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C.B. Richards liked the results, as he watched “a lot of orange crossing the finish line,” he said, describing South Pasadena High’s powerful performance in this year’s Rio Hondo League Track and Field Championships.
Richards has built a solid and highly respected program since becoming an assistant in 2006 and head coach six years later. His team at all levels – frosh/soph, girls’ and boys’ varsity – shined once again last Friday when CIF bids were on the line.
“We’re trying,” he said sheepishly, flashing a smile near the conclusion of the league meet at Solari Stadium on South Pasadena High’s campus.
At the end of the day, the Tigers qualified 27 athletes for Saturday’s CIF-Southern Section Division 3 Prelims in 38 events at Estancia High School in Costa Mesa.
“We did really well overall,” said Richards, noting there is no team scoring at the league level, just individual results. “Having the ‘Orange Crush’ coming across the finish line makes it nice.”
The color orange, with some black, dominates South Pasadena’s uniforms, and Richards’ contingent of athletes didn’t disappoint the home crowd.
Twelve boys qualified for 20 events when CIF action gets underway at noon Saturday, while 14 girls qualified for 18. Soph/frosh sprinter Stephanie Li rounds out the squad as an alternate.
Senior Kai Dettman won both the 800 meters and 1600 and ran a leg in the winning 4×400 relay to bring home three titles.
Teammate TH Wei captured two championships in the triple jump and 100 meters. The finalist in the triple jump at last year’s State Meet also competed in the long jump and 4×100 relay for the Tigers.
Junior Lim Bui won the shot put and discus.
Sophomore Ferrel Mansano grabbed the 200 meters and helped the Tigers win the 4×400 relay. He also competed in the 400-meter and 4×100 relay.
His brother, Terrel, a sophomore, helped the Tigers win the 4×400 relay and ran the 400 meters.
Junior Kevin Kang, an 11th grader, won the long jump and took part in the triple jump, 4×100 relay. Teammate Ivan Estrada, a junior, helped South Pasadena secure first place in the 4×400 relay, and also ran a stage of the 4×100 relay.
On the girls’ side, senior Ashley Hugasian won the 200 meters, and triple jump, and competed in the 400-meter and 4×100 relay. Christina Taylor, a senior, grabbed the 400-meter title and took part in the 200 meter. Senior Booch Barrea won the 100-meter and ran a leg in the 4×100 relay. Junior Gianna Beasley helped win the 4×400 relay and competed in the 800 meters. Senior Uma Hornish, a standout soccer player for South Pasadena High, ran a winning leg in the 4×400 relay while also competing in the 4×100 relay. Aiko Sudijono, a junior, won the Long Jump and freshman Violet Main was tops in the shot put.
The secret is out about the Tigers’ domination in Rio Hondo League in dual meets over the years. The girls’ varsity is 54-0 since 2010 and the boys’ unit has a 94-0 mark dating back to 2012.The frosh/soph girls’ team is 50-0 since the sport was begun at the school in 2011, and the boys’ squad is 84-0 since 2005.
With all those victories comes a string of league championships.
“We’re going to stay on top until somebody comes and gets us,” said Richards, noting that he’s built a strong culture around the idea of winning. We’ve been doing it awhile, so we’re able to attract good athletes. We just squeeze the most talent out of them. We get every ounce out of their natural ability. It’s a culmination of good coaching and kids working hard together.”
Richards calls it the “perfect storm,” where South Pasadena is locked in on a tidal wave of league crowns for many years to come and refuses to lose.
“We want to keep riding that orange wave,” he said. “We’ve been able to hold it together for awhile, and we’ll keep it going as long as we can.”
2019 CIF-SS Track & Field Qualifiers from South Pasadena High School
* = Rio Hondo League Varsity Champion in that event
- ***Kai Dettman 12th *800m, *1600m, *4×400 Relay
- **TH Wei 11th *Triple Jump, *100m,Long Jump 4×100 Relay
- *Kevin Kang 11th *Long Jump, Triple Jump, 4×100 Relay
- **Ferrel Mansano 10th *200m, *4×400 Relay, 400m, 4×100 Relay,
- *Terrel Mansano 10th *4×400 Relay, 400m
- **Lim Bui 11th *Shot Put, *Discus
- *Ivan Estrada 11th *4×400 Relay, 4×100 Relay
- Sam Clark 11th 1600m, 3200m
- Nicolo Porcu 12th: 800m
- Braden Wong 11th Triple Jump
- Lucas Tailin 11th Pole Vault
- Jared Lachica 11th Shot Put
- **Ashley Hugasian 12th *200m, *Triple Jump, 400m, 4×100 Relay
- *Christina Taylor 12th *400m, 200m,
- *Booch Barrea 12th *100m, 4×100 Relay
- *Gianna Beasley 11th *4×400 Relay, 800m,
- *Uma Hornish 12th *4×400 Relay, 4×100 Relay,
- *Aiko Sudijono 11th *Long Jump
- *Violet Main 9th *Shot Put
- Ella Leeson 10th 100m, Long Jump, 4×100 Relay
- Rainey Tilley 12th 1600m
- Sophie Garcia 11th High Jump
- Sydney Morrow 9th 1600m
- Sophia Yamishita 11th Triple Jump
- Olivia Thai 9th Triple Jump
Jade Harris 9th 4x100m alt, 4×400 Relay alt
