Track and field: Butts jumps to No. 1 nationally this season

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Ryan Butts became the national leader in the long jump Friday at the Southern Section-Toyota Masters meet at Cerritos College.

Butts, a senior at Antelope Valley, was Antelope-like. He leaped 24 feet 10 1/2 inches, about 17 inches farther than La Mirada’s Cameron Gillette (23-5).

Butts topped the previous season-best of Nelson Rosario of Oceanside El Camino, who jumped 24-8 1/2 at the San Diego Section prelims. Butts had been second coming into the day at 24-4 3/4, a section Division II record set last week.

Here’s a link to Butts’ interview with Jaime Cardenas about last week’s jump, which broke a 28-year-old record.

The national record is held by James Stallworth of Tulare, Calif., who jumped 26-4 3/4 in 1989.

-- Martin Henderson

-- Editor Bob: For complete Masters meet results, check here.