NORWALK -- Tayler Johnson cleared any and all obstacles, Melissa Skiba went the distance and Madison Stark raised the bar high enough for Oak Park.
As for Saugus, following a year when its distance runners nearly captured a Southern Section Div. II track and field championship by themselves, Saturday it was full speed ahead for the Centurions at Cerritos College.
Two of the area's most decorated cross country programs finally added track and field titles to their impressive resumes, with Oak Park sending retiring coach Kevin Smith out a winner with 63 points, holding off Harvard-Westlake of Studio City (60) in one of the most intense team battles in recent history.
Saugus became the first area school to win Southern Section cross country and track and field championships in the same school year since Agoura accomplished it in 1987-88 and again in 1988-89 by recording 43 points to defeat Carter of Rialto (38).
Nicole Penick, a member of Saugus' school-record 1,600-meter relay that secured the crown with a second-place finish in 3 minutes, 50.78 seconds, captured her third division championship, along with the Centurions' Div. II girls' soccer title in 2009.
"We knew we had to redeem ourselves after last year and coming out with a CIF championship, I couldn't ask for anything more," Penick said. "Everybody did any little extra thing to made sure we came out with a win."
Penick and sophomore Jenna Vincej made a promise to senior teammate
Amber Wright they were going to deliver her a division championship before she graduated. After Vincej won the 400 in 56.09, Wright took third in 56.83 and Penick was ninth in 59.62, the three athletes teamed with Alex Hampton on the 1,600 relay to make good on that promise.
"It's hard to believe what just happened right now. I'm still speechless," Vincej said. "We told Amber we were on a mission to get her a ring and we came through. We all weren't feeling 100 percent, but we all stepped it up to get what we wanted."
Wright also ran with Sara Huitink, Jamie Molacek and Vincej on Saugus' fourth-place 400 relay (48.78) and took eighth in the 200 (25.42). Despite being sick, Stephanie Bulder produced valuable points doubling in the 1,600 (5:09.11) and 3,200 (10:57.17), and Karis Frankian scored by taking fourth in the 3,200 (10:52.59), along with Amber Murakami (5:03.72) in the 1,600 for Saugus, which received a sixth-place effort from Alex Ecsedy in the discus throw (114-4).
"It means a lot. It shows all the hard work definitely paid off," Wright said. "On that 4 x400 relay, all I could think was every step was for the team. It was the last race and we had to deliver."
Johnson and Skiba came through in the clutch in their final Southern Section championship meet, scoring big points for Oak Park. Johnson won the 100 hurdles in 14.06 -- with teammate Kayla Batom placing eighth in 15.19 and duplicating the finish in the 300 hurdles (46.93) -- and captured the high jump after clearing on her first attempt at 5-6.
"It feels pretty complete," said Johnson, who added a third-place effort in the long jump (18-6 ¾) and led the Eagles 400 relay to a second-place finish (48.68). "It's a very cool way to go out. And to do it for coach Smith because he's done so much for all of us."
Skiba set a personal-best to take third in the 1,600 (4:58.81), trailing Palos Verdes' Rebecca Mehra (4:56.92) and Harvard-Westlake's Amy Weissenbach (4:57.29), with Cami Chapus (5:04.69) placing fifth for the Wolverines. Skiba returned to win the 3,200 in 10:33.63, with Chapus finishing fourth (10:55.27).
Stark clinched the title by taking third in the pole vault (11-6) and Sydney Lewis was fourth in the 100 (12.39) for the Eagles.
Weissenbach kept Harvard-Westlake in the hunt by winning the 800 (2:13.63) and anchoring the Wolverines' school-record 1,600 relay, following Lauren Hansson, Jennie Porter and Zaakirah Daniels -- who also scored in the 100 hurdles (seventh, 14.96) and 300 hurdles (third, 44.60) -- to clinch victory in 3:52.06.
"It's a lot of fun to be part of this team," Daniels said. "Everybody wants to win a CIF championship, but (second) is totally OK. We just wanted to try to get the (1,600 relay) championship and add one more record. Some wishes do come true."
Hansson lowered her school record to 56.34 in the 400 and Sydney Haydel added a fourth-place effort in the shot put (39-8) for Harvard-Westlake, which received valuable points in the horizontal jumps from Hilary King and Nicole Nesbit and Kei Goldberg in the pole vault.
Highland of Palmdale's Jessica Davis and Rio Mesa of Oxnard's Valexsia Droughn reaffirmed their status as two of the nation's top sprinters, sweeping the 100 and 200 titles in Divs. I and II for the third straight year.
"I don't have words to describe it. I wasn't expecting to go this fast," Droughn said. "I have to thank my mom (Monika Akuna) and, of course, my coach (Brian Fitzgerald), but especially my mom. Without her, I don't know where I'd be. I give this all to her."
After winning the Div. I 100 title in 11.82, the USC-bound Davis produced a national-leading, wind-legal 23.42 in the 200. Droughn clocked the No. 6 wind-legal time in the Div. II 100, running 11.63, and added a 200 championship in a season-best 24.0.
"I haven't prayed that hard before a race in a long time. I said 'Lord, just give me one PR,'" said Davis, who rallied Highland to a fourth-place finish in the 1,600 relay (3:52.14). "I wasn't satisfied with my 100. Winning is nice, but the time wasn't so nice and I had to come back in the 200. I wasn't worried about anybody, I just had to prove it to myself. I had to leave no doubt."
Louisville of Woodland Hills' LaToya Williams was second in the Div.IV 100 in 12.06 and fourth in the 200 (24.59). Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks' Sydney Hubbard was third in the Div. III shot put (40-5 1/4).
Simi Valley's Liberty Miller was second in the Div. I 1,600 (4:52.61) and 3,200 (10:37.77). West Ranch of Stevenson Ranch's Jennifer Owen placed third in the Div. II 1,600 (4:53.05) and 800 (2:12.40), with teammates Ashley Welker (2:14.72) and Kylie Long (2:15.87) taking fifth and sixth behind a fourth-place finish from Thousand Oaks' Caitlyn Turner (2:13.21).
Valencia's Jasmine Hall cleared 5-6 in the Div. I high jump, as did Rio Mesa's Raegan Nizdil and Thousand Oaks' Lydia French in Div. II, and Louisville's Katie Barber in Div. IV. Paraclete of Lancaster's Siera Hearne was second in the Div. IV pole vault (11-6).
Canyon's Tiffini Stone was second in the Div. II long jump (17-11) and teammate Taylor Thomas placed fifth in the 100 hurdles (14.65) and 300 hurdles (44.76).
