Glendale track runs past Burroughs
BURBANK — While it came down to the very end, the Pasadena and Burroughs high girls’ track and field teams simply didn’t have enough to outdo Glendale’s Leana Setian and Lauren Hansen in Thursday’s tri-Pacific League meet.
The Nitros’ duo combined for five victories in a narrow 68-60 win over host Burroughs. Setian and Hansen saved their best and most dramatic finish for last, as they teamed with Kenya Gaskin and Vard Sargsyan to take first in the 4x400-meter relay — the final race of the day — in four minutes 24.50 seconds to just edge Pasadena’s team, which clocked in at 4:25.44. (Glendale-Pasadena scores were unavailable.)
“I think overall we became really unified and did our best today,” Hansen said. “It’s our first tri-meet of the season, so we showed everyone we’ve been training and practicing really hard.”
While a final score for Glendale and Pasadena wasn’t available, Glendale Coach Andrew Dakopolos said the victory over Burroughs should guarantee a win over Pasadena, which fell to the Indians, 86-42.
It was a similar situation for the boys. The Nitros cruised to a 174-62 win over the Indians, who knocked off Pasadena, 80-56.
“It’s huge, it’s awesome,” Dakapolos said of sweeping the entire meet, as both his squads improved to 3-0 overall and in league. “I am ecstatic, I’m absolutely ecstatic. I’m so proud of everybody: our relay teams, our distance runners, our sprinters showed up; today was a team effort.”
While it was a disappointing day, Burroughs Coach John Peebles said there were plenty of bright moments.
“We had some nice performances, but from what I was able to see we had some kids running hard and doing well in the field events,” said Peebles, as both his teams fell to 1-3 overall, 1-2 in league. “We have to keep doing that.”
Peebles received a pair of victories from Ellaine Ilano in the field, as she took first in the triple jump (27 feet 11.5 inches) and pole vault (8 feet). Burroughs’ Johanna Reyes and Carissa Jackson also did their share by taking the top-two spots in both hurdle events.
Reyes just beat out Jackson in the 300 hurdles with respective times of 53.25 and 53.94. Jackson got revenge in the 110 hurdles, as she took first in 17.8 and Reyes was runner-up in 18.56.
Ashley Sapone and Kimberly Santos also took first in the shot put (28-3) and discus, (54-3) respectively, for the Indians. Santos took second in the shot put (24-10) and Sapone was third in the discus (72-11).
Individually, Setian won the 1,600- and 3,200-meter in 5:33 and 11:53, respectively.
“I am feeling pretty tired right now, I just try to pace myself and give it my all in the last 800,” said Setian, who also praised her team’s performances. “I feel like the team is working really hard this season, even more than last season.”
Hansen also won both her events — the 400 (1:04.88) and 800 (2:35).
“It feels really good,” she said. “I feel like I did my part today and I can be a role model for everybody else on the team to look up to.”
To no one’s surprise, elite sprinter Mike Davis led Glendale to three victories. He started by teaming with Daniel Jung, Tristan Pacba and Carlos Navarro for a comfortable win in the 4x100 (43.37) and finished his day with wins in the 100 (10.37) and 200 (22.06).
“I like league, it’s just another step before the final one, that’s CIF,” said Davis, who said he hopes to take a top-four spot at state, if not win it all.
Matthew Schwartz had a huge day in the field for Burroughs. He took first in the pole vault (13) before taking third in the shot put (39-11), high jump (5-6) and long jump (18-8).
The Indians also received victories in the 110 hurdles from Carlos Ortega (17.02), discus from Ermar Cruz (106-10), shot put from Brian Jones (42-8.5) and Luis Celaya in the 3,200 (10:16).
Pacba also took first in the long jump (18-9) and second in the 110 (16.12) and 300 hurdles (42.37) for the Nitros, who also received wins from Yves Ramirez in the high jump (5-6), Michael Williams in the triple jump (37) and Navarro also won the 400 (52.50).
Williams took second in the pole vault (11-6). Krisnel Miraflor took second and third in the discus (91-7) and shot put (71-8.5), respectively, for Glendale.
Other third-place finishes for the Nitros included Brian Shieh in the 1,600 (4:48), Marcel Grigoryan in the 400 (53.8) and Jung in the 100 (11.25) and 200 (23.97) and Liam Spires in the 3,200 (10:50).
For the girls, Glendale also had five runner-up finishes from its 4x100-relay team (53.37), Sargsyan in the 400 (1:06.69), Caroline Cubero in the 800 (2:44), Gaskin in the 200 (27.63) and Alexandra Stone in the discus (66-8).
Also providing third-place marks for the Nitros were Faby Naranjo in the 1,600 (6:03) and 800 (2:47), Natalie Avakians in the 100/110 hurdles (20.47), Gaskin in the 100 (13.31), Cecile Le Duff in the 300 hurdles and Alex Stone in the shot put (23-4).