Woodbridge Girls Win at Valencia

Woodbridge High School dominated the ninth Valencia High School Track and Field Invitational Saturday, finishing first in the girls’ division and second in the boys’.

The Woodbridge girls’ team finished with 108 points, well ahead of second-place Estancia (61) and third-place Gahr (49).

The Warrior boys came within a couple points of winner Valencia (49-47) and Foothill finished third (38).

“We only brought six varsity girls today and we still won the meet,” Woodbridge Coach George Varvas said. “I’m really pleased with our performance, we’re right on schedule.”

Woodbridge’s Kaci Keffer won the 400 meters and the 300-meter hurdles and also anchored the winning 1,600-meter relay team.

The Warriors also received a standout performance from Cathi Peck, who won the 800 meters and 3,200 meters. But Varvas held Peck out of a race that might have proved the meet’s most exciting, denying her a rematch with West Covina South Hills’ Karen Hecox in the 1,600 meters.

“We’ve faced her before and Cathi lost to Hecox on the kick,” said Varvas, who explained that the Southern Section, Masters and state meets are where Peck will get her chance.

“Right now, we’re going to have Cathi run more half-miles to work on her sprinting,” Varvas said.

Hecox, regarded as one of the top milers in the state, blew away the rest of the field in the 1,600, clocking a meet-record time of 5 minutes 3.35 seconds.

She also anchored the 1,600 relay team, using her impressive kick to bring South Hills from 30 meters back to win its heat.

Hecox earned girls’ athlete of the meet honors, while La Habra’s Mark Gonzales took the boys’ award for winning the 800 and 3,200 meters.

Gonzales’ time of 9:32.68 in the 3,200 was only three seconds off the meet record. Valencia’s Jose Sandoval finished second at 9:50.73.

Sandoval’s showing, coupled with a first-place finish by the 1,600 relay team, gave the Valencia boys their edge over Woodbridge.