THE 1990-91 PREP SEASON IN REVIEW : A Season of Winners, Losers and Many Memories : Review: Area schools won seven CIF-Southern Section titles, two L.A. City Section titles and two state championships.

Although many prep teams and athletes enjoyed great success in 1990-91, it was a year characterized by losses in the South Bay.

--A decision was made to close two more high schools, bringing to five the number of area schools that have been shut down in the span of a decade.

--Many of the area’s football coaches either quit, retired or were fired.

--Two of the area’s coaching legends died.

Even the South Bay’s most affluent area was not immune from recession.

In an effort to stave off a financial crisis, the Palos Verdes Peninsula school board voted in December to close Miraleste and Palos Verdes at the end of the school year and consolidate operations next fall at a renamed Rolling Hills High.

The formation of the new school, named Palos Verdes Peninsula High by the district’s students, created athletic repercussions throughout the area. The school, with a projected enrollment of 3,000 students, had to be placed in a new league, schedules had to be changed and coaches had to be selected.

While the changes created an air of excitement throughout the district, not everyone was pleased with the consolidation plan.

John Mihaljevich, who coached the Palos Verdes boys’ basketball team for the past 24 seasons, reflected the mood of many teachers who are sad to see the identities of three fine schools lost forever.

“In my mind, they closed three high schools,” said Mihaljevich, who will coach the basketball team at Peninsula High. “What you have is not three down to one, it’s three down to zero. It’s a whole new beginning.

“Time heals all wounds, but it’s very sad.”

One of the saddest aspects of the consolidation is that it brings an end to the long, storied rivalry between Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills. The schools’ last athletic meeting was May 10, when Rolling Hills scored a 3-2 victory over Palos Verdes in an Ocean League baseball game.

Miraleste and Palos Verdes join Lawndale, Lennox and Aviation as South Bay high schools that have been closed because of financial difficulties and/or dwindling student enrollment.

The demands of coaching a football program seemed to take its toll in the area this year. Among the coaches who stepped down after last season were Goy Casillas of Hawthorne, Steve Carnes of Leuzinger, Rich Busia of Torrance, Leo Hand of Serra and Mark Knox and John Black of West Torrance.

Carson’s Gene Vollnogle retired as the winningest coach in state history.

The academic year also saw the deaths of two former coaching greats--Urho Saari, who guided El Segundo’s water polo and swimming teams to 18 CIF titles in a 36-year career, and Mel Seifert, who became an institution at Redondo as a coach and administrator.

But there was plenty to celebrate in 1990-91.

Area schools won seven CIF-Southern Section titles, two L.A. City Section titles and two 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

The foundation for Carson’s championship season was laid last summer, on the day quarterback John Walsh announced he would transfer from West Torrance to Carson for his senior season.

Several months and 4,223 passing yards later, Walsh and the Colts were celebrating a 37-16 victory over rival Banning for the L.A. City 4-A Division title in the last game of Gene Vollnogle’s 38-year coaching career.

Longtime Carson assistant coaches Jim D’Amore and Marty Blankenship have replaced Vollnogle, who holds the state records for most varsity victories (289-73-1) and most City titles (10) in his career at Banning and Carson.

“Nobody is going to replace Vollnogle,” Blankenship said after the City championship game at El Camino College. “Nobody is even thinking about doing that. We’re just going to take what he’s instilled and keep it going.”

Vollnogle, who left Banning for Carson when the school opened in 1963, ended his career with seven consecutive victories over Banning, extending the longest winning streak in the 28-year series. The Colts routed Banning, 41-14, earlier in the season in league play.

One of the big reasons for Carson’s dominance--the Colts finished 12-1 and outscored their opponents, 542-153--was the addition of Walsh to the team.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound quarterback, who passed for 1,700 yards as a junior at West Torrance, completed 229 of 388 passes (59%) for a state-record 4,223 yards and 49 touchdowns. Walsh benefited from a talented group of receivers, led by seniors Abdul Muhammad and Latario Rachal and junior Theron Hill.

Walsh was honored with The Times Glenn Davis Award, representative of the top player in Southern California. He also was named South Bay Player of the Year and City 4-A Player of the Year.

The Times named Vollnogle South Bay Coach of the Year.

