Girls Do Two-Step in City Finals

Athletes from 30 high schools will compete in the girls’ City Section track and field championships at Birmingham High next Thursday, but the race for the team title should come down to Birmingham and Taft.

Taft totaled a record 112 points in romping to its first City championship last year, but the Toreadors will be slight underdogs to West Valley League rival Birmingham this time around.

Birmingham, led by senior Tiffany Burgess, put 15 individual qualifiers and its 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams to the championships in an impressive display of depth and versatility on Thursday.

The Patriots will have at least one entrant in 13 of the 15 events in the City championships, including Burgess in the 800 and 1,600 and in the 1,600 relay.

“We pretty much did what we wanted to do [Thursday],” Burgess said. “We just wanted to qualify and save it for next week.”

Burgess, defending City champion in the 800 and the three-time defending champion in the 1,600, posted the fastest times in those events, despite being hampered by a stomach ache.

“I ate lunch too close to the [start of the meet],” Burgess said. “I really felt it in the 1,600. I was out there running and thinking, ‘Oh, you are so dumb.’ ”

Burgess, who has narrowed her college choices to UCLA and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, ran 2:18.73 in the 800, a hand-timed 5:10.1 in the 1,600 and added a leg on a 1,600 relay team that had the No. 3 qualifying time of 3:57.63.

Seniors Keisha Mierez and Juana Gatson and junior Gigi Mendola will also be busy for Birmingham next week.

Mierez was the No. 2 qualifier in the long jump at 16-3, the No. 6 qualifier in the 200 with a wind-aided 25.40, ran on the 1,600 relay team and on the 400 relay team that was the No. 6 qualifier in 49.5.

Gatson was the No. 3 qualifier in the 100 high hurdles in 15.7 and the No. 5 qualifier in the 300 lows in 48.14.

Mendola had the No. 3 qualifying time in the 400 at 58.59, the fifth-fastest time in the 200 at 25.32 and ran on both relay teams.

Taft, which lost to Birmingham in a dual meet April 9, is expected to score the bulk of its points in the sprints and hurdles in the City championships, as it did last year.

Juniors Erin Reed and Deneeka Torrey and senior Tiffany Smith led the Toreadors.

Reed led qualifying in the 200 with a career-best 24.34 and was the No. 2 qualifier in the 100 in 12.32. She anchored the Toreadors’ 1,600 relay team that won its heat in 3:54.60, the No. 2 qualifying time.

Torrey was the leading qualifier in the 100 high hurdles in 14.4 and in the 300 lows in a career-best 43.74. In addition, she was the No. 3 qualifier in the 100 in 12.52 and ran on the 1,600 relay team.

Smith, who has signed with Nevada Las Vegas, led qualifying in the triple jump with a mark of 38-1 1/2, was the No. 2 qualifier in the 400 in 57.20, the No. 7 qualifier in the 200 in 25.44 and ran on the 1,600 relay team.

Taft and two-time defending champion Dorsey each advanced 14 individuals and two relay teams in the boys’ meet.

Toreador senior Blaine Bussey, who set a region record of 46.3 in the 400 in the Northwest Valley Conference finals last Friday, cruised to a preliminary-leading 47.40. He posted the No. 2 time in the 200 at 21.59 and ran on teams that had the No. 2 time in the 1,600 relay at 3:20.76 and tied for fourth in the 400 relay at 42.2.