Fleshman Considers Grueling Triple

It appears likely senior Lauren Fleshman of Canyon High will try to win Division II girls’ titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters at the Southern Section championships May 22 at Cerritos College.

No girl has ever won those three events in the same section championships, but Fleshman said she is leaning toward attempting the grueling triple after winning the 3,200, placing third in the 800 and running a superb 1,600 anchor leg on Canyon’s victorious distance medley relay Saturday in the Pasadena Games at Occidental College.

“I just felt so tired [after running the 3,200 and the 800] at the start of the distance medley that I couldn’t imagine doing all three events again at section championships,” Fleshman said. “But now I feel like it can be done.”

Fleshman, runner-up in the national cross-country championships in December, ran times of 11:18.65 in the 3,200, 2:16.26 in the 800 and 5:01.5 on her leg of the distance medley relay at the Pasadena Games.

Senior Kim Gildersleeve of Long Beach Wilson and sophomore Maribeth Buche of Anaheim Esperanza beat Fleshman in the 800, but they’ll compete at the Division I level in the section championships.

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The Golden League appears to have the best group of boys’ 400 sprinters in the region based on results from last week.

Senior Mentu Daniel of Antelope Valley, who ran 47.24 last summer, ran a hand-timed 48.8 to defeat sophomore Jose Galeano of Littlerock by two-tenths of a second in a dual meet Thursday.

On Saturday, junior Jerrick Holmes of Palmdale clocked 49.89 to win the open 400 in the Pasadena Games.

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Coach Paul Lauten of Chatsworth said junior Kenan Jackson set a school record of 40.2 in the 330-yard intermediate hurdles in a Northwest Valley Conference meet against Granada Hills last week.

It’s a stretch to call Jackson’s time a school record, however, because Bryan Addison ran 37.80 in the 300-meter intermediates as a Chatsworth senior in 1988.

That mark converts to a time of 38.02 for 330 yards.

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Birmingham’s biggest threat for the City Section girls’ title in May could come from Westchester.

Westchester placed sixth in the City championships last year, but the Comets are much stronger this season, led by sophomore sprinter Laloni Anderson.

Anderson didn’t run track last year because she was heavily involved in a singing group while attending St. Mary’s Academy in Inglewood. But she won the 400 in 54.89 and placed fourth in the 200 in 24.94 in the Pasadena Games.

She also ran legs on relays that placed fourth in the 400 in 48.49 and third in the 1,600 in 3:53.69.

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Camarillo will host Rio Mesa on Thursday at 3 p.m. in a meet that should determine the inaugural Pacific View League boys’ and girls’ championships.

Rio Mesa won the 1998 Channel League girls’ title and Camarillo was Marmonte League girls’ champion last year.

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The Top 10

Rankings of track and field teams from the region

BOYS

RK: School (League)

1: Ventura (Channel)

2: Rio Mesa (Pacific View)

3: Taft (West Valley)

4: Camarillo (Pacific View)

5: Newbury Park (Marmonte)

6: Notre Dame (Mission)

7: Palmdale (Golden)

8: Harvard-Westlake (Mission)

9: Thousand Oaks (Marmonte)

10: Birmingham (West Valley)

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GIRLS

RK: School (League)

1: Birmingham (West Valley)

2: Camarillo (Pacific View)

3: Rio Mesa (Pacific View)

4: Taft (West Valley)

5: Cleveland (North Valley)

6: Thousand Oaks (Marmonte)

7: Crescenta Valley (Pacific)

8: Notre Dame (Mission)

9: Simi Valley (Marmonte)

10: Canyon (Foothill)