HIGH SCHOOLS: THE YEAR IN REVIEW : A Year of Tragedy, Triumph for South Bay Teams : Review: Despite the deaths of two football players, it was a memorable season. Three teams won state titles.

The deaths of two high school football players provided the backdrop for two of the most inspirational prep stories of the 1989-90 academic year.

Dorsey’s season appeared all but over when Kevin Copeland, the team’s star receiver and emotional leader, collapsed and died from heart failure Oct. 6 during a game against San Pedro at Daniels Field.

But the Dons didn’t let the tragedy stand in the way of their goals. If anything, Copeland’s death pulled Dorsey closer together as the team went on to capture the L.A. City Section 4-A Division championship with an upset over heavily favored Carson.

A similar scenario was played out at Serra High, a small all-boys Catholic school in Gardena.

The team was devastated by the death of promising linebacker Demar Harper, who was killed in an automobile accident April 12, 1989.

When the Cavaliers opened the season in September, they wore the letters D.H. on the sleeves of their jerseys. Two months later, they were celebrating a 14-0 record, a fourth consecutive Camino Real League title and the school’s first Southern Section football championship.

“When you lose one,” said Clayton Lopez, Serra’s All-CIF safety, “you have to come closer together to make up for it.”

The resiliency and courage of Serra’s football team was just one of the South Bay success stories.

In all, area schools won eight Southern Section titles and three state championships. And that’s not counting the many athletes who excelled on an individual level.

A look back at those who made it a memorable year:

FOOTBALL

Coaches say funny things sometimes.

Take Bishop Montgomery Coach Steve Carroll, for example.

Carroll had just watched Serra run through his Knights for a 36-0 victory last fall when he said, “They are better than their record indicates.”

Serra was 10-0 at the time.

If you read between the lines, though, you can understand what Carroll was trying to express: Serra didn’t just beat teams, it ravaged them.

Under first-year Coach Leo Hand, the Cavaliers became the South Bay’s most successful team. They outscored their 10 regular-season opponents, 404-53, and won four more games in the Southern Section Division VII playoffs, capped by a 34-31 victory over previously unbeaten Lompoc in the final.

Hand played a big part in the Cavaliers’ rise to dominance. A former coach at St. Anthony and Servite high schools, he recognized the team’s strength in running backs and installed the full-house T (three backs) as the offense.

The speedy backfield of quarterback Fred Safford, fullback Dennis Gerard, and halfbacks Jerald Henry and Lamont Daniel ran behind an imposing line. The team averaged more than 300 yards rushing per game.

Gerard, a 5-8, 190-pound senior, was the workhorse. He led the area with 1,920 yards and 28 touchdowns in 275 carries. He was at his best in his final high school game, rushing for 239 yards and two TDs in Serra’s championship victory over Lompoc.

Gerard was named The Times South Bay Back of the Year, and Hand was named Coach of the Year.

An aggressive defense also contributed mightily to Serra’s success. The defense, anchored by linebacker Steven Johnson, allowed an average of eight points a game and had four shutouts.

Carson’s bid for a second consecutive L.A. City 4-A title was dashed when the Colts were upset by an inspired Dorsey team, 26-15, in the final.

Carson had beaten Dorsey, 29-7, during the season, but nothing went right for the Colts in the rematch. They played without three starters because of injury or suspension, and All-City quarterback Armin Youngblood was hampered by a leg injury. Four of his passes were intercepted, including one that was returned for a touchdown.

The loss denied Coach Gene Vollnogle his 10th City title and 299th career victory. He plans to retire after next season.

Wide receiver Michael Ross and linebacker Nkosi Littleton were two of the main contributors for Carson (10-2). Ross rewrote virtually every school receiving record, and the 6-2, 220-pound Littleton finished his career ranked third in tackles. Littleton, who signed with UCLA, was named The Times South Bay Lineman of the Year.

Palos Verdes was picked by the coaches to finish sixth in the eight-team Bay League, but the Sea Kings surprised everyone by tying Hawthorne for the title. Hawthorne was led by speedy tailback Chris Alexander, a UCLA recruit.

