By Leonard COUTIN

Cerritos College hosted the CIF Masters Meet in track and field on Saturday with athletes competing to qualify for the state CIF meet.

Despite a strong year overall, Falcon Meagan Melnyk placed only ninth in the 800m (2:13.71) and would not be moving forward to the state competition.

Unlike previous meets, when the gun sounded, Melnyk did not take full command. She trailed seventh and her first lap posted a time of 1:04.

“I wish I could have had a stronger finish,” said Melnyk about the race. “[Head] Coach [Mark] Evans and I had talked about how the pace would be quick and how I would need to just stay with the pack.”

“Megan ran well. She showed more consistency in being able to come back a second week and run 2:13. She just did not have enough left to make a final push the last 70 meters. That is something we will be working on,” said Evans. “She had a great season. It is not easy to make the Masters Meet and she has done it two years in a row.”

“Looking back, I gave it all that I had, so I have no regrets,” Melnyk said. “I ran the best race that I could.”

To the east, Flintridge Prep twin brothers Gareth and Barrett Weiss both qualified for state in the pole vault. With competition heights reaching 17-01 by Jake David of Ventura and Thousands Oaks’ Luigi Colella 17-00.75, both Weiss boys cleared 15-02. Though they are juniors, the two brothers have commanded their division and entered CIF last year. They now head to Fresno to Buchanan High School where all the athletes will prepare for a two-day competition.

Field events begin Friday at 3 p.m.; running is at 5 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis. Finalists will be hosted on Saturday with field events at 4:30 p.m. and running at 6 p.m. Time Warner Cable will provide a live web stream both days. Please visit www.cifstate.org for the link.

  Leonard Coutin