HIGH SCHOOL PREVIEW

AT A GLANCE

* THE PROVEN: Senior Chris Wells-Anders of El Camino Real is the defending City Section champion in the 800 meters and placed second in the state championships in a career-best 1:52.28. . . . Senior Jon Williams of Notre Dame is the defending Southern Section Division III champion in the 110 high hurdles and 300 intermediates, and has run 14.31 and 38.03 in those events. . . . Senior Makisi Haleck of Thousand Oaks is the defending Southern Section Division II champion in the pole vault and has cleared 15-6. . . . Senior Wes Felix of Valencia finished second in the 200 in the Southern Section Division II championships with a 21.98 clocking. . . . Senior Nick Zoetewey of Canyon ran a career best of 4:20.90 to place fifth in the 1,600 in the Southern Section Division II championships for Saugus last year.

* THE PROMISING: Senior Chris Foster of Ventura placed eighth in the high hurdles in the 1999 Southern Section Division II championships but didn’t run last season after undergoing knee surgery. . . . Sophomore Ronald Weatherspoon of Grant, whose sister Alexis is the two-time defending City champion in the 100 and 200, won the freshman-sophomore 200 and placed second in the 400 in the City championships last year.

* FAST FACT: When Taft scored 99 points to win the City title last year, it was the highest point total by a boys’ team since Jefferson scored a meet-record 121 1/2 in 1952.

OTHER TEAMS TO WATCH

* BIRMINGHAM: Juniors Ramal Porter and seniors John Walker and Lino Ortiz are the top returners for a team that placed fifth in the City Section championships.

Porter has run 48.1 seconds in the 400, and finished second in the City championships and eighth in the state meet in that event.

Walker, bound for USC on a football scholarship, placed second in the intermediate hurdles and sixth in the high hurdles in the City meet. He ran 39.50 in the intermediates and 14.40 in the highs last year and clocked a hand-timed 13.8 in an all-comers meet last month.

Ortiz ran a career best of 9:54.81 to place fifth in the 3,200 in the City championships and was eighth in the section cross-country final in November.

* CLEVELAND: Senior Jason Lovell, who has run 47.43 in the 400 and 21.51 in the 200, leads a squad that tied Taft for eighth in the state meet.

Lovell won the section title in the 400, was second in the 200, and ran on the winning 400 and 1,600 relays. He placed fifth in the 400 in the state meet and ran on teams that placed second in the 1,600 relay and third in the 400 relay.

Junior Randy Bundy ran a career-best 49.55 to place third in the 400 in the City meet last year.

Senior Damian Mendoza placed a surprising third in the City cross-country final in November.

* RIO MESA: Sophomores Phillip Reid and seniors Tunde Alonge and Ken Myers should pace a team shooting for its third consecutive Pacific View League title.

Reid is defending league champion in the 3,200 and has run 9:34.76 in that event. He placed fourth in the Southern Section Division II cross-country final in November.

Alonge cleared a career best of 6-4 to win the junior-senior title of the Don Green Invitational at Moorpark High on Saturday and is a solid long and triple jumper.

Myers is a transfer from Fair Oaks Del Campo who has a best of 46-2 1/2 in the triple jump.

* HUENEME: Seniors Julian Gooden, Leslie Lee and Patrick Wetzel are a fine group of sprinters, but it might not be enough to dethrone Rio Mesa.

Gooden is defending Ventura County champion in the 100 and has run 10.87 in that event. He also finished second in the 200 in the league meet.

Lee placed third in the 200 in the league final and Wetzel is defending league champion in the 400.

* PALMDALE: Jamil Smith, defending state champion in the triple jump, leads a team that is shooting for its third consecutive Golden League title and fifth in seven years.

Smith, a senior, bounded a career best of 49-10 3/4 in the triple jump last year. He clocked 14.90 in the high hurdles, leaped 22-4 1/2 in the long jump and ran a leg on a 400 relay team that timed 41.95.

Seniors Terry Furlow and Chris Collier should give the Falcons a solid 1-2 punch in the sprints.

* ROYAL: Oliver Jackson, state long jump champion, graduated, but the Highlanders appear capable of winning a share of their second consecutive Marmonte League title.

Junior Travis Patterson is defending league champion in the 1,600 and sophomore Tim Hearst won the league cross-country title in November.

Senior Tim Ramirez won the junior-senior division of the 800 and 1,600 in the Don Green meet and sophomore brother Tony won the freshman-sophomore 400 in 49.9.

* CAMARILLO: Seniors Chadd Smith and Ryan Creadick and sophomore Johnny Zendejas will lead a squad that should give the Pacific View League three solid teams.

Smith is defending Ventura County champion in the high jump and placed third in the state championships last year. He has a best of 6-10.

Creadick, a senior, is defending league champion in the shotput and discus and has bests of 51-5 3/4 and 158-10 in those events.

Zendejas placed eighth in the Southern Section Division I final in cross-country.

* CRESCENTA VALLEY--Seniors Mike Beerer and Jason Hogan, and sophomore Chris Snyder are the top returners.

Beerer placed seventh in the shotput in the Southern Section Division I final with a 51-3 effort.

Hogan placed second in the 400 in the Pacific League finals and Snyder was runner-up in 3,200.

* OAK PARK--Seniors Mark Nevers and Eric Testan could help the Eagles place among the top five teams in the Southern Section Division IV finals.

Nevers set school records of 4:21.22 in the 1,600 and 9:22.3 in the 3,200 last year.

Testan placed third in the 100 and fifth in the 200 in the Division IV finals.