Serra High’s sprinters stood out in last Saturday’s CIF-Southern Section Division IV Track and Field Championships at Cerritos College.
Serra High’s sprinters stood out in last Saturday’s CIF-Southern Section Division IV Track and Field Championships at Cerritos College.
The Lady Cavaliers quickly began the meet’s running events by running away with the 4×100-meter relay title at 46.77 seconds; nearly two seconds over runner-up Fullerton Rosary (48.48). Runners included senior Madison Golden, junior Jasmin Reed, freshman Jazmyne Frost and senior Kayla Pickens. The squad’s advanced to Friday’s Southern Section Masters Championships at Cerritos College, beginning at 4 p.m. (Running events start at 6 p.m.).
Reed also recorded a third place finish in the 100-meter dash at 11.6, while Frost placed fifth clocking 11.75 as both made it to the Masters. Both also advanced to the Masters in the 200 with Reed taking third in 23.77 and Frost placing fourth clocking 24.11. In the 100, Pickens was sixth at 11.98 but fell short of making the Masters.
Their performances keyed the Lady Cavaliers to a third place team finish with 36 points. Westlake Village Oaks Christian, behind sprinter Lauren Rain Williams who won the 100 (11.17 wind aided) and 200 (22.44 wind aided), ran away with the meet with 122 points to 38 for second place Ventura St. Bonaventure.
Serra’s boys were led by senior Isaiah Diego-Williams who won the 100 (10.6) and 200 (20.98). Both wind aided times, Diego-Williams had the meet’s top overall time in the 200, that included Olympic prospect Michael Norman of Vista Murrieta who won Division I breezing to a 21.22 timing. Norman, though, has run as fast as 20.24 in the event. Diego-Williams 11.6 was ranked fifth overall with the best being 10.35 by West Hills Chaminade’s T.J. Brock.
In the boys’ 1,600, junior Carson Bix from West Torrance advanced to the Masters after a second place finish in the Division II at four minutes and 13.67 seconds. Bix finished behind Chance Laamberth from Anaheim Canyon (4:13.22). Division II, III and IV, though, was overwhelmed by Division I, led by four runners from United States national boys’ cross country champion Temecula Great Oak. Winning that race was senior Isaac Cortes clocking 4:07.62. Division I had eight qualifiers, including Redondo’s eighth place finisher Ethan Comeaux despite his personal best time of 4:12.97.
Behind its dominance in the distance running events, Great Oak was able to defeat Southwestern League rival Vista Murrieta 104-88 for the Division I crown. Rancho Verde took third with 40 points.
Top finishers and some others who have California State Track and Field Championships qualifying times or marks in field events, will advance to the state finals at Buchanan High in Clovis on June 3-4.
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Macias makes City final in 800 and 3,200; Carson girls dominate
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
Gardena High senior Cristhian Macias advanced to the CIF-Los Angeles City Section in the 800-meter run after a third place overall finish with a time of two minutes and .04 seconds in last Thursday’s City Prelims at Birmingham High in Lake Balboa.
Macias, who won Marine League titles in the 800 and 3,200 meters, won the 800 at 1:57.31 in the league finals on May 12 at Carson High, and hopes he can capture the L.A. City championship. He will have to contend with Palisades junior Hunter Parker, who recorded the meet’s best time of 1:59.11, and junior Carlos Martin Del Campo of Sepulveda Monroe, who was second overall in 1:59.92. Another top contender is Macias’ 800 junior rival Leonardo Jiminez from San Pedro who was fourth overall clocking 2:00.34.
In the 3,200, Macias was 10th overall in 9:58.34 and he will be faced with stiff competition, led by Venice’s Paul Luevano who had the top overall time of 9:22.3. Macias has run as fast as 9:40 in the South Bay Track and Field Championships last month at West Torrance High. The top 12 overall compete in the finals in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 with the top eight in the 100, 200 and 400.
Carson’s girls are the favorites to repeat as L.A. City champions as they dominated numerous events. The Lady Colts won both the 4×100 and 4×400 relays with times of 46.05 and 4:00.85, in order. Junior Kaelin Roberts was the meet’s top overall finisher in the 200 (24.13) and 400 (55.66). Roberts currently has California’s top 400 time of 53.47 she did at the Arcadia Invitational on April 9. Autumn Wright was second behind Roberts in the 400 in 56.63 and third in the 200 (24.84). In the 200, the Colts had four of the top five top overall runners that included fourth place Kenyla Miles (24.88) and Kennedi Atkins (fifth place, 25.47). All are juniors.
