Qualifying spots for the CIF Southern Section track & field prelims will be on the line this week when Mira Costa hosts the Bay League prelims at 1 p.m. Tuesday and the 101st edition of the Bay League finals Friday at 5 p.m.
League champions automatically qualify for the CIF-SS prelims on May 16. Second and third place finishers qualify if they meet the minimum standard for their event.
The Bay League is loaded with talent having 34 athletes or teams who hold top-20 marks in CIF-SS competition. Twelve relay teams have times in the top 20 including four girls teams from Redondo who are in the top 15.
The boys and girls teams from Redondo and Mira Costa finished 1-2, respectively, in the Bay League after the Sea Hawks swept their dual meet with the Mustangs last week.
Girls competition in the 4×100 and 4×400 should be close with both teams from Redondo and Mira Costa holding top-20 times in the state.
In the 4×100, Redondo (47.99) has the 14th-fastest time in CIF-SS and 18th in the state while Mira Costa (48.15) holds the 15th and 20th marks.
Redondo’s time of 3:55.23 in the 4×400 is sixth-best in CIF-SS and 14th in the state with Mira Costa (3:56.22) close behind in the 10th and 20th spots.
Mira Costa’s Shante Robinson has the third-fastest time in the CIF-SS girls 300 hurdles at 43.17 which ranks sixth in the state. She also has the 12th-fastest CIF-SS time in the 110 hurdles (14.72).
Redondo’s Kristen Hamlin will challenge Robinson in both events including the 16h-best CIF-SS time in the 100 hurdles (14.87).
Redondo girls favored to win their events include pole vaulter Kaitlin Heri, who has a best mark of 11-7 (11th in CIF-SS), and Akaylah Hill who has a distance of 36-4 in the triple jump.
Redondo’s Zuri Henderson and Peninsula’s Tunika Onnekikami should provide an exciting 400 dash. Henderson’s season-best time of 56.38 and Onnekikamis mark of 56.39 rank 10th and 11th in CIF-SS (28th, 29th in state), respectively.
Peninsula also expects strong showings from Audrey Pillsbury in the discus (12th in CIF-SS, 128-10) and high jumper Tammy McVickar (13th, 5-5).
Palos Verdes will be strong in distance events. Jacquelyn Smith has the 9th-best CIF-SS time in 3200 (10:45.69) and Camille Hines is among the top-20 in the 1600 with a season-best time of 5:00.10.
In boys competition, Peninsula’s Jacob Funes has the fourth-best CIF-SS mark in the triple jump at 46-3.5 which ranks him 11th in the state.
Redondo will be led by Sergio Rodriguez, whose time of 1:54.19 in the 800 is the seventh-best in CIF-SS and 15th in the state.
Sea Hawk pole vaulter Tate Curran has a season-best mark of 15-4 which ranks ninth in CIF-SS and 15th in state.
The boys 1600 race should be close with Redondo’s Ethan Comeaux (4:14.14) and Palos Verdes’ Robert Franklin (4:14.65) holding the 16th and 17th best times in CIF-SS (20th, 21st in state).
