Burbank sweeps rival Burroughs in league dual track and field meet
BURBANK — Burbank High track and field’s depth has proven to be its strength throughout the season.
Against rival Burroughs in a Pacific League dual meet at Memorial Field on Thursday, that depth helped the Bulldogs maintain their success with league prelims and finals around the corner.
The Burbank boys’ team won eight races and five field events to defeat Burroughs, 109-24, while the Bulldogs’ girls’ team captured all but one race and one field event to earn a 116-19 win.
The Bulldogs squads dropped just one Pacific League meet, losing to undefeated Arcadia in March.
With the league finals coming up in two weeks at Arcadia, the Burbank loss to the Apaches could fuel the Bulldogs.
“I think we’re completely set up for that,” Burbank coach David Card said. “We’re totally focused and geared for that already. I think if I looked at the team the day after Arcadia, there was definitely a letdown.
“They wanted to beat them. It was close enough that they know they can beat them. For both the guys and the girls, we’re very hungry. I don’t think we’re satisfied with second place.”
The Burbank boys’ team (6-1 in league) received a trio of field event victories from Zion Chavez. The senior won the high jump in 5 feet, 6 inches and followed with victories in the long jump (19-11) and triple jump (41-6).
Burbank’s James Smyth, the reigning Pacific League champion in the discus, added wins in the shot put (40-4) and discus (116-6).
Burroughs’ Eli Gault-Crabb cleared 15-0 to win the pole vault event.
“I [had a] PR at 15-3 about four weeks ago [at Hoover],” Gault-Crabb said. “Since then, I haven’t really done anything, so today, I wanted to come out and I wanted to match it or at least get close to it and clear 15. I was at 14 and said, ‘This was going to happen.’”
Burroughs (2-5) also grabbed a victory in the 3,200 meters from Raymond Berrellez in 9 minutes, 48.91 seconds. The Indians won the 4x100 relay by way of a Burbank disqualification.
“We’re preparing certain kids to get ready for CIF prelims,” Burroughs coach Le’Von Davis said. “Tonight’s meet was really more about our younger kids getting some experience.
“The kids who are prepped to go on further into the season — we’re just trying to keep them fresh. We’re not really trying to run hard for those guys. Very lopsided meet, but neither of us can win a league title, so we weren’t going to come in to blow the doors off.”
Burbank saw seven individuals win running events.
Jahir Olvera notched a victory in the 1,600 (4:45.94), Victor Goli took the 800 (2:01.36) and Bryan David clocked won the 400 (51.12).
In addition, Nick Slaughter won the 110 hurdles (16.89), Adrian Diaz-Infante claimed the 300 hurdles (43.39), Ian Miller took the 200 (23.07) and Jack Sapyta won the 100 (11.60).
The Burbank 4x400 relay team of Miller, Bryan David, Kendall Fauntleroy and Dylan Brandon finished in 3:39.41 for the final victory of the meet.
The Burbank girls’ squad (6-1) received a pair of long-distance wins from junior Sol Fernandez, who took the 1,600 in 5:36.35 and the 3,200 in 11:46.64.
“It’s definitely encouraging considering prelims are coming up, so having some wins makes me feel better and more confident,” Fernandez said. “My coaches said, ‘Go out and win.’ I started off running and leading [and thought] that with all the work I put in, I can’t just let it go now in the last lap. I had to go out and work for it.”
Elin Markarian added a win in the 800 (2:28.72) for Burbank, which also received a pair of wins from Emma Cusumano in the 100 hurdles (17.35) and the 300 hurdles (50.01) and Stephana Powell in the 200 (25.97) and the 400 (59.93).
Powell also ran winning legs on the 4x100 relay (50.48) and the 4x400 relay (4:15.48) along with Hannah Camacho, Tamryn Betts and Jayla Flowers.
Flowers also won the triple jump (36-10), while Paige Cizek won the long jump (15-10), Alisa Petrosyan took the pole vault (8-6) and Katherine Bui won the discus throw (96-1) and the shot put (29-07 1/2).
Burroughs (5-2) received wins from Jada Martinez-Reese in the 100 (12.86) and Kayla Wrobel in the high jump (5-0).
“Hats off to Burbank,” Davis said. “They have a really deep team. They’re looking really good. Their program is definitely heading toward the right direction.”
Twitter: @ReporterVince