ROUNDUP : Birmingham Cruises Past Reseda in Track

Birmingham High tightened its grip on a third consecutive Mid-Valley League boys’ track and field title Wednesday with an 82-45 thrashing of previously unbeaten Reseda at Birmingham.

The victory was the Braves’ second in five days and second in a row over a previously undefeated league foe. On Friday, Birmingham edged Van Nuys, 72-54.

Brian Gastelum, who won all three distance races Friday against Van Nuys, won the 800- and 1,600-meter runs and finished second to teammate Carlos Aguilar in the 3,200 on Wednesday.

The Birmingham senior explained his second-place effort by saying he was saving himself for the 800 and 1,600 at Saturday’s Arcadia Invitational and didn’t expect to have to run 1 minute 59.5 seconds in the 800 and 4:38.7 in the 1,600 against Reseda’s Peter Fain.

“I knew he had a good kick, that’s why I went out that fast,” he said of his 57.5 400-meter split in the 800. “I just wanted to get ahead. I didn’t want it to get down to the end.”

Fain finished second in the 800 (2:01.3) and 1,600 (4:40.3) and third in the 3,200 (10:42.5).

In the 1,600, Fain used an explosive sprint to pass two Birmingham runners in the final 200.

Birmingham (6-0, 6-0 in league meets) led through seven events, 35-24, but it was the Braves’ 1-2 finish in the 400 that staggered Reseda Coach Steve Caminiti.

“When (Birmingham’s Mike Moguel) ran that good quarter, that was like a stake to the heart,” he said of the sophomore’s win in 51.6 seconds. Mark Vigil (52.0) finished second.

Chris Kates paced Reseda (5-1, 5-1) with wins in the 100 (11.0) and 200 (22.8).

The Birmingham girls’ team swept six events and won both relays against the Regents to move closer to its second consecutive league championship with a 92-26 victory.

Cheri-Lee Segal led Birmingham (6-0, 6-0) to sweeps in the 800 (2:27.7), 1,600 (5:39.2) and 3,200 (12:15.6).