It was a magical day for Long Beach Poly at Saturday’s CIF-SS Division 1 Track & Field championships, as the Jackrabbits claimed the boys’ team championship, were runner-ups by two points for the girls’ team title, and brought home five gold medals.
“It feels amazing, our boys are on the map,” said Poly coach Crystal Irving. “Everyone stepped up in every event. I know there are a lot of individual events but we always tell our kids, no matter how things are going for you, encourage your teammates, help built that momentum, because it’s not just about you it’s about the team.”
The team was winning big-time, as the boys brought home their first gold CIF-SS plaque since 2007; it’s the school’s record-setting 122nd CIF-SS team championship and the 16th for Poly’s boys’ program. In addition, the Jackrabbits had 17 entries qualify for next weekend’s CIF-SS Masters Meet.
The day started off with a pair of golds in the 4x100s, and then senior Liam Anderson’s win in the 110 hurdles; he would also take fourth in the 300 hurdles. That’s a remarkable senior season for a runner who didn’t make it out of CIF-SS prelims last year.
“It feels amazing after all the hard work I put in during the offseason,” said Anderson.
Seniors Saundria Martin and Queen Okoh had big days for Poly as they went 1-2 in the 100, with Martin taking second in the 200 and Okoh finishing third in the long jump. Freshmen Lauren Reed and Zanae Woods ran on the 4×100 winner, and Reed took seventh in the long jump. Sophomore Destiny Okoh was fifth in the shot put and made it to Masters.
Kenyon Reed took the gold in the 200 to lead a 1-3-5 finish with DeAngelo Chester and Anthony Johnson, and Reed also took silver in the 100.
Girls’ 4×100: Long Beach Poly 1st, 46.62 (Lauren Reed, Saundria Martin, Queen Okoh, Zanae Woods)
Boys’ 4×100: Long Beach Poly 1st, 40.87 (DeAngelo Chester, Kenyon Reed, Anthony Johnson, Keon Markham)
Boys’ 110 Hurdles: Liam Anderson (Long Beach Poly, 1st, 14.39)
Girls’ 400: Quwshaya Peters (Long Beach Poly, 9th, 57.93)
Boys’ 400: Everett Steward (Long Beach Poly, 4th, 47.99)
Girls’ 100: Saundria Martin (Long Beach Poly, 1st, 11.83), Queen Okoh (Long Beach Poly, 2nd, 12.06)
Boys’ 100: Kenyon Reed (Long Beach Poly, 2nd, 10.68), Anthony Johnson (Long Beach Poly, 4th, 10.74)
Girls’ 300 Hurdles: Kenya Payne (Long Beach Poly, DQ)
Boys’ 300 Hurdles: Liam Anderson (Long Beach Poly, 4th, 39.16)
Girls’ 200: Saundria Martin (Long Beach Poly, 2nd, 24.23)
Boys’ 200: Kenyon Reed (Long Beach Poly, 1st, 21.52), DeAngelo Chester (Long Beach Poly, 3rd, 21.58), Anthony Johnson (Long Beach Poly, 5th, 22.04)
Boys’ 3200: William Frankenfeld (Long Beach Poly, 2nd, 9:11.33)
Girls’ 4×400: Long Beach Poly (2nd, 3:47.74) Quwshaya Peters, Kenya Payne, Samina Haddad, Saundria Martin
Boys’ 4×400: Long Beach Poly (2nd, 3:14.66) Octavian Hall, Jaelen Knox, DeAngelo Chester, Everett Steward
Girls’ Long Jump: Queen Okoh (Long Beach Poly, 3rd, 18-3), Lauren Reed (Long Beach Poly, 7th, 17-9)
Girls’ Shot Put: Destiny Okoh (Long Beach Poly, 5th, 39-00.50)
Boys’ Long Jump: Miguel Orozco (Long Beach Poly, 6th, 21-8)
