SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Track & Field

Metro leaders starting to shape up

RANCHO PENASQUITOS, March 25, 2006 -- While records fell at Saturday’s high profile Mt. Carmel/ New Balance Invitational courtesy of athletes from Long Beach Wilson and Helix’s Dax Danns sped to victories in the boys 100- and 400-meter dashes, Metro Conference athletes also performed well as early season leaders in the San Diego Section started to fall into place.

Otay Ranch’s Charay Savage recorded the third-best girls triple jump of 35 feet, 3.5 inches while also finishing fourth in the girls 100 hurdles in 15.21. In the former event, Savage had the second-best triple jump among section jumpers (behind event winner Kasey Kearin of Rancho Bernardo, 37-0.25) and notched the section’s top time in the hurdles behind a pair of Wilson runners as the meet record in that event was erased.

Wilson’s Ebony Collins ran 14.01 to win the girls 100 hurdles, smashing the old record of 14.13 set in 2003 by another out-of-town hurdler. Runners from Wilson and Muir finished second and third, leaving Savage ahead of Helix’s Sharika Thompson (15.25).

South County place-finishers in boys events were more plentiful. Eastlake’s Dante Franks placed fourth in the 200 dash in 22.25 and fifth in the 400 dash in 50.46 (winning his heat) while Bonita Vista’s Eric Avila turned in the fourth-best time in the 1,600 run in 4:21.81 and Eastlake’s Jerrell Mitchell was fourth in the 110 high hurdles in 15.46.

Additionally, Sweetwater’s Azael Gomez finished fifth in the boys 3,200 in 9:41.74 and Eastlake’s Robert McKinney was fifth in the triple jump at 44-6.5.

Eastlake’s Marcus Yarbrough finished fifth in the discus throw (144-10) and ninth in the shot put (46-5).

Sweetwater’s Sam Suarez finished sixth in the shot put (50-9), Eastlake’s Luc Ruiz finished sixth in the pole vault (13-8) while Titan teammate Estevan Canciller was sixth in the long jump (21-8).

In relay events, Eastlake recorded the sixth-best time in the boys 4x100 relay while Otay Ranch was ninth in the boys 4x400 relay.

Otay Ranch’s Ranee Woods was ninth in the boys 110 high hurdles 15.78) while Eastlake’s Canciller (42-1.5) and Otay Ranch’s Mark McPherson (41-8) both cleared 41 feet in the boys triple jump.

Notepad
•Eastlake’s Charles Parker timed 11.27 to edge Granite Hills’ Branden Pride for first-place finishing honors in their 100 dash heat (one of three). Helix’s Danns took the top time overall in 10.68. Danns also had the top time in the 400 in 49.07.

•Otay Ranch’s Ricky Daniels was second in his 200 dash heat in 23.11 while Eastlake’s Marcus Perry was second in his flight of the boys shot put (44-2).

•Eastlake’s Morgan Byers tied for the top height of 8-8 in her flight of the girls pole vault while Otay Ranch’s Jasmine Leija was second in her heat of the girls 800 run in 2:27.79.