A SPECIAL REPORT: SALUTING CHAMPIONSSlickest in the...

A SPECIAL REPORT: SALUTING CHAMPIONS

Slickest in the City

Only 17 of the 49 L.A. City Section schools are in the Valley, but eight championships were won by Valley schools in the 1997-98 school year. The 5-2 victory by El Camino Real, above, in the 4-A baseball final at Dodger Stadium last week capped the year, marking the 25th time in the past 26 seasons the title has gone to a Valley school.

Hat Trick

El Camino Real won two more crowns, including its first in football by defeating Carson, 42-0, behind tailback Quincy Wright’s 172 yards and four touchdowns. The wrestling title was secured by the Conquistadores in the last match when 215-pound Alex Perez pinned his opponent.

Fast Company

The Taft girls’ team ended Dorsey’s three-year reign in track and field by scoring a City record 112 points in the final. In cross-country, the Birmingham girls showed strength in numbers by winning the championship despite having no runner finish in the top six.

Double Time

Granada Hills won titles in swimming behind four victories by flu-ridden Michelle Nielson, and in golf with a team that included four boys and two girls. The Valley was a double champion in soccer with Reseda capturing the boys’ final and Chatsworth taking the girls’ crown for the third year in a row.