Seasons conclude at Masters Meet for Murray, Molina
What started as a day full of hope turned into an examination of a just-completed season.
La Cañada High junior hurdler Claire Murray and St. Francis sophomore high jumper Matthew Molina had aspirations of extending their seasons beyond Friday’s CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at Arcadia High.
Those goals went unfulfilled as neither earned advancement to the CIF State Meet at Clovis Buchanan High on Friday, June 2. Each instead reflected on what were successful campaigns.
Perhaps Murray had the biggest uphill climb in trying to advance to state in the 100-meter hurdles.
Murray entered Friday’s meet having won the CIF Southern Section Division III title on May 20 at Cerritos College in a mark of 14.71 seconds.
The junior was seeded sixth and needed to place in the top six or hit a difficult at-large mark of 14.14, which was well ahead of Murray’s personal-best and school-record time of 14.60.
Murray fell short of both qualifying standards as she hit the fourth hurdle and pulled out of the championship race won by Tara Davis (13.59).
“Nothing really bothered me today in the race and I just think that the other runners jumped out ahead of me and I was trying to make up for that and I ended up tripping a hurdle,” Murray said. “I was looking forward to racing these great athletes and I wish I could have actually raced them.”
Though Murray left Arcadia in tears, the junior ended a season in which she became her school’s first girls’ Southern Section hurdles champion after previously claiming a Rio Hondo League title.
“She has another year and she did an awesome job this season,” La Cañada coach Casey Mollett said. “She was fantastic this year and she improved her time every single meet. She’s a trooper. She’s tough and she’ll be back.”
Footwear was a factor for a second straight week for Molina in the high jump.
The Golden Knights’ youngster entered seeded fifth in the high jump and needed a top-six spot or at an-large mark of 6 foot, 7 inches, which happened to be Molina’s personal record.
In a decision that may have hurt Molina, the sophomore decided to pass on making an attempt at the opening height of 6-1 and waited for the next mark of 6-3.
Molina then no-heighted at the mark as he missed on all three tries.
“He was tight out there and he was wearing new shoes that he shouldn’t have worn,” St. Francis Coach Mike Russell said. “He told me that they didn’t feel comfortable and I told him, ‘Don’t do it then.’ He didn’t listen and it just didn’t pan out tonight for him.”
At the Division III Championship, Molina split his shoe while qualifying and eventually tying for second with a mark of 6-6.
Friday’s finish ended a run in which Molina earned second at the Mission League Finals at Occidental College in the high jump with a mark of 6-1.
“The good thing is that he’s a sophomore and he’ll get another shot next year,” Russell said. “He had a good week of practice and I don’t think he was pressured out there. It was just one of those days, but he picked up valuable experience.”
