Dorsey’s Title Hopes Might Be Dashed

Dorsey High’s chances of winning its fifth City Section boys’ track and field title in seven years took a big hit in the section preliminaries at Van Nuys Birmingham on Thursday when Jermaine Rolison strained his left hamstring in a qualifying heat of the 110-meter high hurdles and Donald Wilson failed to advance in the long jump and triple jump.

Rolison, the fastest returning high hurdler in the state at the start of the season, felt his hamstring “pop” after the second of 10 hurdles. He cleared three more hurdles before pulling up.

Wilson was the defending champion in the triple jump and was expected to contend for the long-jump title.

Two-time defending champion Woodland Hills Taft and host Birmingham should battle for the boys’ title in the section championships next Thursday.

Reseda Cleveland will be favored in the girls’ meet with defending champion Birmingham and Dorsey its top challengers.

Junior Noah Smith of Taft had the fastest qualifying time in the boys’ 100 with a career-best 10.72 seconds and in the 200 with a 21.85 clocking, but did not run on the Toreadors’ relay teams because of a “twinge” in his right hamstring.