CLOVIS — The numbers flashed across the board near the finish line after the third and final heat of the 300-meter hurdles in the CIF State Track & Field Championships on Friday.
Sierra’s Bikram Thiara had just completed the race with a personal best and new school record time of 38.05 seconds, but would it be good enough to push him through to today’s finals?
“When I saw my time I was kind of juiced because I PR’d again,” Thiara said. “I was trying to do the math quickly in my head to see if I made it, and when I saw ‘seventh place’ next to my name I was so excited I was ready to run another 300 after that.”
He’ll get his chance tonight back at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium. Joining him there is Isaias Hunter, Lathrop’s first-ever state qualifier who is one of 12 high jumpers to advance to the final flight scheduled for an 8 o’clock start tonight. The boys 300 hurdles begins at 9:25.
Thiara was seeded ninth going into the trials after placing third in 38.09 during the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters meet. With only nine — the three heat winners and next six best times — going to the finals, Thiara figured he’d have to improve on his time.
“My race plan was pretty much to stick as close to the two fastest guys in my heat as possible,” he said. “I knew that if I could run with them I could PR or qualify.”
He did.
Buchanan’s Paramveer Chohan (37.19) and Cameron Samuel (37.20) of Rancho Verde finished 1 and 2 in the heat, and the former is seeded second for the finals. The overall No. 1 seed is favorite Koty Burton (36.61) of La Quinta.
Hunter clinched his spot in the high jump final with his second attempt at 6-6. He missed all three jumps at 6-8. Only two athletes — Oakmont’s Isaiah Holmes and Trabuco sophomore Sean Lee — cleared the opening height of 6-4, 6-6 and 6-8 each with a single attempt. The state’s top high jumper, Elijah Hughes of J.W. North, missed his first try at 6-4 but was perfect the rest of the way as he secured the No. 3 seed. He and Holmes are the state leaders with previous jumps at 7-1.