The “Hot Rod” is continuing to prove that he is just too fast for the rest of the field. After a wind-aided 10.16-second performance at the CIFSouthern Section Division IV Championships on May 14 at Moorpark High, Serra junior Roderick Pleasant accelerated his engine more with a legal wind. He zoomed to a California state record of 10.14 seconds to easily win the 100-meter dash over Long Beach Jordan’s Jordan Washington (second place, 10.38) at last Saturday’s Southern Section Masters Championships on Moorpark’s fast track. He routed the previous state record of 10.25 set by Henry Thomas from Hawthorne High, located about four miles from Serra, in 1985 and Santa Ana Mater Dei’s Domani Jackson, who defeated Pleasant in the 100 at the California State Championships on June 26, 2021 at Arcadia High. He is only .01 second shy of the United States in-season national record of 10.13 seconds set by Matthew Boling of Strake Jesuit College Prep in 2019 in Houston, Texas at the Texas State Championships at the University of Texas in Austin. Pleasant will be gunning for the national record at Friday and Saturday’s CIF-State Championships at Buchanan High in Clovis (Fresno area). However, he might even break 10.0, the overall national prep record that was set by Cherryville, N.C.’s Trentavis Friday at the 2014 USATF Junior Championships in Eugene, Ore. Many observers, including Serra head coach Alexis Faulkner, feel he has a shot at becoming the first high school sprinter to break 10 seconds in the 100. If he does not do it this year, he has another one coming in 2023 before he graduates from Serra and moves on to college and, possibly, even the Olympics, including 2024 in Paris, France. To start the meet, Pleasant anchored the Cavaliers’ boys’ 4×100 relay to a win at 41.14. Preceding Pleasant, in order, included Jaylin Franklin, Cordell Montgomery and Dakoda Fields. Later in the meet, Pleasant rolled to a win the 200 clocking 20.49. He ran a wind legal time of 20.40 to win the 200 at the Division IV Finals a week earlier. Both his 100 and 200 times are tops in the country this year. Serra’s girls also proved dominant as they will be seeking a state crown. They had a one-two finish by winner Jordan Washington (11.64) and runner-up Brazil Neal (11.73) in the 100. Both also advanced to state in the 200 and the 4×100 relay. Washington was second in the 200 in 23.62 and Neal placed fourth timing 24.0. Winning the 200 was Adonijah Currie from Valencia West Ranch in 23.45. The Lady Cavaliers’ 400 relay squad of Jaiya Fletcher, Mia Flowers, Neal and Washington won clocking 46.19, their season best time. The state meet at Clovis Buchanan High begins on Friday with the prelims. The field events start at 3 p.m. and the running events begin at 5 p.m. Saturday’s championships start with the field events at 4:30 p.m. and the running events at 6 p.m. The NFHS Network is expected to broadcast the meet livestream. There is a fee charged.
100-meter dash at the Del Rey League Track and Field Championships on April 27 at Serra) ran to a California state record winning time of
10.14 seconds in winning the 100 at Saturday’s CIF-Southern Section Masters Track and Field Championships at Moorpark High. Pleasant also
won the 200 at 20.49 and anchored the Cavaliers’ boys’ 4×100 relay to a win clocking 41.14. Pleasant and other Cavaliers will compete in the CIF-State Championships on Friday and Saturday at Buchanan High in Clovis. Pleasant is .01 of a second away from the national record of 10.13 set three years ago by Matthew Boling from Houston (Texas) Strake Jesuit High in the 100.
Serra High’s Jordan Washington (left at the Del Rey League Track and Field Championships on April 27) won the girls’ 100-meter dash at 11.64 and was second in the 200 (23.63) at Saturday’s CIF-Southern Section Masters Track and Field Championships at Moorpark High. Her teammate Brazil Neal (right) finished second in the 100 (11.73) and fourth in the 200 (24.0). Both will compete in Friday and Saturday’s California State Championships at Buchanan High in Clovis.
