By Joe Snyder
Serra High’s boys’ and girls’ track and field teams completed their Del Rey League slate with the league championships on April 29 at Serra and hope to step things up in Saturday’s CIF-Southern Section Division IV Prelims Saturday at Carpinteria High in South Santa Barbara County.
In the boys’ division, junior ace sprinter Wesley Ace was able to ace the 100-meter dash by winning at 10.65 seconds. Ace also advanced to the CIF Prelims with a third-place finish clocking 21.63. The 200 was won by Deon Edwards in 21.57 but Landon Thomas and Lawson Griggs-Andrews had Division IV qualifying times of 21.64 and 22.13, in order.
Serra’s 4×100- and 4×400-meter relay teams settled for second place, behind champion Los Angeles Cathedral. The Cavalier 400 relay squad recorded a fine time of 41.17 seconds, falling by just .03 of second to the Phantoms (41.14). The runners included Ace, Thomas, Lamar Roberson and Griggs-Andrews. Serra’s 1,600 relay squad was second in 3:28.78. The team consisted of Thomas, Griggs-Andrews, Dwayne Fuqua and Edwards.
Thomas won the 400 clocking 48.52. Joe Bolder won the discus at 144 feet, one inch.
For the girls, Mecca Muhammed had a fine day that included winning the 400 (56.44) and finishing third in the 200 (25.37). She also anchored the Lady Cavaliers’ 4×400 relay to second place clocking 4:02.16. Other runners were Lyriye Taylor-Dawson, Savannah Coleman and Kennedy Reed.
“We want to execute and perform well in CIF,” Serra head coach Jasmine Frost said. “We are bringing down our times.”
Serra’s boys will be seeking its second straight Southern Section Division IV crown. Last year the Cavaliers tied with Calabasas Viewpoint for the title. Top finishers will advance to the finals on May 16 at Moorpark High, with field events beginning at 11 a.m. and running events starting at 1 p.m.
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Baseball teams continue to struggle
The Gardena, North Torrance and Serra High baseball teams continue to struggle in their leagues after losses last week.
Despite only a 4-8 Pioneer League record and 11-16 overall, North Torrance was able to receive a third-place finish, behind champion South Torrance and runner-up El Segundo and advance to the CIF-Southern Section playoffs, which begin next week. The Saxons closed league with losses to the Spartans, who clinched the league crown on April 29 with an 8-7 win. North ended league at South Friday as it was shut out by the Spartans 8-0.
On April 29, the Saxons found themselves trailing the Spartans 7-1 in the third inning and 8-4 in the fifth before rallying for a run in the bottom of the inning and two more in the sixth. South was able to hold on from there.
David Iniquez sparked North, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one run batted in. Josiah Reed drove in a run and scored once. Sei Nagashima went 2-for-4.
Last Friday, the Saxons had just one hit in their shutout loss to the Spartans.
Serra is well out of the playoff picture at 0-11 in league with an 11-1 home loss to Playa del Rey St. Bernard on April 28.
Ahead 4-1 through six innings, the Vikings finished off the Cavaliers (7-14 overall) with seven runs in the top of the seventh.
Winning pitcher Juan Sandoval pitched a complete game, allowing just three hits and one unearned run.
Serra trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the second inning after Tim Pryor drove in a run with a single but St. Bernard scored two runs in the top of the third for a 4-1 lead and turned the game into a rout in the seventh. Highlighting the Vikings’ big inning was a three-run home run from Lorenzo Davis.
The Cavaliers closed their season with two games; one non-league at St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy in Downey on Monday and their Del Rey finale at St. Bernard on Wednesday.
Under first-year head coach Ryan Odums, Serra is mostly young and seek improvement next season.
Gardena is winless in eight Marine League games after a pair of lopsided losses to San Pedro last week. At San Pedro on April 29, the Panthers fell to the Pirates 12-2. Coming home, San Pedro continued to pound hapless Gardena 21-3.
Juan Castellanos and Jesse Aguayo each drove in a run for Gardena on April 29.
The Panthers close league against Banning this week. After visiting the Pilots in Wilmington on Monday, Gardena ends play at home against Banning today at 3 p.m.
