Track & Field: Herrington hurdles to the front
Amanda Herrington did not have a victory to speak of in the 100-meter hurdles all of last season.
The Edison High senior made sure that was not the case in the first race of the year, and she is not about to slow down.
Her season began with a time of 16.09 seconds to earn the win in a tri-meet against Mater Dei and Cypress.
Three weeks later, she had knocked a full second off of her time, posting a lifetime best 15.07 seconds in a dual meet against Fountain Valley.
The fun ride continued Saturday in the Beach Cities Invitational. Herrington notched her fourth win of the season in 15.47 seconds to beat a formidable field at Huntington Beach High.
“I always like running hurdles, and it’s always nice when you’re in the fastest heat,” Herrington said. “Then you can push yourself and run faster with everyone.
“My personal goal is just to go out and compete every race. No matter what the time is or my placing, my goal is just to show that I did my best on the track.”
In Saturday’s meet, Herrington competed twice against Woodbridge’s Emily Garner, who was a state meet qualifier as a freshman. Garner won the 300 hurdles later in the day.
Herrington has claimed invitational triumphs on back-to-back weekends. She won at the Laguna Beach Trophy Invite the week before.
The Chargers senior is beginning to get noticed. Her current top three schools of interest are Northwest Christian University (Eugene, Ore.), Long Beach State and Point Loma Nazarene.
Marina’s Noah Holmes had his own reason to celebrate. The senior made his noise in the 300 hurdles, placing fourth in 39.75 seconds.
His time met the qualifying standard to get into the Arcadia Invitational, a nation-level competition held April 7-8.
“I was really happy to get this time today because that meant that I was going to be running with the best kids in the country at Arcadia,” Holmes said. “This is only the third race of the season, so to me, it shows me that I haven’t peaked just yet, and I have a lot more coming in the tank.”
Holmes has his sights set on the school record in the 300 hurdles (39.08), which was established by Ben Forbes in 1998.
One thing that could help Holmes reach the mark is the fast competition in his league. Runners want to be pushed, and the senior had two league rivals in the event’s fastest heat.
Los Alamitos’ Jose Rubio won the race in 37.80 seconds, and Nathan Willoughby was right with the leaders before falling over a hurdle with about 50 meters to go.
“It’s a great thing that we have Jose, Nathan, and myself,” Holmes added. “We’re all dropping times and getting better as a group.”
Kyle Tsu made headlines by breaking the Marina school record (176 feet, 8 inches) in the discus during a dual meet against Newport Harbor on Wednesday.
He produced an encore performance with a toss of 59 feet, 4 1/2 inches in the shot put. The winning mark was also a new personal best in the event.
“Right now, I just feel like I have some pretty good momentum going for me,” Tsu said. “Wednesday was that huge jump.
“Today, I had a pretty good jump, but I can still work on some stuff. Hopefully, I get that 60. I hit it twice today, but I sectored them. I have to work on that.”
Tsu says that he is getting healthier, and his weight room sessions are becoming more productive. He still has to miss out on a league meet occasionally due to a bout with tendinosis (pain in the wrist).
Costa Mesa’s Crenshaw twins are cemented as two of the best throwers in the Southern Section.
Felicia Crenshaw added to her school record in the discus in claiming another title. She heaved a lifetime best effort of 144-5 in the qualifying round of the event on Saturday.
Her sister, Tayla, placed seventh (112-0). Mustangs junior Jennifer Martinez was a first-time finals qualifier at an invitational, topping out at 98 feet.
Marina’s Shayla Mizukami was eighth (109-2).
In the shot put, the Crenshaws asserted their will one more time. Tayla Crenshaw took second (38-1), and Felicia Crenshaw was third (37-7.25). Both marks established new personal records.
Los Alamitos’ Faimalie Sale won the event at 44 feet, 1 3/4 inches.
Although the pole vault ran late into the afternoon, it was worth sticking around for. Sage Hill’s Alex Escalera won the contest with a clearance of 15 feet, 10 inches on his third attempt.
Locals Ryan Fegan (Newport Harbor), Michael Chadwick (Edison), and Mike Magula (Marina) joined Escalera as the final four. The first two were alive at the winning height after conquering the bar at 15 feet, 4 inches.