Beverly Hills was forced to forfeit Bay League games to Santa Monica, Hawthorne and Palos Verdes because of the district teachers strike.

West Torrance won the Ocean League title behind the play of its stingy defense and versatile Josh Moore, a running back and defensive back who was also a dangerous kick returner.

North Torrance’s Eric Hansen was the leading receiver in the state at the end of the season, catching a South Bay-record 84 passes for 1,224 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games.

Banning, which at one point in the season was ranked No. 2 in the state, slumped late in the year and missed the L.A. City playoffs for the first time since 1973.

The state’s longest losing streak, 23 games, came to an end Sept. 29 when Narbonne defeated Wilson, 23-20, on Wilfred Rodriguez’s last-second, 46-yard field goal.

CROSS COUNTRY

It was another championship run for the Palos Verdes girls, who captured their fifth consecutive Southern Section 4-A title and third consecutive state Division I title.

Freshman Tami Wilcox, who was a fifth-grader when Palos Verdes began its Southern Section championship streak, paced the Sea Kings at the state meet with a 12th-place time of 18 minutes, 47 seconds at Fresno’s Woodward Park.

Palos Verdes placed five runners in the top 20 over the hilly three-mile course to finish with 68 points, besting second-place Agoura (75).

Coach Joe Kelly said it was his most satisfying championship.

“This is without a doubt the best I’ve ever seen a Palos Verdes girls’ team run,” he said.

Maya Muneno was the team’s top finisher at the Southern Section finals at Mt. San Antonio College, placing seventh in the 4-A race in 18:54.

In the state Division I boys’ race, three South Bay runners placed in the top 12. Israel Pose of Torrance took eighth in 15:30, Roman Rendon of Banning was ninth in 15:38 and Steven Gonzales of Carson was 12th in 15:41.

In the L.A. City Section finals at Pierce College, Gonzales placed third in 15:30 and Rendon was sixth in 15:55. San Pedro’s Lucy Diaz took ninth in 20:20 to lead the Pirates to a second-place finish in the girls’ race.

GIRLS TENNIS

Top-seeded Julie Oshiro of Gardena captured the L.A. City Section singles title with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over second-seeded Monica Kocian of Fairfax. Oshiro lost only six games in the four-round individual tournament.

In the Southern Section, Miraleste lost in the 4-A Division team final for the second consecutive year to Corona del Mar.

Miraleste (15-3), led by sisters Christa and Erica Hanson, reached the 4-A final with a 10-8 victory over Bay League champion Palos Verdes.

WATER POLO

Miraleste laid the foundation for what should be a promising season next fall by reaching the Southern Section 2-A Division semifinals.

The Marauders, starting an entire junior lineup with the exception of one senior, won the Ocean League title and three playoff games before losing to La Serna of Whittier, 10-8.

“We’ll be in good shape next year,” said Coach Chick McIlroy, whose team finished with a 22-6 record. Kyle Hildebrand, Brad Youngren and goalie David Reed were among Miraleste’s top players.

Bay League champion Palos Verdes (20-5) equaled the school record set in 1988 by winning 20 games. The Sea Kings lost in the 3-A Division quarterfinals to Capistrano Valley.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Mira Costa enjoyed a dream season last fall, winning the Southern Section 5-A Division title, the State Division I championship and a mythical national title with a 28-0 record.

Kristal Attwood, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker, recorded 19 kills to lead the Mustangs to a 15-11, 15-8, 15-4 victory over Lynbrook of San Jose in the state final at Cal State Fullerton. Her hitting helped turn around the opening game, during which Mira Costa trailed, 10-2.

It was Mira Costa’s third state championship under Coach Dae Lea Aldrich. The Mustangs won titles in 1982 and ’85 and were runners-up in ’83 and ’86.

Setter Piper Hahn, who had 29 assists and 12 digs in the state final, was named the nation’s top prep player by Volleyball Monthly and USA Today. Hahn was joined on the All-Southern Section 5-A squad by teammates Attwood, Heidi Eick, Rainy Chrisman, Robin Ortgiesen and Erika Lawson. Hahn was 5-A MVP.

