Track ARCADIA INVITATIONAL : Simi’s Nelson Is an Early Favorite in the Long Jump

Lawrence Nelson, fresh off his state-best performance in the long jump, heads a list of Valley athletes who will compete in the Arcadia Invitational track meet today at Arcadia High.

Nelson, from Simi Valley High, went 23-10 1/2 in a meet against Camarillo on Thursday, topping the mark of 23-7 set by Curtis Rogers of Johnson in Sacramento.

Rogers isn’t scheduled to compete in today’s meet, but Nelson will receive plenty of competition.

Jim Chapon of Mt. Carmel in San Diego, whose best is 23-5, and Elgin Caldwell (23-9), from Tempe, Ariz., will challenge Nelson.

Nelson also should be pushed by teammate Mike Carnes, who long-jumped 22-7 1/2 and finished second to Nelson on Thursday.

The other Valley athlete competing in the long jump will be Kennedy’s Michael Pringle. The senior, who will play football next season at Washington State, is the best longer jumper in the City.

Pringle’s best jump has been a wind-aided 23-3 3/4. His best without the wind is 22-11, nearly seven inches farther than the next best in the City.

Pringle also will compete in the 100-meter invitational race, which features Hawthorne’s Henry Thomas, one of the nation’s top prep sprinters.

Hundreds of athletes from several western states will compete in the 18th Invitational.

Among the headliners will be Latrese Johnson of Clovis, who equaled the girls’ national high school long-jump record (6-2 3/4); Brandon Richards of San Marcos, the national prep record holder in the indoor pole vault (17-6); and Locke’s Chewaukii “Choo Choo” Knighten, one of the state’s top female sprinters and hurdlers.

Gerry Wellman of Westlake also will compete in the 100-meter invitational, and Simi Valley’s M.J. Nelson will run in the 100-meter open division.

The long-distance events will be filled with plenty of Valley athletes.

Paul Myers (Westlake), Jim Harvath (Thousand Oaks), Freddy Kober (Kennedy), Andy Anable (Alemany) and Jim Zimmer (Simi Valley) will compete in the 1,600 meters.

Westlake’s Ken Burke, the state high jump champion, will not compete because of muscle problems in his leg.

The men’s discus will open the meet at 4 p.m. The field events begin at 5:30 p.m., and the opening ceremonies and running events take place at 6:30 p.m.

Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children under 12.