Hawthorne Boys Run Off With 5th State Track Title

In addition to being a pretty decent track and field coach, Hawthorne High School Kye Courtney has proven that he is also not a bad prognosticator.

Earlier this week, Courtney predicted that the Cougars would earn 34 points in Saturday’s state championships at Cerritos College.

That’s exactly the total the Hawthorne boys earned to outdistance second L. A. Washington and win its fifth state title in six years.

The Cougar girls finished a disappointing third with 37 points, far behind Rio Mesa of Oxnard, which finished with 58 points.

“The kids came and did what they had to do, “ said Courtney, whose teams have won in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988.

“Right now, I’m just going to go home and enjoy myself,” he said. “These people might want to go out and do something, but I’m tired. I’m going home.”

Travis Hannah won the 400 meters in 47.2 and the Cougar mile-relay team also finished first with 3:10.46. Morningside High School finished third in the mile relay, and Ferrick Webster of Morningside placed third in the 400 with 47.65.

The Cougars’ Curtis Conway was third in the 200, finishing at 21.3, just behind Brian Bridgewater of L. A. Washington and Quincy Watts of L. A. Taft.

“I knew I was running against the best,” said Conway, “but I’ll bet if we ran again, I just might win. You just never know how these things will work out.”

Dave Scudamore of Palos Verdes finished third in 3,200 and was clearly disappointed.

“I really wanted to do well here,” her said. “This is my senior year, and I was really looking forward to the title.”

Hawthorne’s girls 400-meter relay team ran way with the event, finishing in 47.1, ahead of St. Francis of Oakland, which finished in 48.

Morningside’s Althea Moses, who last week became the first Southern California girl to break the 40-foot barrier in the triple jump, did it again Saturday. Her mark of 40 feet 9 3/4 inches clearly outdistanced the rest of the field. No one else cleared 40 feet.

Courtney said he expected Hawthorne’s girls to make a better showing. “This morning, I thought the girls would take it going away.”

Girls Coach Archie Amy was not available for comment.

Miraleste’s Marilyn Gragin finished third in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet 8 inches. Freshman Chrissy Mills of North Hollywood’s Campbell Hall won with a mark of 5 feet 10 inches.