Gardena High senior Christhian Macias began his quest for CIF-Los Angeles City Section championships after winning the Marine League 800- and 3,200-meter championships at the League Track and Field Championships last Thursday at Carson High.
Macias began his action by winning the 800 at one minute and 57.31 seconds to defeat runner-up Leo Jimenez of San Pedro (2:00.12). In the race, Macias led all of the way and had a commanding lead throughout most of the race. Jimenez made a run at Macias during the second lap but Macias was finally able to pull away.
Gardena High senior Christhian Macias began his quest for CIF-Los Angeles City Section championships after winning the Marine League 800- and 3,200-meter championships at the League Track and Field Championships last Thursday at Carson High.
Macias began his action by winning the 800 at one minute and 57.31 seconds to defeat runner-up Leo Jimenez of San Pedro (2:00.12). In the race, Macias led all of the way and had a commanding lead throughout most of the race. Jimenez made a run at Macias during the second lap but Macias was finally able to pull away.
“In the second lap, I found him (Jimenez),” Macias said. “It was one of the races where it was me against the clock. When there is competition, I run even faster.”
Later in the meet, Macias, the Marine League boys’ cross country champion over the past two seasons, led virtually the entire 3,200 race and went on to win clocking 9:59.8.
Jonathan Mudd, the quarterback on the Panthers’ football team last fall, finished fourth in the boys’ long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 7.5 inches. He qualified for today’s L.A. City Section Prelims which begins at 1 p.m. at Birmingham High in Lake Balboa. Top finishers will vie in the City Championships at Birmingham next Thursday, starting at 4 p.m.
Gardena’s girls advanced one to the L.A. City Prelims in Dion Rodriguez-Preciado who placed fourth in the 1,600-meter run timing 6:15.56. Distance running power San Pedro swept the top three spots that was won by Bronwyn Bunnell (5:31.5). Cynthia Kelso (5:40.82) and Jael Marquez (5:45.64) were second and third, in order.
Carson dominated the girls’ division, behind its sprinters. The Lady Colts’ all-junior Long Beach Poly transfer 4×100-meter relay team of Kaela Roberts, Kennedi Atkins, Kenyla Miles and Autumn Wright won going away clocking 46.46. Kaelin Roberts won the 400 meters at 55.1 and the 200 (23.88). Roberts also anchored Carson’s 4×400-meter relay squad to victory clocking 4:02.97. Freshman Sandra Martin captured the 300 hurdles in 46.57 and sophomore Jonon Young won the long jump leaping 19-8.
Narbonne’s boys swept both relays, winning the 4×100 timing 43.18 and the 4×400 in 3:28.97.
Carson’s boys were led by Patrick Washington who won the 110 high hurdles (15.14) and the 300 intermediates (40.87). Last season, the Colts swept the L.A. City Section boys and girls crowns and will be seeking to repeat that this year.
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Serra Track and Field
Serra boys and girls seek Division IV championship after dominating Prelims
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
Serra High’s boys’ and girls’ track and field teams will be looking to sweep the CIF-Southern Section Division IV titles after several top times and marks at last Saturday’s Division IV Prelims at Carpinteria High in South Santa Barbara County.
The Lady Cavaliers proved dominant in the sprinting events, behind their 4×100-meter relay team that had the meet’s top time at 47.92 seconds, nearly two seconds above their season best of 46.01 they did at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays on April 16 at Cerritos College. The squad included Madison Golden, Jasmin Reed, Jazmyne Frost and Kayla Pickens. Their 46.01 timing is one of the tops in the United States this year.
In the 100 meters, Serra recorded three of the top seven times in the meet. Reed, a junior, was third overall clocking 12.0. Finishing fifth was Frost (12.13) and Pickens (12.42) placed seventh. In the 200, Reed (24.72), Frost (24.79) and Pickens (25.53), were third, fourth and sixth, respectively.
Bishop Montgomery’s girls’ 400 relay squad of Dedriana Bodden, Sienna James, Bernadette Amafa and Maddy Grant qualified for Saturday’s Southern Section Division IV championships after taking fifth overall in 49.93.
For the boys, senior Isaiah Diego-Williams continued to excel. He recorded the meet’s best times in the 100-meter dash (10.79) and the 200 (21.71). Diego-Williams ran on the second leg of the Cavaliers’ 4×100 relay that took sixth overall timing 43.02. Other runners included Jermaine Houston, Deion Malone and Justus Williams.
Bishop Montgomery’s 400 relay, though, bested Serra with a second place overall finish in 42.68. Runners were Marcus Ogbunania, Dhaian Woods, Bernard Anofa and Daniel Kelly. Woods qualified in the 100 (seventh, 10.97) and 200 (fourth, 22.37).
Also advancing for the Knights were Justin Moore (boys 300-meter intermediate hurdles, second, 40.41) and Jordan Bayles (boys high jump, fifth, six feet).
In the Division III Prelims Estancia High in Costa Mesa, North Torrance had a fine showing in the pole vault. For the boys, Alfonso Deza advanced after clearing the bar at 13 feet. For the girls, Marie Abe made 9-6 to advance.
