Bronze doesn’t budge
SOUTHEAST GLENDALE — Sitting on a table near the starting line at Moyse Field, the Bronze Bowl was technically up for grabs, as it is every season.
But, in reality, the Glendale High track and field team had it under lock and key virtually from the start of Wednesday’s Pacific League rivalry showdown with Hoover.
The Nitros entered with a considerable depth advantage and made the most of it in handing the Tornadoes a 112-23 loss in the boys’ competition, while winning, 100-31, on the girls’ side.
“We did everything we were supposed to,” said Nitros Coach Bob Bailey, whose team retained the bronze vessel awarded to the school scoring the most total points in the rivalry clash for the 13th year in a row. “I knew that we would dominate on the track and we did. For the most part, we got some good performances leading up to next week’s prelims and league finals.”
Glendale’s girls’ team, which improved to 5-2 in league, got a big lift from Sophia Amodia, who won three events on the day and competed in the winning 4x400-yard relay.
“It’s a good accomplishment,” Amodia said of the team’s win. “I just ran against the clock and tried not to stutter any of my hurdles. I did what I was visualizing in my head the day before.”
Amodia won the 100 high hurdles in 15.2 seconds, took the 400 in 59.6 and won the 300 hurdles in 49.50. She also ran the third leg in the 4x400 along with Kenya Gaskin, Lauren Hansen and Leana Setian for a victory in 4:19.20.
The Nitros’ 4x100 relay team of Gaskin, Elizabeth Sulaiman, Vard Sargyan and Julie Pastor was also victorious in 53.74.
“They did pretty much what we expected,” Nitros sprint, hurdling and relay coach Marv Thompson said. “We kind of knew what the competition was going to be like, but like I have to keep telling the kids, you never underestimate any team whatsoever.”
Also turning in wins on the track for the Nitros girls were Setian in the 1,600 in 5:25.30, Gaskin in the 100 in 13.4 and the 200 in 28.1 and Hansen in the 800 in 2:33.52.
Inside the oval, Glendale got wins from Natalie Queally in the long jump (15 feet, six inches) and triple jump (33-2), Jessica Kim in the pole vault (6-6), Gabby Kovarkian in the high jump (4-4) and Mariquita Lopez-Engelman in the shot put (27-3) and the discus throw (91-2).
The Nitros’ boys (4-3 in league) had a quartet of double-winners in Chris Canlas, Tristan Pacba, Carlos Navarro and Bobby Casaburi.
Pacba and Navarro had hands in four total victories, joining forces with Jeff Massin and Mike Davis to win the 4x100 relay in 43.87 and the 4x400 in 3:34.50, while Pacba also won the 100 high hurdles in 16.14 and the 300 hurdles in 43.1 and Navarro took the 400 in 53.20 and the 200 in 23.2.
Canlas won the 1,600 in 4:36 and the 800 in 2:05.53 and Casaburi was a winner in the long jump (19-3 1/2) and the triple jump (39-7 3/4).
“It’s always good [to beat Hoover],” Canlas said. “We were trying to take [place No.] 1, 2 or even 3 in most of the races we ran.”
Davis added to Glendale’s track haul with a win in the 100 in 10.8 and Siraj Landery (high jump, 5-10) and Young Jin Kim (discus, 99-2) also won.
Hoover’s wins came from Renee Lawson (3,200) on the girls’ side and Jeremy Zadoorian (3,200, 10:45), Brendon Kerr (shot put, 37-8) and Malek Azadegan (pole vault, 10-6) on the boys’ side.
“Unfortunately, we had a few losses due to grades this week and we were short-handed already coming here,” said Hoover Coach Jack Sallakian, whose teams both fell to 1-6 in league. “This whole season, we’ve been focused on individual results, we just don’t have the numbers to compete as we would like.
“A lot of people got PRs today and that’s what we’re focused on at the end of the season.”