It’s that time of the year during the spring semester when really good high school sports teams gear up for the grand prize, a CIF championship. Culver City High School still has four teams getting ready to try to make dreams come true. For a high school athlete winning a CIF championship will create a lifetime of great memories.
Starting Saturday, at Ontario high school the Centaur boys and girls track and field teams will try to make those dreams become reality. The following week the baseball team and girls’ softball will step into the spotlight. Their playoffs start on Thursday, May 15, or Friday May 16, and track and field will continue their quest for stardom in the CIF Finals at Moorpark high school on Saturday, May 17.
Last Thursday at Lawndale high school all four of the track and field teams, freshmen/sophomore and varsity boys and girls teams fought off the wind and the cold weather to turn in some great performances. On the varsity level the winner of each event automatically qualified for Saturday’s CIF preliminaries. Also, athletes that met the CIF qualifying standards also make the cut.
“I think the meet is going well,” said Culver City head track and field coach LaShinda Demus during the meet last Thursday. “The main thing is, get to the next round, the CIF prelims and stay safe and stay healthy. Considering the cold weather and the wind I think they are doing really well, so once we get some good weather we are expecting to better results.”
Centaur varsity athletes that produced some top times and marks were Dominic Bastiste who placed first in the 100 meters (10.68) and second in the 200 meter (22.05). Zytel Boyd was second in the 100 meters at 10.86. Duaine Mayrant won the 200 meters (21.89) and the 400 meters (48.63). His twin brother Dontay Mayrant placed third in the 200 meters (22.23) and second in the 400 meters with a time of 48.65.
Hurdle specialists Kingston Waring won both hurdle races, winning the 100 in 14.68 and the 300 in 38.35. For the third time in three years Zakeyah Ross won the league title in the long jump with a leap of 17-4.5 and she also won the 100-meter hurdles. Jonah Givens won the long jump with a mark of 21-11, Boyd placed second with a jump of 21-11 and Mark Fourte won the triple jump with a leap of 39-10. Culver City qualified both boys varsity relay teams winning the 400X1 in 42.66 and the 400X4 in 3:23.55. Leading the way for the freshmen/sophomore teams was Jaynie White, who won the girls 100 and 200 meters.
The baseball team is entering the playoffs with an overall record of 19-8 and they are 14-2 in league play, which is good enough for second place. The softball team is 9-14 overall and 9-3 in league play. They are also in second place in their league. Both teams will make the CIF playoffs.