Northridge sweeps track titles

The Cal State Northridge women won their second team title in three

years and the Matador men captured their first-ever conference crown

at the Big West Conference track and field championships Saturday at

UC Irvine’s Anteater Stadium.

The Northridge women’s team scored 165 points, followed by Idaho

(150.50), Cal Poly (132.50), UC Santa Barbara (118), Long Beach State

(100), Utah State (67), UC Riverside (35), UC Irvine (33.50) and Cal

State Fullerton (16.50).

Idaho’s Mary Kamau, who won the 800 meters (2:11.95) and the 1,500

meters (4:26.04), was named the Big West Track Athlete of the Year.

Ami Goldhammer of Long Beach State, who won the heptathlon earlier in

the week, won the javelin (154 feet, 0 inches) and was chosen as

Field Athlete of the Year. Don Strametz of Northridge was named Coach

of the Year.

Cal Poly freshman Sharon Day (Costa Mesa) was second in the

women’s high jump at 6-2 behind teammate Kaylene Wagner (6-3 1/4).

UC Irvine junior Erin Curtis won the pole vault at 12-3 1/2 and

freshman teammate Kirsten Loftin was fifth at 11-9 3/4. Junior Kim

Ramirez placed third in the 800 meters in 2:13.62 while sophomore

Randi Houston was fifth in the 100 meters in 12.07.

The Northridge men’s team totaled 157 points, followed by Cal Poly

(143), Idaho (116), UC Santa Barbara (109.33), Long Beach State (85),

UC Irvine (83.83), Utah State (83.33), Cal State Fullerton (28) and

UC Riverside (12.50).

Northridge’s Jason Romero, who won the long jump Friday, took

first in the triple jump Saturday with a mark of 52-4 1/2 and was

named the Big West Field Athlete of the Year. Cal Poly’s Ryan

Moorcroft was selected as Track Athlete of the Year after winning the

1,500 meters in 3:45.32 and finishing fourth in the 5,000 meters

(14:44.32). Northridge’s Strametz also received Coach of the Year

honors on the men’s side.

The UC Irvine men’s best performance came in the 400-meter hurdles

as freshman Dayne Comrie finished second (52.59) and junior Scott

Jarvis was third (52.65). Sophomore Tom Whelan was third in the 1,500

meters in 3:49.76 and junior Omar Lopez placed fifth in the 400

meters in 48.35. Senior J.J. Stein was fourth in the javelin at

186-1.

Sage Hill duo advances

* TRACK AND FIELD: Sage Hill School’s Zach Chandy qualified in the

200 and 400 meters, while Laura Gordon advanced in the triple jump at

the CIF Southern Section Division IV preliminaries at Moorpark High

Saturday.

Chandy, a sophomore and Academy League champion in the 100, 200

and 400, qualified first in the 200 in 21.84, a personal record. He

qualified second in the 400 in 49.61.

Gordon, a junior who set a league record in the triple jump last

week, qualified fourth in that event with a mark of 34 feet, 3 1/4

inches.

Braden Barnett finished 11th in the boys shot put (46-2).

Chandy and Gordon will compete in the CIF Division IV finals at

Cerritos College May 22.