H.B. locals move on to state track meet

A trio of local athletes have earned their way to the CIF State Track and Field Championships.

Laura Hollander and Kylie Nishisaka of Marina, and Karen Snapper of Edison, will all be at Buchanan High in Clovis on Friday for the preliminary round of the State meet. The finals are Saturday.

Hollander qualified in the girls' 3,200 meters run, finishing in 10 minutes, 17.2 seconds, and placed second behind sophomore Sara Baxter of Simi Valley, who won the evesnt in 10:08.71. Both easily cruised past the State qualifying time of 10:42.57. Baxter (CIF-SS Div. 2 champ) and Hollander (CIF-SS Div. 1 champ), considered the top two girls' 3,200 competitors in the nation, will meet again in Clovis.

Nishisaka, who originally had been an alternate in the girls' 1,600 meters race at the CIF-SS Masters Meet Friday, advanced to State in that event. She made the cut by two-tenths of a second with a time of 4:58.66. Harvard Westlake senior Cami Chapus won the 1,600 in 4:43.90. The State qualifying time was 4:58.86.

Edison's Snapper qualified in the girls' pole vault. The senior hit the qualifying mark of 11-feet-8, and finished in fifth place. Foothill senior Victoria Rische won the vault at 12-0.

Snapper will be moving on to the State meet for the first time in her four-year varsity career that included consecutive trips to the CIF-SS Masters Meet and three times making the CIF-SS finals. She secured a spot at the State meet by hitting 11-8 on her third and final attempt Friday.

"I'm really excited to be going to State," Snapper said. "I was really nervous at Masters but made it (qualifying height/placement) on my final vault. It was exciting.

"I really want to have fun at State. It's the last meet of my senior year and I want to enjoy it. It's nice, too, to not have the pressure of having to qualify for another meet."

The girls' pole vault Masters Meet field also included Huntington Beach senior Amy Loschiavo who cleared 11-2, and tied two other competitors for sixth place.

Both Marina senior Emily Taylor (girls' 800 meter run) and Edison junior Jeff Thies (boys' 3,200 meters) were alternates for the CIF-SS Masters Meet, but did not compete.

*

Boys' Tennis

John Lieu of Fountain Valley advanced to the third round of the CIF Southern Section Boys' Individual Tennis Regionals singles tournament May 18 at The Tennis Club in Newport Beach. Lieu, the Sunset League singles champion, swept Morgan Lebby (Orange Coast League No. 2) of Laguna Beach, 6-0, 6-0, in the first round. He then defeated Pioneer League champion Anthony Lee of Torrance, 6-3, 6-1, in the second round. Lieu dropped his third-round match, 6-2, 6-1, to South Coast League champ Chase Masciorini of Dana Hills.

michael.sciacca@latimes.com

Twitter: @MikeSciacca