High School Track : New Cleveland Recruits Run Wild

After failing to win a meet in the previous three seasons, Cleveland High was on the verge of not fielding a track team this year because of a lack of participation. But things have improved drastically since Steve Landress, the football and track coach, stepped in and began recruiting athletes from the basketball and football teams.

The Cavaliers (2-2) are no longer pushovers and they proved it Wednesday, upsetting Taft, 66-61, in a Northwest Valley Conference meet at Cleveland.

Tim Bowen, a starting guard on the basketball team, won the 100 meters in 11.2 seconds and anchored the Cavaliers’ victorious 440-yard relay (45.2) team in his first meet.

Dante Johnson, a wide receiver on the football team, won the 120-yard high hurdles in 15.2 and the 330-yard intermediates in 41.6. Teammate Michael Chatman won the 220 in 22.8 and the 440 in 54.2.

In other boys’ meets:

Kennedy 64, Chatsworth 63--Chatsworth won 10 of 15 events, but host Kennedy’s depth prevailed in the Northwest Valley Conference meet. Jorge Duran led Kennedy (3-1) with wins in the mile (4:49.0) and two mile (10:22.4) and teammate Patrick Blake won the 120 high hurdles in 15.7.

Michael Hamilton won the 100 meters in 10.9, the 220 in 23.0 and ran legs on the victorious 440 (44.7) and mile relays (3:34.5) for Chatsworth (1-3).

Notre Dame 86, Harvard 41--Angelo Palazzo led Notre Dame sweeps in the 100 meters and the 220 yards in the San Fernando Valley League meet at Harvard.

Palazzo won the 100 in 11.0 and the 220 in 22.7.

GIRLS

Kennedy 75, Chatsworth 33--Kathy McClain won the 110-yard low hurdles (17.0), the 330-yard low hurdles (49.1), and ran legs on the victorious 440 (52.2) and mile (4:35.0) relays as host Kennedy posted its 100th dual-meet victory in the Northwest Valley Conference meet.

The Golden Cougars (4-0), who won 10 consecutive Mid-Valley League dual-meet titles from 1979-1988, are 100-5 since the girls’ program began in 1976.

Notre Dame 88, Louisville 30--Jenny Stewart won three events for Notre Dame (2-0) in the San Fernando Valley League meet at Harvard.

Stewart won the high jump (4-8), the long jump (16-0) and triple jump (32-2).