The562’s cross country and track & field coverage is sponsored by Joe Carlson & Debbie Hughes.
It’s track season in Long Beach! The city once again returns the reigning CIF State girls champion in Wilson along with the CIF champion Long Beach Poly boys team, but there are plenty of new athletes ready to make a name for themselves ahead of the Moore League Finals on April 30.
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Millikan
The Millikan track and field program has continued to improve under head coach Detra King, who has her sights set on competing in bigger meets this season while aiming to send more athletes to CIF at the end of the year.
Kaiyo Berhanu will be a key contributor for the boys in the high jump, and King believes he can return to CIF this year after recently clearing the six-foot mark at the Trackrabbit Invitational. Cesar Gomez will also be a major factor in the field events after winning the Moore League shot put title last year with a mark of 45-10, while freshman Nathan Doung has also made an impact in the long jump.
The Rams will have some big shoes to fill on the distance side for Maximiliano Ramirez, who won both the 1600 and 3200 at the Moore League finals last year. King mentioned that Aaron Castro should do well in the 800 and 1600 this year along with senior Bryce Cobabe in the 800.
For the girls, King expects a big year from senior Audrey Hutcherson, who will compete in both hurdle events and run legs on the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Sophomore Jalea Brown will also run in the 4×100 as well as the 100 and 200 sprints.
MacKenzie Jahn is a promising freshman for Millikan in the 200 and 400, along with fellow freshman Amberly McDowell in the 1600. Junior Jocelyn Jimenez will also be a key distance runner for the girls in the 1600.
Lakewood
Daniel Sorenson is back for his second year as head coach of the Lakewood track and field program, and he has a handful of promising athletes across the board.
The boys team will be led by a couple of juniors, including Kameron Chatman and Lance Hemphill, who are both long sprinters that have been pushing each other to break the 50-second mark in the 400. Evan Vong will also be a leader in the distance events, where he’ll run in the 800 and 1600.
Juniors Larazo Johnson and Mason Mazas will be contributors in the field events and have emphasized strength training this preseason for the shot put and discus. Marqice Simmions and Andre Clayton are two seniors that Sorenson believes could have breakout seasons in the high jump.
The Lakewood girls team will be led by sprinters Kai Embree and Karcin McDaniel, who Sorenson has high hopes for after the pair put in a tough offseason of work. Embree has been working on improving her 400 with training partner and sophomore Aaryn Hunter, while McDaniel has been a key leader for the underclassmen.
On the field side, senior Kasey-Rian Henson is on the hunt for a Moore League title after finishing second in discus last year, while junior Jania McMichael is looking to continue improving in both the long jump and the shot put.
“Being in such a competitive league is tough, but moving to Division 2 this season we are looking to hit the time standards to get into the postseason,” Sorensen said. “We are continuing to build our program and develop athletes, and as a coach I teach our athletes to compete against themselves and let the times and marks speak of themselves.”
Jordan
For Jordan, Senior Myron Valentine will be the standout in the 200 this year as he looks to lead the boys group. Sophomore George Hernandez is a new sprinter who head coach Scoey Peters thinks will be a top-10 athlete for Jordan this year, while sophomore Steven Bramasco is also a promising runner looking to master the 400. On the girls’ side, Peters mentioned Michelle Harley and Paige Randolph as a pair of his top athletes.
Cabrillo
The Cabrillo track and field team is smaller this season under coach Kennard Hamilton, who hopes to stay competitive while building a foundation for the future.
Sophomore and football standout Armon Lumpkin is a key returner for the Jags and will be their top sprinter in the 100 and 200. Hamilton is looking forward to seeing Lumpkin continue to improve, as well as contribute in the relays, where Cabrillo finished third at the Moore League finals last year.
For the girls, Cabrillo will lean on all-around athlete Kamora Byther, who has already completed flag football and soccer seasons this year. Byther is currently recovering from an injury, but Hamilton hopes to have her available for the Moore League prelims, where she’ll compete as both a sprinter and long jumper.
Compton
The Compton track and field team is looking to break in its new track on the remodeled campus, and they have a handful of promising athletes to do so.
For the boys, Edward Rivera will look to lead the sprinters after a great season on the football team, where he recently committed to play at Sacramento State. Running alongside Rivera in the 100 and 200 will be Day’Lyn Grayson, who Compton coach Derrick Anderson also mentioned as a top sprinter.
Faethe Harris is a star freshman on the girls’ side and will run the 200 along with the 300 hurdles. Destinee Kelly is another athlete to watch in the 100 and 200, while standout flag football player Laila Williams is battling an injury but returns as a key piece in the long jump and triple jump.
St. Anthony
St. Anthony and coach Stephen Kelley are looking to compete for a Camino Real League title with a strong group made up of a handful of dual-sport athletes.
The boys’ side will feature returner and football player Preston Hochman, who Kelley says will be a key sprinter. Esten Wilson is another key returner in the field events for St. Anthony, where he’ll be in the high jump.
Laila Hughes is the standout for the girls as a two-time Camino Real League champion in the 100. Flag football and basketball player Jordyn Washington will compete in the 4×100 as well as the high jump, while Olivia Contreras will run the 1600. Riley Woodson is a promising freshman sprinter and long jumper, along with 1600 runner Julia Ramirez.
