Like an exciting stretch run in the Kentucky Derby, the finish of the Division 2 CIF championship 4 x 400 meter relay at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut showed Centaur senior Jonathan Moniz flying past the lead runner from Westlake High School from 20 meters behind to win by 10 meters, marking Culver City High School’s second consecutive CIF crown in that event.
“It was a great race. Jonathan grabbed the baton on the kick leg from Isaiah Jewett and blew everyone away. It was an amazing performance by him and Culver City,” said Culver City High School athletics coach Greg Goodyear. Moniz ran a brilliant 47.7 in that final leg.
The Ocean League champion 4 x 400 relay team, which finished fourth overall among all divisional qualifiers at 3:17.85, advances Friday to the CIF Masters Meet in Cerritos. Moniz will team with sophomores Brandon Hasson, who runs the second leg, Stanley Norman, who starts the race, and Isaiah Jewett.
Serra had the best overall time of 3:17.07, best in the state.
Moniz also will compete in the 400 and 800, this Saturday, with a winning time of 48.69 in the 400 and a fourth place finish in the 800 in 1:55.87.
Hasson, a sophomore, was unable to match his fast qualifying time of 10.78 the prior week in Moorpark, and completed the 100 meter dash in 10.98 seconds for seventh place. His time of 22.75 in the 200 also put him in seventh.
Senior Kenia Bonilla, the sole Centaur female in the meet, ran 56.87 in the 400 meters for fourth place and 24.79 in the 200 for fifth, which takes her out of the Masters.
“She was running well at the start, but hit a wall the last 60 yards,” said Goodyear of Bonilla’s race in the 400.
Bonilla won the title in the girls 400 meter run in Moorpark at 56.40, giving her a high seed in last weekend’s CIF finals. She had a personal best 24.65 in the 200 in Moorpark the prior week.
The collective performances by the Centaur male runners garnered Culver City its highest finish in advanced CIF competition since the early 1900s, according to Culver City High School track and field coach Jahmal Wright, who ran for the track squad 20 years ago. .
The Centaurs tallied 29 points for fourth place. Finishing ahead of Culver were winner Los Angeles Loyola with 79 points, second place Irvine Woodbridge with 38 and third place Westlake, 36. Manhattan Beach Mira Costa was fifth with 26.
“I’m happy with our finish,” Culver head coach Jamal Wright said. “We had three sophomores on our (1,600) relay. We want to do well in the Masters. We will compete against Serra and Vista Murrieta.”
Joe Snyder contributed to this article.
OUT AT HOME: Centaur pitcher Jessica Faber tags out a sliding Gabrielino High School Eagle, trying to steal home. The Lady Centaurs (11-14 overall, 6-4 in league) lost 5-4 to the San Gabriel Valley school.
Photo by George Laase
TAG: Culver City High School first baseman Robert Rodenbusch tags out Santa Monica base runner Mason Landis during Ocean League baseball showdown won by the Vikings, 7-4. The second place Centaurs lost, 3-0, at Elsinore, May 9, in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division III playoffs.
Photo by Joe Snyder