Aguilar, Chahal earn two track titles each
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ARCADIA — Burbank High’s Sergio Aguilar and Burroughs’ Jagdeep Chahal shared the spotlight at the Pacific League track and field championships at Arcadia High on a Thursday evening when the city schools combined for six individual titles, one co-championship and 21 advancements to the CIF Southern Section preliminaries.
Aguilar and Chahal won two titles apiece, with the Indians senior capping a brilliant league distance career with victories in the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs.
“It’s kind of crazy because you turn around and realize that four years have gone pretty fast,” said Chahal, the league cross-country champion. “Honestly, it’s been an awesome four years and I’m thankful for my rivalry with [Crescenta Valley] because they’ve pushed me to be better.”
Chahal topped his friend and rival Crescenta Valley senior Colin FitzGerald in both distance races, first winning the 1,600 in 4 minutes, 21.10 seconds, which was a bit off his best mark of 4:16.
Chahal rested after that win and picked up another victory in the 3,200 in 9:13.24.
The Burroughs senior earned advancement to the Division I prelims at Trabuco Hills High on May 12.
Chahal won both events with a good amount of separation and the same could be said for Aguilar.
The Bulldogs senior began his day with a triumph in the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 15.51 seconds.
“I wasn’t that surprised with the wins,” Aguilar said. “I did well at prelims, but at the same time, I don’t come in here thinking I’m going to win without trying. Anyone can just show up and beat you.”
Aguilar was brilliant again in the 300 hurdles, this time winning in 40.37. In both victories, Aguilar just nipped his previous-best marks of 15.57 and 40.45, respectively.
Maybe the most interesting win of the meet came in the girls’ pole vault as Burroughs seniors Alexandra Akobian and Elizabeth Switzer made and missed the exact same number of attempts en route to finishing with marks of 11 feet. The duo ended up sharing the league crown.
“In meets, it’s pretty exciting to have each other pushing each other to do better,” Akobian said. “We help each other get our steps and we just encourage each other.”
Switzer added: “Whenever she was hurt and I was competing by myself I would always do worse because I didn’t have someone there to push me.”
Burbank boasted two non-senior league champions as sophomore James Smyth captured the boys’ discus with a throw of 143 feet, 6 inches and freshman Tamryn Betts won the girls’ high jump with a leap of 5 feet.
Burroughs’ 10 additional Division I preliminary qualifiers consist of Emily Virtue (second in the 1,600 in 5:13.54 and second in the 800 in 2:19.34), Jada Martinez-Reese (second in the 100-meter dash in 12.58 and third in the 200 in 26.09 seconds), Caleb Black (second in the 400 in 50.98), David Lennstrom (second in the boys’ high jump in 6-1), Kayla Wrobel (second in the girls’ high jump in 4-10), Jordan Guzman (third in the girls’ 3,200 in 11:35.16), the Burroughs girls’ 1,600-meter relay team (second, 4:14.24) and the Burroughs girls’ 400 relay team (second, 50.13).
Burbank added three CIF qualifiers as junior Oladele Hospidales advanced in the 100-meter dash (second, 11.02) and 200 (second, 22.52 seconds) and the Burbank boys’ 1,600-meter relay team moved on by taking third in 3:31.45.
Twitter: @campadresports
