From left, Clara Adams and Saniah Varnado are the Press-Telegram girls track and field Dream Team athletes of the year at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
PRESS-TELEGRAM GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD DREAM TEAM 2026
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Clara Adams and Saniah Varnado, Long Beach Wilson
Clara Adams and Saniah Varnado helped the Long Beach Wilson girls track and field program reach another level during their junior seasons, combining to win three individual state titles.
Adams, a 400-meter sprinter, and Varnado, a 300-meter hurdler, are newly minted school record holders and state champions in their signature events. Adams also won the 200-meter state title.
“The whole season, it was just really fun to be part of team that I don’t carry but we carry each other,” Adams said.
The duo were the team’s top scorers and led the program to its fourth consecutive CIF state title, the longest streak in school history.
For those reasons, both have been selected as the Press-Telegram girls track and field athletes of the year.
“It definitely took a lot of hard and work and keeping a good mentality throughout the whole season,” said Varnado, who broke Olympic gold medalist Lashinda Demus’ former school record while winning her first individual state title in the 300-meter hurdles in 39.95. “It’s been a long year.”
“She’s been training for it,” Wilson coach Shannon Fisher said about Varnado’s school record-breaking run in the state final. “I’m glad she got that title, so next year we can just be working on seeing how fast can we go.”
However, the athletes did not begin to separate themselves from the competition until the Moore League Track and Field Finals. They both had confidence-boosting performances that preceded four straight weeks of CIF-SS prelims, finals, the Masters Meet, and the CIF State Championships.
“My confidence really just came from knowing about what I’ve been doing in my training,” Adams said.
“Finally, when I hit the 52.8 at the time of the year (Moore League Track and Field Finals on April 30) that it was, it just like you said boosted my confidence up and it just told that I had room forth growth and that had time to get faster,” Adams continued.
Adams went on to turn her dreams into reality when she ran a personal best time of 51.98 in the 400 to win the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet on May 23. The school record holder also helped Wilson set a new California state record in the 4×400 relay, clocking 3:33.83.
“Now here moving forward, it’s just about breaking my own records,” Adams explained.
The junior, who transferred to Wilson from North Salinas High, went on to win three state titles in the 200 (23.40), 400 (52.28), and 4×400 relay (3:36.17).
“I think the main thing was just her presence being here,” Wilson coach Neil Nelson said when asked about Adams’ impact. “I think the girls knew of her, knew what she had and what she was capable of doing but it just made the other girls step up.”
Meanwhile, Varnado, a three-year varsity runner, who sees herself as a future 400-meter hurdler, finished second in the 400 in 52.98 and also ran on the winning relay.
“I’m very happy with all my results that I got this whole year,” Varnado continued.
She is also excited about the possibility of the program winning a fifth consecutive state title, which would personally make her one of a rare few to graduate high school with four straight state team titles.
“I’m looking forward to that and ready to put in all the work that I can to get that,” Varnado concluded.
From left, Saniah Varnado, Coach Neil Nelson, Coach Shannon Fisher and Clara Adams pose for a photograph at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Sprinter Clara Adams is a Press-Telegram athlete of the year at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Clara Adams is a Press-Telegram athlete of the year at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Clara Adams is a Press-Telegram athlete of the year at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Saniah Varnado is a Press-Telegram athlete of the year at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Saniah Varnado is a Press-Telegram athlete of the year at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
From left, Clara Adams and Saniah Varnado are the Press-Telegram girls track and field Dream Team athletes of the year at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
From left, Clara Adams and Saniah Varnado are the Press-Telegram girls track and field Dream Team athletes of the year at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
From left, Coach Neil Nelson and Coach Shannon Fisher are the Press-Telegram’s coaches of the year at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
From left, Coach Shannon Fisher and Coach Neil Nelson are the Press-Telegram’s coaches of the year at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
From left, Saniah Varnado, Clara Adams, Coach Shannon Fisher and Coach Neil Nelson pose for a photograph at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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From left, Saniah Varnado, Coach Neil Nelson, Coach Shannon Fisher and Clara Adams pose for a photograph at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
COACHES OF THE YEAR
Shannon Fisher and Neil Nelson, Long Beach Wilson
Shannon Fisher and Neil Nelson led Long Beach Wilson to a fourth straight CIF state track and field championship on May 30, which is the longest streak in school history.
