Strong winds and rain stayed away long enough for approximately 1, 500 athletes from 25 schools to compete in the first ever Redondo Nike Track Festival Saturday in an event deemed a success by visiting coaches and Redondo coach Bob Leetch.
Long Beach Poly won the team championship winning 12 boys and girls events, Paramount athletes also made a strong presence and host Redondo had 20 top-ten finishes in running events.
Redondo middle distance runner Kayla Ferron captured the girls 800 with a time of 2 minutes, 18.99 seconds and teammates Alexis Thibodeau (2:28.70) and Danielle Hazeltine (2:34.23) finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
The Sea Hawks also did well in the “Chloe Curtis 1,600” with three top-ten finishers. Named for the former Redondo CIF and state champion, the race was won by Chadwick’s Jaye Buchbinder, who finished with a time of 5:04.71. Curtis presented the medal and Nike backpack to Buchbinder, her former adversary in many distance events.
Redondo’s Cara Ulizio (5:06.68) placed third, ahead of teammates Kelly Ryan (6th, 5:18.09) and Laura O’Neill (7th, 5:18.28).
Girls relay teams representing Redondo placed 1st in the 4×800 (9:57.10), 2nd in the distance medley (12:43.02) and 3rd in the 4×100 (50.56).
In other girls competition, Redondo’s Shelby Bassman placed 8th in the 100 (12.97). Olivia Loveland (1:02.21), Kayla Patterson (1:02.25) and Brenna Sopp (1:02.31) finished fourth through fifth in the 400 and Aundrea Yancy placed 6th in the 100 hurdles with a mark of 17.11.
Mira Costa’s Maggie Ginoza (17.19) placed 8th in the 110 hurdles and Alex Stills (50.72) finished 9th in the 300 hurdles.
Kayla Mallet, of West Torrance, was a double winner taking top honors in the pole vault (11-04) and triple jump (37-11.25). North Torrance long jumper Joslyn Barnes won her event with a jump of 11 feet, 2 inches.
In boys competition, El Segundo’s Ahmed Mahmood won the 300-meter “Bob Bacon Hurdles” with a time of 42.21. Mira Costa’s Ryan Hornstra (42.06) and Corbin Gates (43.42) placed 4th and 7th, respectively, in the event that was named after Bacon, a three-time state champion from Redondo.
Hornstra (16.22) and Gates (16.48) finished 6th and 7th in the 110 hurdles ahead of teammate Tommy Lastrape (8th, 16.53) and Redondo’s Emmett Werner-longo (10th, 16.94).
Redondo’s Christian Bassman finished 6th in the 100 (11.19), Dezhan Bland placed 3rd in the 800 (1:58.28), Evan Malone took 3rd in the 1,600 (4:19.35) and Tyler Caracoza finished 5th in the 3,200 (9:44.73).
The Sea Hawk’s boys relay team placed 3rd in the distance medley (10:53.25) and Redondo’s Taylor Bongiovanni finished 3rd in the discus with a throw of 136-11.
Mira Costa’s Ryan Morrow placed 2nd in the pole vault with a height of 13-00.
The Mustangs entered a team of 11 athletes in the California Relays last Saturday at Cerritos College. Aryn Foland and Kelli Sugimoto finished 1st and 2nd in the 3,200, Jenna Tong placed 3rd in the 1,600 and Ashlee Dotson finished 3rd in the 200.
In boys competition, Kyle Hubbard placed 2nd in the 300m hurdles and 3rd in the 110m hurdles.
Mira Costa will host the 17th running of the Mustang Relays on Saturday beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Along with multiple relay events, the meet will include open 100 meters, 1,600 meters, 110 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles.
Teams joining Mira Costa in competition include Beverly Hills, Crescenta Valley, Culver City, Eastlake, La Serna, Loyola, Marlborough, Millikan, Notre Dame Academy, Quartz Hill, Redondo, Rosary, Santa Monica, Servite, Torrance and West Torrance. ER
