Plenty of highlights for Crescenta Valley in Pacific League finals

ARCADIA — On an evening in which the Crescenta Valley High track and field teams proved themselves the dominant area program within the Pacific League, both Glendale and Hoover highs also enjoyed some success at Friday night’s Pacific League Finals at Arcadia’s Salter Stadium.

A few victories came from multiple-event winners, including by the Falcons’ super sophomore tandem of Megan Melnyk and Emmie Walker.

Melnyk was dominant in the distances, coming from behind to clinch the 800-meter run, while holding off a hard-charging challenger in the 1,600.

In the 800, Melnyk was second behind Arcadia’s Glindyll Mancia, who cut off Melnyk right after completion of the first lap.

Melnyk went into a full sprint over the last 200 meters in pulling out a victory in 2 minutes, 19.36 seconds.

“Glindyll is a fast runner, she’s a 400 runner,” Melnyk said. “So, I knew I had to close strong and run as fast as I could at the end.”

Melnyk held off another Apache’s advance when she topped Arcadia’s Laura Guidolin (5:13.21) in the 1,600 in winning in 5:12.98

Melnyk also teamed with the highly versatile Walker, Courtney Iannello and Kayleigh Carrillo to win the girls’ 1,600-meter relay in 3:57.10.

The victory was the second for Walker, who also clinched the high jump at a height of 5 feet, 3 inches.

As for Carrillo, the Falcons’ sprinter took home triumphs in both the 200 (25.28) and 400 (56.00).

Perhaps the most exciting race of the night was the boys’ 110-meter hurdles, which took 30 minutes to announce an official result after Falcons senior Davit Shahamanyan tied Arcadia’s Victor Cheung (15.90) in a dead heat.

As expected, the Falcons also shined in the boys’ distances as junior Gabe Collison won the 3,200 in 9:30.51 and Nick Beatty, who qualified to the Division I prelims in the 1,600-meter run in 4:21.27, took home a victory in the 800 (1:58.12).

“I missed out last year and earlier on my chance to win and I wanted to win,” Beatty said. “I didn’t want to leave without a win.”

Falcons senior Noel Wong also claimed the girls’ long jump with a leap of 16 feet 8 1/2 inches.

Of course, perhaps the biggest star power was generated by Glendale senior Michael Davis.

The BYU-bound two-sport star was involved in all of the Nitros’ wins, including when he ran the second leg of Glendale’s winning 400-meter relay team (44.06) with mates Daniel Jung, Tristan Pacba and Carlos Navarro.

Davis then romped to a win in the 100-meter dash in 10.59 before being somewhat “disappointed” with his winning time of 21.45 in the 200.

“I should have done better and I’m going to have to next week,” Davis said. “These weren’t my best times.”

While Hoover didn’t pick up a victory Friday, Tornadoes senior Kenneth Trejo was his school’s CIF qualifier, taking third in the 1,600 in 4:23.44.

Crescenta Valley produced a few runner-up qualifiers in sophomore Grace Keller in the high jump (4-11), sophomore Haley Witzeman in the 3,200 (11:34.6), the boys’ 1,600-meter relay squad (3:26.64) and junior hurdler Sarah Lapides in the 300 hurdles (49.19). Lapides also qualified in third place in the 100 hurdles (16.67).

As for Falcons’ bronze qualifiers, Emily Beglarian moved on in the high jump (4-11), senior Hannah Ruby advanced in both the 800 (2:23.95) and 1,600 (5:16.63), junior Matt Manalo was good enough in the 800 (1:59.41) and the Falcons’ 400 girls relay team (51.20) also moved on.

Not to be forgotten was Glendale sophomore Leana Setian, who advanced in the 3,200 (11:34.8).

Both Crescenta Valley and Glendale advanced to next Saturday’s Division I preliminaries at Trabuco Hills, while Trejo moves onto the Division III prelims at Estancia High.