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By Kirby Lee

The Poly High girls edged Wilson, 69-67, in a showdown between the state track and field powers in a Moore League meet at Long Beach City College on Wednesday. The Poly boys continued their league dominance with a 94-30 win over the Bruins.

The biggest story, however, was a visit by Wilson track coach Jim Arquilla, who is confined to a wheelchair stricken with incurable malignant melanoma. The cancer, which was diagnosed last July is an acute stage has spread to his lungs and liver. Arquilla has been told by doctors that he has less than a month to live.

Among his greatest wishes was to be able to watch Wednesday's Poly-Wilson meet and the Moore League finals next month. Arquilla said he rested all day on Tuesday in hopes of finding the strength to make it to the meet.

``I don't have a lot of time,'' Arquilla said. ``It's day by day. I don't know if I'll make it another two weeks. I said `God please don't let me be sick today. Just let me feel really good because I really want to come and watch. I am having the best time I having in weeks. I haven't been this high in I don't know how long.''

When Arquilla arrived, he was wheeled by athletes to the finish line to watch the meet with his wife Maggie by his side.

Wilson athletes wore shirts bearing Arquilla's picture that read ``Our Hero.'' Underneath Arquilla's picture, the words read: ``Courage....i.e. coach Jim Arquilla.''

``It's really touching for the wonderful and beautiful things people have done for me,'' Arquilla said. ``I am just overwhelmed.''

Wednesday's meet was the first time, Arquilla had seen the Wilson track team compete in three weeks. He didn't get to watch much of Wednesday's meet with the 1969 Poly graduate was greeted by Poly and Wilson athletes, who asked them to autograph their shirts, and supporters and coaches from both sides.

``He's like me idol because he is everything that I want to be,'' said Poly junior Joseph Lopez, who ran for Arquilla for two seasons at Wilson before transferring to Poly. ``He came out here with everything go on is an inspiration for all of us. He is like a second father and always been there for me.''

Although, Arquilla said he came only to watch, he couldn't help but shout instructions to the runners during the meet and analyze their races afterward.

``It was really great to seem him and I miss hearing his voice on his track,'' Wilson senior Vanessa Cruz said. ``When I don't hear him it's not the same. He told us we're not going to talk about coaching but then he says `You should have run faster. You should have done this.' We know that he loves to coach.''

Not even Arquilla, however, was enough to prevent the Poly girls (5-0) from defeating Wilson (4-1) for the fifth consecutive year on a windy afternoon.

Junior Shalonda Solomon won the 100 and 200 in 11.3 and 23.3 and anchored Poly's 400 relay to victory in 46.2. Solomon led a 1-2-3 sweep of the 200 with Jasmine Lee (23.9) and Dominique Dorsey to give the Jackrabbits a 69-53 lead and clinch the victory with the 3,200 meters and 1,600 relay remaining.

The Poly boys (5-0) moved a step toward their eighth consecutive league championship behind junior Derrick Jones, who won the 100 (10.3), 200 (21.6) and anchored the Jackrabbits' triumphant 400 relay (42.3), and freshman Terrence Austin, who won the high jump (6-0) and 110 high hurdles (15.4) and 300 intermediates (41.9).

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