Nellum anchors L.B. Poly to record in medley relay

The Long Beach Poly boys’ track and field team has distinguished itself as the premier program in the state over the last several years. But the Jackrabbits had never set a national high school outdoor record until Friday night.

Bryshon Nellum ran the 400-meter anchor in 45.6 seconds at the Arcadia Invitational, leading the 800 sprint medley relay team to victory in 1:28.43. The time broke the national record of 1:28.95 set in 2003 by Cleveland Glenville. That relay team was led by Ted Ginn Jr., who recently completed a successful college football career at Ohio State.

Nellum, a USC-bound senior who won state titles in the 200 and 400 last season, said he sensed the Jackrabbits were on record pace after watching his teammates hand off the baton without a wrinkle. Isaiah Green and Evant Orange ran the opening 100s, then Joey Hughes ran the 200 leg in a personal-best 21.3.

“It really made me have a lot of adrenaline going,” Nellum said of the clean handoffs. “I had to keep up the energy and keep up the national record pace that we were on.”

Nellum has a shot at another mark tonight in the 400, which is scheduled to start around 7:30. He set a meet record of 46.20 last year, but hopes to break 46 seconds in a non-relay for the first time in his career.

The national high school record is 45.25 by Calvin Harrison of North Salinas in 1993.

“I’m just trying to break the 46,” Nellum said. “That’s my goal.”

-- Dan Arritt