Photo by Jen Edney
Special to The Star

Valexsia Droughn of Rio Mesa, center, wins her girls' 100-meter heat at the CIF-Southern Section Division II Track and Field Prelims on Saturday afternoon at Moorpark High.

Photo by Jen Edney
Special to The Star

Cassie Brooker of Camarillo finishes second in the girls' 800-meter heat at the CIF-SS Division II Prelims at Moorpark High on Saturday.

Valexsia Droughn has ambitions to expand her track experience next spring.

The Rio Mesa High sprinter would not be opposed to moving up to the longer 400- and 800-meter events.

Right now, the freshman is making short work of her postseason.

The shorter, the better.

Droughn was the second fastest qualifier in the girls' 100 and 200 on Saturday at the CIF-Southern Section Division II Prelims at Moorpark High.

She had times of 12.01 seconds in the 100 and 24.65 — the sixth fastest in Ventura County history — in the 200.

"I am one with the track in the 100," said Droughn. "I've always felt connected in that race. I feel in control of my body."

Droughn is the fastest freshman girl in the state with a best of 11.90.

If Rio Mesa makes a run at the Division II team title, Droughn and fellow sprinters Mariyah Lee and Sariana Hedgepeth will need to score in multiple events next Saturday at Mount San Antonio College. Droughn and Lee qualified in the 100 and 200 and are members of the 4x100 relay.

In a surprise move, Woodbridge withdrew Christine Babcock from the 800. Babcock was projected to win three distance races at the divisional finals. The senior did run a leg of Woodbridge's 4x400 relay.

Ryan Butts of Antelope Valley set Division II boys' long jump record with mark of 24 feet, 4 3/4 inches.

Agoura's Kevin Graf was the top qualifier in the boys' shot put. Graf broke his own school record with a throw of 58-7.

County champion Maxwell Dyce of Moorpark had the second fastest time in the boys' 100 in 10.70.

"I was just worried about getting out to a good start," said Dyce.

Dyce was the fifth qualifier in the long jump with a mark of 21-10 1/4 and was sixth in the 200 in 21.80.

Erin Baird of Agoura was runner-up in the girls' 3,200 in 10:51.19.

Mhiah Vickers of Westlake qualified in the 100 hurdles (14.84) and 300 hurdles (46.20).

Looking to regain the form that carried it to the CIF state final, the Rio Mesa boys' 4x100 relay won its heat in 42.10.

"We will have to make some improvements if we want to get in the 41s next week," said Rio Mesa relay member Quentin Greenlaw.

"We messed up on two handoffs. We can do better."

Tommy Doupe of Westlake moved to the No. 2 spot on the county's season boys' discus list with a qualifying mark of 162-11.

Jordan Tyler of Moorpark was one of seven leading boys' pole vaulters to clear 14 feet. Simi Valley's Jaimie McCormack was fifth in the girls' triple jump at 35-9.

The start of the track events was delayed by 45 minutes because of a malfunction of the automatic timing device.

Rio Mesa's Sean Alfino, the No. 2-ranked sprinter in the county, was ruled to have false started in his heat of the boys' 100. Camarillo's Greg Kelly was bumped in the final straightaway of the boys' 800 and did not qualify.

Alfino did qualify in the 200 with a time of 21.72, just 0.04 seconds off his personal best.