These six Culver City high school girls are on the way to California State Meet in Clovis. From left to right are, Imaan Minwalla, Kennady Iverson, Morgan Maddox, Andrea Smith, Joelle Trepagnier and Savanna Mullins.
Six Culver City High School girls will be running in one of the top track and field State Meets in the nation when they step on the track at Buchanan high school in Clovis, California Friday evening during the California State Meet prelims. If they advance, they will run in the finals on Saturday.
There are 3,892 high schools in California, 3,162 public schools and 730 private schools and Culver City will be running in three events. "I knew we were talented, and I knew we had a shot but to watch how the girls have worked and willed themselves into the position where they are is pretty cool," said coach Jahmal Wright.
When you take a close look at this group of girls you can see why they are so successful. They were born to run. Most of the six girls have been running track since they were in elementary school and two of the girls have famous athletic parents. Joelle Trepagnier's father was a high flying basketball player who went to USC (1997-2001) and played in the NBA and her mother was a high school track star.
Her grandfather, Warren Edmonson was at one time in 1973, one of the fastest runners in the world when he attended UCLA and her grandmother was also a track star in high school and college. "I heard he was the fastest runner in the world, but I don't feel pressure because it's in my blood," said Joelle Trepagnier who likes to smile and laugh a lot. "I have always been around fast runners so it's really nothing new." Trepagnier will be running on the 4X100 and 4X400 meter relays and she also be running the 400 meters and she is only a freshman.
Another Culver City runner going to the state meet is another freshman, Savanna Mullins. She will run on the 400X400 relay team. Mullins father, Billy Mullins was a star runner at Hamilton high school and USC in the 1970's and 1980's. He ran on some of the fastest relay teams in the world when he attended USC. "It feels really good, and I just want to keep improving and make my father proud of me," said Savanna Mullins.
The leader of the pack is sophomore Morgan Maddox. Maddox will compete on both relay teams and in the 400 meters. She is the serious one and she keeps the group focused. "It's really cool running with these girls. I have known some of them for a long time because we ran together on track clubs when were younger. It feels really good to have friends that have your back."
A smile comes to Maddox's serious face when she talks about being a track star. "I think it's really cool and fun. My parents are really proud of me, I can tell. I just want to keep making them prouder of me."
The other girls making the trip to Clovis are Andrea Smith, 4X100 meter relay, Imaan Minwalla, 4X100 meter relay and Kennady Iverson in the 4X400 meter relay.
It takes special coaches to train talented athletes and Culver City has two of the best in head coach Rayfield M. Beaton and Wright. "This experience has been rewarding but the girls deserve all of the credit," said Wright. "They show up on the big stage. However big the meet is they are going to step up to the challenge."
Wright continue to talk about the girls. "They are blessed with GOD given ability and they have a very good work ethic. Coach Beaton did a great job with their off-season training. He got them ready for the moment. The bigger the meet the faster they run."
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