BILLINGS — More than 100 youth soccer teams from across Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota gathered at Amend Park this weekend for the second annual Scheels 406 Cup, highlighting the deeper goal of making competitive soccer more accessible to every child.

See the video for this story below:

406 Cup scores big in Billings, bringing soccer and opportunity to hundreds of young players

At the center of the action was 15-year-old Clayton Smith, returning with his team, Real 2010 Gold, to defend their championship title.

“It’s just what I fell in love with. It’s my passion. It brings me happiness. I just love to be on the ball,” said Clayton. “Looking forward to playing again. Probably, hopefully going to win.”

He was not alone. Young athletes like Haddie Kincaid, her sister Anya, and their friend Everlee Hunter also looked forward to the competition.

“We’re going to have some fun, play with our team, and win,” said Haddie.

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

The kids were several of more than 1,000 young athletes and 110 teams who participated in this year’s tournament, which has grown in size since its debut last year.

Beyond wins and losses, the goal was bigger than the final score. Co-organized with the help of tournament director Dom Duchesneau, the cup has become a celebration of youth soccer and community.

“This weekend’s a celebration of the game of soccer,” said Richard Duffy, Real Billings’ Director of Coaching, tournament director, and head women’s soccer coach at Rocky Mountain College. “Obviously the games are important, the results are important to the kids, but what we want players and parents to do is leave this facility saying they had the best tournament environment they could possibly get.”

The tournament also hopes to make soccer more inclusive, a mission that is personal for Martin Smith, Clayton’s father and founder of Real Billings, the local club behind the event. Smith, a lifelong soccer player and coach, saw firsthand how rising costs were pricing many families out of the sport.

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

“That year, the cost went up to about $1,200 a season to play soccer,” said Smith. “I coached a lot of players that didn’t have a lot of money and it came to a point where the price was just going up, and it wasn’t just here, it was nationally.”

Real Billings launched in 2017 with just 215 players and a registration fee of $250, a fraction of the cost of other competitive clubs. Today, the club has grown to over 580 players, ages 7 to 18, and the price remains under $325 per season.

“We are the lowest cost competitive club I believe in Montana,” said Smith. “It’s just exploding, and you’re seeing a higher quality soccer being played in Montana.”

Smith built the club on three important pillars: flexibility, competitiveness, and affordability.

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

“I’ve always approached it that we’re not just developing soccer players, we’re developing people. And so if we put a barrier entry of cost on that, then we can’t get everyone here and learn those lessons,” said Smith.

Seven years later, that philosophy has made them one of the largest competitive clubs in the state. Its teams now travel across the country, with one team even qualifying for the national tournament last year.

“We’re not only developing players on the field, but it’s important for us to develop these players off the field so they’ll be successful in whatever they choose to do as they move on,” said Duffy. “The sky’s the limit for those opportunities, and we want kids, win or lose, just to leave here and just have a good time and just love the game.”

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

With support from nearly 30 sponsors and more than 100 volunteers, the 406 Cup has become a major community event. The winning teams’ names are even engraved on a trophy displayed at the Scheels’ Billings location.

“We love to get back to our community and for the kids, and so being out here and seeing all of the kids playing and having fun is super important to us,” said Leslie Jockems, community relations for Scheels. “There’s 28 other community partners that have came together to make this possible, so if it wasn’t for those other 28 organizations, we would not be here today.”

For many young players like Everlee Hunter, the passion for soccer is already taking root.

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

“I’m in a lot of sports right now, but my favorite right now is probably soccer, and I don’t know why. I just like kicking the ball around and just scoring goals and spending time with my team,” said Hunter.

“And having fun,” added Anya. “You get to make new friends while you’re playing.”

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon and youth soccer being one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, organizers believe the best is yet to come for both the 406 Cup and the Real Billings community. For Martin Smith, the true success is in the moments shared on the field.

“This is why I do this. This isn’t my real job. I’m not paid for this, except with the smiles and the high fives and watching kids just have a blast. That’s really the reward here,” said Smith. “It feels great. It feels like you’re leaving a legacy. You’re doing something that’s bigger than you and introducing soccer to a whole new group of people.”

