San Pasqual track and field star Elise Miller is SBLive’s San Diego Section Athlete of the Year
Welcome to a continuing tradition at SBLive California – honoring the male and female athletes of the year in every CIF Section.
The criteria isn’t too expansive: The starting point is finding athletes who are all-league/all-state performers. Totality of career is also a factor. So is administrator/coach/fan recommendation.
Enjoy as we honor some of California’s top high school athletes!
—
Everything had been aligning for San Pasqual’s Elise Miller heading into her junior season - then the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the spring season just days after it started.
Miller had qualified for the CIF State track and field meet as a sophomore in 2019 and appeared ready to build off that performance in 2020.
“It was hard because I was looking so good, I went into the first meet and I was already at my (personal record),” Miller said. “It was really promising and then just didn’t happen, but I had one more season, so I just started over.”
Miller made up for the lost time as a senior, capturing four individual titles in the 2021 San Diego Section Division 1 Track and Field Championships.
Miller was the champion in the 100-meter hurdles (14.15 seconds), the long jump (19 feet, 4 1/4 inches) and the high jump (5 feet, 4 inches). But her biggest accomplishment was winning the triple jump while breaking a 34-year-old San Diego Section record with a jump of 41 feet, 8 1/4 inches.
“I think that the greatest thing I achieved this season was the all-time San Diego record,” Miller said. “That was the main thing that I wanted to achieve this season.”
Miller’s next jump will take her to Stanford University where she’ll compete in track and field for the Cardinal beginning next season.
“I just knew that I would be challenged,” Miller said. “I’d be challenged academically and athletically. I just knew that it was gonna push me really hard and that’s what I wanted.”
ELISE MILLER BIO
School: San Pasqual
Sports: Track & Field.
Next step: Miller will compete in track and field at Stanford next season.
Season highlights: San Diego Section Division 1 champion in 100-meter hurdles, long jump, high jump and triple jump.
