Thousand Oaks’ Track Team Sends a Message

When Thousand Oaks High handed Simi Valley a one-point loss in a Marmonte League track meet last season, many Pioneer supporters considered it a fluke. Simi Valley had won 62 of 63 dual meets from 1979 to ’86 and it stood to reason that the Pioneers were due for a loss once every four or five years.

But Simi Valley supporters will have a hard time justifying Thousand Oaks’ 88-48 thrashing of the Pioneers at Simi Valley on Wednesday.

Simi Valley (2-1) was not at full strength; sprinter Danny Cross (left knee) and long jumper Steve Carnes (left calf) were sidelined because of injuries. But their presence would have changed only the final score, not the outcome.

“We didn’t get the job done,” a dejected Simi Valley Coach Tom King said. “We didn’t put the pressure on them when we needed to. I’m sure the team was down because of Danny’s injury, but the other guys just didn’t come through.”

Thousand Oaks (3-0) received double victories from Paul McCarter and Scott Atkins in winning 11 of 16 events. Thousand Oaks swept the first three places in the 880-yard run and the 330-yard intermediate hurdles and went 1-2 in the long jump.

“Everybody just came through,” Thousand Oaks assistant Jack Farrell said. “I had Simi Valley doped to win, 81-55, but that was with Cross and Carnes healthy.”

Dave Patterson (40.7 seconds), Kirk Werner (41.1) and Michael Lindsay (41.5) finished 1-2-3 in the 330 intermediates, and Atkins and Lindsay followed with a 1-2 finish in the long jump to ignite the rout.

Atkins’ and Lindsay’s marks of 20-11 and 20-6 1/2 were not particularly impressive, but they were effective.

Atkins followed his long jump win with a second-place finish in the 100 meters (11.3) and a first in the 220-yard dash (22.9). He upset Simi Valley’s Kevin Hatcher (23.1) and Ron Bradley (23.4) in winning the 220.

In the girls’ meet, Thousand Oaks (3-0), the eight-time defending Marmonte League champion, crushed Simi Valley (1-2) in a 111-11 win.

Jena Haggenmiller, Lisa Noller and Karen Fu each won two events for the Lancers.