Muite Kicks Up Plenty of Dust

VAN NUYS — Three races.

Three monster kicks.

Three victories.

That summed up the performances of Paul Muite of North Hollywood High in Thursday’s City Section track and field preliminaries at Birmingham High.

The Husky senior ran well behind the lead pack in each of his qualifying races before launching a withering kick to blow past his opposition in the final stages and post winning times of 4 minutes 24.36 seconds in the 1,600 meters, 1:58.59 in the 800 and 9:46.49 in the 3,200.

The 3,200 was typical of the way Muite ran each of his races. He was in 30th place in the field of 32 after the first 1,000 meters before moving into 21st at the 1,600-meter mark, which he passed in 5:01.

He moved up to 15th at 2,000 meters and he was in eighth at 2,400 before moving into second with a lap left. He stayed behind Manuel Lopez of Belmont for the next 150 meters before bursting into the lead midway down the backstretch and pulling away to victory.

“My kick has been really strong lately so I had a lot of confidence,” Muite said. “I figured as long as I stayed within 20 meters of the leaders, I could get them in the homestretch.”

Muite, a native of Kenya, received an added thrill Thursday when he met Johnny Gray at the meet and then received some pre-race advice from the four-time Olympian and American record holder in the 800 at 1:42.60.

“He told me to shorten my stride down the backstretch on the second lap of the 800,” Muite said. “And then he said to lengthen my stride with 200 to go.”

Muite was one of several athletes from the region who qualified for next Thursday’s City championships in at least three events.

Juniors Eboni Grayson and Frances Santin of Taft, freshman Malinda Malone of Cleveland and junior Demetrus Patterson of Birmingham were some of the others.

Grayson posted the second-fastest qualifying time in the girls’ 200 with a personal best of 24.69, the third-fastest time in the 100 at 12.39 and also ran legs on Toreador foursomes that posted the third-fastest time in the 400 relay at 48.18 and the top mark in the 1,600 relay at 3:55.80.

Santin, the defending City Section champion in the 300 low hurdles, led qualifying in that event at 45.99 and also had the third-best time in the 100 highs at 15.43 and ran legs on the 400 and 1,600 relays.

Malone had the third-fastest times in both the girls’ 200 at 25.23 and 400 at 57.93. She also ran legs on teams that qualified fourth in the 400 relay at 48.98 and fourth in the 1,600 relay at 4:04.42.

Patterson, who is expected to play a big role in Birmingham’s bid to win the City boys’ title next week, posted the third-fastest time in the 200 at 22.15 and the fourth-fastest in the 100 at 11.03. He also ran the anchor leg on the Braves’ 400 relay team that qualified sixth in 42.65.

The biggest disappointment of the meet for local athletes came in the boys’ 400 relay when Taft failed to advance.