Dominguez sets relay record and wins boys' title.

The Dons won the meet-ending 1,600-meter relay Saturday at the Southern Section-Toyota Division I championships at Mt. San Antonio College, breaking a 23-year-old meet record in the process.

Just as important to Dominguez, the Dons ended Long Beach Poly's seven-year reign as division champion. Dominguez scored 63 points, followed by upstart Vista Murrieta with 48 and the Jackrabbits with 45.

"It's good to beat Poly in anything," Dominguez Coach Darryl Smith said. "Checkers, ping pong, anything."

The Dons had already clinched the title when Kivon Grant, Manoah Wesson, Leon Dillihunt and Aaron Hester combined to win the 1,600 relay in 3 minutes 11.87 seconds, breaking the Division I record of 3:12.23 set by the legendary Hawthorne program of the 1980s. Poly was second in 3:12.68.

"We went in as the underdog and we just had to let them know," Dillihunt said of Poly, which had won nine of the previous 10 Division I titles. "They don't give us no respect."

Dominguez, in its first season in Division I since 1999, sent a message in the meet-opening 400-meter relay as well. Hester, Dillihunt, Wesson and Manessiah Lewis circled the track in 40.99 seconds, producing the fastest time in the state this season and matching the fifth-fastest time in the nation. Poly finished second in 41.41.

Dillihunt, a sophomore, finished second to Poly's Joey Hughes in the 400, and third to Hughes and Rodney Storrs of Corona Santiago in the 200. Devron Walker produced the top individual effort for the Dons, winning the 110 hurdles in 13.87, which is a state-leading time and equaled the fifth-fastest mark in the U.S. this season.

Dominguez had a 16-point lead over the Jackrabbits with five events left, but Smith was more concerned about Vista Murrieta, which still had athletes competing in the high jump and triple jump and a team entered in the 1,600 relay.

Nick Ross won the high jump for the Broncos, but they needed to finish first and second in the triple jump to remain in title contention. Ryan Swafford placed second, but Ross' third-place finish clinched the title for Dominguez.

"We knew that they'd be something special," Smith said of his Dons. "Last year, they were a little disappointed because we had injuries at the end of the season, and then in the state meet, they dropped the baton in the mile relay. They came back this year wanting it real bad. We were focused all year and worked hard."