City Imposes Qualifying Restrictions

Because of budget constraints, the City Section won’t be sending three athletes to every event in the state track and field championships, which start Friday at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento.

Previously, the top three finishers in the City championships and any other finisher meeting an at-large qualifying standard advanced to the state championships.

But this year the section imposed minimum qualifying standards for the second- and third-place finishers in the boys’ and girls’ high jump and pole vault. These standards are based on the opening qualifying height in those events in last year’s state meet.

Enforcement of the standards means Eagle Rock senior Jonathan Ibarra and Woodland Hills El Camino junior Brandon Estrada of will not compete in the boys’ pole vault, Hollywood senior Jenny Portillo and Gardena freshman Phylicia Johnson will not compete in the girls’ pole vault and Reseda senior Toni Burton will not compete in the girls’ high jump.

Reseda co-coach Steve Caminiti, who will leave that position at the end of the season, was critical of the decision.

“[It’s] got to be fair all across the board,” he said, adding that the City Section “shouldn’t penalize itself and let the others send all their people.”

In another effort to cut costs, the City will not allow any athlete who placed fourth or lower in the section championships to replace a top-three finisher who decides not to compete in his or her event at the state meet.

John Ortega

*

Baseball

Reliever Dylan Gaughen of Simi Valley has been dominating the Southern Section Division II playoffs.

Gaughen struck out 14 in 7 1/3 innings of relief Friday in Simi Valley’s 5-4, 14-inning quarterfinal victory over West Torrance. In the first round, he struck out nine consecutive Atascadero batters in relief. He has signed with UNLV.

Simi Valley (25-7) plays host to Corona Santiago (23-5) in a semifinal Tuesday.

-- Eric Sondheimer