HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP : Backus Runs Out of Track, Taft Falls

Moses Backus of Taft High won two individual events and anchored two victorious relay teams, but it wasn’t enough to carry the Toreadors to victory over Birmingham in a Northwest Valley Conference track and field meet at Birmingham on Friday.

Backus, fourth in the 400 meters in last year’s City Section championships, won that event in a personal best of 48.6 seconds and placed first in the 200 with a wind-aided 21.2.

He also ran the anchor leg on Toreador foursomes that clocked season bests of 43.0 in the 400 relay and 3 minutes 28.6 seconds in the 1,600, but Birmingham’s superior depth resulted in a 72-55 victory.

It was the 63rd consecutive victory in dual-meet competition for the Braves (6-0, 6-0). Taft is 4-2.

Jamal Marks won the long jump at 20 feet and triple jump at 43-8, and Marvin Powell timed 15.0 in the 110 high hurdles for Birmingham.

Cleveland 79, San Fernando 32--Charles Lee won the 100 in 10.6 seconds and the 200 in 23.0 for the the Cavaliers (3-3, 3-3) in a Northwest Valley Conference meet.

Lee also ran the second leg on the Cavaliers’ victorious 400 relay team that timed 44.0.

North Hollywood 88 1/2, Poly 34 1/2--Ryan Jones won three events and ran a leg on the Huskies’ victorious 400 relay team in the Valley Pac-8 Conference meet at North Hollywood.

Jones timed 14.7 seconds in the 110-meter high hurdles, 42.5 in the 300 intermediates and 11.4 in the 100. He also ran the second leg on a 400 relay team that timed 46.8 for North Hollywood (4-2, 4-2).

GIRLS’ TRACK

Taft 85, Birmingham 33--Freshman Tynisha Howze won the 200 in a wind-aided 25.5, the 400 in 60.4 and anchored two Toreador relay teams to victory in the Northwest Valley Conference meet at Birmingham.

Taft (5-1, 5-1) timed a season best of 50.3 in the 400 relay and ran 4:13.0 in the 1,600 relay. Sophomore Francis Santin won the 300 low hurdles in a personal best of 47.7 for the Toreadors.

Rickisha Herron won the high jump (5-0) and triple jump (34-4 1/2) for Birmingham (3-3, 3-3).

Granada Hills 76, Kennedy 40--Junior Brooke Page cruised to victories in the 1,600 (5:52.7) and 3,200 (12:42.0) for the Highlanders in the Northwest Valley Conference meet at Granada Hills.

Sophomores Karen Seidman and Carolynn Sanderson added victories in the pole vault (8-0) and shotput (33-1) as Granada Hills (6-0, 6-0) clinched a share of the conference title.

Chatsworth 82, El Camino Real 46--Melinda George won the 880 (2:39.0), mile (5:39.0) and two-mile (12:48.0), and Kim Pickup was took the high jump (4-8), long jump (15-3) and triple jump (32-7) for the Chancellors (5-1, 5-1) in the Northwest Valley Conference meet at Chatsworth.

SOFTBALL

Buena 8, Ventura 0--Nicole Greathouse (6-1) pitched a perfect game for the Bulldogs (13-2-1), striking out 12 in a Channel League game.

Ventura (3-9, 3-5) hit one ball out of the infield.

Saugus 4, Canyon 0--Kelli Kranz had three hits and four RBIs, and Jamie Gillies pitched a two-hitter, striking out five in a Foothill League game at Saugus.

Jill Passafiume had two hits and scored twice for the Centurions (14-4, 4-0).

Hart 1, Burbank 0--Anna Nordhagen scored from third base on Jenni Nordhagen’s sixth-inning groundout to give the Indians (13-2, 4-0) a Foothill League victory at Burbank.

Mary Colleran (12-1) pitched a one-hitter for Hart, striking out eight and walking one.

Lori Sutliff (2-10) took the loss for Burbank (2-14, 0-5) in relief of Megan Lackey, who pitched 5 1/3 innings, scattering four hits and two walks.

Hueneme 3, Oxnard 2--Yvette Carmona pitched a four-hitter and struck out 12, and Delina Talili had a run-scoring triple for the Vikings in a Channel League victory.

Calabasas 12, Nordhoff 1--Melissa Krolick (8-3) pitched a one-hitter, struck out eight and walked four to lead the Coyotes (8-3, 6-2) past the Rangers in a Frontier League game at Nordhoff.

Christy Culver hit a three-run home run in a 10-run first.

Oakwood 5, Avalon 2--Susie Vatz pitched a three-hitter and struck out 11 for the Gorillas in a Liberty League game at Oakwood.