Redondo’s Tate Curran is state’s best high school pole vaulter
Redondo senior Tate Curran joined his uncle and father as a CIF State Champion in the pole vault. Photo
Although he reached only one of his two personal goals this season, Redondo Union High School senior Tate Curran made history Saturday by capturing the boys pole vault title at the 99th annual CIF State Track & Field Championships at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium at Buchanan High School in Clovis.
Curran’s winning mark of 16 feet, 10 inches was six inches better than runner-up Lance Huber of Del Oro and completed a season-long goal of joining his uncle and father as a state champion in the sport.
Tim Curran won the title in 1973 and Tate’s father, Anthony, was a two-time champion in 1977 and 1978, setting a national record of 17-04 1/4 as a senior at Crespi High School.
“Winning the state championship meant more to me than most people because joining my dad and my uncle up there as a state champion is very special to me,” Tate said. “There has never been another father-son duo who have won a state championship in the same event in the history of California track and field.”
Unfortunately, Tate did not surpass his dad’s mark this season but came close with a personal-best 17-3 at the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 prelims on May 13. He attempted a jump beyond his father’s record at the state championships.
“I obviously was disappointed not being able to reach that 17′ 4.5 mark at the state meet, but I know I can make that bar because I have had the hip height over that bar many times in the last couple meets,” Curran said. “It’s just a matter of time before I do accomplish that height and much more to come.”
Curran will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall and competing against UCLA, where his father is the pole vault coach.
Mira Costa senior Melia Chittenden ran a personal-best to finish third in the girls 3,200-meter race. File photo
Redondo also had two girls qualify for the pole vault competition at the State Meet, but Kaitlin Heri and Amari Turner did not advance from the prelims when both had vaults of 11-06. Palos Verdes’ Jacqueline Ahrens finished 7th at 12-8 and Mira Costa’s Brigette Grau placed 12th at 12-00.
After running a personal best 11.70 in the girls 100-meter prelims, Redondo’s Kennedy Williams placed 7th in the finals with a time of 11.89.
Mira Costa’s Shante Robinson placed 3rd in the 300 hurdles (40.84) and 5th in the 100 hurdles (13.66) while Mustang teammate Melia Chittenden set a personal record placing 3rd in the 3200 with a time of 10:19.65.
Also from the Bay League, Palos Verdes senior Camille Hines places 12th in the girls 800 with a time of 12:13.83.
Peninsula junior Olayinka Braimah fouled on all three attempts in the girls long jump finals after recording a mark of 19-01.25 in the prelims.
On the boys side, Palos Verdes junior Ian Irish ran a personal-best 1:52.81 to finish sixth in the 800 and Mira Costa’s Caleb Llorin Mira Costa finished 12th in 3200-meter race with a time of 9:16.14.
Complete results are available at cifstate.org.