Football players lead the way in the 100
There were no footballs in sight at Thursday night’s City Section track and field championships at El Camino College. That didn’t prevent the 100 meters from looking like a Football 100.
Thankfully, two standout football players — Jacques Wilson of Hamilton and Antwone Williams of Dorsey — had the courage and support to run track at a time when teenagers are encouraged to specialize in one sport.
Wilson and Williams have known each other for four years. Wilson is a defensive back, Williams a running back headed to Portland State. Wilson could have tried to tackle Williams running down the lane if he’d really wanted to. Instead, he rallied to overtake Williams and win the 100 in 10.73 seconds. Williams was second in 10.79.
“It’s a great, great thing,” Wilson said. “I love it, but I have to be humble. That’s my boy. We’ve been competing since ninth grade.”
Hamilton won the 400 relay in 41.99 seconds behind a tremendous anchor leg from Wilson, who took his team from second place to a win over favored Dorsey. The team included sophomores Ira Anderson and Isaac Randall and senior Dre’von Macon, all football players.
Joseph Anderson of Hamilton, a basketball player competing in the long jump for the first time, won the City title with a personal-best effort of 21 feet 8 inches. He beat Bailey Jones of Palisades by a quarter of an inch.
“It’s crazy,” Anderson said.
In another close finish, sophomore Elizabeth Rene of Palisades refused to settle for second in the girls’ 1,600. She kept rallying in the final 100 yards and overtook sophomore Jicel Fernandez-Ramirez of El Camino Real at the finish to win in 5:12.89. Fernandez-Ramirez fell at the finish in 5:12.90.
Dorsey won its 16th City Section boys’ championship under Coach Ralph Tilley. Carson dominated en route to winning the City girls’ team title.
Kaelin Roberts, the defending City and state champion in the 400, won in 53.95. She also took the 200 in 23.53. Arrun Palacio of Dorsey went 48-2 in the triple jump, and Mark Nunez of Dorsey won the 400 in 48.54 and the 200 in 21.96.
They’ll be heading to Clovis next weekend for the state championships.
Shinnick is peaking
The Southern Section Masters Meet will be held Friday at 6 p.m. at Arcadia High, and Zach Shinnick of La Verne Damien is reaching peak form in the 400. He ran a personal best of 46.93 at the Division 3 finals last week. The USC signee is finally sound after sitting out last year’s big meets because of a hamstring injury.
“I’ve been getting some good weeks of training in,” he said, “and I feel I have a little bit more in the tank.”
Tara Davis of Agoura will be trying to qualify for next week’s state championships in the 100 hurdles, long jump and triple jump.
The Masters Meet has been held in the past at Cerritos College but was moved to Arcadia because Cerritos was unavailable.