By Tony Ciniglio, The Daily Breeze
POSTED: 05/24/14, 10:43 PM PDT | 0 COMMENTS
Serra's Jordan Lasley wins the division 4 300 meter Intermediate hurdles during the CIF Southern Section track and final Championships at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif., on Friday, May 24, 2014. (Keith Birmingham/Pasadena Star-News)
Finally, vindication.
After a series of unfortunate and exasperating events, Adoree’ Jackson and the Serra boys track and field team flexed their collective muscle.
The Serra boys 4 X 400 relay team of Akinyele Turner, Ronny Hall, Jordan Lasley and Jackson closed the CIF Southern Section track and field finals Saturday at Cerritos College by winning the Division IV crown with a time of 3 minutes, 19.81 seconds.
Jackson exorcised some demons from a frustrating three-week stretch.
First it was a dropped baton by a teammate that knocked out Serra’s 400 relay at the Del Rey League finals. Then it was Jackson’s controversial disqualification in the long jump at CIF prelims. Jackson even had a deflating performance in the 200 meters earlier in the day Saturday.
The 4 X 400 relay was the redeeming factor.
“This is the way I wanted to finish. This is the way Serra does it,” Jackson said. “We come on strong and put on a good show for everyone. That’s what they expect, so we’ve got to give them what they want.”
Oaks Christian ruled Division IV on Saturday by scoring 91 1/2 points to beat the Serra boys (78) and a whopping 123 points to hold off the hard-charging St. Mary’s Academy girls (82 points).
Serra celebrated six CIF individual boys Division IV crowns and two more girls CIF titles. St. Mary’s Academy had a pair of CIF champions.
Hall recorded CIF titles in 200 (21.62) and 400 meters (48.29).
Lasley captured the 300 hurdles (38.24) after taking third in the 100 meters (10.87).
Jeremy Franklin won the boys shot put with a mark of 57 feet, 7 1/2 inches on his final attempt.
But the day belonged to the Serra 4 X 400 relay for returning a sense of normalcy to the defending CIF state champion boys program.
“We had our 4 X 1(00) dropped and our long jump dropped, so we tried to do the best we can with the events we have,” Lasley said. “We’re trying to finish our season with a bang.”
Hall had won a pair of CIF titles on relays last season, but said it felt good to strike out on his own.
“It feels good to win something that’s mine,” Hall said.
Hall then was instrumental on the 4 X 400 relay, which certainly had its share of drama.
Stefon Goudeau came up gimpy right before the start of the race, but Turner stepped in and delivered a strong opening leg without much advanced warning.
“I was just chilling and Stephon came over and said he couldn’t go,” Turner said. “Usually I like a 40-minute warm-up, but this time I had to just throw on the uniform and get out there.”
Serra’s Jeanette Paul experienced her first CIF finals after winning three L.A. City Section crowns last year at Carson.
Paul certainly left her mark at CIF by claiming titles in the 100 hurdles (14.24) and 300 hurdles (42.44) and anchored the second-place 4 X 400 relay team of Gertrude Martin, Jasmin Reed and Kayla Pickens to a time of 3:47.75.
“My legs are killing me, but I feel great,” Paul said. “I like this meet better than the City meet. It gives me more competition. There’s more people to push me to help me run faster.”
St. Mary’s Academy had a strong all-around day.
Sierra Peterson claimed a CIF title in the 100 meters in 11.73 and anchored the CIF champion 400 relay team of Allanah Hughes, Aliyah Hale and Briana Shufford to a winning time of 46.66 with a strong final leg.
“I was just thinking I needed to get out and focus. Small things matter. I just wanted to run fast,” said Peterson, who also placed second in the 200 (24.14) and anchored the 4x400 relay of Alai Divinity, Hale and Morgan Pecanette to a third-place finish of 3:48.90. “It wasn’t too big of a deficit, but I did have to put in work.”
Kyra Anderson had an active day for St. Mary’s, securing second in the long jump (17-3 3/4), third in the triple jump (37-5 1/2), third in the 100 hurdles (14.54) and seventh in the 300 hurdles (46.04).
Hale added a second-place finish in the 300 hurdles (43.79). Divinity was third in the 300 hurdles (44.97). Hughes finished fourth in the triple jump (37-5.25).
