Nia Garcia and Cahlil Hooper will represent Culver City high school in the CIF Southern Section track and field finals at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday. Garcia will run the 100-meter hurdles and Hooper will compete in the 100 and 200-meter dash.
Both runners ran their lifetime best last Saturday during the CIF prelims at Moorpark high school. Garcia turned in a time of 14.77 in the hurdles and Hooper ran the 100 meters in 10.72 and the 200 meters in 21.67.
“I felt good last Saturday, but I know I can do better,” said Garcia last Tuesday after practice. “The CIF competition is really tough but it’s a lot of fun. I want to get to the Masters meet and the State meet but it feels amazing to represent Culver City in the finals.
On Saturday the field events will start at 10:30 a.m. and the first running event will start at 1 p.m. “It’s exciting that both runners are going into the finals after recording their personal best times.” said head coach Jahmal Wright. “We hope that they will run faster on Saturday.”
If they place high in the finals they will advance to the CIF Master’s meet on Friday, May 27. That meet will combine the top track and field runners, jumpers and throwers of the over 500 schools in the CIF Southern Section.
“Whatever happens on Saturday we are extremely proud of all of our track and field athletes at Culver City,” said girls’ head coach Rayfield Beaton. “Nia Garcia and Cahlil Hooper are a good example of what a student athlete is all about. They work hard in the classroom and on the track. We are happy to have them.”
Garcia realizes good coaching is one of the many ingredients that make a good athlete and she has two of the best in Beaton and Wright. “I like coach Beaton because he never gave up on me even when I started giving up on myself” said Garcia. “ He pushed me to do better. Although coach Wright oversees all of the track and field programs he is always there to give us moral and verbal support.”