Jackman runs national leader in 400 hurdles, state leader in 110 hurdles and contributes to victorious 4x400 relay

By Landon Negri for DyeStat

It was a feeling of “here we go again” for Clayton Valley CA senior Aidan Jackman, but it went from the worst possible feeling to the best.

Jackman had perhaps the most eye-popping high school performances at the 43rd Stanford Invitational in a meet that was full of them, following up a rousing win in the 400-meter hurdles Friday by running the state’s top mark in the 110 hurdles and helping his 4x400 relay team to a victory to end the two-day meet.

In all, four marks registered Saturday were state bests. A fifth tied for the state lead and offered a chance for the Stanford crowd to see an attempt at a state record when Vista del Lago CA senior Jake Grimsman tried to clear 7 feet, 5 inches in the high jump.

For Jackman, his 110 hurdles triumph in a wind-legal 14.03 seconds almost didn’t happen. He said he felt like he strained a tendon in the back of his knee, and thought he might have to miss the final in a situation eerily similar to a year ago at the Stanford Invitational.

“I was here last year. I ended up getting injured in the prelims and not getting to run in the final, and that was really disappointing,” Jackman said. “To be able to come back from that and then win here, it means a lot.”

Just after he crossed the finish line, Jackman let out a couple of fist pumps and ran to where the track turns, his celebration for repeating the dominant performance he had in Friday’s national-leading 52.85 in the 400 hurdles.

“This means a lot to me,” said Jackman, who surpassed his goal of 14.3. “There were a lot of guys here I had never beaten before. It was nice to come out on top.”

Marin Catholic CA senior Max Glasser found himself in a similar situation and produced a significant result. He outsprinted the field down the stretch and won the 400 in 47.31 for the state’s fastest time of the season.

Glasser said he felt good at the 200-meter mark and felt like “he had an extra gear today.”

“I got injured before this meet last year,” said Glasser, referring to a hamstring injury, “so I was really looking forward to showing what I had right here.”

That he did. In fact, runner-up Zachary Larrier of Monterey Trail CA (47.50) and La Costa Canyon CA junior Karson Lippert (47.66), who placed third, also ran what would’ve been state-leading times.

Grimsman added to the excitement with a superb day at the high jump. He said he has a goal of clearing 7-4 this season, and his jump of 7-3 tied him with Trabuco Hills’ Sean Lee for the state lead.

He got an attempt at 7-5, which would’ve been a state record, but Grimsman planted awkwardly and crashed into the bar and high jump pit. He was helped off the track, though he was able to walk with a limp.

“My plant foot, I twisted it really bad,” he said. “I just felt it when I came off the ground.”

A win did come for La Costa Canyon in the girls 1,600 when senior McKenna Brown outlasted Santa Cruz senior Mari Friedman and Oak Ridge senior Maddy Denner to win in 4:47.61 in a race that produced four of the top five times in the country this year.

That, too, was a top mark in the state, bettering a time of 4:48.55 that Friedman ran March 15. It gained significance in that it came earlier in the day in hotter temperatures.

“We went out really slow for the first two laps,” said Brown, a Cal Berkeley commit. “I knew if no one was going to push the pace, I’m going to push the pace.

“I thought to myself, ‘Even if I die on the last lap, at least I tried,’” she added. “And when it got to the last lap, I honestly just felt so strong.”

Friedman’s teammate, senior Anaya Ward, won the girls 800 in 2:14.59 after helping Santa Cruz win the distance medley relay Friday in a national-leading 11:51.30.

Fowler junior Jocelynn Budwig had the day’s other top mark, as she won the discus at 162-6, thrown on her fourth attempt. She nearly won the shot put, too, as her mark of 44-6.25 was edged by her friend, Hannah Hall of Union City James Logan, who threw 44-7.50.

Bellarmine Prep’s Alex Scales nearly got a top mark and did earn a victory in the boys 1,600, kicking in at the end to win in 4:13.87, just ahead of Brentwood Heritage’s Jett Charvet (4:14.31) and Larkspur Redwood’s Liam Anderson (4:14.98), who won the 3,200 on Friday.

“Last year, my strategy was all about kicking at the end, and this year, it kind of comes down to that again,” Scales said. “I knew the guys were probably getting tired, they took it out pretty fast.”

Scales did run the distance medley relay Friday, where Bellarmine came in a close second to Great Oak. He said the back-to-back distance races actually helped.

“Especially in the 1,200,” Scales said, referring to the relay leg he ran. “It’s a really good benchmark for the 1,600.”

Great Oak wasn’t left out Saturday, however, as the Wolfpack swept the throws, with Jaime Navarro topping the discus at 179-5, and fellow senior Harrison Gould offering his best shot put of the season at 58-6.50.
The Wolfpack’s 4x100 relay also won with state triple-jump leader C.J. Stevenson making a rare relay appearance in the third leg, and anchor Grant Gaskins closing quick to win in 42.37.

Both 100s were claimed by athletes outside of California. Lakewood Lakes WA junior Dorien Simon, a state district champion diver in the winter, won in 10.65. He also had the top qualifying time in the 100 prelim.

The girls 100 features the closest race of the day, with Amira Young of Chicago Whitney Young IL outleaning Amador Valley’s Chinyere Okoro, 11.822 seconds to 11.823.

Silver Creek CA teammates Arianna Fisher and Jazlynn Shearer both won events. Shearer clocked a wind-aided 14.09 seconds in the 100 hurdles, with Fisher leading a group of four 40-foot performers in the triple jump with a leap of 41-1.50. Shearer was third at 40-6.

Sheldon CA swept the girls 4x100 and 4x400 relays in 47.58 and 3:55.62.