Griffin track varsity teams win 2015 Sunset League Championships

In conditions reminiscent of the stormy Orange County Championships two weeks ago, the Los Alamitos HS Varsity girls and boys, JV boys and Frosh/Soph girls track teams claimed Sunset League titles.  The girls scored a potential record of 210 points, which was well ahead of Newport Harbor’s 98 points.  Overall Los Al produced three meet records, 38 event champions, eights school records, 23 Varsity girls CIF qualifiers and 13 Varsity boys CIF Qualifiers.
The Varsity girls started by setting a meet record of 48.25 seconds in the 4×100-meter relay with the team of Ashley Willingham, Anijah Green, and Kenna and Sara Limp.  Willingham won the 400-meter race. Sara Limp set a meet record and school record of 11.88 in the 100 while her sister Kenna placed second.  In the 200, the Varsity girls dominated by sweeping 1st through 5th with Sara Limp setting another meet and school record of 24.1 seconds. Senior distance sensation Katie Izzo set a school record while placing 2nd in the 800.  Izzo capped off her day with a victory in the 3200 while lowering her school record to 10:37.07.
In the field events, Alison Parsons led her teammates Michelle Fukuda and Maureen Kennedy to a top three sweep of the long jump. Parsons  placed third in the high jump behind League Champion sophomore Kallie Given. Other CIF Qualifiers include Ashlynn Almasy (1600m), Sydney Beyma (Shot Put), Michelle Fukuda (Long Jump and Triple Jump), Siena Ruelas (Discus), Miranda Ta’amu (Discus) and Maureen Kennedy (Long Jump).

The Varsity boys also started strong with a victory in the 4×100 relay of seniors Manuel Gomez, Andrew Carty, Brandon Douglas and junior Holden Edmondson, and senior Brandon Douglas.  The boys dominated the hurdles with a sweep of the top three in the 110 hurdles by Gomez, Bailey Thayer and Jose Rubio. That was followed by a photo-finish victory in the 300 hurdles by Gomez.  Carty fought through on the back stretch of the 400 to win. Douglas sailed to victory in the 100.  Junior Thomas Heib took an early lead to win the 800.  Douglas and Carty returned to place 1st and 2nd in the 200.  The Varsity boys secured their team title as the relay of Gomez, senior Bryce Sullivan, Heib and Carty toughed out the miserable conditions to win the 4×400 event.  Bryan Boutillier also qualified for CIF in the Triple Jump.
There were impressive performances by the Junior Varsity athletes as freshman April Bailey won the 400 and set a JV school record. Then Bailey joined teammates Sofia Dale, Breanna Goodman and Ashley Haeg to win the 4×400 relay and set a JV school record.  On the JV Boys side, Angel Hernandez won the 110 hurdles while setting a JV school record. Joshua Santos won the 200 even.  Orland Sanchez and Noe Vera joined Santos and Hernandez to become JV League Champions in the 4×100 relay.
The Frosh/Soph Teams produced their share of League Champions as freshman Delaney Sanacore won the 1600 then placed 2nd to freshman teammate Bronsyn Ledgard in the 800.  Sophomores Megan Lamb, Julia Jue, Claire Stevens and Caroline DeSmet combined their talents to win the 4×400 relay.  Freshman Brandon Bandley won the boys 800 and sophomore Adhre Sparks won the 200.
The CIF Qualifiers will continue their race to the State Meet at Trabuco Hills HS on Saturday, May 16.