This was a big week of firsts for Jasir Fontenot.
Still recovering from an ankle injury suffered playing basketball, the Mater Dei Catholic High School sophomore had his first full track practice on Tuesday. Two days later, he ran in his initial dual meet, winning his signature event, the 110-meter high hurdles, in 13.95 seconds while capturing the 100-meter dash in 11.05.
And on Saturday, Fontenot rallied to snatch the Mt. Carmel Sundevil Invitational 110s, again running a 13.95 — with a 2.9 aiding breeze.
Fontenot admitted his third race in two days played a factor as he hit half of the 10 barriers.
At an invitational where speed was the norm, three meet relay records were blown away by visitors from Long Beach Wilson, Calabasas and Anaheim Servite.
But the focus was clearly on Fontenot, the defending state champion who got off to an incredibly late start on his season.
“I want to be at least down to where I was last year at the end of the season,” said Fontenot, who broke the state meet record at 13.31 seconds in the state prelims before winning the event in 13.21 seconds, with an aiding wind preventing the time from consideration for record purposes.
“Right now, I’m about 60% of where I was at this time last year. In a way, it’s good that I’m just getting started because I shouldn’t be as tired at the end of the year.”
Fontenot, running with his left ankle heavily tape, was pushed early by Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda’s Brandon Andrade.
“I’ve been running against him the last four years,” Fontenot said. “It feels so great to just be back on the track. It wasn’t a clean race but I just want to stay in the rhythm. It didn’t bother me that he led. I never lose confidence.”
The wind that propelled Fontenot also pushed Grossmont’s Gabrielle Thomas to victory in the girls’ 100-meter hurdles in 13.92 seconds.
That time is the fastest in the state this year.
“I didn’t even think of the wind until I heard my time,” said Thomas, a senior. “I finished fourth in the state a year ago and all three runners who beat me graduated, so getting into the 13s is good.
“By the end of the year, I want to run 13.42. I think that will be good enough to win the state and what I’d really like is a 13.3. I’m pushing it to get there.”
Del Norte’s Cameron Yarbrough came within a blink of handing defending state champion Wyland Obando of Wilson a rare loss in the boys’ 800 meters.
Obando quickly took the lead, but Yarbrough stayed within striking distance until he made his move with 200 meters remaining. Yarbrough inched up on the final straightaway, but the Wilson runner had just enough left to win in a meet record 1:51.17. Yarbrough was second with a time of 1:51.19.
Those times were well under the 1:52.02 meet best run by Ridgecrest’s Ivan Rodriguez in 2013.
Canyon Crest’s Amaya Estes celebrates with teammates after competing in long jump during the Sundevil Invitational at Mt. Carmel High School on Saturday, March 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Other records fell Saturday. Wilson’s girls roared to a 9:03.43 in the 4×800 relay to blast Del Norte’s 9:15.56 in 2024 before winning the state and national titles; the Calabasas girls zipped to a 44.95 in the 4×100 relay, erasing their own 46.42 a year ago; and Servite’s boys rolled to a 40.17 in the 4×100, beating the previous best of 41.56 by Vista Murrieta team in 2016.
The meet also included meet records of 46.55 in the boys 400 by Servite’s Jaelen Hunter and 53.64 in the girls 400 by Wilson’s Clare Adams, ahead of Helix freshman Ava Parker’s 54.59.
Other Saturday stars included Mt. Carmel junior Jaxon Northcutt, who posted the top boys 3,200 mark in the state with a time of 8:57.99; Canyon Crest’s Amaya Estes, who long jumped 19-6 ½ (eighth all-time); La Jolla’s Leed Smoole, who captured the 100 meters in 10.39 and was second in the 200 at 21.08; and San Dieguito’s Dylan Yarbrough, who cleared 16 feet, 6 inches in the vault, second best in the state (and equal to fourth all-time).