Gastelum Turns Race Into Rout : Prep track and field: Birmingham senior takes charge on the third lap in the 1,600 meters and breezes to 9.10-second victory over rival Danny Jordan of Venice in the City championships.

Brian Gastelum of Birmingham High was as surprised as anyone with his 55-meter victory in the 1,600-meter run in the City Section track and field championships.

The four-lap race turned into a runaway during the third lap when Gastelum surged away from Venice’s Danny Jordan en route to victory in 4 minutes 11.28 seconds Thursday at Birmingham High.

Jordan, who won the City 1,600 title last year and has run 4:10.80 this season, finished second in 4:20.38.

“I was surprised,” Gastelum said of the 9.10-second margin of victory. “I looked at the shadows (after 400 meters) and I saw (Steve Gonzales) from Carson (instead of Jordan) and that gave me a boost.”

The Brave senior bolted to the lead at the start and towed Gonzales through 61.6 and 2:06.6 splits at 400 and 800 meters before opening a 10-meter gap at the 1,000 mark and 20 meters at 1,200.

“That was my main objective, to run a fast first lap, take it easy the second lap and run hard the third lap,” said Gastelum, whose personal best of 4:09.87 ranks fourth nationally and third in California.

Jordan, who signed a letter of intent Wednesday with Southern Methodist, moved into second for good just after 800 meters, but the Gondolier senior could not close the gap on Gastelum. Jordan has been suffering from tendinitis in his right foot the past five weeks.

“It’s real bad,” Venice Coach Chris Hieatt said. “It’s just been the last four or five days he hasn’t been limping.”

Gastelum came back later to log a 9:36.65 clocking to finish third in the 3,200. San Fernando’s Obed Aguirre won in 9:23.41 and Wilson’s Martin Morales (9:26.32) was second.

The first four finishers in each event qualified for the state meet June 1-2 at Cerritos College in Norwalk.

Washington won the boys’ City title with 80 points. Taft finished second with 41 and Crenshaw third with 40. Locke won its seventh consecutive girls’ City title with 104 points. Dorsey (70) was second and Granada Hills (34) third.

Chatsworth hurdler Kyle Beck’s eyes were fixed on his competition in the 110 high hurdles, in which he finished third in 14.72, but the Chancellor senior maintained tunnel vision in winning the 300 intermediates in a personal-best 38.75.

“What I did (in the highs), instead of concentrating on the finish, I was concentrating on my peripheral vision. I was looking for them,” Beck said. “I should have concentrated on the finish.”

In the high hurdles, Beck moved to the front after the fourth hurdle but eventual champion Terrence Campbell (14.47) of Banning and runner-up Curtis Hawkins (14.52) of Carson quickly surged ahead two hurdles later.

Campbell is the younger brother of four-time Olympian Tonie Campbell.

Granada Hills’ girls’ 400 relay team finished second to Locke, 47.74 to 48.22.

The Highlanders held about a five-meter lead over Locke during the third leg but a poor exchange between Kim Montgomery and Shaunte Parker helped give the Saints the win.

“I think we sort of fouled just a little bit and we lost a little acceleration on that last handoff,” Granada Hills co-Coach Eric Parker said.

Parker ran even with Locke anchor Danielle Frost, who placed second in the 100, before the Saint junior pulled away to a three-meter win.

Granada Hills’ 1,600 relay team of Patrice Lattimore, Michelle Fowles, Parker and Montgomery finished third (3:56.49).

Lori Mertes of Chatsworth cleared 5-4 in winning her first City high jump title over Northwest Valley Conference rivals Samantha Beauchamp (5-3) of Granada Hills and Sarah White (5-3) of Taft.

In the pole vault, Birmingham’s Howard Schrier won by clearing 13-6.

Taft 400 runner Ruben Benitez entered the stretch with a three-meter edge over Dorsey’s Lamont Warren, but the Don junior passed Benitez with 60 meters to go.

Warren timed 47.72 and Benitez, a Southern Section 1-A Division finalist last year for Trona High, finished second at 47.89.

Benitez’s teammates Greg Bernard, Jai Cannon and Irving Carter will join Benitez in the state meet.

Bernard improved on his runner-up finish in last year’s shotput with a winning 53-4 1/2 effort. Cannon high-jumped 6-4 to finish second and Carter placed second in the triple jump at 45-3 1/4.

Van Nuys’ Feltina Means qualified for the state preliminaries in three events. She finished second in the 300 low hurdles in 46.60, fourth in the long jump (17-2 1/2) and second in the triple jump (35-7).

San Fernando sprinter Felicia Howard finished second (25.28) in the 200 and third (12.56) in the 100.