Chadwick captured its first Southern Section title by sweeping Mayfield, 15-8, 15-9, 15-3, in the Small Schools Division final. The Dolphins (19-0), coached by Anita Drennen, were led in the match by Shannon Davenport with 18 kills. Davenport, a junior outside hitter, and senior setter Cyrille Kaufman were named division co-MVPs.

BOYS BASKETBALL

A not-so-funny thing happened to Morningside on the way to those Southern Section and state titles it was favored to win.

The Monarchs lost in the playoffs. Early.

As with most upsets, it happened quickly and unexpectedly. They allowed a seven-point halftime lead to get away, and watched as visiting Lompoc fought back for an 83-80 victory in the 3-AA Division quarterfinals.

“The kids had dreams of being CIF champions,” Morningside Co-Coach Carl Franklin said. “It was a three-year goal for many of them.”

Until the dream died, the Monarchs (24-4) were the top-ranked Division III team in the state. They had size, depth and talent. Without them, the playoffs turned into a grab-bag affair. Estancia, the third-place team from the Seaview League, won the 3-AA title. Angelus League runner-up Servite, which lost in the 3-AA final, came back to win the Division III regional and state titles.

“We should have been here,” Morningside Co-Coach Ron Randle sniffed after Servite captured the state title in Oakland.

The Monarchs were clearly the area’s most dominant team. They established that early by winning the Pacific Shores Tournament, and captured their sixth league title in seven years by posting an impressive 14-0 Ocean League mark. Tyrone Paul, a 6-6 forward who signed with Clemson, used his 46-inch vertical leap to become the area’s most exciting player. He averaged 20.5 points a game and was selected Southern Section Division III co-player of the year and The Times South Bay Player of the Year.

For their efforts, Randle and Franklin shared The Times South Bay Coach of the Year award.

Another strong coaching effort was turned in by El Segundo’s Rick Sabosky. He nearly quit when he learned that the Eagles were moving to the tough Camino Real League, but his fears proved unfounded as El Segundo tied for fourth place and recorded a six-game winning streak that included victories over league powers St. Anthony, Serra, Verbum Dei and St. Bernard.

The Eagles carried their success into the playoffs. Featuring a balanced lineup headed by guard Scott Panfil, center Kenny Talanoa and forward Tate Seefried, they reached the Southern Section 2-A semifinals before losing to Laguna Beach, 67-55.

Chadwick was the only other area team to reach the semifinals, falling to Brethren in the 1-A playoffs, 64-63, despite the efforts of 6-5 forward Larry Williams, the Southern Section Division V Player of the Year.

Hawthorne bounced back from a 7-16 season in 1989 to contend for the Bay League title. The Cougars finished one game behind Beverly Hills and reached the second round of the 5-AA playoffs.

First-year Coach Doug Mitchell guided Bishop Montgomery to its best finish in several seasons. The Knights, led by St. Mary’s-bound guard Darrell Daniel, tied Servite for second place in the demanding Angelus League and reached the quarterfinals of the 4-A playoffs.

Rolling Hills guard Steve Clover, who helped his team to the second round of the 3-AA playoffs, set state records for most three-point shots in a career (288), season (140) and game (11 against Torrance). The 6-4 sharpshooter will play for Pepperdine next season.

Another shooting specialist, Torrance guard Rick Robison, averaged 34.5 points a game, the third-highest mark in the state. He made 86 three-point shots this season and finished with 180 in his two-year varsity career.

Carson captured the Pacific League title and reached the L.A. City Section 4-A quarterfinals.

Inglewood Coach Vince Combs was fired after the season and replaced by Art Bias, who previously coached the Sentinels.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

The Lisa Leslie era at Morningside ended in legendary fashion.

Weakened by chickenpox, strep throat and a 103-degree temperature, Leslie somehow managed to take the court and lead the Lady Monarchs to their second consecutive State Division I championship in March.

The 6-5 center, who was hospitalized briefly after the game, came through with a 35-point, 12-rebound, seven-blocked-shots effort as Morningside (32-3) defeated Northern California champion Berkeley, 67-56, in Oakland.