In Division II at Moorpark High, West Torrance junior Carson Bix recorded the meet’s top time in the 1,600 meters in 4:17.07 and finished fourth overall in the 800 timing 1:57.71 to advance to the championships in both races. Also advancing in the 800 for the Warriors was Andrew Hazzard who was seventh overall.
The Southern Section Divisional Track and Field Championships will be Saturday at Cerritos College. The field events begin at 11 a.m. and the running events start at 1 p.m.
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Serra Baseball
Serra closes league after edging Cathedral; losing to Bishop Amat
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
Serra High’s young baseball team ended its season by splitting its final two Del Rey League games last week. At East Los Angeles College on May 11, the Cavaliers held off Cathedral High 3-2. Serra closed its season by getting routed by La Puente Bishop Amat 17-1 last Thursday at home.
The Cavaliers ended their season with a 2-10 league record and 9-13 overall mark under first year head coach Martel London.
Against the Phantoms, Serra was sparked by Jeremy McCoy with his arm and bat. McCoy pitched a complete game allowing three hits, including a two-run home run, striking out six batters and walking three. Shortstop Adrian Morales collected two hits and started two outstanding double plays.
In their league finale, things did not go well for the Cavaliers in their lopsided loss to Del Rey champion Bishop Amat, which ended league at 10-2 and is currently ranked fifth in the CIF-Southern Section Division III.
This season, Serra was plagued with a mostly young squad that included only three seniors, as well as London being hired only in January, a few months after its previous head mentor Wilmer Aaron stepped down after six seasons. Aaron guided the Cavaliers to the Southern Section Division III crown in 2013.
London has high hopes for a turnaround for 2017. “We’ll have a strong summer and fall program,” London said. “We’ll have workouts in strength and game fundamentals. We return all but three players. We’ll be solid.”
London should also get players from this year’s lower level squads that had a good season. The Cavaliers’ junior varsity team was Del Rey champions with an unbeaten 10-0 record. Serra’s frosh-soph finished second at 10-2.
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North pulls off playoff spot by topping South
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
With a young team, North Torrance High’s baseball team appeared to be headed for a rebuilding year and not many observers expected the Saxons to reach the playoffs.
North, which entered the week with a 9-15 record, started out with 3-2 home loss to cross town rival, defending league champion and last season’s CIF-Southern Section Division IV runner-up South Torrance on May 10. Traveling to South, the Saxons routed the Spartans 11-3 to force a league playoff game for the Pioneer League’s final playoff spot last Friday. West Torrance ended up winning the Pioneer with a 9-1 mark, while Torrance placed second after handing the Warriors their only league loss at 7-1 last Thursday at Torrance Park’s Kendall Field. North pulled through with a 6-5 victory over host South to make the playoffs, leaving the Spartans waiting until last Monday to see if they received an at-large berth.
The Saxons were led by freshman Kyle Hatai who had two hits and drove in two runs. North jumped out to a 3-0 lead before South came back to tie the game with three runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Ricky Morelos was the winning pitcher for the Saxons, who improved to 10-16 after finishing league at 7-4 (6-4 in regular league play) in Pioneer action. The Spartans were 6-5 (also 6-4 in regular league).
Last Thursday, Hatai pitched a complete game and had three hits to key North. Morelos drove in three runs.
For South, which is 16-12-1 overall, Chris Gomez had four hits, including a home run.
In the Spartans’ win on May 10, winning pitcher Trevor Talpas pitched six-plus innings, allowing one earned run.
The Saxons began the playoffs with a home wildcard game against Alhambra, the third place team from the Almont League, on Wednesday. If North wins, it will travel to No. 4 seed St. Bonaventure in Ventura for a 3:15 p.m. first round game on Friday.
Pioneer champion West Torrance is seeded third and it will host the wildcard winner of Bloomington and El Rancho from Wednesday on Friday at 3:15 p.m. Second place Torrance hosts Fullerton in the first round at the same time. Top seed is Don Lugo High from Chino and Kaiser of Fontana is seeded second.
North is head coached by Mike Neily, who guided the Saxons to some very good seasons in the 1980’s and became a successful head mentor at Mira Costa several years ago. He also assisted head coach Tim Ammentorp at Redondo during the 1990’s that included now former Houston Astros Major League Baseball standout Morgan Ensberg.
Gardena did not play last week but the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division II playoff pick on May 9. The Panthers began as the No. 9 seed and visited eighth seed Eagle Rock last Tuesday.
In Division I, Marine League champion Banning received the No. 5 seed. The Pilots hosted Granada Hills last Tuesday. Second place Narbonne was seeded ninth as the Gauchos were at Kennedy High in Granada Hills.
Third place Carson had a play-in game and was successful in its 10-0 home rout against Dorsey last Thursday. The Colts played at No. 4 seed Cleveland High in Reseda last Tuesday.
San Pedro also won its play-in contest over host Sylmar 6-4 and visited top seed El Camino Real in Woodland Hills Tuesday.
