Second Meet Is a Test for Siraki, Smith

Juniors Anita Siraki of Hoover High and Chadd Smith of Camarillo try for their second victories of the indoor track and field season today in the L.A. Invitational at the Sports Arena.

Siraki, who won the girls’ two-mile in the San Diego Indoor Games four weeks ago, runs in the mile.

Smith cleared a career best of 6-9 to win the boys’ high jump in San Diego.

Siraki, fourth in the national cross-country championships in December, is an underdog to junior Alejandro Barrientos of Felton San Lorenzo Valley.

Barrientos is the defending state champion in the girls’ 1,600 meters and is coming off an impressive cross-country season in which she won the state Division III title, placed sixth in the West regional and finished 18th in the national final. She was the No. 2-ranked 1,600 runner in the nation last year by Track & Field News magazine and has a best of 4:45.02.

Smith, who dropped basketball this season in order to concentrate on the high jump, added three inches to his previous best at San Diego, so competitors such as senior Fernando Lopez of Taft won’t overlook him.

Lopez is one of seven defending City Section champions from the region who will compete.

Senior Shane Hackett of Verdugo Hills competes in the boys’ pole vault, junior Chris Morgan of Taft in the boys’ long jump, junior Schquay Brignac of Taft in the girls’ high jump, junior Melissa Astete of Birmingham in the girls’ pole vault and UCLA-bound senior Jessica Cosby of Cleveland in the girls’ shotput.

Senior Deneeka Torrey of Taft, defending City champion in the girls’ 100-meter high hurdles and 300 lows, compete in the 50-meter dash and 50 high hurdles.

Siraki and senior Oliver Jackson of Royal head the list of defending Southern Section champions from the region who will compete.

The UCLA-bound Jackson is entered in the boys’ long jump. He won the Southern Section Division II title and finished second in the state championships last year.

Senior Rodney Woods of Littlerock, defending Masters Meet champion in the boys’ triple jump, competes in that event and in the football player 50.

The boys’ and girls’ shotput and discus is held at USC’s Cromwell Field, starting at 9 a.m.

The rest of the meet is at the Sports Arena, beginning at 11:30 a.m.