High School Spring Sports : Taft Goes the Long Way to Defeat El Camino Real

Taft High sometimes loses a sprint event in a West Valley League dual meet and rarely does it lose two.

On Friday, with their top performers sidelined by illness and injury, the Toreadors lost all three sprints yet came back to defeat host El Camino Real, 73-54.

Quincy Watts, the defending state champion in the 100 and 200 meters, strained his right hamstring midway through the 100 and did not finish. And David Feinstein, who has run 10.9 this season, did not race because of the flu.

In their absence, Adelbert Bayliss of El Camino Real (3-2, 2-1) won the 100 in 11.2 seconds and the 220 in 22.6, and Danny Haas won the 440 in 51.6.

Taft (3-1, 2-1 in league meets) countered the Conquistadore sprint strength with victories in the field events and middle-distance races.

Lawrence Killens won the long jump with a 21-7 effort. Greg Sheets took the pole vault at 11-6 and Yomo Smith won the triple jump with a 44- 1/2 mark.

Marlon Rodriguez won the mile (4:46.8) and the two-mile (10:45.9) and Darren Fields won the 880 in 2:07.8.

In another boys’ track meet:

Poly 83, Verdugo Hills 44--Shannon Haas won three events and anchored the winning 440 relay team as the host Parrots rolled to their 25th consecutive East Valley League dual-meet victory.

Haas won the 100 meters in 11.2, the 220 yards in 23.8 and the 440 yards in 51.8. Duke Jacobs added victories in the 120-yard high hurdles (16.4), the high jump (6-1) and the long jump (19-8) for Poly (3-2, 2-0).

GIRLS’ TRACK

El Camino Real 62, Taft 47--Melanie Clarke and Alex Guidi won three events each for the Conquistadores (5-0, 3-0) in the West Valley League meet at El Camino Real.

Clarke won the 100 meters in 12.8, the 220 yards in 26.9 and the 440 yards in 60.6. Guidi was victorious in the 880 (2:30.9), the mile (5:34.8) and the two-mile (13:08.4).

SOFTBALL

Agoura 4, Calabasas 0--Freshman pitcher Melissa Thatcher had a perfect game through five innings and wound up with a three-hitter as the Chargers won a Frontier League game at Agoura.

Leslie North had two runs batted in for Agoura (9-4, 4-1).

Chaminade 5, St. Genevieve 4--Zettie Honore (5-2) pitched a three-hitter as Chaminade (8-3) won the San Fernando Valley League opener for both teams. St. Genevieve dropped to 6-6.

L.A. Baptist 18, Montclair Prep 0--Michelle Ruffner threw a no-hitter and struck out nine to lead L. A. Baptist to the Alpha League-opening win. The game was shortened to five innings because of the lopsided score. Karen Redekopp (3 hits, 4 RBIs), Terri Heuseveldt (2 hits, 3 RBIs) and Connie Broussard (3 RBI) had big games for L. A. Baptist (6-5).

VOLLEYBALL

La Canada d. Hart, 12-15, 15-10, 15-7, 9-15, 16-14--The Indians blew a 14-8 lead in the final game in losing a Golden League match at Hart.

Bruce Gray led Hart (1-6, 0-2) with 17 kills and Pete Quinlan added 15. Cameron Smyth had 15 blocks for Hart, in its first year of competition.

BOYS’ SWIMMING

Calabasas 98, Santa Paula 58--Brad Shenfeld, Mike Litter and Richard McCarty each won two events as the Coyotes won a Frontier League meet at Calabasas.

Shenfeld won the 200-meter freestyle (1:53.07) and the 500-meter freestyle (4:55.22), Litter won the 200-meter individual medley (2:11.23) and the 100-meter breaststroke (1:01.48) and McCarty won the 100-meter butterfly (55.81) and 100-meter backstroke (1:04.04).