Banning tailback Travis Davis also enjoyed a big season. The Notre Dame recruit was regarded as the area’s top college prospect and led the Pilots into the City final. He rushed for 1,760 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Palos Verdes recovered from a poor start--the Sea Kings were 4-5 and had lost four consecutive games--to reach the Southern Section Division VIII title game in the school’s last football season and, as it turned out, the coaching farewell of Bill Judy.

The Sea Kings’ finest moments came in their final Ocean League game when they earned a playoff berth by rallying from a 14-0 deficit to defeat rival Rolling Hills, 45-20, and in the CIF semifinals when they stunned top-seeded Cabrillo of Lompoc, 21-7.

“This is great,” said halfback Brian Durbin, who rushed for 120 yards and scored three touchdowns against Cabrillo. “What makes it so sweet is that no one thought we’d be here.”

Palos Verdes’ magical playoff ride ended with a turnover-plagued 29-7 loss to Temecula Valley in the Division VIII championship game in Temecula. It capped a turbulent week for the Sea Kings, who learned that the high school would close at the end of the year and that Durbin could not play in the title game because of academic problems.

Palos Verdes senior David Bohner, a two-way starter at tight end and linebacker, was named The Times South Bay Lineman of the Year.

Serra, the area’s winningest team over the past two seasons, won its fourth consecutive Camino Real League title but failed in its bid to win a second consecutive Southern Section championship.

The Cavaliers were beaten in the Division VII semifinals by Arroyo Grande, 31-0, ending Serra’s 24-game winning streak, the third-longest in the state. It gave Serra a 10-0 record and a 24-1 mark in two seasons under Coach Leo Hand, who recently resigned.

Serra running back-defensive back Jerald Henry rushed for 1,705 yards and led the area with 25 touchdowns and 176 points scored. He signed with USC.

Another coach in his final season, Goy Casillas, guided Hawthorne to the Bay League title and a 10-3 record. The Cougars lost in the CIF Division III semifinals to St. Paul, 31-0.

The season was marred by several fights between opposing teams. The most serious occurred Sept. 21, when Hawthorne and Eisenhower of Rialto engaged in a free-for-all at Hawthorne. The game was called by officials with 4:59 left, and two Hawthorne players were subsequently suspended for the season.

CROSS-COUNTRY

Palos Verdes’ dominance in girls’ cross-country came to an end. The Sea Kings, who won back-to-back state titles in 1988 and ‘89, finished fifth in the state championship meet at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Agoura, which had finished second to Palos Verdes the two previous years, won the Division I team title behind Deena Drossin, who captured her third consecutive state individual championship. Maya Muneno was Palos Verdes’ top finisher, in 14th place.

The Palos Verdes boys, who won the Southern Section 3-AA title, took fourth in the state Division III race, led by Goss Lindsey’s 14th-place finish.

Individually, the area’s top state finishers were Steven Gonzales of Carson (fifth place, Division I), Roman Rendon of Banning (seventh place, Division I) and Israel Pose of Torrance (sixth place, Division II).

Gonzales and the San Pedro girls’ team each placed second at the L.A. City Section finals at Pierce College.

GIRLS’ TENNIS

A young and talented Palos Verdes team unseated two-time defending champion Corona del Mar for the Southern Section 4-A title. The Sea Kings were awarded the victory on games, 77-67, after the match ended in a 9-9 tie.

Freshman Nicole London was the top singles player for Palos Verdes (21-0), which had three other freshmen and a sophomore on the team. Another player was senior Marion Sampras, sister of U.S. Open champion Pete Sampras.

In the CIF individual tournament, London reached the singles semifinals and the Rolling Hills tandem of Stephanie Lansdorp and Amber Basica won the doubles title.

WATER POLO

Miraleste enjoyed the best season of any South Bay team, reaching the Southern Section 3-A semifinals before losing to eventual champion Riverside Poly, 9-6.

Palos Verdes lost in the 2-A quarterfinals to eventual champion South Pasadena, 12-4.

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

Mira Costa overcame inexperience to reach the Southern Section final for the third consecutive season and the seventh time in nine years under Coach Dae Lea Aldrich.

The Mustangs (21-3) upset third-seeded Laguna Beach and second-seeded El Toro in the 5-A playoffs before losing to top-seeded Corona del Mar in three games in the final. Mira Costa then lost in the second round of the Division I state regionals.

With several players returning, led by middle blocker Tate Medley and outside hitters Shannon Parke and Ann Windes, look for Mira Costa to again challenge for a CIF title next season.

