Boys’ Track and Field Preview: Star search begins for local programs

With the graduation of the area’s two most dynamic boys’ track and field athletes – Flintridge Prep’s Jack Van Scoter and St. Francis High’s Jasher Foster – the question that confronts the Glendale area is who will be this year’s breakout star?

In cross-country, Crescenta Valley junior Colin FitzGerald certainly took the next step.

The All-Area Boys’ Cross-Country Runner of the Year won a Pacific League championship and finished second at the CIF Southern Section Division I finals.

Last season, FitzGerald enjoyed a breakthrough effort at the league finals, winning the 3,200-meter championships in 9 minutes, 28.29 seconds. FitzGerald lowered that time at the Division I prelims and just missed advancing to the championships by taking 11th in 9:28.09.

“Last track season was such a big improvement that that set him up for a big year in cross-country,” Crescenta Valley Coach Mark Evans said. “That has set him up for a big track season this year. We’ll see where he goes in track and field.”

FitzGerald will compete in the 1,600 and 3,200 and will make his debut at the Redondo Invitational on March 10.

FitzGerald will be joined by junior Artin Allahverdian and Jack Johnson in both races, while Johnson will also compete in the 800.

In the sprints, Evans has a pair of hopefuls in Brandon Budwig and Nick Tralongo, along with sophomore Kevin Tasci in the 400.

In field events, Aidan Foote and Riley Holmquist will look to establish a strong one-two punch for the Falcons in the pole vault.

With Van Scoter last season, the Rebels finished as league runner-up to archrival Pasadena Poly and took home two individual league titles.

While doing well in league is something Flintridge Prep’s Jen Molebash is striving for, the second-year coach also wants her team to look beyond the confines of league.

“League is a fun culmination to the season for the majority of the squad, but really my sights are always going to that next step, which would be advancing all the way through to CIF prelims and finals,” Molebash said. “Collectively as a school, we want to do very well at league prelims, but then after that date the sport becomes very individual.”

Perhaps as expected with the success of the cross-country team, the Rebels will be strong in the distances.

Junior Evan Patinelli rejoins the squad off a wonderful cross-country season in which he captured the CIF Southern Section Division V title in 15 minutes, 10.81 seconds. Last season, Patinelli took third in the 1,600 (4:31.59) and in the 3,200 (9:41.16) at league finals and advanced to the CIF prelims.

Johnny Vahala, a team leader in cross-country, will bring his senior experience in track in both the 1,600 and 3,200, while Riley Coan, who took second in the league 800-meter finals in 2:03.47, is also back.

In the field events, senior Warren Hosseinion’s is his team’s standout after finishing second in the league finals in the shot put (44 feet, 2 1/4 inches) and discus (129-3).

The numbers continue to rise for St. Francis High in the third year of coach Mike Russell.

“There’s about 85 kids out right now for track as opposed to 70 last year,” Russell said. “Everything is going to plan and the kids have bought in. I think they have what it takes to be successful.”

Russell graduated perhaps the most dynamic athlete in St. Francis track and field history in Foster (Mt. San Antonio College), who won three CIF Southern Section championships over the past two seasons.

While Russell does not have a similar athlete on this year’s squad, the Golden Knights collectively may be stronger.

Junior sprinter/relay runner Taylor Bosveld returns and will compete in the 100 and 200, along with the 400-meter and 1,600-meter relays. Junior Blake Howard is also back in the hurdles and long jump, while football standouts Gabriel Grbavac and Greg Dulich will participate in the shot put and triple jump, respectively.

Russell is also optimistic about 200-meter runner Michael Leon, who will be available to compete in the 400 and 400 relay.

It’s certainly a season of change for Glendale, which finished 3-4 last season within the Pacific League.

Glendale graduated its two best athletes in league champion shot putter Haykaz Melkonyan and 1,600-meter runner Paolo Vazquez. Both athletes represented their squad at last season’s CIF Southern Section Division I prelims.

“Graduation losses were heavy, so we only have eight athletes returning with any varsity experience,” Glendale Coach Bob Bailey emailed. “We are going to really rely on many new faces to help bolster our varsity team this year. On the good side, we will have very few losses this year due to graduation, so we may be looking at building a good foundation for the next couple of years.”

Bailey has a dark horse CIF contender in sophomore Dane Tamme in the 100 and 200. Tamme will be flanked by newcomers junior Robert Peralta (200 and 400) and senior hurdler Isiah Redona (hurdles).

Perhaps the school’s most versatile track athlete is back in senior Dexxer Medina, who will compete in the 1,600 and 3,200 along with the discus. Medina and junior Albert Hernandez (800 and 1,600) will anchor the distance squad.

In field events, senior Kuba Nogalski will look to top his personal-best mark of 5-6 in the high jump, while senior Galo Lopez is also looking to surpass his top height of 12-6 in the pole vault.

At Hoover, coach Jack Sallakian has 30 athletes out for varsity, with the team’s best hope at making a deep postseason run resting on the broad shoulders of senior Chris White.

The three-sport star (wrestling and football) finished strong last year as he took third place at the Pacific League finals in the shot put with a toss of 45-10 and was his school’s lone advancer to the Division III prelims.

There, White continued his ascent by finishing 12th in the event with a personal-record throw of 50-0 1/2.

“You know he missed time last year because of wrestling and he missed about a month because he was sick,” Sallakian said. “He’s promised to put in a lot of effort this season and got a taste of his potential last year.”

White will compete in both throws and will provide valuable senior leadership along with Chris Chereque, who win run in the 1,600 and 3,200, and Quinton Smith, who will compete in the sprints.