Hamlet Nalbandyan
GLENDALE -- Glendale High boys' track and field runner Argishti
Beglaryan had said that this was his year.
But unfortunately for the senior, who came into Friday's CIF Southern
Section Division I preliminaries with the second fastest time in the
state in the 800 meters, his season could be finished.
Beglaryan battled a severe illness all week leading up the the prelims
at Long Beach City College, and it showed as he finished a disappointing
10th with a time of 1 minute 57.86 seconds.
The 1999 Armenian national champion in the 800 -- whose best time this
season is 1:53.72 -- is the first alternate at Friday's Division I final,
held at Cerritos College.
Strangely, the state's fastest 800 runner this season, Royal's Travis
Patterson, was the last to qualify with a time of 1:57.81. The top finisher in all six heats plus the next three fastest advanced.
In the Division IV prelims held Saturday at Mount San Antonia College,
Flintridge Prep's Lindsay Fletcher enjoyed success.
The freshman is second in the girls' 100 (12.37) and fourth in the 200
(25.53). In both races, she will go up against the highly touted Allyson
Felix from L.A. Baptist.
Other Rebel girls to advance were Maya Benitez in the 400 and Sevan
Yeghiazarian and Jamie Quann in the pole vault. Yeghiazarian is the
favorite in the event.
The Rebel 400 and 1,600 relay teams also advanced. For the Rebel boys,
Seth Horwitz advanced in the 3,200, Alfred Yi moved on in the 110 and 300
hurles and Jesse Fleece made it in the pole vault.
Other local athletes to advance to the CIF finals include La Canada's
Tommy McGuinness in the Division III long jump, St. Francis' Pat Donovan
in the Division III 800 and Glendale's Kim Ramirez in the Division I high
jump.
McGuinness advanced with a leap of 20 feet 10 inches. Donovan is in
with a mark of 2:01.81 and Ramirez advanced with a school record 5-4,
impressive for a sophomore.
