San Fernando’s Price Wins City Title in Vault

San Fernando High senior Tauhid Price scored a 9.15 to win the vault at the City Section gymnastics championships at University High on Thursday, but the night belonged to Huntington Park’s Frank Baca, who won the all-around title.

Baca took a 2.7-point lead early in the competition, tying for second with Tim Weaver of Wilson in the floor exercise, the night’s opening event, then winning on the pommel horse and the rings. He finished third in the vault and second in parallel bars before winning the final event, the horizontal bar, with an 8.7.

Baca’s winning score of 50.4 was 3.8 points ahead of Edwin Hernandez of Hamilton. Victor Fain of University was third with 43.0.

Price won the floor exercise with 8.7 points, but it was in the vault where he was poised to score big.

“I came in here expecting to win the floor and vault in reclaiming what I thought should have been my titles last year,” said Price, who had a disappointing night in last year’s City finals. “After hitting that vault, though, I felt real good.’

Price was third after two events but scored just 5.1 points on the rings, his worst performance of the night. That knocked him out of contention for the all-around title and he wound up sixth with 40.65 points.

Baca, a junior, was second in the City all-around as a freshman.

“I was hurt last year and couldn’t perform well,” he said. “This year is vindication.”