Flacks Runs to Second Place in Region

A disappointing performance in her previous race helped propel Lindsay Flacks of North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake to a second-place finish in the Foot Locker West Region cross-country championships Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College.

Flacks, a senior, suffered her first loss this season when she placed third in the Division III girls’ race of the state championships at Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 29 while bothered by a groin injury. But she finished two seconds behind defending national champion Zoe Nelson of Flathead High in Kalispell, Mont., on Saturday following several sessions with a physical therapist earlier in the week.

Flacks, who ran 18 minutes 9 seconds over the 5,000-meter course, had been ranked among the top eight runners in the West region most of the season. But she noticed that she had been dropped into a secondary group after her third-place finish in the state meet.

“I think that was nice for me because it took some of the pressure off me,” Flacks said. “But it was also incentive almost to prove them wrong that I could be up there.”

Flacks was one of four runners from the Southland who finished among the top eight in the seeded girls’ or boys’ race to advance to the national championships at Morley Field in San Diego on Saturday.

Seniors Liza Pasciuto of Murrieta Valley and Mohamed Trafeh of Duarte and junior Mark Matusak of Los Angeles Loyola were the others.

Pasciuto placed sixth in the girls’ race in 18:24 to qualify for the national meet for the second time in her career.

Trafeh placed second in the boys’ race in 15:35 to qualify for the national championships for the second consecutive year. Matusak finished sixth in the boys’ race in 15:44 to advance to his first national championship meet.

Senior Shadrack Kiptoo of La Cueva High in Albuquerque won the boys’ race in 15:32.

-- John Ortega

There might be something for Westchester to prove in Florida and Delaware, sites of two upcoming tournaments, but not in the Southland. The two-time defending state champion Comets defeated Woodland Hills Taft, 65-48, Saturday night to win the six-day Hawthorne boys’ basketball tournament.

Westchester (4-0) sustained a 15-point lead throughout most of the contest by dominating in the paint and using a trapping defense to get breakaway points. The Comets all but put Taft (3-1) away by outscoring the Toreadors, 19-8, in the second quarter.

“We played a tough game against a tough team,” Westchester Coach Ed Azzam said. “Our offense needs to be more patient and our defense needs to play with more poise.”

Junior forward Marcus Johnson led a balanced scoring attack for Westchester with 18 points on seven-for-14 shooting. Senior Jon Toliver scored 16 points, including four three-point baskets.

Taft senior guard Jordan Farmar was the team’s only bright spot, pouring in 29 points and making his 10 free throws.

-- Elia Powers