Full speed ahead for locals

ARCADIA — Mike Davis had plenty of incentive when he got to the starting line leading up to his participation in a pair of dashes.

The Glendale High sophomore track and field athlete had two individual goals he wanted to check off. And he did just that.

Davis captured the 100- and 200-meter races on Friday night at the Pacific League finals at Arcadia High.

Davis won the 100 in 10.79 seconds before coming back to take the 200 in 21.82. He closed out the meet by working with Jeff Massin, Paul Archer and Dillon Fuller to take the 4x400 relay in 3 minutes 23.88 seconds.

For Davis, who won the 200 last season, he enjoyed the finest moments of his budding career in front of a large crowd.

“I wanted to win both [individual] events last season, but I didn’t,” Davis said. “I had a lot of incentive to go out there and win both.

“In the 100, I just wanted it that much more after coming so close last time. In the 200, I had a fast start and just concentrated. It’s pretty good right now for me.”

Plenty of local athletes won league championships and qualified for the CIF prelims.

Crescenta Valley High boys’ athlete Levi Walker won a pair of events. He took the triple jump in 42 feet 8 inches and also captured the long jump (21-1/2).

Also winning a league title in the boys’ portion of the meet was CV’s Mike Duncan, who had a late surge to take the 1,600 in a personal-best time of 4:23.70.

“It was my kick toward the end,” Duncan said. “Going into the last lap, I wasn’t too sure, but my kick helped me out.

“I was just trying to qualify. I had the opportunity to do it and I did.”

On the girls’ side, Jessica Beerman of Crescenta Valley stole the spotlight. Beerman, a senior, kicked off the meet in style by grouping with Claudia Sepulveda, Noel Wong and Kayleigh Carrillo to win the 4x100 relay in 50.23.

The strangest moment for Beerman came in the 100, which she won 12.74 to repeat as league champion. Near the midway point in the 100, Beerman developed a cramp in her left leg, but she managed to come through. Beerman didn’t compete in the 200, which she won last season.

“I didn’t feel my leg pulling, so I just wanted to finish and win the race,” Beerman said. “It killed me not to be able to run in the 200, but it was a precaution.

“I have mixed emotions right now winning the 100 and not being able to go in the 200.”

The cramp apparently dissipated. Beerman worked with Carrillo, Cali King and Tiernan Hebron to win the 4x400 relay in 4:04.14. Beerman had an ace bandage around her leg as she ran the final lap.

Also securing league championships were Hebron in the 400 (59.79) and Sophia Amodia of Glendale in the 300 hurdles (45.78).

A slew of locals qualified for the prelims, which will be held May 14.

Among the qualifiers on the boys’ side were Josh Strachewski of Crescenta Valley, who took second in the 110 hurdles (15.89), Alex Mikhailpoor of Hoover in the 400 (second, 50.51), Nick Ruiz of Crescenta Valley in the high jump (third, 5-10), Crescenta Valley’s Bryan Yaung in the triple jump (41-8) and Fuller in the long jump (20-9 3/4).

Crescenta Valley’s 4x100 relay team of Parker Averill, Walker, James Maturan and Yaung clocked 44.08 for third.

Those who qualified in the girls’ competition were King in the 1,600 (second, 5:15.52), Phien Le of Glendale in the long jump (third, 16-5 1/2) and Hoover’s Paige Hollis in the 100 hurdles (second, 17:15). In the 3,200, three Crescenta Valley athletes qualified: Claudia Pham (second, 11:35.95), Brooke Moultrie (third, 11:44.24) and Anneke Kakebeen (fourth, 11:58.86).

Crescenta Valley and Glendale will take part in the Division I prelims at Trabuco Hills High, while Hoover will participate in the Division III event at Estancia High.