POSTED: 05/24/14, 10:43 PM PDT | 0 COMMENTS
Serra's Jordan Lasley wins the division 4 300 meter Intermediate hurdles during the CIF Southern Section track and final Championships at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif., on Friday, May 24, 2014. (Keith Birmingham/Pasadena Star-News)
Finally, vindication.
After a series of unfortunate and exasperating events, Adoree’ Jackson and the Serra boys track and field team flexed their collective muscle.
The Serra boys 4 X 400 relay team of Akinyele Turner, Ronny Hall, Jordan Lasley and Jackson closed the CIF Southern Section track and field finals Saturday at Cerritos College by winning the Division IV crown with a time of 3 minutes, 19.81 seconds.
Jackson exorcised some demons from a frustrating three-week stretch.
First it was a dropped baton by a teammate that knocked out Serra’s 400 relay at the Del Rey League finals. Then it was Jackson’s controversial disqualification in the long jump at CIF prelims. Jackson even had a deflating performance in the 200 meters earlier in the day Saturday.
The 4 X 400 relay was the redeeming factor.
“This is the way I wanted to finish. This is the way Serra does it,” Jackson said. “We come on strong and put on a good show for everyone. That’s what they expect, so we’ve got to give them what they want.”
Oaks Christian ruled Division IV on Saturday by scoring 91 1/2 points to beat the Serra boys (78) and a whopping 123 points to hold off the hard-charging St. Mary’s Academy girls (82 points).
Serra celebrated six CIF individual boys Division IV crowns and two more girls CIF titles. St. Mary’s Academy had a pair of CIF champions.
Hall recorded CIF titles in 200 (21.62) and 400 meters (48.29).
Lasley captured the 300 hurdles (38.24) after taking third in the 100 meters (10.87).
Jeremy Franklin won the boys shot put with a mark of 57 feet, 7 1/2 inches on his final attempt.
But the day belonged to the Serra 4 X 400 relay for returning a sense of normalcy to the defending CIF state champion boys program.
“We had our 4 X 1(00) dropped and our long jump dropped, so we tried to do the best we can with the events we have,” Lasley said. “We’re trying to finish our season with a bang.”
Hall had won a pair of CIF titles on relays last season, but said it felt good to strike out on his own.
“It feels good to win something that’s mine,” Hall said.
Hall then was instrumental on the 4 X 400 relay, which certainly had its share of drama.
Stefon Goudeau came up gimpy right before the start of the race, but Turner stepped in and delivered a strong opening leg without much advanced warning.
“I was just chilling and Stephon came over and said he couldn’t go,” Turner said. “Usually I like a 40-minute warm-up, but this time I had to just throw on the uniform and get out there.”
Serra’s Jeanette Paul experienced her first CIF finals after winning three L.A. City Section crowns last year at Carson.
Paul certainly left her mark at CIF by claiming titles in the 100 hurdles (14.24) and 300 hurdles (42.44) and anchored the second-place 4 X 400 relay team of Gertrude Martin, Jasmin Reed and Kayla Pickens to a time of 3:47.75.
“My legs are killing me, but I feel great,” Paul said. “I like this meet better than the City meet. It gives me more competition. There’s more people to push me to help me run faster.”
St. Mary’s Academy had a strong all-around day.
Sierra Peterson claimed a CIF title in the 100 meters in 11.73 and anchored the CIF champion 400 relay team of Allanah Hughes, Aliyah Hale and Briana Shufford to a winning time of 46.66 with a strong final leg.
“I was just thinking I needed to get out and focus. Small things matter. I just wanted to run fast,” said Peterson, who also placed second in the 200 (24.14) and anchored the 4x400 relay of Alai Divinity, Hale and Morgan Pecanette to a third-place finish of 3:48.90. “It wasn’t too big of a deficit, but I did have to put in work.”
Kyra Anderson had an active day for St. Mary’s, securing second in the long jump (17-3 3/4), third in the triple jump (37-5 1/2), third in the 100 hurdles (14.54) and seventh in the 300 hurdles (46.04).
Hale added a second-place finish in the 300 hurdles (43.79). Divinity was third in the 300 hurdles (44.97). Hughes finished fourth in the triple jump (37-5.25).