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Bay League Meet #1
Race Videos - Girls
Varsity - Boys
Varsity Mystery plotlines have happy endings at Bay League Meet #1 Manhattan Beach - There were some questions about the individuals who might headline the Bay League Meet #1 at Polliwog Park Thursday, September 20th, with both team contests quickly settling any questions as to who is in the driver’s seat in this league configuration this year. In all the individual athlete cases the element of mystery had a happy ending, with the general plot lines continuing in the two more all-league gatherings that the league has up through November 1st. On a beautiful day here in the low 70's when from the beach in this general South Bay area you could reach out and almost touch both Malibu on one side and the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the other, the six schools of the Bay League gathered at Polliwog Park in Manhattan Beach. The Park is not the hugest venue for a cross-country meet, but neighboring blocks and a trip around a nearby middle school combined enough laps to total the three miles, with the course a chance for spectators to view the runners a number of times during the action and everyone seemed to have a great time. Megan Fairley (Peninsula) and Kevyn Murphy (Mira Costa) are two of the state’s best runners when healthy, something that has not happened for at least a season for both. Who would toe the line here along with the rest of the talented field, led by 4:55 1600 star Sahdeh Tabatabai of Mira Costa, who had raced 17:24 the previous weekend at Woodbridge, was a question answered early. A pack of three pulled far ahead of the field after half a mile, with Fairley and Murphy here and comfortably cruising along with Shadeh at that point. The green and gold clad Mira Costa group, who had blazed a screeching 91:44 team time without Murphy at the Woodbridge Meet (that’s an 18:21 average without a 4:57 1600 runner on the team), would be even stronger this week with Kevyn racing as she was, so the team contest was not much of an issue. With a number of ranked squads in the field behind the MiCo crew that was entertaining, with Redondo, an up and coming squad, racing without 5:02 1600 star Chloe Curtis, resting a slight calf problem. The race here finishes with about a 300 meter loop at the Park, and down onto the field it was really kind of neat to see Megan Fairley emerge out in front, with the poor girl having to have had at least a couple of serious problems in the last 18 months to be out of as much competition as she was. Shadeh Tabatabai kept the Peninsula senior Fairley honest to the end, but Megan emerged the 17:51-53 winner. Kevyn Murphy was also impressive in third at 18:18, with Kelly Shambaugh for Mira Costa fourth, as the hometown MiCo crew also took sixth (Elena LaCroix) and fine frosh Savannah Pio was eleventh as the team scored only 27 points. Peninsula was next with 53, with Redondo 69, and Palos Verdes 87. The Mira Costa Boys squad had also come out popping at Woodbridge, racing 76:33 for the flat three as a team (15:19 average), with a thirty-five second 1-5 gap behind leader Danny Kalinowski. A pack of a half-dozen in this contest emerged after the first half-mile loop, as Kalinowski was joined by sub 9:40 3200 runners Josh McCarty (West), Simon and Cody Schmidt (Redondo), and 4:24 1600 star Alex Adler from his Mico squad. That is five. Number six was our mystery man for the day, with us taking a good part of the race to put back in our mind someone who was removed when the local paper indicated that fine junior Jose Lezama (Leuzinger, Lawndale) had chosen soccer full-time over running a couple weeks back. A real shame we thought when we read it, as Jose showed super ability as a soph last Fall, racing within six seconds of 4:09 1600 runner Fawad Khan (Palos Verdes) on this course in the League Finals last year in second, and winning his heat at the Division I level in the Section Prelims in November, before finishing twentieth in the Finals as the third soph finisher at that level. It turned out someone talked Jose back into it recently, as he cruised along with the front pack, then took over when the going became tough on the third mile and raced away to a comfortable six second win at 15:21. Check the interview with Jose (coming), as his preparation has been soccer until the last few days. Quite the talent Mr. Lezama, we hope he sticks with it and becomes serious. Kalinowski started the Mira Costa flood in second at 15:27, with teammate Alex Adler closing in third at 15:28 and the next three in the top dozen of a quality race to total 35 points for the easy win. After that it became fun, with Palos Verdes, a nice job of development over the summer, nipping Redondo on the sixth runner rule after both had 67 points. West Torrance was next at 72. Great teams, individual athletes, coaches, and spectators, all having fun on a day in an area that can compete with the best weather in the world for year-round running. There are two more league gatherings this season on other venues, finishing on the famed challenging Palos Verdes course in early November. We look for the same great competition over the next month. Doug Speck
