The track and field season has begun and while there may not be any major headliners, both Burroughs and Burbank highs should be competitive this season.
Burroughs
The Bears are solid in a number of events, primarily the girls sprints.
Senior Zoe Ben-Yair is one of the best in the Pacific League and appears to be well positioned to make a strong postseason run. She went 12.67 in the 100 in the Rio Hondo-Pacific League Challenge on Saturday. She also went 16.29 in the 100 hurdles.
Junior Elizabeth Browngardt will be a nice compliment to Ben-Yair in the sprints and relays.
Senior Saida Getz leads a solid group of distance runners.
For the boys team, senior Ethan Rivas should be one of the top 400 runners in the league.
Senior Blayne Smith is the top returning jumper and Andres Morin has gone 12 feet in the pole vault.
In the distance events, seniors Liam Ellingsworth and Nathan Marca are veterans who will face a tough Crescenta Valley group in hoping to get into the postseason.
Burbank
The Bulldogs have lost senior Daniel Slaughter, holder of two school records in the hurdle events. Slaughter transferred to Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks.
The top returners are senior pole vaulter Ryan Kochout, who has gone 12 feet and spent lots of valuable time Ogden Lucsik, who was the CIF champion in the event a year ago.
Junior Drew Bosman and senior Alen Dilanyan are two top sprinters who should help score points for the Bulldogs.
The Burbank girls team is led by Chase Harris, who is a top thrower of the shot and discus. Senior Rafaela Torokian has gone 8-6 in the pole vault.
Senior Arpi Airapetian should be a key contributor in the hurdle events. Sophomore Cynthia Hairapetyansian should be the top sprinter on the team.
