Mirjam Swanson
NORWALK -- Local track and field athletes took the CIF Southern
Section final Saturday at Cerritos College and made it their classroom.
And it's all good.
Because, with the exception of La Canada High's Tommy McGuinness in
the Division III boys' long jump, all of the local participants are
freshmen, sophomores or juniors who figure to have more chances to use
what they learned Saturday and turn it into CIF final glory later --
a.k.a, a berth at the Masters Meet, which didn't happen for any locals
this year, but did for the top nine finishers, regardless of division, in
every respective event.
The odds are especially in favor of Flintridge Prep, which boasted the
most athletes of any local school -- 12 -- at Saturday's meet.
More impressive, none of them were seniors. In fact, only three of the
70 members of the Flintridge Prep program will graduate this year,
according to Rebel Coach Kenny Fisher, who liked what he saw Saturday.
"Everything fell into place about where we thought it would," Fisher
said. "I'm proud of them. Hopefully we can take what we learned today and
win it next year. I'm happy with the experience the kids got, hopefully
they can use it next year and be a little more relaxed, know what's ahead
of them and make it happen."
For the record, the 11th-year Rebel Coach referred not only to
individual exploits, but to a girls' team title.
Led by freshman Lindsay Fletcher, who was admittedly a bit awed at her
first meet of such grand caliber, Flintridge Prep placed fifth among
Division IV teams, with 23.50 points. Allyson Felix's (who experienced
all CIF glory, all the time Saturday) L.A. Baptist team won with 79
points.
In the first race of the meet, the Rebels set a school record (48.81
seconds) with their second-place finish to Felix's L.A. Baptist team in
the Division IV girls' 400-meter relay.
Fletcher finished on Felix's heels once more, in the 100. Felix
clocked 11.70. Fletcher finished in 12.41.
Then, in the 200, Felix ran the fourth-fastest time in California high
school history (22.99). Fletcher placed fifth in 25.15, and teammate Maya
Benitez was eighth in 26.0.
Fletcher capped her busy day by joining Felix in both athletes' fourth
event, the 1,600-relay. It would be the only race Felix ran but didn't
win, as L.A. Baptist placed second despite her blistering 51.47 anchor
leg. It was also a bittersweet effort for Flintridge Prep, which set
another school record (4:03.72) but finished fifth.
