Junior High Track and Field: It’s all about TeWinkle

Steve Virgen

CORONA DEL MAR - Harbor Day Intermediate’s 5-foot phenom, Zach

Chandy, breaking records; Corona del Mar’s Mike Caponera overcoming

intimidation to break his own record; Ensign’s Jake Liddicote completing

the 1,600 simply because he never wanted to quit; and the TeWinkle boys

track and field team dousing its coach, Katie Aiman, with water in

celebration of its 17th straight district title ... This is what o7

it’sf7 all about.

The Newport-Mesa Junior High District Championships, where TeWinkle

reigns, where the new stars are revealed and where some boys become men.

Chandy, dressed in red tights and his blue Harbor Day jersey, broke

records in the 400-meter (57.10) and 800 (2:20.3) in the seventh grade

division, Thursday at Corona del Mar. After his 800, he displayed a look

of disgust.

“I could do better,” he said. “2:16.”

Chandy’s record in the 400 was better than the 58.00 ran last year and

his 800 feat bested a 2:20.78 of two years ago.

Caponera also broke the record in the 400 (55.25) in the eighth-grade

division, cutting more than a second off the previous record, 56.60, set

last year.

“I know that every runner has a breakdown point,” Caponera said. “I

wasn’t going to show mine.”

The CdM eighth-grader said he was a bit intimidated by TeWinkle’s Geo

Macias, before the race. The two traded leads in the first half and ran

side-by-side for the next 100 meters, before Caponera pulled away,

slightly, down the stretch. Macias finished in 55.34 and the close-shave

loss seemed to have an effect in his high jump. He cleared 5-0 to finish

third, then shook off his slump with a record-breaking time in the 800.

Macias paced himself in the first lap and turned on the jets crossing

the line at 2:10.6, shattering the previous best, 2:18.1, set last year.

“I felt heavy at the beginning of the (800) race,” Macias said. “But,

I just picked it up. At least I got one medal this time.”

Macias, who will attend Estancia High next year, won three district

titles last year, in the 1,600, 400 and 400 relay.

In the C Division, which is 5-foot-4 and under, TeWinkle’s Alex

Cahuantzi won the 400 (1:00.8) and edged the previous record by a tenth

of a second, 1:00.9.

In the eighth-grade division, Ensign’s Jonathan Szecsei also broke a

record. His came in the shot put, with a 50-3 (49-11 was the previous

best).

TeWinkle won the overall team title with 293 points, Huntington

Beach-Dwyer followed at 209 and Ensign came in third with 139.

The Trojans also won the seventh-grade title and, in the eighth-grade

division, they settled for second, just two points behind champion

Ensign, which had 80.

Dwyer won the C Division with 109 points, edging TeWinkle (108).

TeWinkle’s Fateh Abdul (C division), Dwyer’s Yuki Irei (C) and

Ensign’s Spencer Link (eighth-grade) were crowned as triple winners.

Abdul won the 1,600 (5:05.7), 800 (2:22.4) and shot put (41-5 1/4).

Irei claimed victories in the 100 (12.18), 200 (25.90) and long jump

(17-0). Link’s triple came with wins in the 100 (12.03), 200 (25.39) and

long jump (16-10).

TeWinkle’s Adrian Jimenez (seventh grade) was a double winner with

victories in the 100 (12.32) and the 200 (26.09).

“They are just an excellent group,” Aiman said. “They deserved what

they got. They have worked hard and they came here and wanted it.”