Bay League Meet #1 Team Scores: Girls Varsity
Preview
Bay League Meet #1 - Polliwog Park - Manhattan Beach - Thursday September 20th Ranked teams galore and a super tradition of distance running stretching back through the decades will greet us as we take in the Bay League Meet #1 Thursday, September 20th at Polliwog Park in Manhattan Beach. The Girls’ side of the contest has four squads ranked among the top ten by DyeStatCal’s ranking guru, Rich Gonzalez, with Mira Costa #2 Division II, Peninsula #5 Division II, West Torrance #8 Division II, and Palos Verdes #6 Division III. Also included in today’s competition is a fine Redondo Union Girls squad that sits not far off the Division II Top Ten in the Southern Section area. A flock of great runners will race on this side, with Shadeh Tabatabai, Kevyn Murphy, and Megan Fairley (Peninsula) from the League grouping having run under 5:00 for 1600 during their prep careers, and Redondo’s Chloe Curtis not far over that prep standard of exellence. The Boys’ contest has Mira Costa, the Southern Section Division II #5 squad and Palos Verdes ranked sixth Division III, with the West Torrance Boys doing some fine running last weekend at Woodbridge, and the Schmidt twins from Redondo ready for their 2007 bust out here. Ladies first–Mira Costa cranked a mean 91:44 team time last weekend at Woodbridge, with Shadeh Tabatabai, a 4:55.88 1600 star and a smooth 17:24 on the flat in Irvine last Saturday evening. The MiCo 18:21 average was achieved without Kevyn Murphy, a sub 5 minute miler also, who was injured in track and expected to join the team soon. Chloe Curtis (Redondo), a 5:02.87 1600 star in track, was 17:45 at Woodbridge, with her squad 95:23 at that competition in finishing just behind league rival West Torrance in their contest, with West (95:10) led by Caitlyn Corrao (18:19) and Elena Inouye (18:22). A dual off last weekend’s results would have West nipping Redondo 27-28. Megan Fairley (Peninsula) is yet another who during her career has run the 1600 under 5:00 and made the State Finals, but she is also coming off a significant period of injury and said to be ready to go this season. The up-front action, as well as the team contest will be a burner here if everyone shows ready to go, as Peninsula also returns a fine group, ranked #5 initially Division II in the Section. Palos Verdes had a fine run at Woodbridge, with their #8 ranked Division III squad locally having two frosh in its top five scorers, with Melanie Solandt leading a team suddenly in the hunt for reservations to Fresno at their level. This will be a super race. Boys - A veteran Mira Costa group that has four seniors in its top five hopes to dominate here so the school can take home both wins. A snappy 76:33 clocking as a team at Woodbridge had them average 15:18, with a tough 1-5 gap of 35 seconds behind Danny Kalinowski (15:00). The Section’s #5 Ranked Division II team has solid credentials, with Kalinowski a 9:44.74 3200 runner, second man last week Alex Adler 1:58.81 800 and 4:24.85 1600 clockings from the spring, Martin Ensbury 4:33.41 last track season, and Adam Conover a quick 1:58.14 800. Redondo brings Cody and Simon Schmidt to the table, with Cody 10th last year Division II in the Section and 9:27.65 in track for 3200 meters, and Simon 9:34.4 in the spring. Redondo’s two man total should be very low. A quick developing Palos Verdes squad has moved up to sixth in this week’s Southern Section Division III polls, with the next four after Mike Stillo (15:11 last weekend at Woodbridge) underclass athletes impressive in their 2007 start. West Torrance averaged under 15:50 at Woodbridge for five, led by Josh McCarty, who was 15:00 in his race win there. A great match-up in your area in future weeks - top ranked teams or individuals? - Let us know - email us
Last year’s Final League Meet contest (also held at Polliwog Park in Manhattan Beach). Boys Varsity 1. PV Khan 15:17 Team Scores 1. Palos Verdes 43 1 3 10 14 19 Girls Varsity 1. M Tabatabai 17:52
1. Mira Costa 31 1 2 4 8 16 |