“I can’t figure out how she played,” Coach Frank Scott said. “It showed how much of a competitor she is.”

Scott didn’t need proof of Leslie’s spirit. For the last four years, he watched Leslie dominate girls’ basketball like no high school player since Cheryl Miller rewrote the record book in the early 1980s at Riverside Poly.

Leslie nearly broke Miller’s most storied record: her national mark of 105 points in a game in 1982. But after scoring 101 in a half, Leslie was denied the record when South Torrance, down to four players because of injuries and fouls, refused to play the second half of an Ocean League game.

It was one of many achievements for Leslie, a consensus choice as the nation’s top schoolgirl player and recipient of The Times South Bay Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season.

In four years as a varsity starter, she helped Morningside to two state titles, three Southern Section major division championships and a staggering 125-9 record, including a 28-2 playoff mark. The Lady Monarchs went 14-0 in the Ocean League last season, extending their streak to 86 league victories and eight titles.

Leslie, who never missed a start in 133 games at Morningside, finished her senior season averaging 27 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocked shots a game. Her career rebounding total (1,705) is the best in Southern Section history, and her career point total (2,896) is second behind Miller’s 3,446.

Leslie continued to grab headlines after the season. She picked USC over Cal State Long Beach in one of the year’s most dramatic recruiting stories, and she was the only high school player chosen as one of 13 finalists for 12 spots on the U.S. national team.

If there was a South Bay team that rivaled Morningside’s success in 1990, it was Palos Verdes.

Led by guards Lisa Humphreys and Susan Wilhite, the Sea Kings went 14-0 in the Bay League to extend their league winning streak to 47 games. They also swept through the playoffs, losing only to powerful Brea-Olinda (one of three teams to beat Morningside this year) in the Southern Section 3-AA and Division III regional finals by scores of 50-33 and 47-46, respectively.

Palos Verdes, which wasn’t expected to do this well after the graduation of 6-5 twins Heather and Heidi Burge in 1989, finished with a 29-6 record. Coach Wendell Yoshida was named The Times South Bay Coach of the Year.

West Torrance (22-7) was the third area team to reach a Southern Section title game, losing in the 4-A final to La Quinta of Westminster, 72-62. The Warriors, Ocean League runners-up behind Morningside, enjoyed their finest season ever behind the play of guards Rosa Olloque and Mary Litzenberg, who combined to average nearly 40 points a game.

Carson and Narbonne lost in the L.A. City 4-A Division semifinals. Carson, led by sophomore phenom Bernice Alafua, lost to eventual champion Washington. Narbonne, led by Pacific League MVP Shasta Paris, lost to Van Nuys.

Aside from Leslie, the only area player to sign with a major college was North Torrance forward Laura Collins, who committed to UCLA. The 6-0 senior led the Saxons to CIF 4-A quarterfinals for the second consective year.

BOYS SOCCER

Palos Verdes had a tough act to follow in 1990--its own.

The Sea Kings came off what many considered the best season in Southern Section history in 1989, when they went 33-0 and captured the 4-A Division championship. It was the school’s first CIF title in boys soccer.

Palos Verdes wasn’t as dominant this year, but just as successful. The Sea Kings stormed to another Bay League title and repeated as 4-A champion with a 1-0 victory over top-seeded Simi Valley. An early goal by Brian Durbin and a last-second save of a penalty shot by goalkeeper Mark Antrobius provided the difference as the Sea Kings finished 29-2-2.

“This one is so sweet, because the kids weren’t supposed to do some of the things they did this year,” said 17-year Coach Alan King.

By avenging a 3-0 loss to Simi Valley that occurred early in the season, Palos Verdes became the first boys soccer team to repeat as Southern Section champion since Santa Barbara won three consecutive titles from 1975-77.

Sea King forward Doug Kay, who led the team with 28 goals and assisted on Durbin’s goal in the 4-A championship game, was named the Offensive Player of the Year in the 4-A Division. Kay was joined on the All-Southern Section 4-A squad by three teammates: Antrobius, midfielder Brandon DeMott and forward Peter Malishka.

