Servite’s Max Thomas breezes to victory in 100, 200 at O.C. Championships

MISSION VIEJO – The breeze began to strengthen at around 1 p.m.

Unfortunately it became a little too strong when the boys 100 began a few minutes later at the Orange County Championships for track and field at Mission Viejo High on Saturday.

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Max Thomas of Servite won it in 10.41, with the wind beyond the legal limit at 2.4 mph. That set the meet record under all conditions, a record that was set by Kyle Middlebrooks of Fountain Valley (10.48) in 2009.

Thomas wanted the wind-legal meet record, and just might have taken it had the wind been below the 2.0 wind-legal border.

Servite senior Max Thomas wins the 100 at the Orange County Championships in a wind-aided 10.41 – that’s the meet record for all conditions @ocvarsity pic.twitter.com/ajimGAl9hI

— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) March 26, 2022

“I can’t control that,” Thomas said. “I just run as fast as I can. A 10.41 regardless is a fast time.”

It is. He nearly equaled his all-conditions time of 10.37 last month at the Redondo Invitational.

Thomas later ran a wind-legal 21.80 to win the 200, an event in which he has the Orange County-leading time of 21.49. He was named boys sprint athlete of the meet.

“I was feeling good,” said Thomas, who signed with USC and has California’s best wind-legal time in the 100 this season at 10.55. “I came into this super-duper confident.”

Troy senior Nolan Clement was second with his personal-best time of 22.03, the third-fastest time in O.C. this year.

Canyon’s Evan Sandoval celebrates after competing in the varsity 400m race during the Orange County track and field championships in Mission Viejo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Cypress’ Saeed Abdulalim leads in the varsity 800m during the Orange County track and field championships in Mission Viejo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Mater Dei’ Scott Deng, left, takes the baton from teammate Quincy Craig for the final leg of the 4×100 relay final, which Mater Dei won, during the Orange County Championships on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Tesoro’s Tyler Poltl competes in the varsity 100m during the Orange County track and field championships in Mission Viejo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Dana Hills’ Jai Dawson competes in the varsity 800m race during the Orange County track and field championships in Mission Viejo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Fountain Valley’s Jonathan Yu competes in the varsity triple jump during the Orange County track and field championships in Mission Viejo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Mater Dei’s Brandon Gorski clears 6ft 2in during the Orange County track and field championships in Mission Viejo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Jason Plumb, of Corona del Mar, competes in the long jump at the Orange County Championships on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Northwood’s Justin Paulson cheers for his classmates competing in the varsity boys 800m during the Orange County track and field championships in Mission Viejo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Jada Gatlin competes in the varsity triple jump during the Orange County track and field championships in Mission Viejo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

From left, Fountain Valley’s Matthew Malone, Capo Valley’s Calvin Chapman and Sage Hill’s Jesus Iraheta compete in the varsity 100m dash during the Orange County track and field championships in Mission Viejo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Capistrano Valley’s Alexa Thomas competes in the long jump at the Orange County Championships at Mission Viejo High School on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Mater Dei’s Madison Forbes competes in the long jump at the Orange County Championships at Mission Viejo High School on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Reuben Lopez competes in the long jump at the Orange County Championships on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Josh Jornadal, of JSerra, competes in the long jump at the Orange County Championships on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Reuben Lopez competes in the long jump at the Orange County Championships on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

JSerra’s Ashley Gallegos, left, races against Dana Hills’ Allura Markow in the 1,600 meters at the Orange County Championships on Saturday, March 26, 2022. Gallegos pulled away in the final 200 meters to win the race. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Brea Olinda’s Daniela Garcia competes in the varsity 300m hurdles during the Orange County track and field championships in Mission Viejo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Orange Lutheran’s Kennedy Cunningham clears a height of 5ft during the Orange County track and field championships in Mission Viejo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Corona del Mar senior Caroline Glessing lands in the sand while competing in the long jump at the Orange County Championships on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Pacifica’s Charis Wandercheck, left, who won the race, and Villa Park’s Lauran Meredith are neck and neck as they approach their last hurdle in the 100-meter hurdles final at the Orange County Championships on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Los Alamitos’ Bailey Naldll, left, takes the baton from teammate Janaa Guiness for the final leg of the 4×100 relay final, which Los Alamitos won, during the Orange County Championships on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Crean Lutheran’s Elina Oh, right, competes in the varsity 100m dash during the Orange County track and field championships in Mission Viejo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Josh Jornadal, of JSerra, competes in the long jump at the Orange County Championships on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Mater Dei’s Logan Lyght, center, who won the race, is trailed closely by Crean Lutheran’s Jack Fairchild, left, as they near the finish line of the boys’ 110-meter hurdles at the Orange County Championships on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Girls compete in the 100-meter hurdles at the Orange County Championships at Mission Viejo High School on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Boys compete in the 1,600-meter rated race at the Orange County Championships at Mission Viejo High School on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Boys compete in the 110-meter hurdles at the Orange County Championships at Mission Viejo High School on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Varsity boys compete in the 1,600-meter final at the Orange County Championships at Mission Viejo High School on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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Mater Dei won the team championship with 82.33 points. San Clemente finished second with 46 points. Orange Lutheran was third with 44 points.

Dana Hills senior Jai Dawson won the 1,600 with a county-leading 4:13.08 and followed with a victory in the 800 at 1:54.56. He was named boys distance athlete of the meet.

Dawson was pleased with his day.

“I was more satisfied with the mile (1,600),” he said. “I put up a good time there. And the 800 was just like the back end of the training … when I’m tired, to see what can I do.”

Mater Dei junior Logan Lyght won the 110 hurdles in 14.68, just off of his season best of 14.62.

Lyght’s self-critique was that he could do better.

“I need to clean up my technique a little bit,” Lyght said. “I need need to be way more explosive to the first hurdle and snapping down quicker. That could be a significant amount of time right there.”

Santa Margarita junior Roman Mendoza beat Trinity League rival Lyght in the 300 hurdles, Mendoza finishing with a personal-best 38.82, the county’s best time this season, to Lyght’s 39.06.

Mendoza also ran the anchor leg of Santa Margarita’s victorious 4×400 relay team that finished in 3:25.04, three seconds better than their previous county-leading time.

One of the day’s largest margins of victory in the boys competition was in the triple jump. Fountain Valley junior Jonathain Yu’s mark of 47 feet, 2 inches was more than 3 feet better than the next-longest leap. It is the top mark in the county this season.

Mater Dei won the 400 relay in 42.10. Servite, the Orange County season leader at 42.02, was disqualified for a lane violation. The Friars relay team was missing Alex Skalmowski, among the county’s top sprinters, who was out because of injury.

Corona del Mar senior Jason Plumb won the long jump with his season-best of 23 feet, 4 inches, more than 6 inches further than his previous best.

Mater Dei freshman Brandon Gorski won the high jump at 6-6 to become the county leader in the event. Gorski was third in the long jump at 22-7 (Mission Viejo’s Reuben Lopez was first at 22-8) and was named top boys field athlete of the meet.

Gorski had mixed feelings about his day.

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“The long jump, I definitely wanted to win, so I wasn’t happy with third place,” Gorski said. “I was happy with the high jump with 6-6 and getting first place.”

Crean Lutheran senior Jack Fairchild finished second in the 110 hurdles at 15.05, was fifth in the 300 hurdles at 40.52, 15th in the long jump at 20 feet, and fourth in the triple jump at 42-8.