Masters Meet Will Lead to Berths in State Meet

The Southern Section track and field championships will be held Saturday at Cerritos College with division titles and berths in the Masters Meet on the line.

The top nine performers in each event Saturday--based on marks from all divisions--qualify for the Masters Meet May 28 at Cerritos. The top five finishers in each event at the Masters Meet advance to the state finals in Sacramento June 4-5.

Long Beach Poly is the defending Division I boys’ champion. Mission Viejo (Division II), Gardena Serra (III) and Verbum Dei (IV) will also attempt to defend titles.

Long Beach Wilson (Division I), Riverside J.W. North (II), Playa del Rey St. Bernard (III) and Marymount (IV) are defending girls’ champions.

Long Beach Wilson’s girls’ 4x100 relay team, which entered last week’s prelims with a nation-leading time of 46.04 seconds, did not qualify for the finals because of a dropped baton.

The defending state co-champion Bruins, however, are still regarded as the favorite to win their division at the section and, possibly, state meets with a team that features sprinter Latrice Borders, hurdlers Joanna Smith and LaShinda Demus, and 800-meter runner Kim Gildersleeve.

On Saturday, Mike Mitchell of Paramount will try to repeat his prelim victory in the 200. Mitchell beat defending state champion Kareem Kelly and defending state 100 champion Darrell Rideaux, both of Long Beach Poly, in a wind-aided 21.04 in the prelims.

Glendale Hoover pole vaulter Kate Pearson will try to improve on her Division I-record vault of 12 feet 2 1/2 inches set last week.

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The Southern Section individual golf championships will be played today at Canyon Country Club in Palm Springs.

The state championships will be played June 8 at the SCGA Members’ Club in Murrieta.

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Second-round boys’ tennis playoff matches will be played today.

Boys’ volleyball quarterfinals are Friday.