South Torrance, led by high-scoring forward Kevin Fitzpatrick, won the Ocean League title but was beaten in the first round of the 4-A playoffs by Marina of Huntington Beach, 2-1.

San Pedro, the 1989 L.A. City Section champion, was upset in the playoff quarterfinals by Locke, 1-0. It marked the first time in five seasons under Coach Hank Nozaki, who called this team his “best ever,” that the Pirates failed to reach at least the semifinals.

GIRLS SOCCER

South Torrance enjoyed the best season of any South Bay team, winning the Ocean League title and reaching the Southern Section 4-A Division semifinals before losing to eventual champion El Toro, 2-1. The Spartans were paced by senior forward Rachel Barmann and junior midfielder Gillian Boxx, who were named to the All-CIF 4-A first team.

Torrance, led by sophomore midfielder Jessica Reifer, won the Bay League championship and reached the second round of the 4-A playoffs.

El Segundo, the Camino Real League runner-up behind Miraleste, pulled off one of the year’s biggest upsets by beating top-seeded Santa Margarita, 1-0, in the first round of the 1-A playoffs. El Segundo’s Mike Collins was chosen 1-A Coach of the Year. Eagle goalkeeper Cheri Bufford had 10 shutouts.

San Pedro’s Melissa Elgin set a school and L.A. City Section playoff mark by scoring seven goals in a 10-0 first-round victory over Wilson.

WRESTLING

Josh Gormley, a 6-4, 235-pound transfer from Red Bluff High in Northern California, became the first West Torrance wrestler to win a state title in the 20-year reign of Kent Wyatt, the Warriors’ coach.

Gormley posted a 5-0 record during the two-day tournament in Stockton to capture the heavyweight title. The junior, who finished 28-5, was a big reason West dominated Ocean League competition and took second at the Southern Section 3-A Division finals.

Another junior, Danny Katoa of Morningside, was the only South Bay wrestler to capture a Southern Section title, winning the 191-pound category at the 3-A finals.

Gormley and Katoa also are expected to make their presence felt next fall. Gormley was a starting linebacker for Red Bluff before his family moved in November, and Katoa was an all-Ocean League linebacker for Morningside.

Others who qualified for the state meet were Chris Xavier (98 pounds) and Erick Gaunt (165) of Torrance and Demian Botero (145) of West.

BASEBALL

El Segundo was the favorite to win the 1990 Southern Section 2-A Division championship. The Eagles returned 10 of 16 players from the 1989 Southern Section championship team and had added touted transfer Tate Seefried.

The combination proved devastating.

With Seefried leading the way, El Segundo set Southern Section records for most runs scored (362) and hits (375) in a season on its way to a 27-4 record. The Eagles won their second consecutive Camino Real League title with a two-game sweep over rival St. Bernard, and they measured up with some of the top teams in the section.

Included in their victories were tournament victories over Moore League champion Millikan and Ocean League champ Culver City, the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in the 5-A Division playoffs.

El Segundo was dominant in all phases of the game. The team flirted with a .400 batting average, it played air-tight defense and it possessed the area’s deepest pitching staff with a three-player rotation of right-handers Seefried (7-2) and Rob Croxall (10-1) and left-hander Jason Wayt (8-1).

The Eagles grabbed headlines early in the season when they opened league play with a 42-0 victory over Serra. It was the second-highest one-game run total by a team in Southern Section history. The record (45) was established by Whittier High in 1922 against Garden Grove.

El Segundo was the No. 1-ranked team in the 2-A Division throughout most of the season. But in the final game, a rematch of the 1989 2-A final, the Eagles squandered an early lead and fell to San Marino, 5-4, at Anaheim Stadium.

The loss, however, didn’t detract from a banner season for several players. Seefried, The Times South Bay Player of the Year and a third-round pick of the New York Yankees, set school records for most home runs (13), runs batted in (50), hits (55) and runs scored (44) in a season. Catcher Garret Quaintance batted .442 with 42 RBI and was a repeat selection on the All-CIF 2-A team. Shortstop Mark Lewis committed only three errors in 31 games and helped the Eagles turn a school-record 24 double plays. Croxall, the team’s ace, led area pitchers with a 1.02 earned-run average and had a streak of 31 consectutive scoreless innings.

