GILROY >> Exhaustion covering her face, Clara Adams didn’t have time to let the moment sink in. Another race — eight minutes later — awaited.

That didn’t tone down the buzz created by the North Salinas High sophomore’s historic run in the 400 meters Saturday, as Adams rewrote the Central Coast Section meet record with a blistering finals’ run.

Asserting herself in the first 100 meters, the CCS champion shaved nearly a second off her county record time in the 400, establishing a new CCS mark in the process with a time of 53.23 seconds at Gilroy High.

“Honestly, the point was don’t slow down at all,” Adams said. “I didn’t have room to do that. The time surprised me. But that’s what it took. There’s room to get better. Just keeping training.”

Adams was one of three county athletes who will be returning to the state championships, as Carmel’s Mack Aldi is going back in the 800, while Alvarez’s Angela Ayozie is headed to Clovis next Friday in the shot put.

After missing the state meet by a half-inch in the triple jump last season, Emma Beck of Salinas made amends, while Palma’s Ozzy Godoy placed second in the 300 intermediate hurdles. Stevenson’s Kekoa Williams met the qualifying mark in the high jump.The top three in each event or any athlete who meets the automatic qualifying standard at Saturday’s finals advanced to the state finals, slated for Friday and Saturday at Buchanan High in Clovis.

While a decision to run the 100 meters after the 400 didn’t result in a state placement, Adams came back and finished second in the 200 to return to the state meet in the event as well, running 24.47.

“I mean, I don’t know (if running the 100) hurt me,” said Adams, clearly disappointed that she wasn’t able to defend her CCS 200 title. “I did my best. There are no excuses.”

Adams’ time at the 400 section finals took over the state lead. Last year as a freshman, she became the first North Salinas female athlete to reach the state meet and podium, finishing fourth.

“I will be recharged for state,” Adams said.

Aldi expected a tactical race in the 800. So the Carmel distance ace let someone else do the work over the first 500 meters, lying in second before making a move with about 350 meters remaining.

The senior waited until the final 85 meters to take the lead briefly before being passed over the final 50 meters to finish second in 1:55.41 — one spot higher than last year, but more than three seconds slower than his season best.

“I knew there wouldn’t be any crazy times recorded,” Aldi said. “I knew no one wanted to take the race out. My plan was to lie back in second and make a run. In the end, it worked out.”

Aldi, who has a best of 1:52.14, expects another tactical race at next week’s state championships, but at a much faster clip with a lot more at stake.

“I think people will go out in 53 or 54 seconds in the first 400,” Aldi said. “I’ve been manifesting since my freshman year about getting to the second day of the state meet. I want to dip under 1:50.00.”

Knowing CCS leader and Bellarmine’s Joshua Haven was in the inside lane next to him, Godoy shot out of the blocks in the 300 intermediate hurdles for the Chieftains, hitting the first three hurdles in stride.

“I knew what was going to happen with the guy inside me,” Godoy said. “I wanted to keep pace with him around the turn. I felt really good on the straightaway. He was ahead of me. I knew it would happen. But I felt super good.”

Godoy shaved nearly a second off his career best, clocking 38.29 to finish second, becoming the first Palma hurdler since Devin Hinson in 2014 to advance to the state meet

“I’m very happy with the time,” said Godoy, who also finished fifth in the 110 high hurdles and ninth in the pole vault. “If I can hit that final hurdle in stride, I believe I can get into the 37’s.”

Each time Williams cleared the bar at 6-2, 6-4 and 6-6 for Stevenson, he did it on his final attempt. The final clearance ensured him a spot in the state meet as an automatic qualifier.

“I didn’t feel too good about any of my approaches,” Williams said. “All my clearances came on my last attempt. I had to handle the pressure. I was a little nervous. On clearing 6-6, I thought to myself if I didn’t clear it, my high school career was over.”

A three-sport standout at Stevenson, Williams has a best of 6-8, a mark he believes he has to clear at the state trials to advance to next Saturday’s finals.

“I want a personal record at state,” Williams said. “I’m not just chasing 6-8, I believe 6-10 is there. I think I have more to show.”

Beck has had 365 days to dwell on missing the state meet in the triple jump last season by a half inch. It has been the Salinas jump specialist/hurdlers’ sole motivation all season

“It was a lot of visualization and preparing for this moment,” Beck said. “Being a half inch from state last year is all I’ve been thinking about for the past year. I was just making sure I was mentally prepared for the moment.”

Beck didn’t waste time securing a trip to the state meet when she sailed 37 feet , 11 1/2 inches on her first attempt, an automatic qualifying mark for state, finishing third overall.

“Honestly, after meeting that qualifying mark, there was a drop off,” Beck said. “I didn’t have the adrenaline rush. It’s such a thing I have been thinking about for so long.”

Beck, who also finished sixth in the long jump at 17-11, has a best of 38-2 in the triple jump.

“My third phase is where I can still make the most adjustments and get that personal record,” Beck said.

Seeded No. 7 in the shot put finals, Ayozie tossed the eight-pound iron ball nearly two feet further than her state qualifying mark of last year to vault herself into third, heaving the shot 39-feet-10.

A multi-sport athlete, Ayozie is the first Alvarez track and field thrower to advance to the state meet multiple times.

Seaside’s Keon Ealey ran a career-best 48.94 in the 400 to finish sixth. The senior also finished sixth in the 200 with a mark of 22.65.

Stevenson’s Siobhan Ong finished fifth in the pole vault (10.3), while teammate Anna Kosmont was sixth in the 100 (12.82). Salinas’ Jennifer Rivera also placed sixth in the discus (120-3).