Well-Anders Kick Continues in 800

Chris Wells-Anders of El Camino Real High continued his late-season charge in the boys’ 800 meters Thursday in the City Section track and field preliminaries at Birmingham High.

Wells-Anders, runner-up in the state championships last year, ran a season best of 1:52.45 to move to third on the year’s state performer list with his second sub-1:53 clocking in seven days.

Not bad for someone who didn’t break 1:56 this season until the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in April.

“I just ran my butt off,” he said. “I wouldn’t give up. Harder training. Different workouts. Better state of mind.”

Wells-Anders, a senior, advanced to Thursday’s City championships in three events as he ran the third leg on a 400 relay team that placed second in its heat in 43.43 and a 48.1 anchor leg on a 1,600 relay team that won its heat in 3:22.64.

The Taft boys and Birmingham girls established themselves as City title favorites, but both teams suffered setbacks.

Taft senior Chris Morgan, defending state champion in the 110 high hurdles, led qualifying in that event at 14.26 and in the long jump at 22-5 1/4. However, teammate Daniel Clements withdrew from the 3,200 because of two blisters and a cut on his left foot from running most of a 1,600 heat without a shoe.

His shoe came off after another racer inadvertently stepped on his foot.

Senior Melissa Astete of Birmingham set a meet record of 12-6 in the girls’ pole vault, but teammate Vincetta Mendola sustained a cramp in her left hamstring at the end of her 400 heat and did not run in the 1,600 relay.