Tologs have strong outing

GLENDALE — For two teams competing in Thursday's Mission League track and field finals at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, there were two vastly different results.

Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy had three different girls in four events earn CIF qualifying marks.

St. Francis, however, saw its season come to a close, with no members of the team advancing to the CIF Prelims.

While the Tologs weren't able to keep up with other league powerhouses in the race for the overall crown due to a sizeable team-member disparity, they managed to make their marks as individuals.

"We got nine girls [competing] and four girls go on to CIF," Sacred Heart Coach Eddie Gorton said. "That's a heck of a ratio."

Qualifiers for the Tologs were Amanda Rincon, Katherine Poet and Erin Hartwig.

Rincon placed first in the 3,200 meters with a personal-record time of 11 minutes 59 seconds for Sacred Heart's only win.

Poet, who qualified in Tuesday's Mission League Discuss Finals with a throw of 99 feet 5 inches, also qualified with a third-place finish in the pole vault (8-2) on Thursday.

It was quite a performance for Poet, who competed with a hyper-extended hip suffered during a softball game on Wednesday.

"I had to kind of suck it up and deal with it," Poet said. "It's a very painful injury."

Hartwig finished in second in the 800, setting a school record in the process as she clocked a 2:22.

All three athletes will be preparing for the Division V Prelims on May 12, where Gorton fully expects them to make some noise.

"These are girls that just didn't barely make it, they are league champions," he said.

St. Francis had most of its limited success in the distance events.

Miles Brewington took third place in the 800 (1:59.95), Devin Conn finished fourth in the 3,200 (9:53.18) and Zayd Dinaully came in fifth in the 1,600 with a time of 4:38.05.

Also with respectable marks were Neil Favor (6-0) and Tano Iannaccone (5-10) in the high jump.