Sheneka Stitten

For The Selma Times-Journal

As the spring season unfolds for Rolling Youth Flag Football, the spirit of our community shines brightest at the Southside Panthers stadium.

Beyond the cheering from the stands and the chase for the flag lies a group of dedicated individuals whose efforts make every play possible—our coaches.

This year, the RYFF league welcomes a dynamic roster of coaches who bring more than just strategy and whistles. They bring heart, experience, and a passion for mentoring the next generation.

Coach Demarious Pratt steps onto the field with a background in little league sports. A former high school -Dallas County High School- football player, Pratt’s coaching style is to teach the fundamentals of the game while emphasizing the importance of teamwork. “Being a part of a team is very important and can impact various life lessons” Pratt says. “But more importantly, it teaches them how to support one another. That’s what I’m here to help them learn.”

On the sidelines, you’ll also find Coach John Sallie, who has a love for all sports and has played various sports throughout the community. An advocate for youth empowerment, Sallie believes in creating a supportive environment where kids feel encouraged to push themselves on the field. “I want every player to walk away with more confidence, a stronger sense of responsibility, and an appreciation for teamwork,” Sallies says. “Flag football teaches agility and strategy, but it also offers the wins that matter most.”

Then there’s Coach Erice Williams, who brings a fresh perspective and a deep commitment to inclusion. Williams who once played football for the Southside Panthers is known for his motivational approach and emphasis on discipline and teamwork. A lifelong athlete and advocate for youth empowerment, Williams “Sports and life carry the same weight; what you put in will be given back to you”. “Sure winning matters-but so does making sure every kid feels like part of the team.”

Together, these coaches embody the vision of Rolling Youth Foundation: building self-awareness and fostering active participation. Whether they are strategizing in double overtime to secure a win or delivering pep talks from the sidelines, they are more than just coaches—they are role models.

Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, with the Falcons facing the Jaguars at 1 p.m., followed by the Titans going up against the Texans at 2 p.m.

To learn more or get involved, visit rollingyouth.org or follow Rolling Youth Foundation on Facebook or TikTok.

Despite much of the negative press around the Athletics since 2022, one thing they’ve been doing well for a while is developing young talent. This was evident in the early 2010s Athletics, featuring players such as Sonny Gray, Josh Donaldson, and Josh Reddick, among others. This was seen again in the late 2010s with Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Frankie Montas, among others. This is also evident in 2025, with the likes of Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom, Shea Langeliers, and Lawrence Butler. While the A’s may currently sit in last place in the AL West, these four players should be bright spots among the Athletics youth movement. 

Jacob Wilson – Elite Bat to Ball Skills

2023 6th overall pick Jacob Wilson is unlike many of today’s MLB players, as he is what many would call an old-school baseball player. His K% of 5.3% is in the 100th percentile, while his BB% of 5.8% is in the 23rd percentile, and his 34.1 Chase% is in the 18th percentile. Since the start of the 21st century, only 10 times has a qualified player had both a K% and BB% below 6% for a full season. 

Wilson’s batted ball data is near the bottom of the league, as his Average Exit Velocity is in the 10th percentile, Barrel% is in the 10th percentile, and his HardHit% is in the 5th percentile. This usually wouldn’t mean success for most hitters, but Wilson’s bat-to-ball skills are elite, skills means he’s putting the ball in play more than nearly any other hitter in the league. His .346 BABIP is high, but a high one is to be expected with how many balls are put in play. High BABIP and low poor batted ball data would suggest his success isn’t sustainable, but Wilson’s Whiff% is in the 99th percentile, so while he isn’t making hard contact often, he puts the ball in play so much that he’s bound to get positive results.

Leader of the Athletics Youth Movement

Another aspect of Wilson’s game that makes him a good hitter is his ability to hit a wide range of pitches. Against fastballs, Wilson has posted a .403 wOBA and a two-run value, numbers that aren’t near the top of the MLB leaderboards. Where he is near the top of the leaderboards, though, is his numbers against sliders, as Wilson’s six run value 5.2 RV/100 are either first or tied with first, while also putting a .454 wOBA against sliders. In addition, Wilson has also had positive numbers against changeups, as he has posted a .384 wOBA and two run value. 

