Claremont girls varsity faced an   intense battle at Chino Hills High School Wednesday, but their end result was determined by their final track and field event: the 4×400-meter relay.

Both teams were cheering near the final straightaway as each squad tried to outsmart the other against the strong winds. With a final push by junior Julia Cantrell, the Lady Wolfpack finished first in 4:08 and they won overall—Claremont 68.5; Chino Hills 67.5.

The Lady Wolfpack finished their regular season as co-champions of the Sierra League along with the Huskies, according to girls Head Coach Jose Ancona.

“It was shocking,” Ancona said. “But I knew it would pay off because I put four girls in who have heart and can put in the effort.”

The other members in the 4×400-meter team were junior Brittney Duquette, senior Megan Renken and junior Melissa Cerrillos.

While the majority of the meet was a nail-biter—the Huskies swept the 100-meter hurdle, pole vault and 200-meter sprint—the Lady Wolfpack managed to sweep some key events. Despite the hectic winds, senior Drew Williams prevailed in the shot put—35 feet, four inches—and senior teammates Perri Lawler and Bailey Fuimoaono finished respectively second and third with 30 feet, nine inches and 30 feet, seven inches, respectively.

Another sweep occurred in the 1600-meter run where the front pack was controlled by freshman Jax Heckers, who finished first in 5:39.22. Sophomore Kiana Cavanaugh and senior Merin Arft finished right behind her in 5:39.26 and 5:39.66.

Distance coach Rob Lander was proud that this trio ran smart by kicking up the pace whenever a Husky tried to break through the pack.

“It was a tactical race for us,” Coach Lander said. “The heat and wind were a big issue, but they ran well to get the points.”

Freshman Annie Boos also ran strategically in the 800-meter run, where she finished first in 2:24.05. She said she stayed patiently next to her competitor, senior Husky Casey Monozlay, and waited to make the final kick.

“I let her break the wind,” Boos said. “When I reached the final 150 meters, I knew I had to sprint.”

Boos previously finished second in the 400-meter run, 59.65.

The Huskies beat the boys track and field team, 90-45; however, some members of the Wolfpack were able to fight them off on the track.

Senior Bryce Kasamoto finished first in the 800, 2:02.19. He said his competitor, freshman HuskyBrandon McNair, looked strong at the 250-meter mark but once he reached the straightaway, he knew he had to go all out.

The distance squad swept the 1600 with junior Adam Johnson finishing first, 4:38.92, and junior teammates Dylan Powers and Jonah Ross finishing second and third, 4:42.17 and 4:45.24.

Johnson not only dominated in the third and fourth lap but he was able to run consistently and with ease.

“I just stayed relaxed and used all my energy to finish,” Johnson said.

Both girls and boys varsity are now focused on League Prelims, which will be held Saturday, May 3 beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Claremont High School.

Runs in short supply in girls softball loss

Claremont High’s softball team lost, 2-1, against Charter Oak High School Thursday at Cahuilla Park.

The Chargers got their winning run at the fifth inning, where they had two outs and the batter hit a double, according to Head Coach Vincent Hernandez. He said some errors were produced that affected the Lady Wolfpack, but they are improving and planning to turn things around in the next five games.

“Right now we’re at the halfway point and if we can make no errors or walk-in batters, we should be good,” Hernandez said.

Their next away game is against Ayala High School on Friday, May 2 at 3:30 p.m.

Slow start ends up with strong volleyball team win

The Wolfpack won three sets in their home match against Hoover High School Tuesday. Head Coach Bernie Wendling said the match started rough, but his team was able to earn a big win that night.

The set results were 25-23, 25-18 and 25-15. Strong performances were highlighted, including junior Donovan Robinson’s 16 kills and senior Rory Medermott’s 28 assists.

Senior Eran Bechor finished the game with eight kills. Wendling said if they win in their away match against Arcadia High School, set for Thursday at 5 p.m., the Wolfpack will be able to play in the post-season.

“We’re hanging in there and we’re hoping to make it to playoffs,” Wendling said.

The Wolfpack’s overall record is 12-11 and their league record is 6-4.

—Alex Forbes

sports@claremont-courier.coom