South Torrance, under Coach Moira Fagan, won the Pioneer League title and reached the Southern Section playoffs for the first time. The Spartans (13-5) were led by freshman Stephanie Pfau and junior Jennifer Hughes. They lost in the second round of the playoffs to El Modena of Anaheim.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

There have been years when Westchester was expected to do well, but fell short of its goals in the playoffs.

Just the opposite was true last season. The Comets snuck up on everyone to capture their first L.A. City Section title by upsetting Manual Arts, 65-57, in the 4-A final before a crowd of 10,200 at the Sports Arena.

Led by Pepperdine-bound center LeRoi O’Brien, Westchester (22-9) rallied from a 12-point deficit in the third quarter to knock off the state’s fourth-ranked team. The 6-foot-8 O’Brien, who was named City 4-A Player of the Year, finished with a game-high 24 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Other than O’Brien, though, the Comets started an all-underclass lineup. The improvement of junior point guard James Gray was one of the keys of the season for Westchester, which lost in the first round of the regionals.

Westchester Coach Ed Azzam was the recipient of coach of the year honors.

Morningside (27-5) also enjoyed a successful season, winning its third consecutive league title and reaching a Southern Section title game for the fourth time in school history.

The Monarchs appeared headed for a CIF title after taking a 46-43 lead with 2:23 left against Servite of Anaheim in the Division III-A final. But Servite outscored Morningside, 6-0, to pull out a 49-46 victory at the Sports Arena.

Morningside was its own worst enemy down the stretch. With the game on the line, the Monarchs drew a technical foul for having six players on the court, and threw away a chance for victory with a no-look pass that resulted in a turnover.

Overshadowed in Morningside’s loss was a superb effort by sophomore guard Stais Boseman, who scored a game-high 23 points on nine of 14 shooting and sparked an aggressive defense with seven steals. The 6-3 Boseman, who averaged 19 points a game, was named The Times South Bay Player of the Year, the first 10th grader to be so honored.

San Pedro Coach Jack Kordich, who guided a team that averaged 5-11 across its starting lineup to a 21-6 record and a share of the Pacific League title, was named South Bay Coach of the Year.

Banning guard Jabari Anderson was the second-leading scorer in the state with a 35.1 average. He scored a career-high 59 points Jan. 11 against Crenshaw. It represented the most points scored by a player against a Crenshaw team coached by Willie West, who has been at the school since 1971.

El Segundo guard Chris Hansen set a Southern Section record with 12 three-point shots Jan. 22 against Glendale Adventist.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

The state finals in Oakland provided dramatically different experiences for Palos Verdes and Morningside.

Palos Verdes won its first state title with a convincing 58-42 victory over Healdsburg in the Division III final, culminating a dominating season in which the Sea Kings won eight postseason games by an average of 34 points.

Morningside was looking to win its third consecutive Division I title, but the dream of a “three-peat” turned into a nightmare as Berkeley stunned the Lady Monarchs, 76-50.

Thus ended one of the finest seasons ever for girls’ basketball in the South Bay. Aside from Palos Verdes and Morningside, St. Bernard won the Southern Section Division III-A title, Bishop Montgomery reached the Division II-A final and Carson reached the L.A. City 4-A Division semifinals.

Palos Verdes, which had a 32-2 record with an all-underclass starting lineup, established itself as a leading contender for the State Division I and mythical national titles in 1992, when Coach Wendell Yoshida and his players will take their act to new Palos Verdes Peninsula High.

“I really think we have the potential to be that good,” Yoshida said.

Palos Verdes began the year as the state’s No. 1-ranked Division III team and had virtually no challenges from high schools in its enrollment classification. The Sea Kings beat Morningside in two of three meetings, tied the Lady Monarchs for the Ocean League title and won the Southern Section Division III-AA title.

The Sea Kings received a boost during the off-season when junior point guard Kristen Mulligan and center Jeffra Gausepohl, a 6-foot-5 junior, transferred from other schools. They combined with returning All-CIF forward Monique Morehouse, a 6-3 junior, freshman forward Mimi McKinney and junior guard Raquel Alotis to give Palos Verdes a young, talented lineup. The team’s only losses were to Berkeley and Morningside--the State Division I finalists.

All five of Palos Verdes’ starters were selected to the All-CIF Division III team, with Mulligan honored as player of the year.

Morningside center Janet Davis, a 6-4 junior, was named The Times South Bay Player of the Year and Southern Section Division I Player of the Year after averaging 20.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 8.5 blocked shots. The Lady Monarchs (32-3) won their fourth consecutive Southern Section major division title by defeating Chino, 52-47, in the Division I-AA final.

Bishop Montgomery Coach Cedric Hurt was named The Times South Bay Coach of the Year after guiding the Knights to their first-ever appearance in a Southern Section final. Bishop Montgomery lost to Woodbridge of Irvine in the Division II-A title game, 47-37.

St. Bernard, the third-place team from the Mission League, won the Division III-A title with a 73-71 victory over 1990 champion Costa Mesa. Sophomore point guard Joi Turner made the winning basket on an 18-foot jump shot at the buzzer.

BOYS’ SOCCER

After winning two consecutive CIF titles, Palos Verdes slipped a notch in the 1990-91 season. The Sea Kings were still among Southern California’s best teams--compiling a 26-4-3 record and winning the Ocean League title--but their season came to an earlier end than they are accustomed to.

Beverly Hills, the Bay League runner-up, knocked Palos Verdes out of the second round of the 4-A Division playoffs. The game ended in a 2-2 tie, but Beverly Hills advanced on penalty kicks, 5-4.

Miraleste went the farthest of any area team, reaching the Small Schools semifinals before losing to Yucaipa, 3-2. Along the way, the Marauders beat top-seeded Chadwick, 3-2, in overtime in the second round.

Pioneer League champion South Torrance lost in the 3-A quarterfinals and Bay League champion Hawthorne succumbed in the second round of the 4-A playoffs to eventual champion Santa Ana.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Tragedy served as an inspiration for San Pedro, which dedicated its season to the memory of Coach Steve Morris after he collapsed and died Oct. 10 while running laps with his players.

The Pirates, with Morris’ daughter, Stephanie, on the team, posted a 20-3 record and reached the L.A. City Section final, losing to Chatsworth, 6-1, on six goals by sophomore Mary Oades.

“I think we had a great season,” said San Pedro Coach Chuck Hawksford, who had little previous experience coaching soccer. “We overcame a lot and just never gave up.”

In an all-South Bay CIF final, Torrance defeated South Torrance, 2-1, for the Southern Section 3-A Division title on sophomore November Wallace’s goal early in the second overtime period.

The victory completed a 27-1-1 season for the Tartars, who were one of the dominant teams in Southern California. Torrance topped the section with 21 shutouts. Junior midfielder Jessica Reifer led the team in scoring and was named 3-A Offensive Player of the Year.

Torrance’s John Jackson was honored as 3-A Coach of the Year.

South (15-9-3) reached the final after junior goalkeeper Heidi Emmrich, a first-team All-CIF choice, posted four consecutive shutouts in the playoffs.

GOLF

Rolling Hills and Palos Verdes qualified for the Southern Section finals with strong showings at the CIF Western Regional Tournament in Montebello.

Pat Diaz shot a 70 to lead Rolling Hills to a second-place finish, while Brian Schroeder shot 72 to help Palos Verdes take third.

GIRLS’ GYMNASTICS

Courtney Davis of Rolling Hills captured the area’s only CIF individual title, winning the balance beam competition with a 9.5 score at the Southern Section championship meet at Westlake High in Los Angeles.

WRESTLING

West Torrance’s Josh Gormley came up short in his bid to win a second consecutive state heavyweight title. Hindered by a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery early in the season, Gormley finished fifth at the state championship meet in Stockton.

Three Torrance wrestlers also placed at the state meet. Chris Xavier took fifth at 103 pounds, Pat Wheat took sixth at 135 and Eric Gaunt took seventh at 171.

Gormley successfully defended his heavyweight title at the Southern Section 3-A Division final, leading West to a fourth-place finish. Gaunt also won an individual title.

West and Torrance, the area’s best teams, tied for the Pioneer League title after their dual meet ended in a 25-25 deadlock.

BASEBALL

Before the season, many believed Banning had a good shot to reach the L.A. City Section title game. Few, though, mentioned Narbonne as a contender.

As it turned out, both teams reached divisional finals at Dodger Stadium.

Narbonne won. Banning lost.

With that, a Cinderella season ended for Narbonne and its coach, Nick Van Lue, who in three seasons transformed the Gauchos from a struggling squad to the City 3-A champion.

Narbonne beat Franklin, 5-1, in the final behind a five-hitter by senior pitcher Armando Cervantes, a transfer from Bishop Montgomery. It marked the Gauchos’ first City title in the sport. Weeks before, they won the Southern League title, their first league crown since 1978.

Cervantes, who posted a 9-4 pitching record and .500 batting average, was named City 3-A Player of the Year. Van Lue was honored as The Times South Bay Coach of the Year. Narbonne finished 22-7.

With a team loaded with returning starters, Banning was touted as a City title contender. Led by pitchers Mike Busby and Mark Chavez, the Pilots ran away with the Pacific League title and were seeded No. 1 for the 4-A Division playoffs.

Busby opened the playoffs by pitching a no-hitter--his second of the season--in a 4-0 victory over Van Nuys. Chavez then hurled a one-hitter in a 5-0 victory over Monroe and Busby came back with a two-hitter in a 5-1 semifinal victory over Poly.

Banning’s luck finally ran out in the 4-A final, as San Fernando rallied for a run off Busby with two outs in the seventh inning to win, 3-2. It was the first loss of the season for Busby (11-1). Banning finished 20-7.

Busby, who also batted .355 and led the Pilots with four home runs and 22 runs batted in, was honored as The Times South Bay Player of the Year and the City 4-A Player of the Year.

Despite returning only two starters, El Segundo (25-5) won the most games of any area team and went 10-0 in the San Fernando Valley League to claim its fourth consecutive league championship. Eagle shortstop Brett Newell was named league player of the year and catcher Jeff Poor, a junior, led the area with 11 home runs and set a school record with 54 runs batted in, the third-highest total in Southern Section history.

El Segundo was dealt a blow late in the season when Coach John Stevenson suffered a heart attack and underwent bypass surgery. He hopes to return to coaching next year, which would be his 33rd season at the school. The Eagles were upset in the second round of the Southern Section 3-A Division playoffs by Calexico, 5-4.

Torrance, boasting one of the area’s most formidable lineups, won the Pioneer League title and reached the second round of the Southern Section 4-A playoffs. The Tartars’ Murderers’ Row of Antone Williamson (.539, 29 RBIs), Eric Gonzales (.459, 35 RBIs) and Jason Kendall (.477, school-record 49 RBIs) wreaked havoc on many a South Bay pitcher.

Pitcher Kirt Kishita (8-3) led Rolling Hills to the Ocean League title by not allowing an earned run in league play. At one point, Kishita had a string of 61 2/3 innings without giving up an earned run.

Chadwick (17-5) stormed through the Southern Section Small Schools playoffs by scores of 16-4, 15-1, 15-2 and 8-2 before reaching the final, where one bad inning cost the Dolphins. Leading 4-0, Chadwick gave up seven runs in the sixth inning and lost to top-seeded Linfield of Temecula, 7-4. The victory completed an undefeated season for Linfield (25-0). Chadwick catcher Todd Seneker, who batted .568 and drove in 34 runs, was named Small Schools Player of the Year.

Serra outfielder Dwon Knighten won the South Bay batting title with a .629 average (44 for 70) and set an area record with 51 stolen bases.

San Pedro Coach Jerry Lovarov recorded his 400th career victory in his 31st season.

SOFTBALL

South Torrance enjoyed one of the finest seasons ever for a South Bay Southern Section school. Under Coach Larry Lent, the Spartans won the Pioneer League title, reached the 3-A Division semifinals and finished with a 26-2 record.

South pitcher Jacqueline Brown carried a 20-0 record into the 3-A semifinals against La Mirada, which defeated the Spartan ace, 4-1. One of the South’s top players was shortstop Gillian Boxx, an All-CIF selection.

Banning, under Coach Kathy Blankenship, reached the semifinals of the L.A. City 4-A playoffs.

Bishop Montgomery reached the playoffs behind the pitching of Jennifer Mortensen, the area leader in strikeouts.

SWIMMING

Carson’s Claudine Martinez capped an impressive high school career by setting an L.A. City record in the 200-yard freestyle and adding a victory in the 500 freestyle at the City championships at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach.

