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Asani Hampton eyes state record after winning 100-meter dash at Masters Meet

Yucaipa senior Asani Hampton (center) crosses the finishes line first in 10.52 seconds in the 100-meter dash in Saturday’s CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at El Camino College.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times )
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He was not first out of the blocks, but Asani Hampton sure finished strong in the 100-meter dash in Saturday’s CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at El Camino College.

A week after blazing to the Division 1 title in 10.48 seconds, the Yucaipa senior won the event in 10.52. He now has his sights set on the state record of 10.25, set by Henry Thomas of Hawthorne in 1985.

“Definitely not the start I wanted ... I could’ve done better,” said Hampton, who clocked 10.26 in the Citrus Belt League finals on May 3, one-hundredth of a second off a California mark that has stood for 33 years. “Still, I’m excited to be moving on to state and my goal is to {set a personal record} and end the season on a good note.”

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Hampton was the second alternate at last year’s Masters Meet but competed at the state finals and finished fourth in a wind-aided 10.40. Javelin Guidry of Vista Murrieta won in 10.13, the fastest all-conditions prep time in state history.

“I just have to work on my starts and my strength in practice this week,” Hampton said. “As far as the [state] record I feel like I can do it. The little things can make a difference. Everything has to happen perfectly, but I’m feeling great.”

Hampton later took second in the 200 in 21.55, passed in the final 20 meters by Murrieta Mesa’s Christian Shakir-Ricks (21.32).

In the boys’ 400-meter relay, Temecula Great Oak seniors Joel Collins, Mikel Barkley, CJ Stevenson and Grant Gaskins won by one-tenth of a second in 41.14.

Last week, Gardena Serra junior Jazmyne Frost ran personal bests to win the 100 and 200 and anchored the victorious 400-meter relay while leading her team to the Division 4 title. She started the Masters Meet the same way, anchoring Serra’s triumphant 400-meter relay, which clocked 46.19 to beat Long Beach Poly (47.10). She was third in a personal-best 11.77 in the 100 and third in the 200 in 24.14.

Defending state champion Ariyonna Augustin of Long Beach Poly won the girls’ 100 meters in 11.70 — bettering her 11.75 effort in a headwind in the Division I finals — and doubled back to win the 200 in 22.87, edging De’Anna Nowling of Calabasas (23.92).

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Upland senior Jada Hicks (middle) clears the last barrier on her way to winning the 100-meter hurdles in 13.54 seconds Saturday in the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at El Camino College.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times )

In one of the most exciting races of the day, Burbank Burroughs senior Jagdeep Chahal maneuvered out of trouble with a half-lap to go to win the boys’ 1,600 in a personal-best 4:11.09.

“I was in good position the first two laps but the third lap we slowed down a little and I didn’t like that,” Chahal said. “My coach was telling me to go for the lead. I picked it up in the last 400 but kind of got boxed in. Some of it is luck ... you look for the smallest opening and I squeezed through it with about 200 [meters] to go.”

Chahal later clocked 9:04.83 to place third in the 3,200, which was won by Mira Costa senior Xavier Court in 9:01.78.

In other events:

• Great Oak junior Fatima Cortes won the girls’ 1,600 in 4:46.37. In the 3,200, Mariah Castillo of Saugus — who earlier placed fifth in the 1,600 in 4:48.01 — lagged off the pace for six laps before taking over in the last two to win by more than a second in 10:22.24.

• Upland senior Jada Hicks tied a personal best to win the girls’ 100 hurdles in 13.54. Simi Valley junior Riley Hunt surged on the last three barriers to win the boys’ 110 hurdles in 14.18, edging top qualifier Caleb Lutalo Robe (14.38) from Upland, who was also second in the 300 hurdles in 37.63 behind Reyte Rash of Riverside King (37.50).

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• Eight of the nine boys’ 1,600-meter relay teams qualified for state (led by Aliso Niguel in 3:14.68) and La Verne Bonita won the girls’ 1,600 in 3:46.07.

• Huntington Beach Marina junior Skyler Magula cleared 15-09.00 to win the boys’ pole vault and Thousand Oaks Westlake freshman Paige Sommers cleared 12-05.00 to win the girls’ pole vault. Sean Lee of Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills won the boys’ high jump in 6-08.00 and Abbie Burke of Riverside Poly won the girls’ high jump in 5-06.00.

• Talin Lewis of Westlake Village Oaks Christian won the boys’ long jump in 23-07.55 and Treveon Lee from California won the boys’ triple jump in 47-07.00. Santa Ana Mater Dei’s Dominique Ruotolo won the girls’ long jump in 19-02.50 and the triple jump in 41-00.50.

• Natalie Ramirez of Santa Clarita West Ranch won the girls’ shot put in 48-08.75 and the discus with a throw of 155-10. Jeff Duensing of Anaheim Esperanza won the boys’ shot put in 60-01.75 and Santa Clarita Hart’s Clifford McMullen won the discus in 184-06.

The top six finishers in each event as well as at-large qualifiers meeting minimum standards advanced to the CIF state meet next Friday and Saturday at Buchanan High in Clovis.

sports@latimes.com

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