For many area Division 1 track and field athletes, realizing the dream of winning a state title begins today.

The CIF-Southern Section Division 1 preliminaries at Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills High will showcase some of the best athletes from the area. But only nine athletes will advance in each discipline to the divisional championships next week.

With seedings based on league finals results, the boys long jump could be one of the most competitive events for area athletes. Six are seeded in the top 10.

Vista Murrieta junior D. J. Lloyd leads the pack with a mark of 23 feet, 11 ½ inches, the best in the state this year. Junior teammate Nick Ross is seeded third with a mark of 23-2.

Colton senior Andre Warren is sixth with a mark of 22-6 ½. Seventh is Fontana senior Damien Ephrium (22-6). San Bernardino Cajon junior Edgar Panford (22-4) is eighth and Corona Santiago senior Chris Benard (22-3 ½) is seeded ninth.

Benard holds the best mark in the state in the triple jump this year (48-5) and will do battle with Ross, who has the third-best mark (47-7 ½), and Vista Murrieta senior Ryan Swafford, who has the second-best mark (47-10 ½).

Ross is also in a three-way tie for the best mark in the high jump this year at 7-0.

He leaped 6-10 at the Southwestern League finals and will compete with San Bernardino San Gorgonio senior Reggie Jackson, who reached 6-10 this year and 6-8 at the San Andreas League finals.

On the girls side, Perris junior Ericka Nowell leads the field in the hurdles.

In the 100 meters, she clocked in at 14.44 seconds and took the Sunbelt League title in the 300 in 41.64, the second-best time in the state this year.

"She really came out with her best effort at league finals," Perris coach Steve Ellis said.

Rialto Carter senior April Pate may be Nowell's biggest local challenge in the 300 hurdles. Pate finished fourth at last year's state meet in 42.92.

The Moreno Valley Rancho Verde 400 relay team, consisting of freshman Ashley Marshall, junior Brittany Bozeman and sophomores Alycia Herring and Asiah Gooden, is seeded No. 1, having taken the Inland Valley League crown in 46.89.

Herring is the top seed in the long jump (18-6) and Bozeman is No. 2 (18-2 ½).

Temecula Great Oak junior Shaylynn Fisher is the No. 1 seed in the discus, having won the Southwestern League title with a toss that measured 145-2.

Reach John Gonzales at 951-368-9729 or jgonzales@PE.com