Ventura High standout lowers own freshman national 3,200 record with 66.86-second last lap, adds 57.2 split on 4x400 less than 20 minutes later; Woods wins four events and Ray takes three for Calabasas, Barbarin achieves trifecta for Simi Valley, as Laycock, Nations, Johnson and Ezike all triumph twice 

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

MOORPARK, Calif. – The most impressive part of the Ventura County Championships debut for Sadie Engelhardt was running 9 minutes, 50.69 seconds in the girls invitational 3,200 meters to lower her own freshman class national record.

But it wasn’t the most inspirational aspect of Friday evening’s schedule for the Ventura High ninth-grader.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

Less than 20 minutes after she crossed the finish line to elevate to the second-fastest 3,200-meter competitor in California prep history, Engelhardt returned to the track at Moorpark High to anchor the Ventura lineup in the invitational 4x400-meter relay, achieving a 57.2-second split to help the Cougars place second behind Calabasas (3:55.13) with a 4:01.39 effort.

Engelhardt, who trails only the 1996 performance of 9:48.59 by Thousand Oaks standout Kim Mortensen among all-time state 3,200 results, ranks No. 7 in U.S. prep history among combined outdoor 3,200 and 2-mile performances.

Bethan Knights of Northwood High in Irvine, clocked 9:53.54 for a full 2-mile effort in 2014, which would convert unofficially to 9:50.10 for 3,200 meters, keeping her just in front of Engelhardt at No. 6 overall. Engelhardt’s performance Friday would convert unofficially to 9:54.12 over the 2-mile distance.

Engelhardt, 15, had run 10:00.60 on the same track March 5 at the Don Green Invitational, but after completing a pair of 3,200 races in multiple dual meets since, Friday provided her another opportunity for an all-out effort and she definitely capitalized on ideal conditions under the lights at Moorpark High.

Engelhardt came through the midway point at 4:59.77 and put herself in position to achieve a significant negative split with a 73.89-second penultimate lap. She covered the final 400 meters in 66.86 seconds to achieve the second-fastest 3,200 for her age in U.S. prep history, trailing only Katelyn Tuohy of North Rockland High in New York clocking 9:47.88 in 2018.

A moment of silence was held in the stadium before the invitational girls 3,200 to honor the memory of former Oak Park standout and Ventura County champion Sarah Shulze, who passed away April 13. Shulze, 21, was a junior at the University of Wisconsin.

Although Engelhardt produced the most memorable moment of the meet, Calabasas senior Zanae Woods was the most decorated competitor at the event as the only athlete to secure four gold medals.

Woods clocked wind-legal efforts of 12.04 and 24.69 in the invitational 100-meter dash and 200 meters, respectively, along with helping Calabasas prevail in the invitational 4x100 relay in 47.99 and the 4x400 relay.

Sophomore teammate Zoey Ray triumphed in the invitational 400 in 57.33, contributed to both victorious relays and took third in the invitational 200 in 25.33 for the Coyotes.

Lahela Ray was on both triumphant relays for Calabasas, with Brooklyn Kennedy completing the 4x100 lineup and Braelon Holmes part of the 4x400 quartet.

Simi Valley dominated the boys invitational sprint events, led by junior Jaelon Barbarin sweeping the invitational 100 and 200 in wind-legal efforts of 10.67 and 21.65.

Senior teammate Joey Nations was second in the 100 in 10.97 and took third in the invitational 200 in 22.05, along with winning the invitational long jump with a 22-foot performance (6.70m).

Barbarin and Nations were joined by Sean Brown and Solemn Aziz in running a season-best 42.00 in the invitational 4x100 relay.

Taylor Johnson secured the invitational 400 victory in 49.32 and anchored Westlake to victory in the invitational 4x400 in 3:27.83., joined by Ife Orekoya, Cole Jarvis and Kelton Garber.

Oaks Christian senior Elijah Gipson swept the invitational 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles in 15.10 and 39.01.

Lauren Thai of Thousand Oaks, an Agoura transfer, won the girls invitational 100 hurdles in a wind-aided 14.84, along with the invitational long jump with a leap of 18-7.75 (5.68m). She also finished fourth in the invitational 100 in 12.21 and helped Thousand Oaks place second in the invitational 4x100 in 49.50.

Chelsea Ochoa, who helped Ventura place second in the girls invitational 4x400, also won the invitational 800 in 2:20.96.

Agoura picked up a pair of invitational distance victories, with Ethan Godsey prevailing in the boys 800 in 1:55.07 and fellow senior Georgia McCorkle winning the girls 1,600 in 5:05.50.

Ventura swept the invitational 3,200 races, as senior Mason Jekogian held off Adrian Valdez of Oxnard by a 9:16.85 to 9:16.97 margin following Engelhardt’s victory.

Royal junior Jonah Bazerkanian won the boys invitational 1,600 in 4:17.86.

Oaks Christian freshman Eleanor Borchard earned the win in the girls invitational 300 hurdles in 46.98.

Westlake junior Adam Laycock prevailed in the invitational boys discus throw with a mark of 184-3 (56.15m) and added a win in the shot put at 50-8.25 (15.44m).

Victor Ezike of Moorpark triumphed against Oxnard Pacifica’s Umaree Harris in the invitational high jump based on fewer attempts after both athletes cleared 6-2 (1.87m), in addition to securing victory in the invitational triple jump at 43-7 (13.28m).

Aidan Hagerty of Foothill Tech cleared 15-4 (4.67m) to win the boys invitational pole vault.

Delaney Schultze of Royal edged Thousand Oaks freshman Madison Thai on fewer attempts after both competitors cleared 5-2 (1.57m) in the girls invitational high jump.

Westlake junior Johanna Cummings was victorious in the girls invitational triple jump with a 34-8 (10.56m) performance.

Oaks Christian senior Tenly Kuhn cleared 12-4 (3.75m) to triumph in the girls invitational pole vault.

Kathleen Nelson of Oxnard Pacifica won the invitational shot put with a mark of 37-11.50 (11.56m) and Camarillo freshman Trinity Tipton earned the invitational discus throw victory with a 127-3 (38.78m) performance.

Oak Park opened the meet by winning the girls 4x800 relay in 10:24.20. Camarillo earned the victory in the boys 4x800 in 8:50.62.