While there is still plenty to go in the 2025 season, Wilson is the clear frontrunner for AL Rookie of the Year right now. Through 52 games played, Wilson has a 157 wRC+, .392 wOBA, 1.08 K/BB, 1 OAA, and 2.5 fWAR. The closest rookie in terms of fWAR is Red Sox catcher Carlos Narvaez at 1.8. 

Tyler Soderstrom – Power Hitting First Baseman

Unlike the aforementioned Wilson, the Athletics 2020 first-round draft pick, Tyler Soderstrom, is more like many hitters of today’s era. 58 games into the season, Soderstrom has posted a 123 wRC+, .343 wOBA, .786 OPS, 11 home runs, 8.3 BB%, and a 0.6 fWAR. Even with the offensive stats, Soderstrom’s underlying numbers actually show he could be an even better hitter, as his batted ball numbers are elite. His Average Exit Velocity is 92.5 (88th percentile), Barrel% is 15.5% (90th percentile), and his HardHit% is 51.6 (89th percentile). 

Looking even deeper, the type of contact Soderstrom has been making in 2025 has led to his breakout. His 1.30 FB/GB is not ideal for a hitter, but Soderstrom did lower his GB% from 48.9% to 44.8%. While his FB% is also lower this season, Soderstrom’s LD% rose from 13.1% to 20.8%. Baseball Savant also has his AIR% at 54.8%, which is a career high.

Another positive increase for Soderstrom is that he increased his Pull AIR% from 12.4 in 2024 to 15.5 in 2025. The reason this is so important for a hitter is that, from 2022-2024, hitters had a .733 wOBA on pulled fly balls compared to a .353 wOBA on all other types of fly balls. While there is still room for improvement, Soderstrom has been refining his batted ball profile, which can make all the difference for a hitter, especially in the middle of this Athletics youth movement. 

The Flaw for Soderstrom

For as good of a hitter he is, there are flaws to Soderstrom’s game, mainly his defense. Soderstrom has split time between left field and first base, neither of which he plays too well. Soderstrom has posted -1 DRS and 0 OAA in LF and 1 DRS and -4 OAA at first base. Poor defense at first base usually results in a low fWAR for a player, which explains why Soderstrom’s fWAR is only 0.6. Not to mention, Soderstrom’s K% is in the 20th percentile, with a Whiff% in the 17th percentile and Chase% in the 35th percentile. Soderstrom has these flaws, but his power and his ability to make hard contact show he can be an even better hitter, making a mainstay middle-of-the-order bat.  

Shea Langeliers – Top 10 Catcher

The Athletics acquired catcher Shea Langeliers in March 2022, when the A’s traded Matt Olson to the Braves. It was part of this most recent Athletics youth movement. After playing in 175 games between 2022 and 2023, Langeliers broke out in 2024 and is continuing his success in 2025. In 50 games in 2025, Langeliers has posted a 104 wRC+, a .316 wOBA, and 1.0 fWAR, which may not seem like much, but these numbers make him a top-10 catcher.

Among the 20 catchers with at least 150 plate appearances, ninth in fWAR and wRC+ and tenth in wOBA. Not to mention, offensive production at the catcher position is almost always lower compared to any other position. While all catchers combined in 2025 have a 98 wRC+, from 2021 to 2024, MLB catchers had a combined wRC+ of 89 in 2021, 88 in 2022, 89 in 2023, and 91 in 2024. Thus, a league-leading offensive catcher is very valuable. 

Despite Langeliers’ Average Exit Velo dropping from the 84th percentile to the 56th, Barrel% dropping from the 87th to the 57th percentile, and his HardHit% dropping from the 69th percentile to the 64th, he has been able to continue his production at the plate by making more contact. Langeliers dropped his K% from 27.2% in 2024 to 17.2% in 2025 and his Whiff% from 29.2% to 21.9%. While Langelier isn’t making as consistent hard contact as he did in 2024, just as with Wilson, the more balls put in play, the more positive results will be achieved.  

