By Joe Snyder
Serra High’s boys’ and girls’ track and field teams had very strong showings by its sprinters and some field event athletes in last Thursday’s Del Rey League Championships at El Camino College.
For the boys, Tiger Taylor Hart’s win keyed a sweep in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.89 seconds. Jacory Jones finished second at 10.93, followed by Mason Bowen clocking 11.05. Those three, along with Max Williams, finished second in the 4×100-meter relay in 43.22, narrowly missing the win by Bishop Amat (43.2).
Markarios Page also stood out with wins in the 200 (22.18) and 400 (49.01).
Jones won the long jump with a leap of 20 feet, four inches.
In the hurdles, sophomore Lavon Bunkley advanced to Saturday’s CIF-Southern Section Division IV Prelims in the 110-meter highs (second place, 16.25) and 300 intermediates (third place, 42.28).
The Cavaliers 4×400 relay team of Devin Kirkwood, Taylor-Hart, Gustavo Orendain and Page placed second in 3:24.79.
Serra’s girls continued to dominate the sprints and a few other events. Juniors Jazmyne Frost and Queen Okoh proved to be the one-two punch in the 100 and 200. Frost won the 100 timing 11.91 and the 200 in 24.66. Okoh was second in both events clocking 12.41 in the 100 and 25.38 in the 200.
The big disappointment for the Lady Cavaliers, though, was their 4×100 relay. A dropped baton prevented Serra, which has the third best time in California with a season best 46.15 it did on April 21 in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays at El Camino College, from winning the race. The Cavaliers, though, managed to take second at 50.19. St. Mary’s Academy from Inglewood won the race clocking 48.98. Runners included Okoh, Jaylah Herron, Destinei Reid and Frost.
Serra, though, had Reid, Kalea Brown, Herron and freshman Maya Rush win the 4×400 relay in 4:06.4. Herron won the 400 (58.37), while Rush finished second (58.78). Rush advanced to CIF with a second place finish in the 800 timing 2:20.43. Brown won the long jump (17-0 ¾) and placed second in the 300 hurdles (49.17).
Junior Erin Brown won the shot put (36-0 ½) and discus (102 feet).
Bishop Montgomery was highlighted by a one-two finish by Jordan Bayles (6-2) and Nicholas Leeds (six feet) in the boys’ high jump.
The division prelims will be all day Saturday at Carpinteria High in South Santa Barbara County. Top finishers will move on to the Southern Section Divisional Championships on May 19 at El Camino College.
