ALL-COUNTY BOYS TRACK AND FIELD TEAM
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Brendon See, JSerra
Somewhere exists a video of Brendon See throwing the shot put for negative gain during his early days in track and field.
He dropped the metal ball and it rolled backwards.
See figured it out. Two weeks ago he was the CIF State champion in the shot put and the discus. He was the shot put champion in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 finals and was the discus champion in the Orange County Championships.
For his excellence this season, See has been chosen the Orange County boys track and field athlete of the year.
He won the discus in the CIF State meet with a throw of 196 feet and 4 inches. His throw of 199-9 in the state prelims was the best mark in California this season.
See also had the state’s best mark this season in the shot put – 65 feet, 10 inches at the Trinity League finals. He won the state title with an effort of 62-9.5.
He was hoping for better marks, like something in the discus closer to his personal record 203-10 or a shot put measurement superior to his personal record 65-10.
But winning state titles, including a second straight state title in the discus, was satisfying.
“That’s definitely a good achievement,” See said. “I didn’t throw as far as I wanted to do, but I did what it takes to win.”
See’s long arms and legs – he is 6-foot-7 and 285 pounds – complement his raw strength to make the discus his preferred event.
“I’ve always had a love for the discus,” he said. “It came more naturally to me when I got into my junior year. There was a time when my shot put was not up to standard.”
See credit’s JSerra throws coach Mike O’Dell for guiding See’s improvement in the shot put when See decided to stop playing football to concentrate on the shot put and discus.
“Football was a fun time,” See said, “but it wasn’t for me. Track became what I wanted to do. I like the idea of it being an individual sport. The amount of work you have to do and how what you put into is is what you get out of it.”
See, who signed with Oklahoma, won the shot put and discus at the Orange County Championships with marks of 61-1 and 197-8, respectively. At the Arcadia Invitational he was third in the shot put at 59-3 and second in the discus at 192-5.
His mark of 65-10 in the shot put at the Trinity League finals is the 10th-best mark in Orange County history. His 203-10 throw in the discus at the 2022 CIF State meet is sixth-best all time in county history.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Chase Frazier, JSerra
JSerra’s boys track and field team won the Orange County Championships and finished second in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 championships and in the CIF State championships.
For guiding the Lions to such an outstanding season Chase Frazier is the Orange County boys track and field coach of the year.
JSerra finished 10 points behind Cathedral in the CIF-SS Division 3 finals with standout performances from Brendon See in the shot put and discus, Jake Stafford in the high jump and discus and from Trevor Garrison in the 200 and 400.
The Lions led in the CIF State Track and Field Championships in Clovis until the final event, the 4×400 relay. Granada Hills finished third in the relay to earn six points and edge JSerra, 36 points to 33 points, for the state title.
Chase Frazier of JSerra is the Orange County boys track and field coach of the year for the 2023 season. (Photo courtesy of JSerra High School)
“The state meet was a surreal experience,” Frazier said. “It was fun. We didn’t go in there with the ‘we need to finish in the top two in the state’ but we did finish in the top two.”
Another highlight for Frazier was the JSerra boys and girls teams winning Orange County Championships team titles.
“Our guys’ team the year before was not even on the radar (at the Orange County meet),” Frazier said. “To come out this year at a high level I though was really cool.”
ALL-COUNTY TEAM
(Selections made based on top marks and level of performance in the CIF Southern Section Finals and CIF State meet.)
FIRST TEAM
(All race distances in meters)
100: Devin Bragg, Los Alamitos, So.
200: Devin Bragg, Los Alamitos, So.
400: Rider Cooper, Portola, Jr.
800: Taj Clark, San Clemente, Jr.
1,600: Evan Noonan, Dana Hills, So.
3,200: Evan Noonan, Dana Hills, So.
110 hurdles: Logan Lyght, Mater Dei, Sr.
300 hurdles: Roman Mendoza, Santa Margarita, Sr.
4×100 relay: Orange Lutheran
4×400 relay: Orange Lutheran
4×800 relay: San Clemente
High jump: Brandon Gorski, Mater Dei, So.
Long jump: Josh Jornadal, JSerra, Sr.
Triple jump: Jared McDuffie, Mater Dei, Sr.
Pole vault: Leo Davis, Newport Harbor, Sr.
Shot put: Brendon See, JSerra, Sr.
Discus: Brendon See, JSerra, Sr.
SECOND TEAM
100: Nate Frazier, Mater Dei, Jr.
200: Nate Frazier, Mater Dei, Jr.
400: Trevor Garrison, JSerra, Sr.
800: Shane Auci, JSerra, Sr.
1,600: Brett Ephraim, San Clemente
3,200: Juan Chantaca, San Clemente, Sr.
110 hurdles: Roman Mendoza, Santa Margarita, Sr.
300 hurdles: Zachary Felix, Woodbridge, Sr.
4×100 relay: Trabuco Hills
4×400 relay: Northwood
4×800 relay: Trabuco Hills
High jump: Jake Stafford, JSerra, Sr.
Long jump: Brandon Gorski, Mater Dei, So.
Triple jump: Khang Nguyen, Marina, Sr.
Pole vault: Ryan Leuenberger, Capistrano Valley, Jr.
Shot put: Zach Lewis, Pacifica, Jr.
Discus: Jake Stafford, JSerra, Sr.
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