Long Beach Poly Boys and Girls Track & Field Teams Win California State Championships

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

The Long Beach Poly boys' and girls' track and field teams have done the double again.

What's the double?

Winning simultaneous California state championships in the same year.

Over this past weekend, Poly's boys and girls earned the school's third double championship.  The other two were in 1997 and 1998.

The girls' championship was the fourth straight for the Jackrabbits.  USC-bound seniors Akawkaw Ndipagbor and Melia Cox led the way for Poly.  Ndipagbor won the 400 with a time of 53.38, while Cox won the 300 Hurdles with a time of 41.80.  The also teamed-up to win gold in the 4X100 Relay with a time of 47.70.

The girls' four-peat ties the state record for consecutive championships.  The Los Angeles Jefferson boys won four consecutive state titles from 1949 through 1952.

Winning gold for the Poly boys was Shaquille Howard in the 400 and the 1600 relay team of Arron Harris, Richard Smith, Kameron White and Vinnie Saucer.