Romero

AZUSA, Calif.  – On a night with several star attractions, numerous intriguing storylines and an exceptional ensemble cast, the most versatile female distance runner in California prep history commanded the spotlight once again Saturday at the Meet of Champions Distance Classic at Azusa Pacific University.

But Ventura High junior Sadie Engelhardt wasn’t alone in making history with her 800-meter performance at Cougar Stadium.

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There were also new chapters added in the league rivalries involving Santa Barbara’s Andreas Dybdahl and Ventura’s Anthony Fast Horse, in addition to La Canada’s Maya DeBrouwer and South Pasadena’s Abigail Errington.

Two of the country’s top sophomores delivered inspired efforts to prevail against a pair of senior standouts.

And the boys invitational 3,200 meters punctuated nearly 15 hours of racing with another demonstration of California’s depth, as Palo Alto’s Grant Morgenfeld not only achieved victory in 8 minutes, 50.95 seconds, but produced a meet record and led five competitors to sub-9 marks.

Morgenfeld, a Wake Forest commit, eclipsed the 8:51.62 performance last year of Clovis East’s Carter Spradling, prevailing against Stanford-bound Joshua Bell from Templeton High in 8:52.97 and Menlo School junior standout Landon Pretre clocking 8:53.37.

Beckman’s Ibzan Felix finished fourth in 8:57.78, with Crescenta Valley’s Eddie Sion placing fifth in 8:58.43.

Morgenfeld was third last year at Cougar Stadium in 8:56.31, part of a group of six competitors that ran under the 9-minute barrier.

Engelhardt earned the only other meet record, with her 2:03.48 effort in the girls invitational 800 leading a trio of athletes under the 2:07.31 performance by former Crescenta Valley High standout Mia Barnett in 2021.

Claremont’s L’Mio Edwards, a Penn commit, ran a personal-best 2:06.01, with UCLA-bound Georgia Jeanneret from JSerra High clocking a lifetime-best 2:07.26.

Engelhardt, already the fastest prep female competitor in California history in the 1,500 meters, 1,600 meters and mile, is also now No. 4 all-time in the state in both the 800 and 3,200.

After the Dybdahl earned multiple victories against Channel League rival Fast Horse during the cross country postseason in November, the UCLA signee delivered another clutch effort Saturday to triumph in the boys invitational mile in 4:09.26. Northern Arizona-bound Emmanuel Perez from Cathedral High secured second in 4:09.54 and Oregon commit Fast Horse took third in 4:10.08.

Martin Luther King’s Maximo Zavaleta finished fourth in 4:10.16, San Jose Pioneer junior Carson Hedlund followed his 1,600 victory March 16 at the Dublin Distance Fiesta by placing fifth in the mile in 4:11.36 and Spradling captured sixth in 4:11.41.

St. Francis senior Sam Franco won the second invitational section by clocking 4:12.21 in the 1,600, holding off Tesoro’s Griffin Kushen in 4:12.59.

DeBrouwer was hoping to compete last year in the girls invitational 3,200, but wound up being sidelined all of March and the majority of April with injury.

De Brouwer returned in time for the postseason and placed ninth in the 3,200 at the California state final in 10:26.68.

The La Canada standout lowered that mark Saturday to 10:24.69, with fellow junior Errington also achieving a personal-best performance by clocking 10:28.38.

Gioana Lopizzo from La Costa Canyon, who was fourth earlier in the girls invitational mile in 4:52.64, returned to the track to take third in 10:40.48.

Braelyn Combe, a sophomore at Corona Santiago High, rose to the occasion with a big opportunity under the lights to emerge victorious in the girls invitational mile in 4:48.47, prevailing against Oaks Christian senior and Northern Arizona commit Payton Godsey in 4:50.13 and Newport Harbor’s Keaton Robar clocking 4:51.59, part of eight female athletes eclipsing the 5-minute mark.

Newbury Park’s Sophia Grant led another four competitors to sub-5 efforts in the second section of the invitational 1,600, winning in 4:56.68.

JSerra sophomore Alden Morales demonstrated he could excel away from his home track as well, following remarkable races Feb. 17 at the JSerra Invitational and again March 16 at Sound Running’s The TEN by edging Cathedral senior and Washington-bound Ambodai Ligons by a 1:52.39 to 1:53.02 margin in the boys invitational 800.

Morales triumphed at the JSerra Invitational against Ligons with a 1:49.91 to 1:52.21 victory.

San Diego Olympian High senior Angel Cordero took third in 1:53.26, Sage Creek sophomore Josiah Bowman finished fourth in 1:53.54 and South Pasadena senior Keeran Murray placed fifth in 1:53.84.

Godinez senior Diego Mejia prevailed in the second invitational 800 section in 1:53.92.