Improved Defense for Langeliers

Another area Langeliers has improved is in his defense. In 2024, Langeliers was in the 1st percentile in blocking with -26 Blocks Above Average and was in the 12th percentile in framing as he had -6 Framing. In 2025, however, Langeliers is currently in the 71st percentile in blocking, with 3 Blocks Above Average, and in the 77th percentile in framing, with 1 Framing. This goes along with a 1.88 pop time, which is in the 96th percentile. A league-average offensive production with this type of defense at the catcher position makes for a valuable player. 

Lawrence Butler – Looking to Bounceback

Heading into the 2025 season, the Athletics extended outfielder Lawrence Butler a seven-year, $65.5 million contract after posting a 3.3 fWAR in 2024. 53 games into 2025, however, Butler hasn’t been replicating his 2024 numbers, as he has posted a 112 wRC+, a .328 wOBA, and a .749 OPS so far, all lower than last season’s. His Barrel% and HardHit% only decreased slightly, and his GB/FB rate improved slightly to 1.12. These factors could explain why Butler isn’t seeing as much success at the plate in 2025, but another possible explanation is that he is no longer seeing as much success with curveballs.

Curveballs Spell Trouble

In 2024, Butler posted a .493 wOBA and a seven-run value against that pitch and only whiffed 20% of the time against them. Among the 259 batters that saw over 100 curveballs, Butler’s wOBA was ranked fifth. In 2025, however, Butler has lost his ability to hit the pitch, as evidenced by his .177 wOBA and -3 RV/100 against curveballs, which he whiffs at 52.9% of the time. His K% against curveballs is 54.5%, which is the seventh highest among all batters to have seen at least 50 of them, and his aforementioned Whiff% is the sixth highest. Additionally, Butler is also struggling against four-seam fastballs, the pitch he has seen the most. While a .334 wOBA may seem good, it is below average for the pitch and has zero run value.

For Butler to repeat his success in 2024, he needs to improve his numbers against curveballs and four-seam fastballs. Despite these offensive struggles, Butler has been a valuable base runner despite his sprint speed being only in the 26th percentile. Butler has a Base Running Value of 2, which is in the 92nd Percentile. Although he was unable to replicate his 2024 performance, Butler has demonstrated his capabilities in the past and can still impact the game on the base paths. That makes him a valuable piece to the Athletics youth movement.

Main image credit: © Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

Note: Information for this story was provided by Len Scaduto’s family.

Longtime basketball coach Len Scaduto, who led upstart Oak Lawn to a second-place finish at the 1971 IHSA state finals, died on May 13. He was 93. 

Scaduto led the Spartans for 29 years (1962-1991), winning 411 games.

After retiring from Oak Lawn, he spent three years as an assistant coach at Division II powerhouse Chaminade in Honolulu and 12 seasons as an administrative assistant at the University of Hawaii.

Scaduto, who was the Spartans’ frosh-soph coach for five seasons before moving up to the varsity, produced 15 winning seasons in a 17-year period at one point during his Oak Lawn run. He won five regional titles.

Scaduto’s 1970-71 Oak Lawn team, which finished 30-3, was led by starters Brett Arnold, Jim Bocinsky, Bob Carr, C.J. Kupec and the late Tom Dubetz. The unranked Spartans fell to powerhouse Thornridge 52-50 in the last one-class state title game. 

“We had the hardest road of anyone to get as far as we went,” said C.J. Kupec, who went on to star at Michigan before a pro career that included stops with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets before a long stint playing overseas. “We got used to playing the role of the underdog. We took it game by game. … We just went out and played hard.”  

Although unranked, Oak Lawn was soon on everyone’s radar in March of 1971 after defeating defending state champ Lyons 67-61 in a regional final in LaGrange.

The Spartans beat Proviso East 61-58 and St. Patrick 51-48 to capture the Hinsdale Central Sectional. A 66-54 win over New Trier East in a supersectional at Northwestern University’s McGaw Hall punched Oak Lawn’s ticket for an Elite Eight berth.

Oak Lawn beat Benton 71-58 in the quarterfinals and downed Springfield Lanphier 69-65 in the semifinals.  

