By Pete Borello

Allie Miller continues to raise the bar — literally and figuratively.

The Los Altos High junior not only won the high jump at last Friday’s Central Coast Section championship meet, but also finished second in the 300-meter hurdles in another personal-best effort.

In addition, Miller placed third in the 100 hurdles and helped the Eagles’ 400 relay team break its own school record on the way to a third-place finish at San Jose City College.

“She’s doing the right things at the right times at this point,” Los Altos head coach Julia Widstrand said. “She’s just got it all together at the right time.”

Miller’s mark of 5 feet, 9 1/4 inches in the high jump is believed to tie a school record, according to Widstrand, and broke her previous best by 3 1/4 inches.

The coach is confident Miller can do even better at this weekend’s state meet in Southern California.

“I think she’s capable of going 5-10,” Widstrand said of Miller, who didn’t even compete in the high jump before last year.

Although Miller qualified for the state meet in all four of her events (the top three in each advances), she will compete in only three. Widstrand said Miller is bowing out of the 300 hurdles, which she ran in 44.62 seconds at CCS, because it takes place during the high jump.

However, Miller will be in the 100 hurdles and no doubt looking to improve upon the 15.27 she ran at CCS.

“She was the last one out of the blocks and had a poor start,” Widstrand said. “She’ll do better this week.”

Miller also will run the second leg of the 400 relay on a team that’s even surprised Widstrand with its late-season surge.

“It’s hard to know how good a relay is when you’re competing in dual meets all the time,” the coach said. “They’re doing awesome.”

The relay — also featuring Andrea Cummings, Katy Jones and Alicia Yanez (a freshman) — ran a 48.98 at CCS. This broke the school record it set the prior week at the section semifinals by .5 of a second.

The St. Francis boys 400 relay team will join Los Altos at the state meet.

The foursome of Josh Quiambao, Pat Smith, Eric Welch and Danny Glassanos qualified by notching third place at CCS with a time of 42.86.

A change in strategy helped them run their fastest race of the year, according to Lancers head coach Mike Saso.

“We moved our anchor (Smith) to the second leg to get out to a lead, and it worked,” he said.

In addition, St. Francis will send Sela Paini down south: she placed third in the girls shot put (40-1/4).

Other area athletes advancing include Homestead’s Will Faules (winner of the boys 100 and 300 hurdles) and Brittney Reynolds (third in the girls long jump), plus Gunn’s Ruth Graham (winner of the girls two-mile run).

The CIF State Track and Field Championships are scheduled for Friday (trials) and Saturday (finals) at Cerritos College in Norwalk.