Southland’s top two prep sprinters face off at CIF Masters track meet

Much of the buzz heading into Friday’s CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at Cerritos College focused on the 200-meter showdown between juniors Michael Norman of Vista Murrieta and T.J. Brock of West Hills Chaminade.

Going head-to-head with Brock for the first time this year, Norman took command on the curve and pulled away down the straightaway to win in 20.46 seconds — the second fastest wind-legal time in California history.

Brock took second in 21.26 after running a blazing anchor leg to lead the Eagles to first place in the 100-meter relay in 41.18 and winning the 100-meter dash in 10.50, eight-hundredths of a second off his state-leading time.

The area’s top two sprinters are likely to meet again at next weekend’s state finals in Clovis.

Norman bettered his own state-leading 20.69 and equaled the 10th fastest all-time national mark. Earlier, he gobbled up the stagger around the first turn and cruised to victory in the 400 meters in 46.70, well ahead of runner-up Mar’yea Harris of Long Beach Wilson but not threatening his state-leading 45.91. In the last event of the night, Norman opened his anchor leg in sixth but led the Broncos (3:15.94) to second place behind Long Beach Wilson.

“There’s no particular part where I felt in control, I felt normal and ready to go,” Norman said of the 400. “I just wanted to keep my composure and run a decent time to qualify.”

Perhaps the most impressive performance was turned in by Westlake Village Oaks Christian sophomore Lauren Rain Williams, who doubled in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, winning the 100 in 11.51 and the 200 in 23.29 against the wind (one-10th of a second off her state-leading mark) and anchoring the Lions’ victorious 100- and 400-meter relays.

Temecula Great Oak junior Destiny Collins clocked a state-leading 4:40.34 in the 1,600, holding off runner-up Amanda Gehrich of Tesoro (4:42.92) in the final 200 meters. Collins also won the 3,200 in 10:11.64.

Brea Olinda junior Austin Tamagno, the boys’ state 1,600 leader, ran the final lap in 58.20 to win by over two seconds in 4:08.72.

“I wanted to stay conservative and when the time was right, make my move,” Tamagno said. “Everything went as planned. I’ve been running very confidently and just came out here to win.”

Saugus’ Brian Zabilski won the boys 3,200 in 8:49.38 in a race in which three runners finished in under nine minutes.

Corona Roosevelt senior Jasmyne Graham, the state leader in the 100 hurdles, won in 13.52 and took the 300 hurdles in 41.94. Teammate Taylor Smith won the 400 meters in 54.46.

“I like to stick with the pack in the first 200 and turn in on in the last 200 when everyone’s getting tired,” Smith said. “It’s more about who wants it more and I had to push if I wanted first place.”

USC-bound Matt Katnik, who entered as the national leader in the shot put at 72-3, stayed undefeated this season with a winning throw of 70-11.50 and was also among nine competitors to qualify in the discus, finishing seventh with a throw of 175-02. Malik McMorris of Santa Ana Mater Dei won the discus at 188-08, six feet off his state-leading mark.

Kaitlyn Merritt of Santa Margarita, who set a national sophomore pole vault record of 13-8 at the Arcadia Invitational two years ago, cleared 13-7 Friday to equal her state-best mark and Kate Thomas was third at 12-7 to produce the best teammate combination in state history.

State leader Courtney Corrin of Studio City Harvard-Westlake (20-2.75), Tara Davis of Agoura (20-2.50) and Margaux Jones of Redlands (19-5) took the top three places in the girls’ long jump, Kendall Mader of Newbury Park won the girls’ discus in 155-03 and took second in the shot put in 45-02 behind Nia Britt of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (47-09.75).

State high jump leader Erinn Beattie of Ventura Buena won with a height of 5-7.