Burbank, Burroughs track score 10 Pacific League titles
ARCADIA – Though neither the Burbank High nor Burroughs track and field programs captured Pacific League team titles, the squads tried to make up for that by combining for several individual triumphs at Friday’s league finals at Arcadia High.
Burroughs and Burbank each won five crowns and added several more CIF qualifiers in an impressive showing led by Indians junior Emily Virtue and Bulldogs senior Vedavit Shetty.
Virtue was in a league of her own as she first claimed the 1,600 in 5 minutes, 09.79 seconds. Virtue was boxed in at one point by three Arcadia runners before breaking free with 500 meters left.
“I was going to go somewhere between the second and last lap and I tried at 600, but I had to get around the Arcadia girls first,” said Virtue, who took third (5:13) last season. “It ended up being right before the last lap.”
In the 3,200, Virtue’s endurance proved the key as she outlasted the field in a victory in 11:10.17.
While Burbank’s Shetty came in as an overwhelming favorite in the triple jump, the senior turned heads in the 400 and held off Burroughs’ Sammy Duran (50.54, second and qualified to CIF) with a win in a personal-best time of 50.49.
“I was going for the win, but I also wanted a PR so I did what I could,” Shetty said. “I’m pretty proud of this win because everyone knows me as a jumper and I am a jumper, but it’s great to get a sprint, too.”
As expected, Shetty was a runaway winner in the triple jump as the Arcadia Invitational invitee rolled to a victory with a distance of 43 feet, 10 1/2 inches. That mark was more than four feet better than second place.
Perhaps the race of the day took place in the boys’ 1,600-meter championships, which came down to a sprint.
In the end, Burroughs’ junior Jagdeep Chahal thought he exacted some long-awaited revenge by nudging Crescenta Valley’s Colin FitzGerald, 4:26.56-4:26.57, for the championship.
“I just want to say that Colin FitzGerald is awesome and that finish was crazy going back to the final 400,” Chahal said. “I’ve been racing against him for the last three years and it feels good to run with him.”
About 15 minutes after the conclusion of the competition, race officials amended the results and declared both boys champions with a time of 4:26.56.
Burbank junior Sergio Aguilar also nabbed a victory when the Bulldog took an early lead and held on for a victory in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.70.
Aguilar was hoping for a second title in the 300 hurdles (40.90, second and advanced to CIF), but was denied near the finish line by Burroughs’ Max Carrillo, who took the championship in 40.81.
Burbank produced two more champions, beginning with pole vaulter Mikaela Teixeira, who skied to victory in 11 feet.
Bulldogs senior Kira Bochard turned in a bittersweet win in the 300 hurdles in her Arcadia swansong in 45.96
“This is amazing because this is my fourth time winning at league finals in the 300 hurdles if you include my freshman year frosh-soph victory,” Bochard said. “That’s pretty big and I’m really proud of accomplishing that and it’s a little sad that I’m done here.”
Burroughs’ Duran recovered from being nipped in the 400 by winning the league 200 title in 23.07.
Other Burroughs boys’ qualifiers were the 400-meter relay team (second, 44.26), Timothy Wells in the 3,200 (second, 9:34.29), Daniel Han in the pole vault (second, 13 feet), Chahal in the 3,200 (third, 9:42.80), Daniel Frederich in the 800 (third, 2:01.10) and the 1,600-meter relay team (third, 3:30.85).
Burroughs’ Nadime Younan advanced in the discus (second, 105-10) as did Alex Akobian in the pole vault (second, 10-6), Elizabeth Switzer in the pole vault (third, 10 feet) and the 1,600-meter relay team (third, 4:09.46).
The Burbank boys’ 1,600-meter relay team (second, 3:30.51) also punched its ticket to the Division I preliminaries as did Clare Bishop in shot put (second, 32-9) and in the discus (third, 101-6).
The Division I preliminaries will take place on May 13 at Trabuco Hills High.
Twitter: @campadresports
