Track: A bad day only gets worse for Rancho Verde girls

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Another tough blow for the Rancho Verde girls’ team at the CIF state preliminaries. Still in shock after its defending championship 400-meter relay team did not finish its heat after its lead runner tripped and fell during the turn at Cerritos College, it has just been confirmed that junior Alycia Herring also failed to qualify in the girls’ long jump.

Herring had the third-best mark in the state coming into the event (20- 3/4), but couldn’t do better than 17-11 1/2 in her three attempts Friday, finishing 11th. The top nine qualify for Saturday’s final.

Probably even more surprising was the performance of Ryan Butts of Antelope Valley. Butts came into the boys’ long jump event as the national leader at 24-10 1/2, which he achieved at the Southern Section Masters meet last Friday in the same sand pit, but he looked a little timid on his attempts and went only 22-2 1/4, good enough for only 12th and a long ride back to the high desert.

-- Dan Arritt

Note: For up-to-the-minute results of the state meet, check here.