Scaduto always regarded Oak Lawn’s run in ’71 as “a once-in-a-lifetime” experience. “We had to pinch ourselves to believe we were playing for the state championship,” he said in an interview in 2024. “We never saw ourselves getting that far. If we won our regional, we thought we had done our job, as that was as far as we thought our talent could take us.” 

Scaduto and Oak Lawn had begun the 1970-71 season with only one returning starter from a team that had gone 20-7 the year before.

Carr was among the key contributors from the 1970-71 team who had to wait his turn. “One of the things I respected was that (Scaduto) always rewarded the seniors who stayed with the program,” Carr said. “I always respected that and the guys ahead of me. That was his philosophy. C.J. (Kupec) was really the only one who played before he was a senior. The rest of us went up through the ranks. It was part of the culture that Len had created.” 

Basketball’s popularity multiplied in Oak Lawn in the years before and in the immediate aftermath of the 1971 season.  

“Back then, Oak Lawn basketball was just a dynasty — there was a huge tradition,” former player Don Wesselhoff said. “We were really into basketball when we went to Covington (Junior High). We had a good team and had been playing basketball together on the playground for three or four years. Len caught wind of us, and he came and spoke to us about playing at Oak Lawn. We’d never experienced that.” 

Over 200 kids began enrolling in Scaduto’s Summer Basketball Camps, while the white T-shirts given to campers displaying the phrase “Future Spartan Basketball Player” became a staple among youth in the community.

Scaduto also set up a youth basketball League in Oak Lawn to promote interest in the sport and his program. The games were played on Saturday mornings at elementary schools in Oak Lawn’s District, with members of Oak Lawn’s varsity team serving as coaches. 

“Five different schools fed into Oak Lawn,” Scaduto said in 2024. “If you took the top three players from each school, you would have a heckuva program.” 

During his own days as a student-athlete, football had been Scaduto’s best sport. Raised in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, he attended DePaul Academy, where he competed in basketball, football and track. When a knee injury ended his football career at DePaul in the fall of his senior year, he recovered in time to take up boxing for the winter season of 1950. He would advance all the way to the Chicago City Championship, where he suffered his only defeat. 

During his grade-school years, Scaduto became a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan. His home on Cornelia Avenue was only blocks from Wrigley Field. “When I was in the sixth, seventh and eighth grade, and the Cubs were in town, a group of us would often race to the ballpark after school,” Scaduto said. “We would usually see the last 2½ innings.”

Despite his season-ending injury on the gridiron at DePaul, Scaduto earned a football scholarship to Northern Illinois University. He graduated from NIU in 1954 and spent two years teaching and coaching at Marmion before arriving at Oak Lawn in 1956. 

Scaduto retired from Oak Lawn in 1991 and moved to Honolulu. Scaduto’s three years as an assistant coach at Chaminade (1990-1994) were highlighted by upset wins over Providence and Stanford at the 1991 and 1992 Maui Invitational Tournaments, considered among the school’s greatest victories.  

During Scaduto’s time at Hawaii, the Rainbow Warriors made NCAA Tournament appearances in 2001 and 2002. Scaduto was an assistant coach at Farrington High School in Honolulu in 2008, when the Governors captured a Hawaii Division II title. He also coached at St. Louis School as well as with the Hawaii Swish, a semipro team, until the COVID pandemic hit in 2020. 

Related

LeBron James is offering a theory this week about the changing landscape of youth sports.

Speaking on the latest episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast, the Los Angeles Lakers star James spoke about what he sees as the biggest issue in youth sports today. James said that he believes that kids these days focus too early on playing just one sport and ultimately get burned out as a result.

“Me and my guys, we ran track and field as well, when we were like super-duper young,” said James. “We played football all the way through high school. We didn’t just cap it at one thing and just [do] one thing all year round. I think a lot of kids, they burn the hell out.”

You can see the full clip of James’ remarks below.

.@KingJames and @luka7doncic discuss the problem with youth sports today.

A new episode with Luka explains why we all love the game. Watch on our YouTube, @PrimeVideo or listen wherever you get your podcasts: https://t.co/feX8eUUnvm pic.twitter.com/uwdCmFOaqD

— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) June 1, 2025

Indeed, James (in addition to basketball) played football in high school as a wide receiver and has often spoken in the past about how he ran track as a kid. James has also witnessed firsthand the shifting culture of youth sports as the father of 20-year-old Bronny James (who is now his teammate on the Lakers) and of 17-year-old Bryce James (who is still in high school).

