With the Bay League finals less than one month away, Mira Costa and Redondo track & field teams are preparing for a run at the championship by going up against some of the top high school athletes in the state.
Qualified athletes will compete in the Mt. SAC Relays Friday and Saturday, the sixth of seven consecutive weekend meets featuring out-of-area opponents.
Last Friday and Saturday, Bay League teams had strong showings at the 49th annual Arcadia Invitational that, for each of the last 15 years has ranked first in the nation in the number of EPI Elite marks achieved among high school meets. The event is the nation’s largest prep activity as far as number of high schools that is sponsored and run by a high school.
Mira Costa was led by its seeded boys 4×110 shuttle hurdle team of Fabien Franck-Love, Cody Kallenbach, Andrew Delk and James Ryczanowski that finished first with a time of 1:04.61.
Jaylah Herron placed third in the girls long jump (17-04.25), the Mustang relay team of Aaliyah Graves, Herron, Myan Erlington and Shante Robinson placed fifth in the 4×100 seeded race with a time of 48.34 and Melia Chittenden finished tenth in the girls 3200 seeded race (10:51.79)..
Redondo boys 4×800 invitational distance medley relay team of Ryan Wadhams, Nicholas Elias, Benjamin Tait and Ethan Comeaux finished fourth place at 7:55.46.
Other top ten finishes by the Sea Hawks included boys pole vaulter Tate Curran (6th, 15-08), girls pole vaulter Kaitlin Heri (9th, 11-08) and the girls 4×200 relay team of Peyton Heiden, Nicole Beaudoin, Taylor Beaudoin and Trinity Leonard that placed 10th with a time of 9:34.77.
At the UCLA Legends meet on Apr. 1-2, Mira Costa’s Shante Robinson was a dual winner placing first in the 100 hurdles (14.80) and 300 hurdles (43.25) while teammates Natalie Natole (32-04) and Samantha Ealy (32-02) took second and third, respectively, in the triple jump and Herron  finished third in the 400 (56.95).
The Mustang girls relays teams placed second in the 4×100 (48.00) and 4×400 (3:56.20).
Redondo girls had second-place finishes by Heri (pole vault, 11-08) and Akaylah Hill (long jump, 16-08.50).
Sea Hawks with third-place finishes included Ethan Comeaux (boys 800, 1:55.82), Elijah Williams (boys pole vault, 13-06), Trinity Leonard (girls 800, 2:16.83) and Redondo’s boys 4×100 relay team (44.26).
Redondo fared had five winners at the Mustang Relays on March 26. Tate Curran outdistanced his nearest competitor by 1 1/2 feet to win the boys pole vault (15-09), Kaitlin Heri won the girls pole vault (12-00), Akaylah Hill won the long jump (18-01) and triple jump (39-01) while Taryn-Rose Gregorio (100-09), and Danielle Lindquist (100-00) held the top two spots in the girls discus competition.
Mira Costa was led by Jonah Tavai, who took first place in the boys discus (134-02). Robinson finished second in the girls 100 hurdles (15.64) and 100-meter dash (12.31), Brigette Grau placed second in the girls pole vault (11-00) and the Mustangs girls 4×400 relay team was second with a time of 3:55.05.
Distance runners skipped the Mustang Relays to compete at the adidas Distance Meet of Champions at Azusa Pacific University. Redondo’s Ryan Wadhams led area runners finishing third in the boys 800 (1:56.95). Palos Verdes’ Robert Franklin placed 13th in the mile (4:11.92).
In girls competition, Redondo’s Taylor Beaudoin placed fifth in the 1600 (5:02.91), Mira Costa’s Melia Chittenden was 13th in the 3200 (10:59.78) and Palos Verdes’ Jacquelyn Smith was fourth in the mile (4:53.80).
South Bay girls also has strong performances in the 800 with Palos Verdes’ Morgan Irish finishing fifth (2:11.85), Redondo’s Trinity Leonard placing seventh (2:12.78), and Palos Verdes’ Camille Hines placing 11th (2:15.76).
The South Bay Championships will be hosted by West High School on Saturday, Apr. 23 at 5 p.m.. serving as a tuneup for the third Bay League meet on Thursday, Apr. 28 when Mira Costa hosts Redondo.
Redondo will host the Bay League prelims at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3 and the finals on Friday, May 6 at 5 p.m.
