Muir Goes for State Track Titles

Muir High will be among the favorites in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions when it competes in the 71st CIF State Track and Field Championships Friday and Saturday in Norwalk.

The Mustangs are defending champions in the girls’ division but might have their best opportunity for a title in the boys’ division.

The Muir girls have seven qualifiers competing, including two relay teams, but Coach Jim Brownfield said his squad will have difficulty outscoring Bakersfield for the title.

Muir could also be hindered by a recurring ankle injury to standout sprinter Inger Miller, which surfaced again at the Southern Section Masters Meet last week.

“It’s a difficult road for us at best,” Brownfield said. “Even if we were healthy it would have been tough for us.”

Miller, a senior, finished second to freshman Marion Jones of Rio Mesa in both the 100- and 200-meter runs at the Masters Meet. Miller had qualifying times of 11.65 seconds in the 100 and 24.27 in the 200.

She is also a member of the 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams. The Mustangs produced qualifying marks of 46.23 seconds in the 400 and 3:53.65 in the 1,600.

The girls also qualified Taminika Terry in the 100 and 200 meters and Akua Sutherland in the triple jump. Sutherland finished third with a jump of 38 feet, 4 inches.

The Muir boys have four qualifiers. The Mustangs had the fastest qualifying times in three events. Senior Andre Devezin won the 110-meter high hurdles in 14.47 seconds and the 400 and 1,600 relay teams won in times of 41.46 and 3:15.52.

The Mustangs also have a strong scoring threat with Mike Sulcer in the 400-meter run, where he turned in a fast qualifying time of 48.21 seconds. Among Muir’s top challengers for the title could be Long Beach Poly.

Julianna Yendork of Walnut, defending champion in both the long and triple jumps, turned in top qualifying marks of 19-4 in the long jump and 41-1 1/4 in the triple jump.

Karen Hecox of South Hills, who was the top qualifier in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:41.99, also qualified in the 1,600 meters.

Seven high schools from the San Gabriel Valley have been listed among the winners of the eighth annual CIF-Southern Section Shake for Sportsmanship awards.

The schools are San Gabriel, Mountain View, Sierra Vista, Webb, Temple City, West Covina and South Hills.

Schools were selected for having distinguished themselves in sportsmanship during the 1989-90 athletic year. There were 60 winners from the Southern Section.

A representative from each school will be honored prior to the Dodgers-Atlanta Braves game Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Dodger Stadium.