Area track and field standouts shine at Masters Meet

NORWALK — A week after finding success in the CIF Southern Section Division finals, a quartet of area track and field standouts ventured back to Cerritos College on Friday night looking to qualify for the CIF State Meet.

Jack Van Scoter, Jasher Foster, Katie Scoville and Sarah Prystupa participated in the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet, just a step away from advancing to state.

The locals achieved their goals and punched their tickets to state in front of a crowd of nearly 3,000 as all four moved on to the state meet, with Foster qualifying twice.

The state meet will be held Friday and June 4 at Buchanan High in Clovis.

Van Scoter of Flintridge Prep turned in the best finish of the area pack, finishing second in the 3,200-meter race in 8 minutes 52.88 seconds. The Georgetown University-bound Van Scoter led halfway through the eighth and final lap before Callum Bolger of San Luis Obispo passed him to win in 8:52.40.

“That last 800 was real quick,” said Van Scoter, a senior who made his inaugural appearance in the Masters Meet and just missed equaling his personal-best mark of 8:51.32, set April 9 at the Arcadia Invitational. “I led most of the way and then I could hear the announcer saying Callum was nearing me. Usually, I try to lurk and then make a push toward first, but he caught and passed me.

“I’m pretty happy with the way things are going. I’ll work on strategy and give it my best shot at state.”

Van Scoter finished first in the Division IV 3,200 event May 21 with a mark of 9:01.81.

Foster of St. Francis qualified in the 110 and 300 hurdles while having to face a head wind in each event. The conditions didn’t seem to fluster Foster, who won Division III championships in each event.

The senior opened with a third-place finish in the 110 in 14.16. He finished behind Koty Burton of La Quinta La Quinta (14.06) and Joseph Anderson of Upland (14.08).

Foster then clocked a personal-best time of 37.63 to place third in the 300.

“I went up against the wind a little bit and it was cold, especially during the 300,” said Foster, who won a Mission League championship in the 110. “You are out there going up against some great competition and it’s something you don’t forget.

“You can either run fast and keep up or just sit back. I hit my stride in the 300 and it’s great to get a PR.”

Foster broke his personal-best mark in the 300 of 37.89, set at the division final.

Foster will make his second straight appearance in the state meet, but his first in both events.

Scoville of La Cañada made her debut at the Masters Meet, fresh off winning the Division III championship in the 3,200.

The sophomore began the eight-lap race near the back of the pack. She then rapidly improved , moving to the middle of the pack entering the last two laps before taking fifth in a personal-best and school-record time of 10:28.92.

“It was something to remember,” said Scoville, who eclipsed her personal-best mark of 10:39.82 at the division championship. “It’s awesome to compete against some of the top runners in Southern California and what an experience.

“I wanted to get to state and I was able to. I’ve got time to make some improvements.”

Destiny Collins of Great Oak won the event in 10:18.35.

Prystupa, a senior at Burroughs, entered the Masters Meet fresh off winning a fourth Pacific League championship in a row before finishing second in the Division I final with a personal-best mark of 12-3.

Prystupa , who made her inaugural Masters Meet appearance, tied for eighth with Rachel Craft of Thousand Oaks at the at-large mark of 11 feet 7 inches on her second vault to advance to the state meet.

“I’ve been working at this for a very long time,” Prystupa said. “I think I’ve improved a lot since last season and it was a goal of mine to try to get to state.

“It wasn’t my best vaulting. I felt a little bit off. I’m not sure why, but I’m just happy to have qualified.”

Rachel Baxter of Anaheim Canyon, who took second in state last season, won the event with a mark of 13-7. Eleven of the 12 athletes moved on to state.

Prystupa, who cleared 11-1 on her first attempt, became the first Burroughs athlete to qualify for the state meet since Matt Schwartz in 2014. Prystupa is the first female athlete from Burroughs to make the state competition since Sadee Martinez accomplished the feat in the 1,600 in 2007.