Qualifying at all contests, CV now looks ahead to league finals this weekend.

By Leonard COUTIN

The Pacific League prelims got underway on Arcadia’s nine lane track last weekend, which will also serve as the location of the finals competition on Friday. Field events will start at 5 p.m. and running events at 6 p.m. Qualifiers will get their chance to medal and possibly make it to the CIF prelims May 12. For the soph/frosh this will be their final meet of the year.

Qualifiers with the best nine times and in some events – the 1600 and 3200 – the top 12 will run Friday at 6 p.m.

Qualifying Falcon boys varsity runners included Josh Strachewski in the 110m hurdles (15.75) and the 300m hurdles (41:29).

At the finals this weekend, senior Mike Duncan will face some of the toughest competition both in the 800m (2:00.60) and the 1600m run. He will be up against Apaches Tony Moseley (1:56.73) in the 800m and Sergio Gonzalez (1:59.95) and will face Burroughs Anthony Monroy (4:22.55) and Gonzalez (4:26.22) in the 1600m.

CV sophomore Nick Beatty should not be ruled out in the 800m, either. Having run some of his best time in his relay races, Beatty looks forward to running with some of the Pacific League’s best performers. CV’s Aaron Esparza qualified both in the 800m (2:03.72) and 1600m (4:29.77) as well.

Justin Springfield, who head coach Mark Evans had high praise for, will be running the 200m (22.39) and 400m (51:84) against Michael Davis of Glendale (22:08), Apache Alex McElwee (22:41) and Muir’s Keyvon Seymour (22.92).

“He has had a big impact on the team,” said Evans of Springfield adding that pole vaulter Tyler Bradshaw, who did not have to qualify at the prelims, was a “real leader on the team.”

Falcon senior James Maturan qualified both in the 100m (11:65) and 200m (23:64). CV’s Alex Damla (53:48) and Alex Akopyan (54.26) will both compete in the 400m.

Varsity field events will take place on Friday, May 4, and only soph/ frosh had to qualify for their field event finals.

For the Falcon girls, expectations will be high when they take the field for the Pacific League finals.

Sophomore Kayleigh Carrillo will run both the 200m (26.50) and the 400m (58.87) and face Apache Kyra White (27.16) and Burbank Julia Newton (27.17).

Cali King ran her dual events, qualifying sixth in the 800m (2:29.43) and running the second best time in the 1600m (5:23.81) with freshman Laura Guidolin posting the best time of (5:10.89).

Teammate Megan Melnyk advanced also in the 800m and 1600m.

Brook Moultrie will run the 1600m and CV’s Claudia Sepulveda qualified both in the 100 hurdles (16:68) and 300 hurdles. She will face Glendale Sophia Amodia, a dynamite star hurdler who qualified the fastest times in both the 100 hurdles (16.66) and 300 hurdles 4(6:90).

Hannah Ruby will run the 800m and Noel Wong qualified in the 100m.

“Matt Manalo has done very well this season,” said Evans of his soph/frosh performers. “He had three [personal records] in prelims in the 1600, 800 and 3200 final. [Also] Christ Ordookhanian in the sprints, Logan Rogers and Austin Hwang in the pole vault, Juho Kim in the high jump.

“Courtney Iannello and Sarah Lapides for the girls soph/frosh in prelims as well as Erika Johnson.”

  Leonard Coutin