Those of you still awake after staying up late last night to watch the All-Star Game go to 15 innings (and just imagine what it would have been like on the East Coast) are in for a treat.

Track and field might have been Kern County's best sport in 2007-08. Better than football, where the area won four Central Section titles. Better than baseball, where Stockdale and Centennial both finished ranked in the state's top 25.

2007-08 Kern County BOYS TRACK AND FIELD

Overview: Three state championships? It doesn't get much better than that. Foothill's Dayshan Ragans, the throwing extraordinare from Foothill, he was expected to do well at the CIF State Championships. In fact, you could even say that not winning a double state title in the shot put and discus would have been a disappointment. And he cashed in on his end. But how about adding a state championship for Johnny Carter, a Ridgeview freshman who took home the crown in a triple jump, an event freshmen aren't supposed to win.

Best athlete: Carter's finish probably was more amazing, considering his age and his prior jumping history (he needed to — and did — set a new personal record with the winning jump), but I won't get any argument for filling this slot with Dayshan Ragans. That's not only because the senior was ultra-consistent throughout the year — he won every event he entered, and wasn't really challenged until the state meet's shot put competition. Ragans also has an amazing back story, springing up from an at-risk home to throw, just for something to do, and turning it into two state championships and a full-ride scholarship to Cal State Bakersfield.
Honorable mention: Johnny Carter, Ridgeview; Chris Schwartz, Foothill; Tyler Thompson, Shafter; Emmanuel Turner, Bakersfield; Isaiah Purvis, Liberty; Chris Kelly, Ridgeview

Best team: Between Ragans and Schwartz, cross-country state champion and second in the state 3,200 in track, Foothill finished fourth in the state. But for a full team, I'll say Bakersfield High, which had the area's best sprinters and got better and better with the 1,600 relay also. The Drillers also got contributions from field events, like Isiah Griggs in the high jump and Colin Ellis in the throwing events.
Honorable mention: Stockdale, Foothill, Shafter, Liberty

Best event: I'm going to repeat this tomorrow when we do girls track and field, but the state meet this year simply was amazing. Between Ragans holding off Colin Quirke of Los Gatos in the shot put and then running away with the discus and Carter shocking the state in the triple jump, there was enough there to make it a great event locally. But German Fernandez of Riverbank took things to another level in the distance events and Compton-Dominguez won the state title with a fantastic 1,600 relay race to end the night. I didn't really consider myself a "track guy" until that meet. Now I do.
Honorable mention: SWYL/SEYL combined championships; Mt. SAC Invitational

A look ahead: It'll be strange not to have Dayshan over in the throwing pits to keep an eye on at every meet, but there's plenty of talent coming back. The list starts with Carter and Schwartz, who will be legitimate threats to give Kern two state champs again (maybe even favorites now that that Fernandez fellow is out of Schwartz's way). Frontier junior-to-be Matt Darr will keep things lively in the throwing pits; he qualified for state in the shot put this season and might be even better in the discus. There's also high jumpers Griggs, West's George Robbins and Garces' Phillip McCullum and sprinters Turner and Purvis, plus Matt Sumlin of Garces. So another good year in store, methinks.

Year in review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball
July 10: Girls basketball
July 11: Wrestling
July 12: Boys soccer
July 13: Girls soccer
July 14: Baseball
July 15: Softball

Tomorrow: Girls track and field