Freshman Sofia Abrego (left) and sophomore Miranda Shriver dominated the distances at the Los Angeles City Section Finals at El Camino College and both ran at the State Meet. (Jeffrey Parenti photo)
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The Los Angeles City Section had seven individuals run at the State Meet finals and the girls 4x100-meter relay team from Carson grabbed a top-six finish to earn a podium spot and medals.
The section final, held at El Camino College in Torrance, was another rout by the Carson girls but the boys competition was full of drama and storylines as Palisades placed second to Granada Hills Charter in the final race on the track, the boys 4x400 relay, and that's just where the Dolphins need to be to win the title by all of a half point.
Freshman distance sensation, Sofia Abrego of Granada Hills, swept titles in the 800, 1600 and 3200, and was challenged for girls athlete of the meet -- and the year -- only by Carson junior Ryan Lacefield, who won the 200, 400 and ran on that section-winning and state medal-winning 4x1 team.
Crenshaw senior Ameer Muhammad swept the 100 and 200, Granada Hills senior De Marq Jaque won the 400 for the second year in a row and anchored that winning 4x4 team, and his classmate, Sean Larbaoui won the 1600 for the second year in a row and placed second in the 800.
Palisades junior Nnamdi Onwaoze (at left in photo)
emerged as a hero of the team competition, sweeping the hurdles and running on a 4x100 relay team that picked up fourth-place points.
Dorsey junior Christian Rodriguez won the 800 title (1:54.62) and ran at State, putting up the No. 6 qualifying time (1:53.80) before placing 13th in Saturday's final (1:55.90).
Eagle Rock junior James Corrigan, the LAC champion at 3200, was the top finisher among three auto-qualifiers into the eight-lap race that does not hold a preliminary at State, placing 21st in 9:22.29.
Other section meet standouts included Narbonne freshman Angel Nwuso winning the long jump (18-03.50/3.1), Carson senior Indiah Turner winning the triple jump (38-03.25) and placing second in both the long jump (18-00.50/1.5) and 100 hurdles (14.89/1/2), Palisades junior Erica Bagby winning the pole vault (11-09).
At State, Abrego reached the 1600 final and ran 4:59.46 for 10th, and then came back later Saturday night to run 10:40.79 for 12th in the 3200. Palisades sophomore Miranda Schriver, who was second to Abrego in the LAC 3200, placed 16th at State (10:47.64).
The Carson girls 4x1 team of Kyla Blockett, Lacefield, Desiree Hansford and Kaitlyn Williams had the sixth fastest overall time in qualifying 47.54 and then put up a season-best 47.47 to medal in the final.
Among others at State qualifying, Muhammad ran a season-best 21.74 (1.7) in the 200, Larbaoui put up a PR 4:17.20 for 19th, Rodriguez went 1:53.80 to earn a ticket to the 800 final. That time ranks No. 6 in CA among returners.
Onwaoze ran two of the three fastest hurdles times of his lift at State qualifying, running a PR 15.08 (0.8) for 20th in the 110 hurdles, and his 40.12 for 20th in the 300 hurdles is the second-fastest time he's ever run in that race.
The Carson duo of Turner and junior Arrieya Harper placed 17 and 18, respectively, in triple jump qualifying. Harper, who had a season-best 39-11.25 (-1.4) at Arcadia and went 38-00.75 for second to Turner at the LAC final, managed just a best of 37-03.00 at the Buchanan High pit. Turner, the LAC champion (38-03.25/0.5), went 37-03/0.8) in qualifying. Junior Tirah Timms, a third State Meet triple jump qualifier form Carson, placed 23rd (36-00.75/1.5).
Corrigan's 9:13.80 PR from Arcadia ranks as the No. 13 returning time for 3200. Abrego's 4:51.80 PR for 1600 ranks as the No. 6 time coming back for 2020 and her 10:35.79 from Arcadia ranks as the No. 14 time for 3200.
View Park senior James Burbank was 14th in long jump qualifying (21-08.25/-0.1) and his classmate, Caitlin Worline, was 14th in 100 hurdles qualifying (14.77/0.6) after running a 14.43 PR to beat Turner for the LAC title.