Track and Field
Redondo’s girls won their third consecutive Bay League crown with a 79-57 victory over host Mira Costa before capturing the team title at the South Bay Championships held at West Torrance on Saturday.
Even with the Sea Hawks’ strong group of distance runners competing in the Mt. SAC Relays, Redondo still managed to score 86 points to beat Mira Costa who finished the meet with 51 points.
After clearing 10 feet for a 5th-place finish at Mt. SAC, Redondo’s Jasmine Freeman won the pole vault competition at the South Bay Championships with the same height.
Redondo also got first-place performances from Anavey Hiehle (400, 58.34) and (long jump, 17-4.5).
Mira Costa’s Acacia Moore won the 110 hurdles (15.50) and 300 hurdles (47.73) and teammate Ashlee Dotson captured the 200-meter race with a time of 25.50.
At the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut. Redondo’s 4×1600 relay team of Rachel Bush, Kayla Ferron, Cara Ulizio and Lyndsey Mull set a new state record of 20:01.38. The mark also broke the meet record of 20:03.48 set by the Sea Hawks in 2010. The national record is 19:56.75 set in 2006 by Suffern, N.Y.
Redondo’s Amber Gore finished 4th in the 800 Invitational with a time of 2:12.81 and Ulizio placed 6th in the 800 Seeded race with a mark of 2:17.79.
Mira Costa’s Kelli Sugimoto captured the 3200 with a time of 10:54.92.
In boys competition, Mira Costa’s Kyle Hubbard was named the Male Athlete of the Meet at the South Bay Championships, winning the 300 hurdles (38.77), placing 2nd in the 110 hurdles (14.74) and running on the Mustangs’ champion 4×400 relay team.
Mira Costa earned 119.5 points to beat Peninsula (90) for the team title. Redondo finished 5th with 39 points.
Mustangs Sean Griffin (13-6), Daniel Golubovic, Reed Scale and Christian Ritchie took the top four spots in the pole vault competition. Golubovic went on to win the high jump at 6 feet, 2 inches.
Redondo runners Cameron and Cole Lawler took 1st and 3rd in the 200 with times of 22.81 and 23.06, respectively.
At the Mt. SAC Relays, Redondo’s 4×800 relay team of Garrett Klatte, Dustin Herold, Dagmay Demsas and Evan Malone-White finished third. The time of 7:51.09 is the 6th-fastest in the nation this year.
Dustin Herold placed 3rd in the 800 Seeded race with a time of 1:56.62 while Malone-White finished 6th in the 800 Invitational posting a time of 1:55.33.
After defeating rival Redondo 84-52 behind a strong performance in the field events, Mira Costa’s boys can win the Bay League title outright with a win at West on Thursday.
Boys Golf
Mira Costa won the 10th Annual Knabe Cup at Lakewood Country Club behind senior David Kim who shot a 66, just one shot behind Andrew Morgan of Long Beach Wilson.
Ryann and Lawrence Ree, of Redondo, finished third and fourth. Ryan, a senior, shot a 68 while the junior Lawrence tied for fourth with a score of 70.
Mira Costa’s team score of 288 beat Diamond Bar (290) and Long Beach Wilson (292). The Mustangs were led by Kim, senior Lorenzo Gillenwater (72, 10th), freshman CJ Coleman (73, tied for 12th) and sophomore Bryce Holmes (77).
“This was a great win for us and we knew that we could make a strong challenge even with such a strong field,” Mira Costa head coach Bob Timberlake said. “This team was feeling very strong about itself after its Top-5 showing at the Champions Tournament in Indio. Kim set his goal to win the tournament and when he is on, the rest of our guys are on too. When you beat Wilson, Diamond Bar and any of the South Bay teams, you know it is something special.”
The Mustangs (12-4, 8-3) conclude Bay League competition Thursday at Chester Washington Golf Course when they take on a talented South Torrance team for the seond time this week. Mira Costa defeated the league-leading Spartans 183-189 on Tuesday, dropping South (13-3, 9-2) into a first-place tie with Redondo (10-3, 9-2) who faces Peninsula on Thursday.
“Both teams (Mira Costa and South) have been eyeing each other since the schedules were published in the fall,” Timberlake said. “We consider this to be our top rivalry year in and out and this also helps us get ready for CIF. They are a program we do not take lightly.”
Timberlake believes his team can make a deep run at the regional tournament with several of his golfers having an opportunity to make the CIF individual tournament.
“We know Kim has a great chance to get to the State Competition,” Timberlake added.
Bay League qualifying will be held Monday beginning at 8 a.m. at Harding Park. League finals are scheduled for Thursday, May 3 at Wilson Golf Course in Griffith Park.
Softball
Mira Costa scored 15 runs on 15 hits to defeat visiting Redondo 15-4 last Friday. Katie Saunders went 2-for-2 with four runs and three RBIs, Ulufa Leilua was 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs and Taylor Glover had three hits and three runs in four at bats for the Mustangs.
Pitcher Breanna Kelly went the distance to improve her record at 13-2.
Redondo was led by Breanna Miskimen (1-for-2, home run) and Analisa Nicholson (2-for-3, two RBIs).
Mira Costa split its pool play games in the La Mirada Tournament on Saturday routing Whittier 15-0 before dropping a 7-6 heartbreaker to Warren.
The Mustangs play at Peninsula Friday at 3:15 p.m. before continuing tournament play at La Mirada on Saturday and hosting Leuzinger next Wednesday.
Redondo travels to West on Friday and begins action in the El Segundo Tournament on Saturday with a 3 p.m. game against Village Christian. The Sea hawks return to league competition playing at Palos Verdes in a 3:15 p.m. contest on Wednesday.
Baseball
Redondo scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to defeat host Palos Verdes 6-3 last Friday, earning the Sea Hawks a sweep of the Sea Kings and a share of first place with rival Mira Costa with a 4-0 record in the Bay League.
Fred Smith went 3-for-4 with an RBI triple and Cameron Bennett hit a two-run single to spark the Sea Hawks’ rally in the last inning.
Starting pitcher Dylan Hatch hurled six innings to earn his fourth victory against one loss. Nick Granado picked up the save.
Redondo’s time as a league leader was short lived, however, when West snapped a 12-game losing streak by beating the host Sea Hawks 5-4 on Tuesday. Redondo (14-10, 4-1) concludes its series with West on the road Friday before playing a critical home-and-away series with Mira Costa next Wednesday and Friday.
Mira Costa (16-8, 5-0) stands alone on top of the Bay League standings after scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat visiting Peninsula 5-4 on Tuesday. The two teams square off again in a 3:15 p.m. contest at Peninsula on Friday.
Mira Costa’s sweep of Leuzinger last week included a combined no-hitter when Chris Alcala, Madden Lang, Turner Conrad and Austin Henning shut down the host Olympians 6-0. The Mustangs routed Leuzinger 13-0 on Friday.