As for James’ theory, he may have a good argument there. Plenty of other all-time great basketball players including Michael Jordan (baseball and football) and Wilt Chamberlain (long jump, high jump, shot put, etc.) played multiple other sports in their youth as well. But making kids these days focus exclusively on playing basketball runs the risk of having them lose their joy for the game at a young age (and of failing to pinpoint the one sport out of many that they might actually be best at).

On top of that, a bigger conversation can be had as well about modern-day AAU culture and its grueling schedule as well as its poor teachings of fundamentals. That is something that even the late Kobe Bryant also used to criticize.

CLOVIS, Calif. (AP) — A transgender athlete bested the competition Saturday at the California high school track and field championship to take home gold in the girls high jump and the triple jump at a meet that has stirred controversy and drawn national attention.

AB Hernandez competed under a new rule change that may be the first of its kind nationally by a high school sports governing body. California’s governing body changed the rules ahead of the meet to allow more girls to compete and medal in events in which Hernandez competed.

Hernandez finished the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 7 inches (1.7 meters), with no failed attempts. Co-winners Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle also cleared that height after each logged a failed attempt. The three shared the first-place win, smiling as they stepped together onto the podium.

Hernandez wrapped up the night with a first place finish in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher who trailed by just over a half-meter. Earlier in the afternoon, Hernandez placed second in the long jump.

Olympians Marion Jones and Tara Davis-Woodhall previously set state championship records in the long jump in 1993 and 2017, respectively, both surpassing 22 feet (6.7 meters). This year’s winner, Loren Webster, topped 21 feet (6.40 meters), with Hernandez trailing by a few inches.

The California Interscholastic Federation announced the new policy earlier this week in response to Hernandez’s success heading into the championships. Under the policy, the federation allowed an additional student to compete and medal in the events where Hernandez qualified.

The two-day championship kicked off Friday in sweltering heat at a high school near Fresno. Temperatures reached the triple digits during Saturday’s finals.

The atmosphere was relatively quiet despite critics — including parents, conservative activists and President Donald Trump — calling for Hernandez to be barred from competing. Some critics wore pink bracelets and T-shirts that read, “Save Girls’ Sports.”

During Friday’s qualifying events, an aircraft circled above the stadium for more than an hour with a banner: “No Boys in Girls’ Sports!” Two groups that oppose transgender athletes participating in women’s sports — the Independent Council on Women’s Sports and Women Are Real — took credit for flying the banner.

California at center of national debate

The federation’s rule change reflected efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls’ participation in youth sports.

“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,” the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change.

A recent AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women’s sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats.

The federation announced the change after Trump threatened to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans female athletes from competing on girls teams. The federation said it decided on the change before then.

The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the federation and the district that includes Hernandez’s high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law.

California law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity.

The federation said the rule opens the field to more “biological female” athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for “biological female” athletes but not for other trans athletes.

The federation did not specify how it defines “biological female” or how it would verify whether a competitor meets that definition.

Sophia Lorey, outreach director with California Family Council, was among those at the stadium Saturday. She said the federation’s policy is not a fix for the issue and only ends up causing more confusion.

“At the end of the day,” Lorey said, “it shows the girls that we know this is wrong and we’re still letting it happen to you.”

Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main this month that she cannot worry about critics.

“I’m still a child, you’re an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,” she said.

Other students break records

California’s championship stands out from that of other states because of the sheer number of competitors. The state had the second-largest number of students participating in outdoor track and field in the nation during the 2023-2024 school year, behind Texas, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

The boys 100-meter heats also were a highlight, with junior Jaden Jefferson of De La Salle High School in Concord finishing in 10.01 seconds Friday, 0.19 seconds faster than a meet record set in 2023. But he fell just shy of making it count as a meet record with a final time of 10.27 seconds in Saturday’s final.

Athletes set new meet records in several events, including boys and girls relay races, hurdle competitions and the boys pole vault.

Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.

Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna