TRACK AND FIELD / CITY FINALS : Giddens Will Stick to Two Events

Morris Giddens pulled off a rare triple last week at the City Section track and field preliminaries.

The Gardena High senior won the 800- and 3,200-meter runs and had the fourth fastest qualifying time in the 1,600. That put him in a position to become only the second runner to win City titles in all three events.

Roman Gomez of Belmont did it in 1985. Gomez went on to win the 1,600 and 3,200 at the State meet that year.

But Giddens decided this week that he would drop the 800 for today’s City finals at Birmingham High in Van Nuys. He will concentrate on defending his title in the 3,200 and improving on his second-place finish in the 1,600.

Field events begin at 3 p.m. and running events at 4:30. The top three finishers qualify for the State meet, June 4-5 at Cerritos College.

Gardena, led by Giddens and sprinter Charles Gates, was expected to make a run at the boys’ team title. Gates, a recent transfer from Locke, won the 100 at the City finals last year and finished fourth in the 200.

But Gates pulled a hamstring at the Southern Pacific Conference finals two weeks ago and did not qualify in either race.

Birmingham and Dorsey are the boys’ team favorites, with Fremont and Taft the challengers.

Birmingham, the defending team champion, will rely on depth. Senior Tony Serpas qualified in the 100, 200, 400 and the 1,600-meter relay. Junior James Lincoln will compete in the high jump, long jump, triple jump and 110 high hurdles.

Dorsey also has plenty of depth, with athletes in 14 of 15 events. The Dons won the 400 and 1,600 relays at the City preliminaries.

Fremont and Taft each feature top sprinters. Kory Jones of Fremont won the 200 last week, and Taft’s Andre DeSaussure took the 100.

University is favored in the girls’ team race, with Locke and Belmont the main threats.