By Erik Boal, Special to the Daily News
Updated: 06/05/2009 10:38:43 PM PDT

Harvard-Westlake's Cheng advances to 800 final at state meet

CLOVIS - Chris Cheng began the day by receiving his diploma first at the Harvard-Westlake of Studio City commencement ceremony.

Ten hours later, the Wolverines standout then graduated to the highest level of competition Friday night in the boys' 800 meters at the state track and field prelims.

Although Cheng clocked the fourth-fastest time of 1 minute, 52.96 seconds, he lowered his school record by more than a second to secure a qualifying berth for tonight's final at Buchanan High. Not bad for an athlete who finished eighth in the two-lap race at last year's Southern Section Div. III final.

"I had no idea I was going to get this far," Cheng said. "My race at CIF finals was pretty embarrassing last year, so my goal was just to get to Masters. Last year, I was a 1:55 and coach (Johnny Gray) said I could get down to a 1:52 and I was finally able to do it, so it feels great."

The top three qualifiers all came from Cheng's heat, including Valencia of Placentia's Sean Krinik (1:51.42) and Rancho Verde of Moreno Valley's Ruben Danielsen (1:51.97). Cheng feels his opponents can push him to an even faster time in the final.

"Seeing how fast the other heats were, I kind of felt like I could be in an awesome race," Cheng said. "I really pushed it the first 300 and then again with 300 to go.

Those guys helped me a lot. That was a big PR."

Taft of Woodland Hills junior DJ Morgan also enjoyed a significant personal best of 13.93 in the 110 hurdles, breaking the 14-second barrier for the first time in high school competition. Although the mark was slightly wind-aided -- a reading of 2.1 meters per second --

Morgan said he only scratched the surface for today's final.

"I knew I was going to hit it, I just wasn't ready to push it all the way for the whole race until now. I know I can go faster," said Morgan, who took second last year in 14.14. "In the middle of the race, I had guys hitting me on both sides, so I just wanted to get out in front of them and finish the race."

After failing to qualify in the 300 hurdles last year, Morgan clocked the seventh-fastest time (38.06) to advance in both events. But his efforts, along with the rest of the field, were overshadowed by La Sierra of Riverside senior Reggie Wyatt, who broke the national high school record with a mark of 35.02, taking down the 2007 state-winning time of 35.28 by former Taft standout Jeshua Anderson.

Morgan was one of two local male athletes to advance to today's finals in two individual events, joining Saugus senior Daniel Swarbrick, who was sixth in the discus throw prelims (167-2) and eighth in the shot put qualifying round (54-11 3/4).

Agoura's Kevin Graf qualified third in the shot put (57-5) and Crespi of Encino's Brandon Greenberg was fourth (56-10 3/4).

Royal of Simi Valley's Travis Edwards ran his fastest time of the season in the 1,600 (4:11.73) to qualify third, with Loyola of Los Angeles' Elias Gedyon (4:12.85) also moving on.

Oaks Christian of Westlake Village's Jules Sharpe advanced in the high jump (6-8), but couldn't extend his season in the triple jump, taking 18 th (44-3 1/2). Quartz Hill's Max Villalba cleared 6-6 in the high jump to advance and El Camino Real of Woodland Hills' Kyle Ballew moved on with a 15-3 clearance in the pole vault.

The race for the girls' 100-meter dash title became more wide open when defending-champion Ashton Purvis of St. Elizabeth of Oakland false-started in the second heat. That opened the door for Highland of Palmdale's Jessica Davis, who clocked the fastest prelim time of 11.62, with Rio Mesa of Oxnard's Valexsia Droughn qualifying third (11.72) and Paraclete of Lancaster's Melanise Chapman ninth (11.91).

Purvis posted the fastest prelim time of 23.51 in the 200, with Davis -- the defending state champion -- winning her heat to qualify third (23.68). Chapman, who teamed with Ashley Woodford, Mariah Gibson and Chelsey Washington to help Paraclete advance in the 400 relay (46.82), also qualified in the 200 with the sixth-fastest time (24.43). Chapman capped the night by adding a fourth event to today's schedule, teaming with Gibson, Washington and Saedra Wright to clock 3:49.33 in the 1,600 relay. Birmingham of Lake Balboa ran 3:55.46 in the final heat.

Valencia's Aly Drake won her 800 heat (2:11.03) to post the fastest time entering the final. Thousand Oaks' Lydia French moved on in the high jump (5-5), as did Quartz Hill's Lauren Graham in the pole vault. (11-8) and Alemany of Mission Hills' Maddie Casanova in the discus throw (131-7).