Trojans reclaim title

CORONA DEL MAR — TeWinkle Middle School track and field coach Regi Vettraino spent a few moments at the scorer’s table Thursday at Corona del Mar High.

He then walked back to his Trojan athletes near the middle of the field, and one action set off a celebration.

Vettraino raised his index finger in the air.

TeWinkle was the overall boys’ champion and eighth-grade boys’ champion of the Coastal Athletic League junior high track finals, a year after being knocked off by Dwyer, a loss that ended its 21-year winning streak.

“It’s good to get the overall title back and it’s good to get some positive feedback about TeWinkle Middle School,” Vettraino said. “You always hear about the bad things going on, but these boys did well all year long.”

Corona del Mar won the seventh-grade title, edging Sowers. But neither of those teams could compare to the dominant effort from TeWinkle. In the very first eighth-grade boys’ event, the Trojans’ Charlie Umansky won the 1,600 meters in 4 minutes, 59.67 seconds, setting the tone.

The race was close between Umansky, Evan Dean of CdM and Alex Jolly of Ensign headed into the final lap, when Umansky made his move.

“You just have to have that second win, that kick at the end,” said Umansky who, in his first year running track, went on to finish second in the 800 meters behind Dean. “That helped me win the last 200 meters. I’m really amazed at myself to come in first in the mile. I’m thrilled.”

TeWinkle also got a balanced effort out of eighth-grader George De La Torre, who was third in the 100 meters, second in the 200 and third in the shot put.

“It was a team effort,” Vettraino said. “I could fill two or three in each event all year long.”

Willy Moore of Harbor Day won the eighth-grade boys’ 400 meters ahead of CdM’s Zach Morton, who won the high jump. Will Morrow of Harbor Day, after being edged in the 100 meters by a Dwyer runner, came back to win the 200.

“I lost the 100 by an inch,” Morrow said. “That motivated me to try to win [the 200]. I tried to get a good start and I just wanted to carry it from there.”

In the seventh-grade division, the CdM boys came out on top behind efforts like those of Tanner Grandstaff.

He finished second in the 100 meters behind Isaiah Lumbruno of Sowers, whose 12.01 seconds mark broke the league record.

But Grandstaff came back to win the 200 and tie for third in the high jump.

“It’s not my best time,” said Grandstaff of his 26.44-second mark in the 200. “But I felt confident. When I saw I was in front, I just blew it out.”

In the C Division, featuring competitors under 5-foot-4, Colton Gyulay of Harbor Day set a league record in the 100 meters in 12.16 seconds.

Gyulay also won the long jump, but TeWinkle captured the division team title with 105 points.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or [email protected].