San Marcos sophomore Erica Schroeder has the fourth fastest qualifying time among the 28 entries in the girls 800 meters at the CIF State Track and Field Championships on Friday and Saturday at Buchanan High in Clovis.
Schroeder has a best of 2:09.85, which she posted in winning last Friday’s CIF-SS Masters Meet at Cerritos College.
The leader going into the State Meet is senior Mikaela Smith, the two-time defending state champion from Clovis North. She has a qualifying time of 2:09.01. She clocked 2:08.39 to win the state title in 2013 and bettered that last year with a 2:06.85.
Schroeder ran against Smith at the Arcadia Invitational in April and finished fourth in a then school-record 2:10.11. Smith won in 2:08.44.
Rancho Bernardo junior Mia Atkins has the second fastest State Meet entry time at 2:09.07 and senior Hannah Benoit of Buchanan ranks third at 2:09.40. Benoit, running on her home track, finished third at last year’s State Meet in 2:08.75.
The top 12 times from Friday’s three prelims advance to Saturday’s final.
In the girls 400, Santa Ynez senior Jackie Chandler ranks fourth out of the 30 entries with a time of 54.48. The top qualifying time belongs to junior Hannah Waller of Buchanan at 54:09. Santa Rosa freshman Kirsten Carter is second at 54.24 and Taylor Smith of Eleanor Roosevelt High is third at 54.46.
The other county representatives competing at the State Meet are Chrisshnay Brown of Lompoc in the girls discus and Steven French of Cabrillo in the boys pole vault.
