Calabasas junior sprinter Malia Rainey proved she was more than capable on the grandest stage in California. At the same time, Notre Dame senior Joshua Harel leaped to heights that couldn’t be matched by his contemporaries.
Rainey delivered a performance, shining above all others and became one of the fastest girls in the state.
Meanwhile, Harel scaled the high bar with fans watching at Buchanan High School at the CIF State Track and Field Championships on Saturday, May 30.
Rainey captured first in the 100 meters, clocked at 11.38 seconds, and Harel won the high jump with a height of 7 feet, 2 inches. Rainey shaved .16 seconds off her preliminary sprint to capture first.
Rainey has seen massive improvements after an 11.63 time and a sixth-place finish in the 100 at the 2025 state finals.
Rainey is uncommitted but has made the official push to become the next generational sprinter to come out of Calabasas program that’s produced UNLV runner Bella Witt in 2021 and her senior teammates Marley Scoggins (Tennessee) and Olivia Kirk (Oklahoma).
The trio of Rainey, Scoggins and Kirk helped the Calabasas girls finish fifth overall at state with 25 points. Scoggins and Kirk joined Rainey in the 100 final. Kirk finished fifth in 11.53 seconds while Scoggins placed eighth in 11.62 seconds.
Kirk and Scoggins continued their excellence in the 200 with top-eight finishes. Kirk placed third in 23.64 seconds and Scoggins finished fifth in 23.89 seconds.
Harrel leaped 4 inches higher than second-place finisher Jay Woodson of American Canyon. Harel is committed to USC for track.
Harel became a two-time state champion after winning the high jump last year by clearing 6-9 at the state meet.
Notre Dame had the highest collective placing among area schools and finished tied for 11th place with St. Francis of Mountain View with 13 points.
Several athletes from the area stood out with top-10 finishes. Notre Dame sophomore Emmanuel Pullins finished sixth in the triple jump at 47-8.25.
Moorpark junior Davis Benson earned fifth place in long jump at 22-8.25. Benson became the first athlete from the school to collect medals in three events at the state finals. He guided the Raiders’ 4×100 relay to seventh in 41.14 and ran the 110 hurdles for an eighth-place finish in 14.01.
Newbury Park senior Jaden Griffin ran the 100 in 10.41 and finished fifth. Griffin is committed to Cal Poly.
Thousand Oaks senior Lucas Schneider placed sixth in the 300 hurdles at 37.67.
Moorpark senior Joshua Aguilar-Carnes finished ninth in the 200 in 21.28.
Viewpoint senior Olly O’Connor competed in 3,200 and earned seventh place in 8:58.02. O’Connor is committed to UCLA.
The Thousand Oaks boys 4×400 relay finished seventh in 3:18.52.
Three area athletes placed in the hotly contested girls high jump — junior Avery Prestridge of West Ranch, sophomore Gwynneth Mureika of Oak Park and sophomore Nieve Oliver from Camarillo. Prestridge and Mureika each cleared 5-4 and tied for fourth place and Oliver finished tied for eighth, also at 5-4.
Moorpark senior Gianna Gonzalez finished second in the long jump at 20-3.5.