The Culver City High School boys’ 4×400-meter relay team captured the CIF-Southern Section Division II title at the Divisional Championships at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, last Saturday, but will advance to the next round only if two teams drop out.
Running a time of three minutes and 19 seconds, the Centaurs qualified as alternates for the CIF-Southern Section Masters Championships, Friday, at Cerritos College. Culver had the 11th best time overall, but needed to finish in the top nine to advance.
The foursome of Lucas Nozick, Jimmy Haywood, Jonathan Moniz and anchor Anthony Luckett defeated runner-up and Bay League champion Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, which was clocked at 3:20.55.
“I was not surprised,” Culver head coach Jamal Wright said. “I was expecting us to win it all.”
Ocean League champion Culver City won the race in the absence of top runner Alex Jackson, who was injured during the Ocean League finals.
“It was frustrating that we won’t make it to state,” Wright said. “If we had Jackson, we would have run at least three seconds faster. It shows that the Southern Section is the toughest. Had we been in any other section, we would have made it,” said Wright.
Senior Nozick earned status as an alternate by placing third in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in 38.3. As his relay team did, he finished 11th overall and will be able to compete in the Masters in Clovis (near Fresno) only if two hurdlers bow out.
“I felt I could do better,” Kozick said after his 300 race. “I hope I can improve on that in the Masters. I had better races.”
Kozick also finished seventh in the 110-meter high hurdles at 14.9.
Luckett had a third place finish in the 200-meter dash in 21.74 and was fourth at the 400 clocking 49.21, but neither of those were high enough overall finishes for the Masters.
As a team, the Centaurs finished sixth in Division II with 28 points.
Loyola won the meet with 55 points to 50 for second place Ontario Colony. Newport Harbor was third with 41.
The Lady Centaurs were led by junior Kenia Bonilla, who was fifth in the 400 at 57.8.
Bonilla also ran on both Culver relays. She ran on the third leg of the Centaurs’ 4×100 squad that was sixth clocking 48.22. Other runners were sophomore Kyndall Carter, junior Ryan Bull and sophomore Nia Bell.
Bonilla also ran on the third leg of Culver’s 4×100 that was eighth in 4:03.66. Other runners included Carter, Bull and junior Tristen Bellows.
