Rachel Baxter set a state record, Tara Davis enhanced her gold medal collection and Joseph Anderson, Zachary Shinnick and T.J. Brock each added to the medal haul of Southern California high school track & field stars who shined brightly on the world stage Friday at the Pan American U20 Championships in Trujillo, Peru.
Gold medalist and new U20 Pan Am record holder Rachel Baxter!! pic.twitter.com/oxWCvotM9k
— Larry Simms (@Vaultdadof2) July 21, 2017
Baxter, a recent graduate of Anaheim Canyon High School, won the pole vault with a clearance of 14 feet, 5.5 inches, breaking the California state record she set with a 14-4 clearance at the CIF Masters Meet in May. Friday’s mark for the Virginia Tech-signee ranks No. 3 all-time among U.S. high school vaulters, according to the Track & Field News High School Track record book.
Davis, from Agoura High, medaled twice.
She was the CIF-State and USATF junior champion in the 100 hurdles and in the long jump. On Friday, she won the long jump in a wind-aided 21 feet, 4.25 inches, and was second in the 100 hurdles in 13.05.
Anderson, from Upland High and the state champion in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles, was third in the 110s in Friday afternoon’s final in 13.43 seconds, the second-fastest time of his life.
Send the message to Peru….Don’t Mess With Texas!!! Eric Edwards wins the Pan American Championships in the 110H! 🤟 pic.twitter.com/NWcBdidfs2
— Texas MileSplit (@TXMileSplit) July 21, 2017
Shinnick, from Damien High and the state and USATF junior champion in the 400 meters, was third in 45.98, the second-fastest time of his life.
Brock, a West Hills Chaminade High grad who just completed his freshman year at USC, won the 100 meters in 10.45 seconds into a 0.4 headwind. Brock, who ran a personal best 10.16 with a 4.2 aiding wind at the NCAA Division I West Regionals, qualified for this meet with a 10.33 posting at the USATF finals. He is a two-time CIF State 100 meter champion.
The Pan Am U20 championships are for qualified athletes who do not turn 20 at any time in 2017. The meet continues through Sunday at Chan Chan Stadium.
Anderson, the Gatorade California State Male Track Athlete of the Year who is headed to Oregon, hadn’t lost a non-preliminary 110 hurdles race this season until he was second to Eric Edwards Jr. at the USATF juniors last month in Sacramento. Anderson set a state record of 13.33 in winning the state title.
Edwards Jr. was the winner Friday in 13.33 into a slight 0.6 meters-per-second headwind. Ansatasios Eliopaul of Canada was second in 13.36.
“It wasn’t my best race but it was good enough to get me my first international medal,” Anderson wrote in a private social media exchange. “I am just so blessed and humbled, super excited and speechless. This was the icing on the cake for this long season.”
Shinnick, who is headed to USC, lost for the first time all season in a championship race despite running the full lap under 46 seconds for just the second time in his life. Shinnick won the USATF junior title in 45.20, the fourth fastest time ever by a California high school runner.
Jamal Walton from the Cayman Islands won the 400 in a record 44.99, breaking the 22-year-old standard of 45.14 set by Pasadena Muir’s Obea Moore in 1995. Josephus Lyles, who was second to Shinnick at the USATF meet, was second Friday in a personal-best 45.30.
Davis, a multi-talented dynamo headed to Georgia, was second to Tia Jones (13.01) in the 100 hurdles race aided by a 0.4 wind. Davis, who has twice dipped under 13 seconds, won the USATF title in 13.01.
Congrats to #Dawgs‘ signee Tara Davis for earning🥈in 100mH with a 13.05 at Pan Am Juniors in #Peru today. Long jump up next. #BrightFuture pic.twitter.com/YSv9m67e3f
— Georgia Track&Field (@UGATrack) July 21, 2017
In the long jump, her winning mark was the last of her six attempts, although her fifth jump was enough to beat runner-up Tissanna Hickling of Jamaica (20-10.50).
Zach Shinnick is the Junior Pan American Bronze medalist!! 45.98 400m. GO USA!! @zachshinnick pic.twitter.com/PV7Hdc7w5D
— Corey Pasowicz (@cjp13198) July 21, 2017
Anderson, the San Bernardino County record-holder in both hurdles and two-time state champion in the 110s, reflected on what became a difficult end to the season for him following the tragic death of a close friend and a personal health scare when in Seattle for the Brooks PR meet.
“I’m just really glad I got to come out here at the age of 17 and compete with (under-20) guys,” Anderson wrote. “After this whole season, I just proved, to not only everyone watching but to myself, where my heart and character is after many downs, just being able to come out and still compete and do great things.
Jeremiah29:11 WOW my first international race😳excited to start the next chapter at the University of Oregon🦆Kingjoe checking out👑✌🏾 pic.twitter.com/bpSSkUiZBY
— Joseph Anderson (@Salute_kingjoe) July 21, 2017
“I’m so excited to finally get to eat what I want and I can’t wait to start the next chapter of my life at the University of Oregon.”
I guess dreams really do come true.. I’m blessed to announce I have committed to the university of Oregon🐣💚💛 #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/QuSR6nk90b
— Joseph Anderson (@Salute_kingjoe) November 6, 2016
