With the track and field season well underway, teams from Mira Costa and Redondo are preparing for one of the top events of the season when they compete in the 51st annual Arcadia Invitational.
Competition begins with the Friday Night Relays on April 6 from 4:30-10 p.m. Action continues the following day with the Open session from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. followed by the Invitational competition from 4-10 p.m.
Redondo has a multi-talented team that will first compete in the Trabuco Hills Invitational Friday and Saturday.
“The boys and girls teams are off to an exciting start to the season,” Redondo coach Bob Leetch said. “After eight consecutive undefeated seasons the girls seek their ninth Bay League title. Depth has been a strength of the program and this year is not different.”
The Sea Hawks will take on Culver City in a dual meet on Wednesday, April 11 then join Mira Costa at the South Bay Championships to be held at El Camino College on Saturday, April 13..
At the Azusa Meet of Champions last Friday, Redondo had two girls set personal records in the 1600-meter competition. Peyton Heiden placed 4th with a time of 5 minutes, 2.56 seconds while teammate Isabella Landry finished 7th at 5:05.03.
The Sea Hawks had numerous top-ten finishes at the Redondo Nike Track Festival led by Amari Turner who placed 2nd in the girls pole vault (11-09) and 10th in the 100-meter dash (12.77).
“Last year’s state qualifier in the pole vault, Amari Turner, is off to a big start with a mark of 12’ 6” in winning Mustang Relays,” Leetch added. “She currently sits at No. 2 in the state.”
Redondo’s girls also fared well in relay events at the Nike event placing 2nd in the 4×800 (9:32.97) and 3rd in the 4×100 (48.40).
In the triple jump, Akaylah Hill placed 4th (37-04.75) while teammate Makaiah Lee finished 6th (35-05).
Redondo’s boys team seeks its 5th straight Bay League track championship and finished 4th in the 4×800 with a time of 8:02.37.
“It’s tough to replace State and National pole vault champion Tate Curran along with Ethan Comeaux who was a CIF cross country champion and multiple 1600 Bay League winner,” Leetch said. “But with the return of Anthony Zuanich, the defending Bay League 100 and 200 dash champ, and the strong middle distance crew of Ben Tait, Farooq Tariq, Cade Erikson, Alberto Aguilar and Brian Adler they hope to have a strong season. Nathan Ladabouche has blossomed into a fine hurdler. We should have a strong team at Arcadia this year.”
Mira Costa also competed in the Azusa Meet of Champions distance track meet where Xavier Court ran a personal best 4:15.86 to win the mile competition.
The rest of the team competed at the inaugural Woodbridge Invitational on Saturday where Mira Costa’s girls and boys teams placed third and fourth, respectively, in the 22-team track meet.
The Lady Mustangs, who finished behind Woodbridge and Del Norte of San Diego, were led by Brigette Grau who captured the pole vault competition with a mark of 12 feet, 7 inches.
Teammate Catherine Boudreau placed fourth in the event and third in the high jump with a height of 4-10.
Aaliyah Graves finished second in the 100 (12.75) and third in the 200 (262.44) while
Mira Costa’s 4×100 relay team was runner-up in the 4×100 (49.94).
In boys competition, the Mustangs had two 3rd-place finishers with Andrew Nieto (400, 51.24) and Andrew Sandberg (pole vault, 13-0).
At the Redondo Nike Track Festival, Mira Costa was led by Grau’s 3rd-place finish in the pole vault (11-09).
Other girls finishing in the top-ten included Aaliyah Graves in the triple jump (9th, 34-05) and the Mustang’s Distance Medley Relay team (6th, 12:50.01).
In boys competition Cody Kallenbach placed 5th in the 110 hurdles (15.39) and Andrew Nieto was 7th in the 400-meter race (51.23).