“It was great because they’re all my friends,” Escalera said after setting his new lifetime best. “It was awesome to have them all do well, and I think it was one of the reasons I did well.
“I was watching all them, and it just motivated me to do better.”
Breanna Moreno soared 17 feet, 5 inches to win the long jump for Fountain Valley. Her sister, Courtnee, joined her in placing in the top five in the triple jump.
Edwin Montes (second), Ryan St. Pierre (fourth) and Hector Arteaga (sixth) all ran the mile in under 4:30 for Ocean View.
BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD
Beach Cities Invitational
At Huntington Beach High
Individual Results
100 – 1. Moya-Chapron (Colony) 10.86; 2. Baker (University) 11.02; 3. Polizzi (Bellflower) 11.03; 4. Mingo-Long (Oaks Christian) 11.08; 5. Taylor (Servite) 11.19
200 – 1. Moya-Chapron (Colony) 21.84; 2. Polizzi (Bellflower) 22.50; 3. Baker (University) 22.51; 4. Santifer (Artesia) 22.89; 5. Sylvia (Woodbridge) 23.03
400 – 1. Ray (San Juan Hills) 50.65; 2. Ho (Rowland) 50.85; 3. Ayale (Los Alamitos) 51.12; 4. Rainford (Colony) 51.58; 5. Sylvia (Woodbridge) 51.89
800 – 1. Bandley (Los Alamitos) 1:57.19; 2. Barajas (Servite) 1:57.93; 3. Martinez (Rowland) 1:58.20; 4. Schaub (Oaks Christian) 1:58.27; 5. Lopez (Thacher) 2:00.26
1,600 – 1. Smith (Pacifica) 4:23; 2. Montes (Ocean View) 4:24; 3. Pichardo (Sunny Hills) 4:25; 4. St. Pierre (Ocean View) 4:26; 5. Souther (Woodbridge) 4:27
3,200 – 1. Milla (Corona Santiago) 9:33; 2. Skarr (Cathedral) 9:41; 3. Dunne (Rowland) 9:42; 4. D’Amelia (Troy) 9:44; 5. Cantu (Cathedral) 9:45
110HH – 1. Rubio (Los Alamitos) 14.35; 2. Williams (Mission Viejo) 14.55; 3. Sandoval (Servite) 14.83; 4. Willoughby (Fountain Valley) 15.09; 5. Hill (Fountain Valley) 15.12
300IH – 1. Rubio (Los Alamitos) 37.80; 2. Williams (Mission Viejo) 37.91; 3. Ian Ward (Servite) 39.16; 4. Holmes (Marina) 39.75; 5. Hill (Mission Viejo) 40.21
400 relay – 1. Servite 42.47; 2. Fountain Valley 43.47; 3. University 43.50; 4. Colony 43.70; 5. Woodbridge 44.33
1,600 relay – 1. Servite 3:29.31; 2. Woodbridge 3:30.19; 3. Marina 3:34.10; 4. Northwood 3:36.13; 5. Woodbridge 3:37.27
HJ – 1. Flucas (Cerritos) 6-4; 2. Straw (Fountain Valley) 6-2; 3T. Rucker (Lancaster) 6-0; 3T. Polk (Valley Christian) 6-0; 5. Scott (Los Alamitos) 6-0
LJ – 1. Rubio (Los Alamitos) 22-5; 2. Baker (San Juan Hills) 21-9; 3. Kennedy (Mission Viejo) 21-8; 4. Geo. Delorie (Marina) 21-0; 5. Chau (Oxford Academy) 20-10
TJ – 1. Robinson (Valley View) 44-0; 2. Rucker (Lancaster) 44-0; 3. Galloway (Fountain Valley) 43-0; 4. Straw (Fountain Valley) 42-6; 5. Obert (Huntington Beach) 41-7
PV – Escalera (Sage Hill) 15-10; 2. Fegan (Newport Harbor) 15-4; 3. Chadwick (Edison) 15-4; 4. Magula (Marina) 13-4; 5. Gariepy (Mission Viejo) 13-4