Miles was also the top qualifier in the 100 meters timing 12.14 and Atkins is the third seed with a 12.3.
Carson dominated the girls’ triple jump with the top four seeds and the long jump with the three of the top four overall. In the triple jump, it was sophomore Jaylen Walker who leaped 35 feet, five inches. Veronica Coates (35-2), Crystal Washington (34-11) and Jonon Young (34-8), were second, third and fourth, respectively. Kaira Gavin also advanced to the finals after an eighth place finish at 32-4. In the long jump, the Colts were led by Young with the top finish at 18-8. Coates (second, 16-7) and Walker (fourth, 16-1.5) also advanced.
In the girls’ shot put, Narbonne senior Amber Hart led the qualifiers with a best mark of 40-2.5). Washington also advanced with a fifth best mark of 32-10.
For the boys, Carson senior hurdler Patrick Washington advanced in the 110 highs (second, 15.38) and 300 intermediates (first, 39.73). The Colts also advanced both their 400- and 1,600-meter relays. Carson’s 4×100 will be third seed after a 43.35 timing (Dorsey (41.96) is No. 1 and Woodland Hills El Camino Real (43.11) is second.) and its 4×400 made it with a sixth overall best time of 3:27.89. The Dons had the top time in 3:22.64.
Narbonne also advanced both of its relays with its 1,600 taking third timing 3:25.12 and 400 sixth in 43.11.
The L.A. City championships will be today starting at 4 p.m. (Running events begin at 5:30 p.m.) at Birmingham High.
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Baseball
Gardena High falls to Eagle Rock in first round
By Joe Snyder
Staff Writer
Gardena High’s baseball team saw its season come to an end with a 7-4 loss to host Eagle Rock in the first round of the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division II playoffs on May 17.
With the loss, the Panthers ended their season at 5-14. Gardena finished in fifth place in the tough Marine League and was seeded ninth in the 16-team playoffs. The Eagles were the eighth seed and were second place finishers in the Northern League.
The always powerful San Fernando Valley has all four of its teams in the City Division I semifinals. Banning was the last Marine League survivor, losing to host Cleveland 2-1 in the quarterfinals last Friday in Reseda. Carson and Narbonne were both ousted in the first round of the L.A. City Division I first round. The Gauchos, who were semifinalists in the past two years, were eliminated by host Granada Hills Kennedy 5-2. The Colts fell short of host Cleveland 6-5.
North Torrance High’s baseball team had a surprise third place finish in the Pioneer League, behind champion West Torrance and runner-up Torrance, but lost its wild card game at home to Alhambra 3-1 on May 17.
One bad inning hurt the Saxons. The Moors, who were third in the Almont League, scored all three of their runs in the top of the third, helped by two throwing errors. Only one of the runs was earned.
North scored its only run in the bottom of the seventh when Josh Carrillo, who led off with a base hit that was followed by a single from Alexander Khatib, scored on a fielder’s choice hit by Ryan Tobias. The threat, however, ended when Alhambra pitcher Gilbert Romero struck out the final two batters.
Dylan Hatai allowed one earned run for North, which ended its season at 10-17.
Torrance appeared to win its first round game over Fullerton 4-1 in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division IV playoffs last Thursday at Torrance Park’s Kendall Field. A day later, though, the Tartars received stunning news that they had to forfeit that victory due to an illegal batting practice they had before the contest. The CIF-Southern Section restricts teams from using a full-scale batting practice where the pitcher throws above his knees and that’s what happened.
The Tartars were the second South Bay team to have to forfeit a playoff game because of an illegal batting practice. Two years ago, Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula forfeited its CIF-Southern Section Division III second round playoff contest to Santa Monica for a similar reason. On the field, the Panthers topped the Vikings 7-2. Santa Monica lost to Palm Desert in the semifinals that year.
West Torrance, which began the Division IV playoffs as the No. 3 seed, lost its first round game to Pico Rivera El Rancho 4-1 last Thursday at West. Cody Wissler drove in the Warriors’ only run with a base hit. Nathan Santiago scored on the play. Wissler went 2-for-3 and Santiago had a single and stolen base. West ended its season at 19-10 overall after winning then Pioneer with a 9-1 mark.
