Knowles aiming to clear state hurdle

James Knowles cleared all hurdles but one last season.

The St. Francis High track and field standout excelled throughout the season en route to winning Mission League championships in the 110- and 300-meter races. Those accomplishments took Knowles to the next level, as he advanced for the first time to the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at Cerritos College in Norwalk and was tabbed the All-Area Boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

While most athletes would be satisfied with reaching the Masters Meet, Knowles came up a bit short in qualifying for the ultimate event — the CIF State Meet.

Knowles became the first Golden Knight to reach the Masters Meet since Andrew Steban accomplished the feat in the pole vault in 2006. Knowles clocked 38.71 seconds to finish eighth in the 300 and was an alternate in the 110.

St. Francis Coach Pat Donovan said Knowles, a senior, has been working tirelessly since the summer to improve his outlook on qualifying for state for the first time.

“There’s that quiet drive to him that I haven’t seen in other athletes I’ve had,” Donovan said. “It’s the strongest I’ve seen him coming into a season and he’s continuing to develop because he wants to get to state.

“I like his chances to reach state. He’s got the skill down for both races. We want to keep him healthy and make sure he’s progressing. He’s very self-motivated.”

Also looking to excel for the Golden Knights are Kibbey Gosnell, Marshall Tush and Caleb Simmeth. Gosnell will pole vault, Tush will do sprints and relays and Simmeth will be a hurdler.

Donovan said the Golden Knights will look to win four meets in their ultra-competitive league that features traditional powerhouses Harvard-Westlake, Crespi and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

Flintridge Prep will have a large portion of key personnel returning. The Rebels should be strong in the long and middle distance events under Coach Nick Ponticello.

Flintridge Prep will have standout James Bradley competing in the 800 and relays, Elias Ellison in the long distance races and Tyler Shum handling sprints and jumps. West Nowotny and Daniel Jung will compete in the discus and shot put.

“Every year, we are trying build and get some more stability,” Ponticello said. “We want to challenge to finish high in the Prep League.

“It’s just a matter of filling in some of the areas.”

La Cañada has a lot of inexperienced freshmen and sophomores on board this season.

“Our team is going to be incredibly young — very, very, very young,” La Cañada co-Coach Casey Mollett said. “We have a tremendous number of new kids, but it’s a good solid group of new kids, that’s what I like to see. I did some preseason training with some of the kids and they did really, really well.”

The Spartans should be able to draw on the experience of several cross-country runners, including brothers Brandon and Ryan Newquest and Mathew Schwartz, in the distance events.

There’s a little uncertainty surrounding the team so far this season, considering its youth and how little practice time it’s had so far this season, Mollett said.

Sophomore Graham Miketta should be strong in sprints and hurdle events this season after he was a league finalist at the frosh/soph. level last year.

“We will push some of the young kids up to varsity,” Mollett said. “That will be a growth for them and some good experience.”