Defending CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division I champion Carson swept both games from Narbonne last week. At Carson on April 29, the Colts outlasted the Gauchos 6-5. Last Friday at Narbonne in Harbor City, Carson defeated the Gauchos 9-6.
After playing at Rancho Dominguez Prep in Long Beach on Monday, the Colts close league at home against the Lobos today at 3 p.m.
Torrance pulled into a tie for third place with Manhattan Beach Mira Costa in the Bay League by sweeping crosstown rival West Torrance last week. At Torrance Park on April 29, the Tartars slipped past the last place Warriors, who finished league at 0-12, 4-3. At West last Thursday, Torrance rolled over West 8-1.
The Tartars received help from Redondo, which finished off a three-game sweep of its rival Mustangs last week. After defeating Mira Costa 6-3 on April 29 at Redondo, the Sea Hawks rolled over the host Mustangs 10-4 last Friday to finish in second place, behind champion Palos Verdes (10-2), in Bay action at 8-4. It was Redondo’s first sweep of Mira Costa since 2016, when the Sea Hawks won their second of back-to-back CIF-Southern Section Division III championships. Mira Costa, though, receives the third-place seed in the Southern Section playoffs after sweeping Torrance in league, while the Tartars will probably get an at-large berth with a 16-10 overall record after a 5-3 non-league win at Warren High in Downey on Saturday.
Torrance visited Arcadia in non-league on Wednesday.
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Area preps seek to advance in track finals
Several Torrance high school track and field athletes had strong showings in last week’s Bay and Pioneer League championships.
In the Bay League Championships Friday at Mira Costa High in Manhattan Beach, Torrance High’s nationally ranked sprinter Nicolas Obimbga swept through the 100- and 200-meter championships, winning both events at 10.47 and 21.2 seconds, in order. He also sparked the Tartars’ 4×100 and 4×400-meter relay teams to second place finishes, both behind Mira Costa. He anchored both relays. Torrance was runner-up in the 400-relay clocking 41.86. Other runners included Winston Craig, Chance Lacey and Morgan Dixon. The Tartars were also second in the 1,600 relay in 3:22.35. Prior to Obimbga’s anchor leg, the first three runners were Khalin Young, Lacey and Dixon.
Torrance also had a second-place finish by Liam Sam in the high jump with a leap of six feet, one inch. The Tartars’ 4×800 relay of Tyler Ishizeki, Matthew Lawson, Noah Hokama and Jim Nago took second timing 8:24.66. Redondo won the race in 8:21.78.
For the girls, Torrance had a strong showing by its relays with two second places and one third place. In the 4×100, the Lady Tartars of Makayla Cox, Jullian Tenblador, Roali Lawrison and Addison Wall were timed in 49.21. Torrance’s 4×400 relay, including Villet Hernandez, Marissa Allen, Alussa Leevy and Wall finished in 4:14.76. The Tartars’ 4×800 relay, including Izzy Truchin, Reagan Ryan, Cary Evans and Sofia Wessels, took third clocking 10:24.07.
Torrance also had second-place finishes by Melani Torres (discus, 95-4) and Hanna Kim (pole vault, 10-6).
As teams, the Tartar boys and girls took third place. Torrance’s boys scored 100 points. Mira Costa won the title with 182 points to 165 for runner-up Redondo.
In the girls’ division, the Tartars tallied 73 points. The Mustangs ran away with the meet with 243 points to 103 for second-place Redondo.
The Tartars will compete in the CIF-Southern Section Division II Prelims at Ontario High Saturday at 9 a.m.
In the Pioneer League meet, North Torrance’s boys had league championships by Darius Jones (300-meter intermediate hurdles, 43.05) and Geordan Gilpen (high jump, 6-2). Jones also finished second in the 110-meter-high hurdles at 16.36.
Elijah Taueetia had two second-places in the shot put (47-10) and discus (151-7). Kaiden Spirts also had a pair of runner ups in the 200 (21.54) and 400 (50.96).
In the girls’ division, North had two wins by Nyla Pope in the shot put (30-6) and discus (83-9). She was third in the high jump at 4-8. The Saxons also had a win by Jaqueline Soto in the 3,200 clocking 11:27.57.
The Saxons are competing in Division III with the prelims at Yorba Linda High Saturday at 9 a.m.
The Divisional Championships will be at Moorpark High, beginning at 11 a.m. on May 16.
