Foster, Van Scoter, Scoville all ready for Masters

Just going off the results from the CIF Southern Section Track and Field Division Championships, it would seem that the three local athletes who qualified to Friday’s Masters Meet at Cerritos College in Norwalk are in for a big evening.

St. Francis High senior Jasher Foster, Flintridge Prep senior Jack Van Scoter and La Cañada sophomore Katie Scoville all won championships in their respective events and all appear capable of advancing to the season-ending CIF State Meet.

Cerritos College will open at 3 p.m. with field events beginning at 3:30 and the first running event taking place at 6.

For an athlete to qualify to the CIF State Meet in Clovis on June 3-4, he or she will need to finish in the top six or hit a state at-large qualifying mark.

Foster is slated to compete in the 110-meter hurdles at 6:47 p.m. and the 300 hurdles at 7:45.

“This is what I wanted to do last year; I wanted to get to Masters in both meets,” said Foster, who advanced in the 110-meters in 2015, but missed in the 300 hurdles. “I can’t wait for the opportunity to compete in both and get to state.”

The two-sport star (football) enjoyed a prolific Saturday afternoon by first winning the Division III 110-meter hurdles in a personal-record time of 14.03 seconds. The mark bested Foster’s prelims effort of 14.08 and was third-best in the four-division Southern Section.

The state qualifying at-large mark is 14.32.

Perhaps Foster’s more impressive effort Saturday came in the 300 hurdles, as the senior upset Mission League rival Austin Lietz to win the event in another personal-best mark of 37.69, which was ahead of Lietz’ 38.29.

Lietz (38.68) previously defeated Foster (39.32) for the Mission League championship on May 5 at Occidental College.

The state at-large mark is 38.37.

In the distances, La Cañada’s Scoville will compete in the 3,200-meter run at 8:08 p.m.

At Saturday’s championships, Scoville won the Division III title in 10:39.82, which topped Oak Park’s Syl Cruz-Albrecht (10:40.50).

Scoville ran in a combined Division I and III race and finished fourth overall and fifth across all four divisions.

Scoville’s time of 10:39.82 also improved upon her own school record that she’s broken several times this year.

“The big thing for me before Masters is getting some rest,” Scoville said. “I went out hard and I want to make sure I recover and rest for Masters. I’m really proud of my time and I want to do even better.”

The state at-large mark is 10:35.25.

As of Wednesday, Flintridge Prep’s Van Scoter was slated for one event: the 3,200-meter run at 8:25 p.m.

The reigning All-Area Boys’ Cross-Country Runner of the Year easily won the Division IV championship in 9:01.81. The mark was just under 24 seconds ahead of the Division IV second-place finisher and almost 10 seconds ahead of Ventura’s Garrett Reynolds, the Division II titlist, as the Division II and IV races were joined.

“Right now, my focus is squarely on the 3,200 and getting to state,” Van Scoter said. “I’ve run better times in the past and I’d like to get somewhere close to what I’ve done before. It’s going to be a challenge, but I look forward to giving all I have.”

Van Scoter’s time Saturday was the third-best of the day, but trailed his own lofty standards. His mark of 8:51.32, set at the Arcadia Invitational on April 9, is the best in state, according to prepcaltrack.com.

The state at-large mark is 9:07.63.

There is a possibility that Van Scoter might run the 1,600-meter run at 6:28 p.m.

Van Scoter won the Division IV title in 4:13.90 and finished 13th overall on Saturday, which makes him the first alternate to go should another runner drop out.

The state at-large mark is 4:15.36.

“If nobody scratches in the mile, that’s OK,” Van Scoter said. “I can focus on the two-mile then. It’s more for pride wanting to [compete] in both.”

The only other area athlete in action Friday is Burroughs High senior Sarah Prystupa, who will compete in the pole vault competition that gets underway at 3:30 p.m.