Reseda Lets Cleveland Down Easily

A week after his Reseda track team defeated defending state champion Taft in a meet that was decided in the final event, Regent Coach Jasim Al-Kuraishi was prepared for a letdown.

He got one Friday, although it was hard to tell as Reseda outclassed Cleveland, 92-23, in a West Valley League meet at Reseda.

“Last week was a big meet for us,” Al-Kuraishi said. “It’s much harder to get up for a team you’re favored to beat.”

Poor weather conditions only compounded Reseda’s sluggish performance. A stiff, cold wind aided times in the 100 meters and the short hurdle events but hampered athletes in other events.

Reseda won 13 of 14 events and Cleveland (1-2 in league) failed to score in five events.

Reseda (4-0, 3-0 in league) swept the 100 meters and the triple jump, and placed first and second in the 220-, 440-, 880-, 120-yard high hurdles and the high jump. Four Regents won two individual events.

Mike Wilson won the 100 meters in a wind-aided 10.9 and the 220 in 23.1. Ronald Wilkinson won the long jump (20-3) and triple jump (41-2) and placed second in the 220 (23.5.)

Jeff Ricks won the 120-yard high hurdles in a wind-aided 15.5 and the 330-yard intermediate hurdles (42.2). He also placed second in the triple jump (39-4 1/2).

John Wells won the mile and two-mile in pedestrian times of 4:58.7 and 11:02.9. Wells, who has a converted mile-best of 4:32.83, wasn’t pushed in either race.

Neither was Darrell Armstrong, who won the 440 in 54.7. Armstrong placed second behind Taft’s Quincy Watts in last week’s meet with a 49.6. On Friday, he also placed third in the triple jump at 38- 1/2 and ran the third leg on the winning 440-yard relay (44.5).

He teamed with David Wilson, Mike Wilson (no relation) and Wilkinson in the short relay event.

Reseda assistant Steve Caminiti was philosophical about the Regents’ performances. “Last week’s meet against Taft was a classic. We had been waiting a year for that meet. But this week we didn’t have as much to look forward to.”

Neither Al-Kuraishi or Caminiti was worried.

“I’m confident that the kids will come through when they need to,” Al-Kuraishi said. “They did last week and I’m confident they’ll do it again.

“The league meet and the City championships are what we’re pointing for. Today we just ran well enough to win.”