Coach John Stevenson, who had the pleasure of coaching his son Eric, the team’s senior second baseman, completed his 31st season at El Segundo with a 659-247 record, the best in California.

Aside from El Segundo, the only South Bay team to win more than one playoff game was St. Bernard, which reached the 2-A quarterfinals.

Rolling Hills overcame youth and inexperience to tie Torrance and Beverly Hills for the Bay League title. The Titans had five seniors and returned only three starters from ‘89, but led by pitcher-infielder Kirt Kishita (9-5), they captured their first league crown since 1978 and reached the second round of the 5-A playoffs. Coach Garry Poe, in his 20th season at Rolling Hills, was named The Times South Bay Coach of the Year.

It proved a big year for juniors. Some of the top 11th-graders were Banning pitcher Mike Busby, who led the Pilots to the Pacific League title and led the area with 127 strikeouts in 92 innings; Kishita; Torrance third baseman Antone Williamson (.500), a repeat choice on The Times South Bay All-Star team; Palos Verdes first baseman-pitcher Pat O’Hara, and Chadwick catcher Todd Seneker.

Miraleste and Mary Star waged one of the most competitive and unpredictable battles in the Santa Fe League. Miraleste appeared headed for the title after routing Mary Star, 26-2, in the first round of league play. But the Stars came back to blank the Marauders, 4-0, in the rematch, and the teams ended up tied for first place.

GOLF

Rolling Hills won the Bay League championship and North Torrance captured the Ocean League title. Individually, Brian Schroeder of Palos Verdes was the top CIF qualifier from the Bay League, and Jeff Quintin of West Torrance led all Ocean League qualifiers.

SOFTBALL

Competitive league races highlighted the season in the South Bay:

* West and South Torrance waged a seesaw battle in the Ocean League that ended with the teams tying for the title.

* Torrance edged Rolling Hills for the Bay League championship on the last day of the season, when Rolling Hills was upset by Palos Verdes.

* And Carson defeated rival Banning in a winner-take-all showdown for the Pacific League title.

No area team, however, made it past the second round of the playoffs.

As usual, pitching was the name of the game for the successful teams. Outstanding hurlers included Rosa Olloque of West, Julie DeJaifre of South, Jennifer Van Wie of Camino Real League champion Miraleste, Jamie Sibley of Torrance and Renee Ward of Rolling Hills.

BOYS TENNIS

Singles players Jeff Steinberg and Harry Seltzer led Redondo to a second consecutive Ocean League title. The Sea Hawks lost in the second round of the Southern Section 3-A playoffs. South Torrance, the Ocean League runner-up, reached the quarterfinals.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

The best team ever.

That was the assessment of Mira Costa Coach Mike Cook after his team, boasting four Division I college recruits, completed a 22-0 season by capturing the Southern Section 4-A Division title with a 15-6, 15-12, 15-11 victory over Edison of Huntington Beach.

It gave the Mustangs the mythical national championship.

“We’re the best team over one year,” Cook said.

Others agreed. “I believe they are the best team ever,” Edison Coach Brian Rofer said.

One thing’s for certain: The Mustangs were dominant. They dropped only two games within a match--both against Edison early in the year--and finished with an astounding 77-2 game record.

Mira Costa did it with virtually the same team that came within a match of winning the 4-A title and having an unbeaten record in 1989. The Mustangs finished 21-1 after losing in the final to Corona del Mar.

This year, however, there were no roadblocks. Led by a tall, talented and experienced lineup, they won the school’s second CIF title. Coincidently, the first championship team also went 22-0 in 1984.

Left-handed senior David Swatik, who signed with UCLA, was the team’s best hitter and was named 4-A Player of the Year. He was joined on the 4-A Division squad by the rest of the starters: USC-bound middle blockers Pat Ivie and Mike Ashenfelter, Stanford-bound setter Canyon Ceman, junior hitter Mark Shoptaw and setter Brian Thurston.