SP – 1. Tsu (Marina) 59-4.5; 2. Johnson (Valley View) 55-1; 3. O’Neil (Newport Harbor) 49-1.5; 4. Enciso (Estancia) 47-9.5; 5. Blake (Newport Harbor) 46-10.5
DT – Late
GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD
Beach Cities Invitational
At Huntington Beach High
Individual Results
100 – 1. McGehee (Long Beach Millikan) 12.40; 2. Camello (San Pedro) 12.43; 3. Blockberger (Los Alamitos) 12.62; 4. Limp (Los Alamitos) 12.65; 5. Barbarosh (Woodbridge) 12.85
200 – 1. McGehee (Long Beach Millikan) 25.82; 2. Cooper (Woodbridge) 26.04; 3. Wilson (Long Beach Millikan) 26.07; 4. Camello (San Pedro) 26.60; 5. Shook (Ocean View) 26.82
400 – 1. Medley (El Toro) 55.67; 2. Malec (Woodbridge) 57.47; 3. Wilson (Long Beach Millikan) 58.15; 4. Cooper (Woodbridge) 59.73; 5. Paez (San Pedro) 1:01.38
800 – 1. Oefelein (Woodbridge) 2:17.68; 2. Sullivan (Oaks Christian) 2:17.93; 3. Hessler (Mission Viejo) 2:18.25; 4. Johnson (Mission Viejo) 2:18.27; 5. Sanacore (Los Alamitos) 2:18.63
1,600 – 1. Diaz (Norwalk) 5:00; 2. Johnson (Mission Viejo) 5:04.11; 3. Sanacore (Los Alamitos) 5:04.91; 4. Salcedo (McFarland) 5:09; 5. Natividad (St. Joseph) 5:10.
3,200 – 1. Burns (Buena) 11:16; 2. Dholakia (Esperanza) 11:28; 3. Reeves (Esperanza) 11:32; 4. Salen (San Juan Hills) 11:36; 5. Long (Frontier Academy) 11:41
100HH – 1. Herrington (Edison) 15.47; 2. Willingham (Los Alamitos) 15.56; 3. Gagnon (Oxford Academy) 15.60; 4. Moreno (Fountain Valley) 15.71; 5. Garner (Woodbridge) 16.00
300IH – 1. Garner (Woodbridge) 46.67; 2. Gagnon (Oxford Academy) 47.38; 3. Willingham (Los Alamitos) 47.49; 4. Shkel (University) 47.65; 5. Bolger (Northwood) 49.11
400 relay – 1. Los Alamitos 49.20; 2. Long Beach Millikan 49.88; 3. Northwood 50.77; 4. Los Alamitos B 50.84; 5. Huntington Beach 51.14
1,600 relay – 1. Woodbridge 3:57.27; 2. Mission Viejo 3:59.58; 3. Northwood 4:12.43; 4. Rosary 4:23.0; 5. Millikan 4:23.14
HJ – 1. Garner (Woodbridge) 5-2J; 2. Given (Los Alamitos) 5-2; 3T. Whitten (San Juan Hills) 4-8; 3T. Kraushaar (Pacifica) 4-8; 5T. Som (Cerritos) 4-8; 5T. O’Connor (Woodbridge) 4-8
LJ – 1. B. Moreno (Fountain Valley) 17-5; 2. May (Northwood) 17-4; 3. Kong (Northwood) 16-10; 4. Hubbard (Lakewood) 16-8; 5. Caffey (Colony) 16-7
TJ – 1. May (Northwood) 37-8; 2. Hubbard (Lakewood) 36-2; 3. Sharma (Troy) 34-9; 4. C. Moreno (Fountain Valley) 34-9; 5. B. Moreno (Fountain Valley) 34-8
PV – 1. Baxter (Canyon) 14-0; 2. Espeleta (Huntington Beach) 11-0; 3. Anger (Los Alamitos) 11-0; 4. Agnew (Mission Viejo) 10-6; 5. Mohr (Troy) 10-0
SP – 1. Sale (Los Alamitos) 44-1.75; 2. T. Crenshaw (Costa Mesa) 38-1; 3. F. Crenshaw (Costa Mesa) 37-7.25; 4. Ta’amu (Los Alamitos) 36-8.75; 5. Hartmann (Mission Viejo) 36-2
DT – 1. F. Crenshaw (Costa Mesa) 144-5; 2. Hartmann (Mission Viejo) 127-10; 3. Sale (Los Alamitos) 126-9; 4. Bryson (Oxford Academy) 125-11; 5. Archer (Valley Christian) 118-10
Twitter: @ProfessorTurner
