Malia Strange breaks another record, qualifies for CIF in three events at DEL track finals

On Tuesday, Xavier Prep freshman Malia Strange broke the Desert Empire League record in the girls’ long jump. Two days later, she had quite the encore.

On the final day of the DEL track and field finals, Strange crushed the league record in the girls’ triple jump, with a distance of 39 feet and five inches, and won the girls’ 100 meter hurdles (15.80).

The most implausible part of it all is that Strange just began running and jumping last month.

“I gave it a try,” Strange said, “because I thought I might be good at it.”

That might be putting it mildly. Strange may be the DEL’s next great track star, which isn’t surprising when considering her family history in athletics.

Her older brother, Jah, was a CIF champion on the track, and later participated collegiately for Sacramento State, Purdue and Kansas State. Her father, Troy, played football at Cal State Northridge.

Strange has qualified for the CIF Southern Section prelims, on May 4, in three events. The CIF-SS Finals will be held May 11 in Moorpark.

On Tuesday, Xavier Prep coach Aron Lyons said that he doesn’t want expectations to get too high too early.

“She’s just learning,” Lyons said. “As a ninth grader, I wouldn’t want that pressure on her. She’s just a kid. But looking at her scores, I think she can have some success.”

On Thursday, Strange said that she just wants to enjoy the moment.

“I’m just out there having fun,” she said.

Hawkins break his own record

Kameron Hawkins, a former football player at La Quinta High who stopped playing football last year to focus on track, broke his own league record in the boys' triple jump.

The previous record, which Hawkins set last year, was 44 feet. On Thursday, Hawkins jumped 45 feet and nine inches.

Boys' triple jump

1. Kameron Hawkins, La Quinta, junior (45-9)*
2. Braden Cervello, Xavier Prep, senior (42-11.5)*
3. Jonathan Covington, Rancho Mirage, senior (40-11.5)*
4. Edward Escobar, Shadow Hills, junior (40-11.5)
5. Jonathan Lowe, Palm Desert, senior (40-11)

Girls' triple jump

1. Malia Strange, Xavier Prep, freshman (39-5)*
2. Cidni Hordista, Palm Desert, soph. (33-9)*
3. Dahlia Iosza, Shadow Hills, soph. (32-8.5)*
4. Ava Hyatt, Shadow Hills, freshman (32-4)
5. Naomi Plunkett, Palm Desert, freshman (32-2)

Boys' 1,600 meters

1. Martin Torres-Sandoval, La Quinta, senior (4:32.68)*
2. Luis-Fernando Martinez, La Quinta, soph. (4:33.33)
3. Sebastian Martinez, Shadow Hills, junior (4:44.77)
4. Simon Cooke, Palm Desert, soph. (4:44.89)
5. Arameni Gonzalez, La Quinta, junior (4:49.11)

Girls' 1,600 meters

1. Saveyra Guerrero, La Quinta, junior (5:20.28)*
2. Julia Fernandez, Shadow Hills, junior (5:24.68)*
3. Ruby Avila, Shadow Hills, junior (5:29.96)*
4. Alyssa Lopez, La Quinta, soph. (5:35.11)
5. Madison Miller, La Quinta, junior (5:42.78)

Boys' 800 meters

1. Martin Torres-Sandoval, La Quinta, senior (2:00.91)*
2. Rudy Mendoza, La Quinta, soph. (2:01.85)
3. Luis-Fernando Martinez, La Quinta, soph. (2:02.69)
4. Cristian Aldape, La Quinta, junior (2:07.61)
5. Sebastian Martinez, Shadow Hills, junior (2:08.15)

Girls' 800 meters

1. Saveyra Guerrero, La Quinta, junior (2:24.30)*
2. Raisa Guerrero, La Quinta, junior (2:25.83)
3. Ashleigh Schein, Xavier Prep, senior (2:26.54)*
4. Taylor Leon, La Quinta, junior (2:26.96)
5. Alyssa Lopez, La Quinta, soph. (2:29.90)

Boys' 400 meters

1. Roberto Gonzalez, Shadow Hills, junior (52.88)*
2. Simon Cooke, Palm Desert, soph. (53.34)*
3. Giancarlo Lazzarini, La Quinta, junior (53.43)
4. Joshua Marriott, La Quinta, senior (53.50)
5. Pedro Hernandez, Palm Springs, junior (54.66)

Girls' 400 meters

1. Gabr Figueira-Schieldge, Palm Springs, junior (1:00.54)*
2. Victoria Hyatt, Shadow Hills, senior (1:00.79)*
3. Ashleigh Schein, Xavier Prep, senior (1:02.54)*
4. Dayanara Salazar, Shadow Hills, junior (1:03.64)
5. Isabella Ortiz, Shadow Hills, junior (1:04.09)

Boys' 300 meter hurdles

1. Joshua Marriott, La Quinta, senior (42.42)*
2. Sergio Gomez, Shadow Hills, junior (42.89)*
3. Joseph Aldape, La Quinta, senior (42.90)
4. Evan Arambula, Shadow Hills, soph. (42.97)
5. Dominic Rabago, Shadow Hills, soph. (43.63)

