Kennedy Poised to Win Another Track Title

The names and faces may change each year, yet Kennedy High finds itself in a familiar position after defeating Van Nuys, 83-44, in a Mid-Valley League track meet Friday at Kennedy.

For the third time in the past three years, the Golden Cougars (6-0, 4-0 in league meets) will enter the final week of the regular season with a shot at the Mid-Valley League title.

In 1986, Kennedy defeated San Fernando in the final dual meet of the season for the league title. Last year, the Golden Cougars mauled Van Nuys for the championship. And next Friday, Kennedy will play host to Birmingham in a title-deciding meet.

If the Golden Cougars win, it will be their fourth consecutive league title and eighth in the past nine years.

“We just keep rolling along,” 17-year Kennedy Coach Pete Nelson said after watching his team trounce a Van Nuys squad that narrowly lost to Birmingham, 67-55, last week. “I expected a much tougher meet today, but it didn’t turn out that way.”

The Golden Cougars won 9 of 15 events, including 1-2-3 sweeps in the 220-yard dash, pole vault and shotput.

Fred Bryant gave Van Nuys (3-3, 2-2) a brief 5-4 lead when he won the 120-yard high hurdles in 16.2 seconds, but Kennedy retaliated with a victory in the 440 relay, a 1-2 finish in the 100 meters and a sweep in the shotput.

Kennedy’s Tony Brown and Fred Decatur and Van Nuys’ Muhammad Zaid were expected to wage a tight battle in the 100, but Brown (11.0) and Decatur (11.2) easily defeated Zaid (11.6).

“This is Brown’s first year running track. He’s been a real pleasant surprise,” Nelson said.

Brown, a senior, also placed second in the 220 behind teammate Damon Garrett, 23.6 to 23.7, and ran the second leg of the victorious 440 relay (43.8). Other winners for Kennedy included Patrick Doucette in the 440 (52.3), George Duran in the mile (4:44.8) and two-mile (10:20.1) and Kirk Smith in the pole vault (12-6).