Davis leads local winners
ARCADIA — Explosive starts seem to come natural for Mike Davis. His finishes aren’t too shabby either.
The Glendale High track and field star showed precisely how important both facets can be on the lanes during the Pacific League finals at Arcadia High on Friday night.
Davis, a junior, had no trouble capturing the 100- and 200-meter dashes for the second straight season.
“It’s key getting out of the blocks and then being able to hold it the rest of the way,” said Davis, who captured the 100 in a personal-best time of 10.72 seconds and the 200 in 21.80. “If I can hold it, then I like my chances.
“Even in the 200, you get off to that fast start and explode and then relax for the final 100. To win both again is great.”
Davis, a reigning All-Area honoree, won the league title in the 200 for the third straight season. Davis was one of several area athletes to grab league titles and advance to the CIF Southern Section Division I preliminaries, which will be held May 12.
In fact, three other local participants won a pair of individual league championships.
Crescenta Valley’s Josh Strachewski won the 110 hurdles in 15.16 and the 300 hurdles in 40.60.
Like Davis, Strachewski had little difficulty sweeping both races.
“In the 110, I got off to a good start and was really focused,” Strachewski said. “Things were so fluid and I only hit one hurdle.
“In the 300, that was my best race this season. I was able to speed up between hurdles and I didn’t stutter in the last 100.”
In the girls’ portion of the meet, Kayleigh Carrillo of Crescenta Valley and Sophia Amodia of Glendale each won a pair of individual races.
Carrillo took first in the 400 (58.57) and the 200 (25.73).
Carrillo then worked with Megan Melnyk, Cali King and Emmie Walker to win the 4x400 relay (3:59.2). It marked the second season in a row the Falcons won the event.
Amodia began her evening winning the 100 hurdles in 15.51. She then clocked 45.84 to win the 300 hurdles for the second straight season.
Amodia said she suffered a groin injury during a practice earlier in the week, but was able to regroup.
“I was confident I could come back and win both races,” Amodia said. “This was my first year running the 100, so I was just shooting for a qualifying time.
“I was able to start quick in the 300, tried not to stutter and finish strong. The hard work paid off.”
Also winning league titles were Robert Casaburi of Glendale in the triple jump with a mark of 41 feet 10 inches and Walker in the high jump (5-2).
A bunch of locals qualified for the prelims.
Among the qualifiers on the boys’ side were Tyler Bradshaw of Crescenta Valley in the pole vault (third, 11-9), Michael Duncan of Crescenta Valley in the 800 (second, 1:56.84) and Jeremy Zadoorian of Hoover in the 800 (fourth, 1:59.36).
Zadoorian, the lone Tornado to qualify for the Division III prelims, earned an at-large qualifying time.
Glendale’s 4x100 relay team of Davis, Jeffrey Massin, Tristan Pacba and Carlos Navarro Esperanza clocked 43.79 to place third and advance. The Nitros’ 4x400 relay team of Davis, Massin, Chris Canlas and Navarro Esperanza placed second in 3:23.9 to also move on to the prelims.
Those who qualified in the girls’ competition included Glendale’s Leana Setian in the 1,600 (third, 5:14.61), Megan Melnyk of Crescenta Valley in the 800 (second, 2:22.10), King in the 800 (third, 2:23.070, Natalie Queally of Glendale in the triple jump (second, 34 2-1/2), Marquita Lopez-Englemen of Glendale in the discus (second, 101-3) and Crescenta Valley’s Brooke Moultrie in the 3,200 (second, 11:24.58).
Crescenta Valley’s 4x100 relay quartet of Walker, Carrillo, Claudia Sepulveda and Noel Wong placed second in 49.66 to also advance.