Girls' 300 hurdles

1. Jaliyah Alexander, Palm Desert, senior (46.95)*
2. Victoria Hyatt, Shadow Hills, senior (47.98)*
3. Jaelyn McDermott, Shadow Hills, junior (48.06)*
4. Cielo Verduzco, La Quinta, soph. (49.53)
5. Madison Miller, La Quinta, junior (50.73)

Boys' 200 meters

1. Jacob Winn, Palm Desert, senior (22.47)*
2. Isaac Luna, Rancho Mirage, senior (22.87)*
3. Major Hinchen, La Quinta, soph. (22.92)
4. Jose Hernandez, Palm Springs, senior (23.26)
5. Jackson Wilson, Palm Desert, freshman (23.37)

Girls' 200 meters

1. Madison Whitley, Palm Desert, junior (26.91)*
2. Jaleene Ramos, La Quinta, junior (27.30)
3. Alexia Esquivel, Palm Springs, junior (27.36)*
4. Audrey Burt, Palm Desert, freshman (27.37)
5. Jezyl Rueda, Rancho Mirage, soph. (27.63)

Boys' 100 meters

1. Jacob Winn, Palm Desert, senior (10.93)*
2. Major Hinchen, La Quinta, soph. (11.09)*
3. Aiden Simo, La Quinta, soph. (11.30)
4. Brecken Norton, La Quinta, soph. (11.35)
5. Isaac Luna, Rancho Mirage, senior (11.39)

Girls' 100 meters

1. Madison Whitley, Palm Desert, junior (12.74)*
2. Jaliyah Alexander, Palm Desert, senior (12.96)*
3. Audrey Burt, Palm Desert, freshman (13.03)*
4. Alexia Esquivel, Palm Springs, junior (13.06)
5. Jaleene Ramos, La Quinta, junior (13.25)

Boys' 110 hurdles

1. Nicholas Dangleis, Palm Desert, soph. (15.67)*
2. Joseph Aldape, La Quinta, senior (16.16)
3. Jacob Vanbeers, La Quinta, soph. (16.26)
4. Austin McDaniel, Xavier Prep, soph. (16.27)*
5. Oliver Carr, Palm Desert, soph. (16.53)

Girls' 100 hurdles

1. Malia Strange, Xavier Prep, freshman (15.80)*
2. Jaliyah Alexander, Palm Desert, senior (16.83)*
3. Cielo Verduzco, La Quinta, soph. (16.88)*
4. Leah Dusek, Palm Desert, senior (17.86)
5. Sammantha Campos, Shadow Hills, junior (18.07)

Girls' 4x100 relay

1. Palm Desert (50.40): Cidni Hordista, Jaliyah Alexander, Audrey Burt and Madison Whitley*
2. Palm Springs (50.68): Alexis Esquivel, Solea Jones, Alexia Esquivel and Gabriela Figueira-Schieldge*
3. La Quinta (53.07): Sienna Coffin, Naomi Long, Taylor Leon and Jaleene Ramos
4. Shadow Hills (53.46): Isabella Ortiz, Jaelyn McDermott, Xitlalli Fregoso, Dayanara Salazar
5. Xavier Prep (54.43) Isabella Saenz, Charelle Taylor, Grace Tadevic and Liv Hendrix

Boys' 4x100 relay

1. La Quinta (43.42): Brecken Norton, Kameron Hawkins, Aiden Simo and Major Hinchen*
2. Palm Desert (44.31): Jake Harris, Hudson Mars, Jacob Winn and Jackson Wilson*
3. Rancho Mirage (44.78): Jonathan Covington, Jeremiah Johnson, Isaac Luna and Rylan Warfield*
4. Shadow Hills (44.82): Roberto Gonzalez, Evan Arambula, Ramon Ibarra and Anthony Gonzalez
5. Xavier Prep (44.93) Tyson Ruiz, Thad Bosley, Ayden Kim and Maddox Turner*

Boys' 4x400 relay

1. La Quinta (3:33.04): Giancarlo Lazzarini, Rudy Mendoza, Martin Torres-Sandoval, Angel Lerena*
2. Shadow Hills (3:37.05): Ramon Ibarra, Sergio Gomez, Brandon Peffers and Roberto Gonzalez*
3. Palm Desert (3:43.08): Gabriel Bringas, Simon Cooke, Blake Bankard and Josiah Alvarez
4. Rancho Mirage (3:53.32): Noah Hook, Isaac Luna, Yanni Padilla and Vincent Davis
5. Palm Springs (3:53.95): Jordan Johnson, Alan Gutierrez, Jose Hernandez and Pedro Hernandez

Girls' 4x400 relay

1. Shadow Hills (4:06.34): Victoria Hyatt, Jaelyn McDermott, Isabella Ortiz and Dayanara Salazar*
2. La Quinta (4:08.16): Cielo Verduzco, Saveyra Guerrero, Taylor Leon and Raisa Guerrero*
3. Palm Springs (4:10.97): Ciara Brown, Daniella Signoret, Solea Jones and Gabriela Figueira-Schieldge*
4. Palm Desert (4:24.35) Annalesia Rice, Audrey Burt, Ainsley Risenmay and Nevaeh Cruz
5. Xavier Prep (4:27.16): Liv Hendrix, Ashleigh Schein, Zoey Naranjo and Michaela Wood

*qualified for CIF prelims

Andrew John covers sports in the Coachella Valley for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Malia Strange breaks another record, qualifies for CIF in three events at DEL track finals