TOHS track and field still one of the county's most productive squads
By Steve Ames Special to the Thousand Oaks Acorn

STEVE AMES/Acorn Newspapers DOUBLE TROUBLE-Thousand Oaks' Brianna Blair, left, and Lisa Navarro are two of the top pole vaulters in Ventura County. At the Mt. SAC Relays, Navarro posted a vault of 10-6, ranking her second in the county behind Oak Park's Aubrey Stark (11-9). Blair is third in the county with a 10-0 vault this season.

The Thousand Oaks track and field team is coming together for new head coach Jermaine Dixon just in time for several important end-of-the-season meets.

Dixon, Thousand Oaks' assistant coach the last four years under Robert Radnoti, was appointed the head boys' and girls' track coach weeks before the new season began. Radnoti resigned to become a coach at Pepperdine University.

A Cal Lutheran University graduate and former hurdler for the Kingsmen, Dixon's also in his fifth year teaching math at Thousand Oaks.

"The transition has been a rough one in the sense that you get used to a certain way of command," Dixon said. "The relationship that Robert Radnoti had with the kids was great."

The boys began this week with a 3-1 record and the girls are 4-0 in dual meets. Today the Lancers are on the road to take on the Calabasas Coyotes in a 3 p.m. Marmonte League dual meet.

STEVE AMES/Acorn Newspapers STRONG RUNNER-Andrew Garai works on his distance running during a spring break practice at Thousand Oaks.

Last Saturday at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, during the 48th annual Mt. SAC Relays, senior Lisa Navarro's 10-feet-6 earned first-place honors and junior Brianna Blair's 10-0 feet was third in the girls' open pole vault.

Also in the girls' events, Thousand Oaks finished in 10th place at 13:32.60 in the distance medley and took 13th place in the 4 x 1 mile relay at 22:33.59 with a run by junior Nina Su, freshman Alie Lopez, freshman Megan Meyer and senior Lynne Fletcher.

Navarro said she elected to learn how to pole vault because it looked like a lot of fun.

Blair said she began participating in the pole vault at the suggestion of Radnoti.

"He talked me into it," Blair said. "He said, 'You're tall and thin and you're fast, so this looks like something for you.' I said, 'OK.'"

Prior to the Mt. SAC Relays the personal best for both girls was 10 feet.

The girls said they received encouragement and help on training techniques from the boys who pole vault.

"The guys are a real boost for the girls," Blair said. "They go a lot higher, so we want to keep up with them. It's good to practice with them."

In the boys' 4x1 mile relay at Mt. SAC, the Lancers took fourth place with a time of 18:39.40, as senior James Sullivan, junior Isaiah White, senior Nathan Mc Donald and junior Andrew Garai carried the baton.

Next Tuesday, Thousand Oaks' league opponents will be the Agoura Chargers and Moorpark Musketeers. A week from Friday, Thousand Oaks will return to Moorpark High for the Ventura County Championships. The meets will begin at 3 p.m.

Senior Dan Scharf has five events among Ventura County's best this season: 400 meters (52.48), 110 hurdles (15.29), 300 hurdles (40.22), high jump (6-feet-2) and the long jump (21-6 3/4).

Scharf said that in addition to the Thousand Oaks coaches, he's learned a lot about running from his dad, Lance.

"I listen to my dad," Scharf said. "He trains with me out of school. He coaches me to do my best."

Scharf also does the decathlon when track season is over.

Dixon said the Lancers have a strong group of junior distance runners. White and Garai are included in this group.

White is among the county's best 1,600 meters runners (4:31.86) and 3,200 meters runners (9:51.92).

His favorite race is the 3,200 meters. "You have more time to think and respond," White said.

White wants to hit 4:20 in the mile and make a sub-9:30 time in the 2-mile.

Garai, who runs the 4 x 400 relay, 800 and the 1,600, said he has no favorite event. "I love them all," Garai said.

Dixon said McDonald, who has an 800 meter best of 2:03:18, and Sullivan are improving their running skills daily.

"It's a constant battle to where it's kind of obvious to see the standout of Danny (Scharf) in the sprints, but it's a little ambiguous, I guess, on the distance side," the coach said.

Others among the county's leaders in boys' events are junior Eric Smith, 110 hurdles (16.52) and 300 hurdles (43.35), sophomore Garrett De Mirjian, high jump (6-0), junior Charlie Moody, high jump (5-10) and junior Jeff Altizer in the pole vault (12-6).

Furthermore, sophomore James Kitka, pole vault (12-0), sophomore Buck Yedor, pole vault (11-0), sophomore Sam Albarran, pole vault (11-0), junior Brett Parker, shot put (48-5) and senior Brandon Dutton, shot put (48-2) all rank high in the county.

Leadership, Dixon said, is an integral part of the team for the boys and the girls.

"I know that on the girls' side we've always had great leadership by our senior Lynne Fletcher, for our distance group, our endurance group," he said.

"In the sprint group, Calyx Schentrup, a sophomore, is one -like Danny on the boys' side-that other girls admire. She is such a humble athlete that you can only appreciate what she has to offer for our program, the sprinters and also the long jumpers," Dixon said.

Fletcher has two of the county's best marks in 800 meters (2:24.98) and in the 1,600 (5:22.65).

Lopez, who ran with the Thousand Oaks Flyers Youth Track Club five years before attending TOHS, also is quickly establishing herself among the county's best runners, posting a best in the 400 meters (1:00.96) and 800 (2:22.47).

Lopez said she likes competing in the 800 the most.

"It's not like a full out sprint and it's not like the mile, so it's not really long," Lopez said. It's like the perfect distance in between."

The Lancer girls' 4 x 4 relay team has a top mark of 4:10.77. Sophomore Megan Smith has a 400 meter best of 1:02.28. Sophomore Kaitlyn Sullivan, in the 3,200, has a 11:42.05 best.

Freshman Shara Longbotham's 100 hurdles time of 16.23 is among the county's finest scores, as is her high jump of 4-feet-10 inches. Sophomore Bridget Ryan has also high jumped 4-feet-10.

Junior Jamie Axelrad has a long jump best of 17-3 3/4 and sophomore Annabel Naish's long jump best is 15-8 1/2. Senior Taran McQueen is among the triple jump leaders at 32-4 3/4.

Junior Laura Toft has a discus mark of 108-5, and a shot put best of 31-8. Sophomore Taylor Altizer has recorded a shot put distance of 30-feet-9 1/ 2 and a discus mark of 94-8. Altizer, who's been doing

throws since she was in the Thousand Oaks Flyers, said that she prefers the field events like discus and shot put.

"When you work hard you can see a lot of improvement," she said. "When you're practicing for running, sometimes you don't get your personal record, but when you work really hard, you can get your personal record here."

Freshman Kathleen Luft, whose personal best this season in the discus is 92 feet, began the season as a runner in the 100 and 200, but Dixon suggested that she become a thrower.

It was a good move, Luft said.

"You feel good when you throw far," she said. "You have to get your feet in the right position and your arms. It's just difficult."

Luft said she enjoys being on a track and field team where everyone contributes.

"We're a crazy team, but we love it," Luft said. "We're not like other teams, but we like it that way."