Track & Field: Chapus and Hiltz set up showdown

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

One of the most anticipated events at the state track and field finals Saturday will be the girls 1600 meter race between senior Cami Chapus from Studio City Harvard-Westlake and Aptos junior Nikki Hiltz, the Central Coast Section champion.

Each won her respective heat in today’s trials, Hiltz clocking the fastest overall time (4:55.90) and Chapus the third-fastest at 4:56.03. Chapus is the defending state champion and Hiltz finished third last year.

Others qualifying for the finals include Xochitl Navarette of Ontario Colony, Erika Reddish of Vista Murrieta, Rebecca Mehra of Palos Verdes, Megan Huebner of La Quinta, Cara Ulizio of Redondo, Brianna Simmons of Beverly Hills and Adriana Olivas of Corona Centennial.

Rancho Cucamonga senior Luis Gutierrez posted the fastest time in the boys 1600 at 4:10.57. Daniel De La Torre of Pasadena La Salle, Juan Gonzalez of El Toro, Evan Malone-White of Redondo, Nicholas Woolf and Aaron Potts of Corona Roosevelt, Sam Cartwright of Palos Verdes Chadwick and Austin O’Neil of Newhall Hart were also among the 12 qualifiers.

-- Steve Galluzzo