Martinez shaved four seconds off her preliminary time in the 200 freestyle, finishing in 1 minute, 53.16 seconds. That eclipsed the City record of 1:54.60 set by San Pedro’s Kristyn Roberts in 1988. In the 500, Martinez won by more than 24 seconds in 5:03.06, but fell short of her City record of 5:00.18 set last year.

In three seasons, Martinez collected six first-place finishes at the City championships. She will attend the University of Washington in the fall.

Jessica Tong of Chadwick successfully defended her Southern Section 2-A titles in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle events and Deborah Kory helped the Rolling Hills girls’ team place second in the divisional final at the Belmont Plaza Pool.

Tong won the 50 freestyle in 23.67 seconds and the 100 in 50.81. Kory won the 100 breaststroke in 1:04.16 and was second in the 100 butterfly in 57.83.

Rolling Hills, with 114 points, lost 2-A title to Walnut (128 points) on the last event, the 400 freestyle relay.

BOYS’ TENNIS

Brothers Rene and Roel DeVera of Carson played singles most of the year, but combined forces in the postseason and won the L.A. City Section doubles title.

The DeVeras defeated Taft’s Derek Halpern and Andy Kimelman, 6-1, 6-2, in the final at the Racquet Centre in Studio City.

Banning’s Robert Johnson lost in the City singles semifinals.

South Torrance, led by No. 1 singles player Chad Hawker, won the Pioneer League title and reached the second round of the CIF 3-A playoffs, finishing with a 17-4 record.

Chadwick, led by its strong doubles teams, reached the 1-A semifinals.

BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL

It figured to be a rebuilding year for Mira Costa, which lost five of six starters from its 1990 team that went 22-0 and won CIF and mythical national titles. But, as usual, the Mustangs rebuilt in style.

Led by UCLA-bound outside hitter Mark Shoptaw, the lone returner from last year, Mira Costa won yet another Ocean League title and reached the second round of the Southern Section 4-A playoffs before losing to Woodbridge of Irvine, 16-14, 15-10, 10-15, 14-16, 15-10.

With several talented young players, Mira Costa Coach Mike Cook expects the Mustangs to be CIF contenders for the next two years.

Miraleste, led by outside hitter Brian Johnston, won the Camino Real League title and reached the 2-A semifinals.

TRACK AND FIELD

The Morningside girls highlighted the season by winning their first state title and their second consecutive Southern Section 2-A title.

Getting all of their scoring from a talented group of underclassmen, the Monarchs totaled 28 points in four events to edge Rio Mesa of Oxnard (26) for the team championship at the state meet at Cerritos College.

The 400-meter relay team of sophomore Lashawn Stringer, junior Sanoma Nickson, freshman Tai-Ne Gibson and junior anchor Santisha Arnold gave Morningside the team lead in the first event, winning in 46.38 seconds.

The Monarchs got their other points from Stringer, who placed third in the 400 (55.31), and from Arnold and Gibson in the sprints. Gibson took fourth in the 100, with Arnold fifth, and they finished in reverse order in the 200.

With that nucleus returning, Morningside will be favored to repeat as state champion in 1992.

“That’s where my excitement comes from, because they are young,” Coach Ron Tatum said. “Looking at all these people coming back, it gives me a good feeling. It gives us a definite base to start with.”

Morningside also has a good group of boys returning. The 1,600 relay team of juniors Levester Williams, Trayvan Harris and Jesse Swayze and sophomore anchor Edward Turner won the state title with a time of 3:15.01.

Hawthorne’s 400 relay, anchored by Erik Allen, finished second to state champion Compton and junior Demond Smith took second in the 300 intermediate hurdles (38.04) and fourth in the 110 high hurdles to give the Cougars 20 points, good for third place.

Gardena senior Steven Stanley pulled off one of the big surprises of the state meet by winning the long jump. His first-place jump of 25 feet, 1 1/4 inches was more than a foot and a half better than his personal best (23-6) prior to the two-day state meet.

St. Bernard freshman Kamara Mayberry gave the crowd of 10,050 at the state meet a preview of things to come by placing second in the state 800 (2:08.91) and anchoring the Viking 1,600 relay team to a second-place time of 3:49.02.

Carson’s Steven Gonzales, the L.A. City champion, finished fourth in the state 3,200 meters in 9:06.57.

Bishop Montgomery junior Nicole Haynes took third in the long jump with a jump of 18-11 3/4. Banning’s Sonya Bryant (18-2 1/2) was sixth.