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SOUTHERN LEAGUE
In fall of 1934, the Los Angeles City School District restructured their athletic leagues. Creating some new leagues and moving some schools from one league to another. In the process the Southern League was created and it was the crown jewel of the City.
The original schools during the first track season of 1935 were Fremont, Huntington Park, Jefferson, Manual Arts, Poly and Washington. Of the original six Fremont, Manual Arts and Washington remained through the 1979 season. Jefferson left briefly -- 1967 through 1969 -- but returned after winning 3 Eastern League championships.
Poly stayed in the Southern League from 1935 through 1941 and then returned for the 1944 through 1946 track seasons. Huntington Park remained a member from 1935 through 1939 moving to the Eastern League (originally named the Pacific League). In 1956 Los Angeles and Dorsey joined for the duration. LA High had been a Southern League school in 1942 and then again from 1947 through 1949. San Pedro was a member in 1936, Roosevelt from 1940 through 1955 and Garfield from 1950 through 1955.
Of the 34 years in this study in which LA City schools participated in the state meet, Southern League schools won 13½ state championships. More than one-third of the titles going to a six-school league. Jefferson won the most with 8½ but Washington, Manual Arts, Los Angeles and Dorsey all won state titles. There were no state meets from 1942 through 1945, and LA City schools did not participate in 1935-36, 1938-41 and 1946. During the time frame, Southern League schools won 30 of the 45 LA City crowns. Jefferson took 17, Fremont 8, Manual Arts 4½ and Washington ½.
Jefferson led in league championships with 21½ (despite being in the Eastern League for those three years). Fremont had 16, including 7 in the 1970s. While Manual Arts only tied for one championship the Toilers finished in second place 19 times.
Until the mid-seventies, the league title was decided on a points basis. But in 1975, 1977 and 1979 only qualifiers for the City championships were recorded and there was no individual scoring.
100 • 220 • 440 • 880 • MILE • 2 MILE • 120HH • 330LH/220LH/180LH • RELAYS
MEET SCORES
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