San Juan Hills High senior runner Chelsea Kruthers had all the momentum going into 800 meter final heat at the California State Track and Field Championship June 2. After running a personal best 2:09.29 in her preliminary heat June 1, Kruthers was awarded a No. 2 seeding for the finals June 2, continuing a hot streak that dates back to early May.
Kruthers joined the other nine runners who qualified for the State final heat and ran a 2:09.98, earning her a fourth place finish.
It was the first time in school history that San Juan Hills had a member of the girls track and field team qualify for State.
“My goal was to break the 2:10 barrier and I wanted to get into the top three or top five,” Kruthers said. “I wanted to have a good race and end my senior year with a bang. Getting there (to State) was the goal so I was happy just to make it.” Kruthers said.
Kruthers called her prelims race at State the “best race she’s ever ran” and achieved her goal of breaking 2:10 in the 800 meter in both her heats.
Kruthers caught fire the last few weeks of the track and field season, finishing inside the top three in the CIF Southern Section Championships and the CIF Masters events, which earned her the right to go to State.
“I felt like I hadn’t made it past the (Southern Section) finals before so I made sure I did,” Kruthers said. “The following week at CIF Masters I finished third overall, which was great. It was at Masters where I first hit my 2:10 personal record. It was faster than I have ever run before.”
In an awards banquet held at San Juan Hills June 6 Kruthers was awarded the Athlete of the Year for her stellar season. She will attend San Diego State University in the fall on a full athletic scholarship to run track and plans on sticking with the 800 meter as well as focusing on the 1,500 meter.
