From the sports archives: Mills goes 1-2-3

That’s how Mills track and field coach Pat Lewis refers to the street in San Bruno where two of the most prolific shot put/discus throwing families live, right across the road from each other.

The Langi and Mapa families account for 10 total throwers to have competed at Mills, four of whom are helping carry the current class of Vikings in Lewis’ 45th year as a high school coach — totaling 20 years as head coach at Oceana, 15 as an assistant at Jefferson and now finishing his 10th as an assistant at Mills.

While senior Ngahe Mapa — who owns the best boys’ shot put throw in Central Coast Section competition this season with a chuck of 52 feet, 3 inches — is currently out of action after suffering a leg injury two weeks ago, the Langi girls are still keeping “Throws Street” in the spotlight.

At the 48th Annual Pacific Grove Rotary Invitational, senior thrower Tulouna Langi highlighted a banner day for the Mills girls. Langi took first place in each the shot put and discus throws, with the Vikings taking top three in both events.

“It was a great performance in terms of hardware,” Mills head coach Tim Tuff said.

It sure was. All told, Mills earned 28 medals, including 13 for the girls’ team, with the shot put and discus results the cream of the crop.

Langi claimed gold in the shot put with a throw of 39 feet, 11.75 inches; senior Julia Gibbs took second place at 36 feet, 3 inches; and junior Taini Livai took third place at 33 feet, 7.5 inches. In the discus, Langi topped the field with a throw of 114 feet, 2 inches; Gibbs took second at 113 feet, 10 inches; and Livai took third at 102 feet, 2 inches.

For Langi, it was a special day in that Gibbs generally dominates the discus circuit. Last season, Gibbs topped Mills’ modern-day record (compiled over the past 10 years) in the event with a throw of 125 feet, 6 inches at the Central Coast Section finals. Two weeks ago, the senior bettered that mark in a dual meet against Sequoia with a mighty 136-foot throw.

Langi comes from a long line of track-and-field siblings. In fact, her younger sister Nene showed Saturday she is ready to pick up the mantle of the Langi name, taking first place in the frosh-soph meet in both the shot put and the discus.

Langi’s older brother Salesio had the same effect on her three years ago when she was a freshman, as he basically ordered her onto the track. It is a decision she now wholeheartedly embraces.

“I didn’t even know what throwing was until freshman year,” Langi said. “I wasn’t even going to go, but it was my brother who made me. … He said: ‘You’re already a part of the team. So get out there.’”

For Gibbs, she’s looking to end her standout two-sport Mills career on a high note.

An all-Peninsula Athletic League center on the girls’ basketball team, Gibbs will be attending West Point in the fall to play Army hoops. So, heading into the postseason, she is looking to get back to her 136-feet discus window. And she knows she needs to be on top of her game with only the top three placers at CCS advancing on to the state finals. With Valley Christian superstar senior Elena Bruckner all but assured of one of those berths — the senior recorded the fourth best discus throw in U.S. high school history at 186 feet, 10 inches April 22 at Los Gatos High School; and she’s also a dominant shot putter — that realistically leaves two state berths up for grabs from the CCS field.

“Of course I want to end on a strong mark for CCS,” Gibbs said. “And state is between a couple of us. So, I’d like to go out on a really good throw.”

Gibbs said it’s possible that all three Mills throwers could advance to state, but Livai was more realistic. A junior, she is still looking for her first gold in any event, though it has been tough going, going up against Langi and Gibbs all year.

“I can’t beat these guys; they’re too good,” Livai said. “I’ve got to wait until next year.”

The progression of Lewis’ throwers is a tested and true San Mateo County tradition though. Mills has seen plenty of throwers go on to excel at the next level. Case in point, former Vikings boys’ thrower Alvin Sung last week earned gold as a sophomore at the College of San Mateo at the Coast Conference championships at De Anza College.

There is a good reason for the Mills-CSM pipeline. Lewis’ older brother Mike is the throwing coach for the Bulldogs.

Lewis has his Mills throwers focused on the task at hand though. As he answered questions about Langi, Gibbs and Livai during Monday’s practice, he consistently excused himself to shout out technical points about the girls’ mechanics as they practiced their throws. At the end of the day, he’s making certain all three of his top contenders are looking upwards and onwards to take them from “Throws Street” to the state meet.

“It’s more to be in a position to score in the CCS and make the state meet, with that goal in mind,” Lewis said.