Track and field: ‘Fastest competitor’ wins heat but finishes third

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Here at the Southern Section-Toyota Division III preliminaries, there are ‘more stars than there are in the heavens’ but one name might stand out over all the others -- Randall Carroll, the L.A. Cathedral junior who has committed to play football at USC.

‘Randall Carroll... The fastest competitor in the state!’ informed the event’s announcer, as Carroll stepped into the starting blocks.

If you don’t know Carroll, here’s the most critical track tidbit about him: He clocked the state’s best time in the 100-meter dash, at 10.49 seconds, earlier this season at the Arcadia Invitational.

Moments ago, Carroll ended up winning his heat in 10.79 and qualifying for next week’s championship round, but he left the track grimacing. His right calf felt sore. ‘I’ll be fine, just a little tightness,’ he said. (By the way, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s Thaddeus Brown was the event’s top qualifier at 10.70 and Inglewood’s Antwaine Miller came in second at 10.76. Carroll clocked in at third.)

I asked Carroll if it put extra pressure on him when he heard the announcer call him ‘the fastest competitor in the state.’ He shook his head. ‘Nah, it doesn’t bother me because my mom likes to hear it.’

Here’s something else you should know about Carroll: On the football field last season, he averaged 12.26 yards a carry and scored 14 touchdowns. So you can see why USC wanted him.

-- Anthony Stitt