Jayden Rendon made his way back to the CIF State Championships, it was a third consecutive trip, but just like in 2024, he had big goals.

As a sophomore, Rendon finished eighth in the 110 hurdles and second in the 300 hurdles to become the first Carson boys athlete to win two medals since 2014, posting a 37.57 seconds in the 300 and 14.31 in the 110.

This season, Rendon repeated as a two-medal winner at state, improving his placing in both hurdle events, going from an eighth-place in the 110 to fifth-place, and going from runner-up to state champion in the 300.

“There was a very big improvement, as you can see the times show themselves,” he said. “I’m very honored and blessed to work as hard as I did during the season to get to where I am.”

Rendon edged Culver City’s Kingston Waring in the 300 finals, posting a personal best of 36.50.

“I got out really good,” he said. “I think we got to the first hurdle at the same time, I ran the whole curve … that’s where I had the advantage. I don’t know if he was saving his momentum or his energy, because he was keeping his energy until the end.

“The 300 hurdles is not an easy race, it’s tough on your body. Saturday morning, I woke up really sore and my body was really tight. When it comes down to the wire, you start feeling those pains again. He started inching back closer to me, I had the step ahead of him and it was a dive for the finish. During the race, the last three hurdles, I knew I had it, but when I heard him come up on the last hurdle and I saw how close we were at the finish, it could have been anyone’s (race) at that point.”

In the 110 hurdles, Rendon ran a 13.95 for fifth place. His 13.93 in the state prelims was a personal best.

Rendon set his mark throughout the season. He finished seventh (14.42) in the 110 at the Arcadia Invitational. The following week, he was first at the Mt. SAC Relays. In the 300, he was seventh at Arcadia and second at Mt. SAC Relays.

“Starting off my season, I go into the year taking it (the meets), one by one,” he said. “When we start coming down to the wire with Mt. SAC and Arcadia, then it starts getting down to the real thing, I start taking my times more serious. I start taking what I’m doing more serious because around that time at Mt. SAC, it’s around the end (of the season).

“At that point, all of the competition is pretty much in their shape and their prime, so it’s a good position to see where you stand almost the end. At the end of the day, you have to run your race if you want to compete with the best.”

PRINCETON WILLIAMS, Serra

The Serra boys track team returned to the CIF Southern Section championship spot. The Cavaliers, who last won the CIF-SS Division 4 title in 2022, won it again this season, scoring 49 points, to finish as co-champions with Viewpoint. Some of the highlights included Lawson Griggs-Andrews finishing fourth in the 100 and third in the 200. Tre Harrison was fourth in the 110 hurdles and a CIF champion in the 300 hurdles. The 4×100 relay team was second and 4×400 team won the title.

100: Nicolas Obimgba, Torrance; Faiz Ogun, North Torrance; AJ McBean, Mira Costa; Lawson Griggs-Andrews, Serra

200: Nicolas Obimgba, Torrance; Faiz Ogun, North Torrance; Lawson Griggs-Andrews, Serra; Camren Hughes, Palos Verdes

400: Joshua Aviles, Peninsula; Camren Hughes, Palos Verdes; Landon Thomas, Serra

800: Ian Hansen, Mira Costa; Adam Divinity, Redondo; Jack Butterfield, San Pedro; Christopher Frelix, San Pedro;

1,600: Blake Sigworth, Palos Verdes; Evan Hadeishi, San Pedro; Mario Aluizo, Narbonne

3,200: Liam Miller, South Torrance; Finn Babbitt, Mary Star; Andrew Quast, West

110 hurdles: Jayden Rendon, Carson; Mac Lamkin, Mira Costa; Tre Harrison, Serra

300 hurdles: Jayden Rendon, Carson; Mac Lamkin, Mira Costa; Abraham Radisic, San Pedro; Tre Harrison, Serra; Sean Lowe, North; Mateo Loo, Mira Costa

4×100 relay: El Segundo; Serra; Mira Costa

4×400 relay: Peninsula; Mira Costa; Serra

4×800 relay: Mira Costa; San Pedro; Redondo

High jump: Tyler Malinowski, Peninsula; Derrick Johnson, San Pedro; Denis Woods, Bishop Montgomery

Pole vault: Tomek Gorzkowski, Mira Costa; James Pinner, Peninsula

Discus Throw: Bo Ausmus, Redondo; Logan Thompson, South; Kaviani Carlson, Palos Verdes

Shot Put: Kaviani Carlson, Palos Verdes; Logan Thompson, South; Elijah Taueetia, North; Joey Bolder, Serra

Triple jump: Derrick Johnson, San Pedro; Jude Chartier, El Segundo; Jayden Zenaye, El Segundo; Jimmy Butler, Serra

Long Jump: Justin George, Inglewood