With the exception of Thurston, all of the Mustang starters were 6-3 or taller, topped by the 6-7 Ashenfelter.

As Mira Costa ran away with the Ocean League championship, Leuzinger and Rolling Hills waged a competitive battle in the Bay League.

Leuzinger, under first-year Coach Freddie Lilomaiava, edged the Titans by one match for the title. The pivotal victory came when the Olympians rallied to beat Rolling Hills, 7-15, 10-15, 15-6, 15-10, 15-11, in the second round of league play.

Leuzinger outside hitter Hung Nguyen and Rolling Hills setter Ross Pier, a UCLA recruit, were named league co-MVPs.

Miraleste, paced by outside hitter Brian Johnston, won the Olympic League title and reached the semifinals of the 2-A playoffs.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

Five South Bay girls captured Southern and L.A. City section individual championships in 1990.

Claudine Martinez of Carson set City records in the 200-yard individual medley and 500 freestyle at the section championships at the Belmont Plaza pool in Long Beach. Martinez’s time of 2 minutes, 9.19 seconds in the 200 medley broke her own record of 2:10.76 set in 1989, and her 5:00.18 time in the 500 freestyle eclipsed an 11-year-old City mark.

San Pedro’s Carla Sementilli won the City 100 backstroke in 1:07.08.

Deborah Kory of Rolling Hills and Jessica Tong of Chadwick were double winners in Southern Section finals. Kory, a junior, swept the 100 butterfly (58.15) and 100 breaststroke (1:05.87) in the 3-A finals. Tong, a sophomore, won the 50 (24.04) and 100 freestyle (51.68) events in the 2-A meet.

Sarah Marsh of Palos Verdes captured her fourth Southern Section diving title, winning the 3-A title with a division record of 498 points.

Rolling Hills placed third in team scoring with 74 points at the 3-A meet, followed by Palos Verdes with 68.

TRACK AND FIELD

The second-place finish of the Morningside girls’ team at the state meet highlighted the season.

Sophomore Santeshia Arnold, competing in the 100 and 200 meters and 400 and 1,600 relays, led the Monarchs. Morningside’s performance at the state meet, capped by a victory in the 1,600 relay after the 400-relay team was disqualified, was especially impressive considering the team was without Lisa Leslie.

A potential scorer in three jumping events, Leslie was unavailable to compete because of basketball commitments.

Senior Toneshia Hodges gave the Monarchs a decisive lead on the third leg of the 1,600 relay, with freshman anchor LaShawn Stringer sealing the victory. Hawthorne senior Kee-Sha Adams ran a strong anchor leg to help the Cougars to second place. Adams, who made a remarkable comeback after missing most of the track season because of a personal matter, also ran on Hawthorne’s second-place 400 relay. Finishing second in both relays enabled the Cougars to take seventh place in the state.

The Hawthorne boys’ team entered the 1990 season with great sprinters and hopes of a fourth consecutive state team championship, but the injury-decimated Cougars fell far short of that goal.

The postseason performances of sophomore hurdler Demond Smith--the lone Cougar to advance to the state meet--gave Coach Kye Courtney reason to be optimistic for 1991. Smith figures to be a scorer at next year’s state meet in both the 110-high and 300-intermediate hurdles.

The Carson boys scored in two events at the state meet: the 400 relay (second place) and the 110 high hurdles (first place, senior Curtis Hawkins). After finishing fourth as a team at the L.A. City Section finals, the Colts surprisingly finished third in state.

Hawkins’ individual title made up for his second-place finish behind neighborhood rival Terrence Campbell of Banning in the City final. Campbell’s win in the 110 hurdles helped the Pilots to a fifth-place finish in the City meet.

In addition to Campbell, junior Sonja Bryant (long jump) was victorious at the City meet for Banning, helping the Pilot girls to fourth place. Gardena senior high jumper Charles Mabry was the only South Bay athlete besides Campbell to capture a City title.

U.S. Naval Academy-bound Michael Jefferson, who ran on Carson’s state runner-up 400 relay team, took second at City finals.