The co-head coaches are trying to win five state titles in a row.
“Always,” Fisher said. “I don’t know anybody that starts the season trying to get second.”
Coach Nelson said the expectation every season is the same, but still, this year’s championship squad had a different air about them.
“They knew where they were going,” Nelson said. “I feel like they were focused more this season than any other season.”
The Bruins won the Moore League title and have an area-high 15 Dream Team selections, including the area’s fastest 200-meter and 400-meter sprinters and 4×100, 4×400, and 4×800 relays.
Wilson is already strategize on how to win a fifth consecutive title by scoring in the sprints, hurdles, middle distance, relays and field events.
“We’re always looking to expand and actually become that full team not just winning it with a couple of sprints or a couple of distance people but having a full team across the board,” Fisher explained.
From left, Coach Shannon Fisher and Coach Neil Nelson are the Press-Telegram’s coaches of the year at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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From left, Coach Shannon Fisher and Coach Neil Nelson are the Press-Telegram’s coaches of the year at Wilson High School in Long Beach on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
FIRST TEAM DREAM TEAM
(Race distances in meters)
100: Jaela Brown, Millikan, So.; Aniyah Brooks, Long Beach Poly, Sr.; Dylan Nelson, St. Pius X-St. Matthias, Jr.
200: Clara Adams, Long Beach Wilson, Jr.; Dylan Nelson, St. Pius X-St. Matthias, Jr.; Jadamarie McDuffie, St. Joseph, Jr.
400: Clara Adams Long Beach Wilson, Jr.; Saniah Varnado, Long Beach Wilson, Jr.; Brooklyn Fowler, Long Beach Wilson, So.; Brooke Blue, Long Beach Wilson, Sr; Aliyah Stokes, Long Beach Poly, Sr.
800: Shirayah Lewis-Williams, Long Beach Wilson, Jr.; Laila Kirk, Long Beach Poly, Fr.; Riley Jones, Long Beach Wilson, Jr.
1,600: Alyssa Huerta, Warren, Jr.; Madeleine Heenan, Los Alamitos, Jr.; Amberly McDowell, Millikan, Jr.
3,200: Alyssa Huerta, Warren, Jr.; Nadia Mejia, Long Beach Wilson, Sr.; Avery Errecart, Long Beach Wilson, Jr.
100 hurdles: Kadence Bain, Long Beach Poly Jr.; Saniah Varnado, Long Beach Wilson, Jr.
300 hurdles: Saniah Varnado, Long Beach Wilson; Kadence Bain, Long Beach Poly, Jr.
4×100 relay: Long Beach Wilson; Long Beach Poly; Millikan; St. Pius X-St. Matthias.
4×400 relay: Long Beach Wilson; Long Beach Poly.
4×800 relay: Long Beach Wilson.
High jump: Lauren Plummer, Los Alamitos, Fr.; Cynthia Mercado, Long Beach Poly, So.; Penelope Cleven, Millikan, So.
Pole vault: Cassidy Nguyen, Los Alamitos, Sr.; Celia Polk, Valley Christian, Jr.
Long jump: Zayla Ridley, Long Beach Poly, Jr.
Triple jump: Journii Spencer, Long Beach Wilson, Sr.; Stavroula Liarakos, Los Alamitos, So.; Olivia Martinez, Los Alamitos, Sr.; Jaelyn Guidry, Los Alamitos, So.
Shot put: Kasey-Rian Henson, Lakewood, Sr.
Discus: Ellie Carr, Millikan, So.; Siena Thorsteinson, St. Joseph, Sr.; Maria Cuevas, La Mirada, So.