Providence boys’ track and field wins second straight league title
BURBANK — On a day that yielded nine Prep League titles, the Providence High boys’ and girls’ track and field teams showed they could compete against a new set of opponents at the league finals Thursday at Burroughs High’s Memorial Field.
In it’s second consecutive title-winning season, the Providence boys — which won a Liberty League title in 2018 before moving to the Prep League — scored 99 points, besting Pasadena Poly, which was second with 98. Chadwick (30) was third and Flintridge Prep (29) placed fourth.
The Providence girls’ team had some strong performances to finish second behind five-time defending league champion Mayfield. The Cubs finished with 179, the Pioneers had 98, Flintridge Prep had 81 and Pasadena Poly had 70.
“At the end of the day, we just wanted to show the Prep League that we could come out here and compete with them,” said Providence coach Mohamed Haddada, whose boys’ team ended a seven-year title run by Pasadena Poly. “It wasn’t anything more then that. We wanted to come out and compete with the Prep League and I’m glad we were able to do that.”
With a number of qualifying marks, Providence and Flintridge Prep will bring a sizable contingent of athletes to the CIF Southern Section Division IV prelims at Carpinteria High on May 4.
“We had some young people on the team who really excelled today,” Flintridge Prep coach Scott Jung said. “Chase Sullivan, who’s a freshman, qualified in four events and won the 400 [meters]. She’s a quadruple qualifier in CIF.”
The Providence boys had eight title-winners and started the meet with a victory from their 4x100 relay team of Lucas Weaver, Jaden Baker, Bryce Whitaker and Ryan Clemens in 45.13 seconds.
Pioneers senior Nick Montijo won his second straight league title in the boys’ 800 (2:04.61) and posted CIF-qualifying times with second-place finishes in the 1,600 (4:39.24) and 3,200 (10:20.59).
“I know if I let him beat me that my coach was going to make me do 400 repeats or something next practice,” said Montijo, who won an 800 title in the Santa Fe League last season for now-defunct Bellarmine-Jefferson High.
“I was like, ‘No, I have to go,’ and when I reached him one-on-one, I just full-on booked it. It was a goal for me to win it because the 800 is my second-favorite event.”
Motijo, who was named the league’s most valuable track athlete, also teamed up with Clemens, Whitaker and Diego Pieragostino for a victory in the 4x400 relay (3:42.18).
Clemens also won a title in the 110 hurdles (16.54) and qualified in the 300 hurdles (second; 42.25), Baker added a title in the 400 (52.39), Lucas Weaver qualified in the 300 hurdles with a third-place finish (45.18) and also finished third in the 110 hurdles (20.51). In addition, Kieran Gehan won the 300 hurdles (42.25), qualified in the 110 hurdles (second; 16.78) and finished second in the high jump (5 feet 6 inches) and second in the pole vault (7-6).
Whitaker won the triple jump (42-6 1/2) and qualified in the long jump (third; 19-4), Samuel Alskaf finished third in the discus (99-1) and qualified in the shot put (second; 36-0), Logan Mchugh qualified in the discus (second; 101-3) and placed third in the shot put (34-6), Skye Sasaki put up a CIF-qualifying mark in the high jump (third; 5-0) and Chris Kelamyan finished third in the pole vault (6-6).
Flintridge Prep sophomore Andrew Odom earned qualifying marks for three events in the 200 (second; 24.44), 400 (second; 53.04) and 800 (third; 2:11.58), senior Sebastian Owens qualified in the 800 (second; 2:11.46) and 1,600 (third; 4:46.56), senior Carson Hasbrouck qualified in the 3,200 (third; 10:35.12) and sophomore Bennett Oakes qualified in the 3,200 (fourth; 10:43.12) with an at-large mark.
The Rebels’ 4x400 relay team of Eric Ahn, David Campos, Evans and Odom placed third with a qualifying time of 3:47.26.
Providence junior Nadia Singleton was named the league’s girls’ most valuable track athlete after finishing first in the 200 (26.39) and second in the 100 (13.08).
Singleton teamed up with Jasmine Monegalan, Gabriella Florian and Kristen Ayap to win the 4x100 relay (51.41) and the group placed second in the 4x400 (4:15.57)
Providence junior Isabella Orlando finished third in the 100 hurdles (19.32) and Florian added qualifying marks in the 400 (third; 1:03.77) and 300 hurdles (second; 50.70).
Pioneers’ thrower Nicole Rochart posted qualifying marks in the shot put (third; 31-8) and discus (second; 88-11 1/2), Liana Artunian finished third in the discus (75-3) and Kylie Coontz qualified in the triple jump (fourth; 30-7 1/4) with an at-large mark.
Flintridge Prep’s Sullivan qualified in four events, winning a league title in the 400 (1:01.05) and finishing second in the shot put (33-1), second in the long jump (15-10) and second in the triple jump (34-3).
“I was super nervous coming in even though I was favored to win” said Sullivan of her 400 race. “My legs were shaking, I was feeling really sick and I felt like I was going to pass out before the race was over. I just had to trust my training and coaching. I was prepared.”
Rebels senior Haley Allen won the 200 title (11:29.94) and Sasha Codiga qualified for the 800 (fourth; 2:31.35) with an at-large mark and the 1,600 (second; 5:23.61).
Flintridge Prep freshman Amadi Weser qualified in the triple jump (third; 32-1) and the high jump (fourth; 4-6) with an at-large mark and Isabelle Townley, Ella Treinen and Jazzy Wu all qualified in the pole vault with 7-0 marks.
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Twitter: @ReporterVince