Total masters at their game

Mike Sciacca

Tony Guadagnini has not only made it a habit to set goals for himself

during his high school career, but the Marina High senior track and

field athlete also has made it a habit of reaching them.

The 18-year-old achieved a personal milestone Saturday when he ran

1:53.32 to win the Division I boys’ 800 meters race at the CIF

Southern Section Track and Field Championships at Cerritos College in

Norwalk.

He had entered the finals seeded first after winning the

preliminary race by two seconds.

“I was feeling pretty confident going into finals, but I knew

there were other runners out there who had the potential to win this

thing, too,” Guadagnini said. “I was a bit nervous, but once the race

started, I was fine. Winning a CIF title has been one of my big

goals.”

Guadagnini advanced, along with nine other local athletes, to

Friday’s CIF Masters Meet, which also will be held at Cerritos

College. The state meet will be held the weekend of June 3-4 in

Sacramento.

A look at the other athletes who qualified from the local schools:

EDISON

Joe Gatel advanced to the Masters meet in the Division II boys’

1,600 by posting a time of 4:15.15 to finish in third place.

Junior Jayson Hayes finished right behind Gatel in fourth place in

the 1,600, but did not advance to Masters based on time.

Junior Aaron Roy finished fourth in the pole vault, but did not

qualify for Masters.

The Chargers’ 4x400 meter relay team of Josh Herrera, David Taff,

Tyler Knox and Justin Christjaener advanced to Masters by finishing

third in the final with a time of 3:19.73. The time marked the first

time since the 1989 season that an Edison team had finished under

3:20, and it was the third best all-time mark in school history.

Edison also qualified two girls for Friday’s Masters Meet, as

junior Tori Pena won the Division II pole vault crown with an effort

of 12-feet-6, and Kelly Maclean also qualified in the pole vault by

clearing 11-feet.

Edison’s girls’ 4x100 meter relay team did not qualify for

Masters, but did post a personal record time of 4:00.33.

“We are proud of their efforts,” Edison girls’ coach Chris Shield

said.

Huntington Beach

Two Oilers qualified for the Masters meet, as Lindly Tamura moved

on following a mark of 11-feet in the girls’ Division II pole vault,

which was good for third place, and Alana Faagai qualified with a

third-place heave of 130-7 in the discus.