Felix Sprints to First and Second

From a surprise state finalist in the girls’ 200 meters as a freshman to an expected winner of the 100 as a sophomore.

That describes the rapid improvement of Allyson Felix of L.A. Baptist High this year.

Felix won the 100 in 11.61 and placed second in the 200 in a wind-aided 23.27 in the state track and field championships at Hughes Stadium on Saturday.

Not bad for someone who placed seventh in the 200 in last year’s state meet.

“It feels good,” Felix said after becoming L.A. Baptist’s first state champion. “Last year, I never would have thought this was possible, but I put in a lot of hard work since then.”

Felix had to come from behind to defeat freshman Shalonda Soloman of team champion Long Beach Poly and senior Porchea Carroll of Rio Mesa.

Carroll came out of the blocks quickly, but Felix and Soloman sped past her in the last 30 meters.

Felix nipped Soloman by two-hundredths of the second. Carroll, runner-up last year, was third in 11.77 with senior Sierra Hauser-Price of Notre Dame fourth in 11.84.

“I think I did a good job at the start,” Felix said. “At least for me. I just wanted to run a good race and I felt like I did that.”

A less-than-stellar start in the 200 left Felix in fourth place coming off the turn, but she closed well to finish second in 23.27.

Junior Angel Perkins of Gahr won the wind-aided race in 22.85 with Soloman third in 23.43 and Hauser-Price fourth in 23.90.

Senior Anita Siraki of Hoover, defending state champion in the 3,200, forced the pace in that race but couldn’t hold off soon-to-be Stanford teammate Sara Bei of Santa Rosa Montgomery in the final straightaway.

Bei, who out-kicked Siraki to win the national cross-country title last December, followed Siraki through a 5:10.5 opening 1,600 and a 9:02.1 split at 2,800 meters before surging past her with about 80 meters left.

“I wanted to go through [the 1,600] in 5:04, maintain that pace for the next two laps and then pick it up,” Siraki said. “But the wind made that difficult. It was a big problem.”

Bei’s 10:11.11 clocking was the fastest in the nation this year and Siraki’s 10:11.79 was second.

Senior Laura Jakosky of Agoura was fifth in 10:42.15.

Senior Melissa Astete of Birmingham, runner-up in the pole vault last year, tied for second by clearing 12-3.

Senior Shayla Balentine of Morro Bay won the event with a national record of 13-8.

Sophomore Treani Swain of Oakwood, whose freshman season was cut short by an injury, went from fifth place to second in final 100 of the 800, finishing in 2:10.54.

Senior Schquay Brignac of Taft, defending in the high jump, was a disappointing seventh at 5-6.

She finished seventh in the long jump with a wind-aided 19-2 1/4.