Orange Glen Invitational : Norris Quiets Skeptics at Orange Glen Meet

El Camino High School’s Darron Norris, the San Diego Section 1984 sprint champion, quieted the skeptics with a meet-record 10.61 seconds in the 100-meter dash Friday at the Orange Glen Invitational at Orange Glen High School.

Before the meet, Norris’ best time in the 100 this season was 10.7, well off his career best of 10.4. He attributed his 1985 slump to a training program consisting of distance running, which is designed to have him peak at the state meet, but leaves him tired now.

“I’ve rested all week,” Norris said. “My times are starting to go down. It’s time. I have one more week of intensive workouts, then I’ll start to decrease them.”

Norris ran away from Patrick Henry’s Mike Conway, who finished second in 10.97. John Idell of Southwest was third in 11.0.

“I’m not on track yet,” Norris said. “If I go 10.5 in league prelims, I’ll be getting there.”

Despite being one of the top sprinters in the state, Norris showed no disappointment about not traveling north for today’s Mt. San Antonio College Relays, which features some of the top prep athletes in the nation.

“I’ll just go to the Wild Animal Park,” Norris said. “And relax.”

Norris was not quite as fortunate in the 220-yard dash, however. For the second week in a row, Norris came out of the turn in the lead, but couldn’t hold it through the stretch.

This time it was Fallbrook’s Mike Robinson winning in 21.92, equaling the county’s top mark. Norris was second in 21.96, and Conway was third, 22.39.

“I’m glad Conway is here, and (Robinson) too,” Norris said. “. . . And if we all get better, we all go to state.”

Two others who plan to run in the State meet, Serra’s Jeff Haux and Hilltop’s Ellis del Sol, won easily in distance events.

Haux, the county leader in the 800 (1:54.8), won the 880 in 1:57.86. Haux led the throughout and held off a challenge by Escondido’s Hollis Jones with 220 yards remaining. Monte Vista’s Kerry Langley finished second in 1:58.69. Jones finished fifth.

“We came across the quarter a little slow,” Haux said. “We went 57. I wanted to go 56. I was surprised when (Jones) came up on me, but I knew he couldn’t get me in the sprint.”

Haux said he was led to believe he would compete against del Sol in the 880 Friday and was disappointed when he learned otherwise.

Del Sol did run the mile and won in 4:21.55. Del Sol, the county leader in the mile and 3,200, is running the mile today at Mt. SAC.

St. Augustine’s Jay Taylor lowered the county best in the 300 intermediate hurdles to 38.05 Friday. Taylor outdueled San Dieguito’s Travis Knox in the stretch. Knox finished second in 38.75.

By the turn Taylor, running in lane three, had made up the stagger on Knox, who was in lane four. Taylor had a step on Knox entering the stretch, but Knox drew even. Knox hit the second to the last hurdle and Taylor pulled away.

Knox was also a victor, winning the 100 high hurdles in 14.62.

Morse’s John Denny and David Gayden ran one-two in the 440, 48.99 and 49.7 respectively. Serra’s Joe Bowser won the shot put with a distance of 57-feet 8-inches. Point Loma’s Dan Davis won the discus with 159-6. And Fallbrook’s Sean Hickey won the pole vault at 14-6.