Helix boys team wins CIF state title

Story Phillip Brents

Photos by Paul Martinez (www.photosport.com)

Posted June 9, 2003

CERRITOS -- When the Helix High School boys track and field team captured the San Diego Section Division I team title May 31 at Poway High School, coach Ray Mounts suggested the Scotties were by no means finished. Their goal all season had been to win a state title.

At right: Helix senior Derrell Hutsona flies to the leading qualifying mark in the state prelims June 6 at Cerritos College.

Call that mission accomplished in satisfying -- albeit nerve-racking -- fashion after Helix became the first track and field team from the San Diego Section in 25 years to win a state team title when the Highlanders nosed out Compton Dominguez 23.5 to 19.5 points in competition June 7 at Cerritos College.

El Camino last accomplished the task in 1978.

“Our goal from the season’s beginning has been to win the state meet. Along the way there have been individual goals to break the school record in both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays,” Mounts said.

The Highlanders qualified athletes for 11 events in the state prelims, held the previous day at the same site, and advanced in seven events for the finals. The Scotties medaled in five of those events, led by senior Derrell Hutsona’s gold medal-winning performance in the long jump.

Hutsona and senior Deun White were double medalists at last weekend’s state meet. Besides winning the long jump in 25 feet, 5.75 inches (which would have stood as a new section record if not for excessive wind conditions), Hutsona also tied for fifth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.75 seconds. White finished third in the 200 meters in 21.36 and fifth in the 400 meters in 48.32.

Junior Bryon Barmer also picked up a state medal after placing fourth in the 300 intermediate hurdles in 38.27.

Hutsona led all San Diego Section athletes with top qualifying marks in the long jump (24-4) and 100 meters (10.65) in prelim action. Hutsona had set a new school record of 24-8.75 in the long jump in the league championship meet. Mounts said the sprint race has helped to increase Hutsona's speed down the runway in the long jump. The old long jump record, set in 1986 by Hutsona’s coach, Larry Todd, had stood at 23-9.5.

This year's state meet drew close to 900 participating athletes from the state’s 10 sections but only the top six place-finishers in each event earn medals.

At left: Helix Bryon Barmer clears barriers in state prelim action.

Helix’s 1600-meter relay team finished ninth (3:18.97) while junior Babey Wagnew placed 16th in the 3200 meters (9:22.05).

The Highlanders’ other state qualifiers included senior Reggie Bush (100 and 200 meters), junior Frank Green (boys triple jump) and sophomore April Montgomery (girls 800 meters).
 
Bush made a splash at last year’s state finals by collecting three bronze medals but finished second to a pair of teammates at the May 31 CIF/Masters championship meet. Hutsona (10.83) edged Bush (10.84) by 0.01 second in the 100 meters while Bush (21.80) finished second to White (21.63) in the 200 meters.

Bush failed to advance from the state prelims to the finals in both his individual events, forcing Helix to scratch for every point it could in the final day of competition at Cerritos College.

The absence of a 4x100 relay team also seemed at first to hinder the Highlanders from achieving their end goal of team gold when a dropped baton at Masters eliminated the Scotties from advancing to the state meet. Helix had finished third in the event last year after winning the state title the previous season and appeared poised to make a run at this year's state title with a huge lead entering the final handoff.

However, just as in the Masters meet when the members of that doomed relay team put the disaster behind them to excel in their individual events, the Scotties were able to overcome adversity to stand alone atop the podium.

State notepad
The Highlanders’ fortunes seemed to typify performances by San Diego Section athletes as the region finished with four event champions and 20 medalists overall. Besides Hutsona, also winning state titles were Mission Bay's Jared Bray in the boys shot put (63-3.25), San Pasqual's Claire Rethmeier in the girls 3200 meters (10:27.32) and RBV's Brandon Bornes in the 300 hurdles (38.00).

Other Grossmont Conference athletes qualifying for last weekend’s state prelims included Mt. Miguel senior Travis Picou (boys 200 meters), El Capitan junior Cassie Atkinson (girls 800 meters), Granite Hills’ Laiah Blue (girls 100 hurdles) and Corey Dart (boys 300 hurdles) and Monte Vista freshmen Janie James (girls 400 meters) and Daniella Thu (girls discus).

Both Dart and Atkinson advanced to the finals where Dart placed seventh and Atkinson placed eighth.