Nelson Qualifies for 4-A Finals in Three Events

Lawrence Nelson has had better days. But Simi Valley High’s senior track standout did what he was asked to do to help the Pioneers’ boys team cause--to qualify in three events at the Southern Section 4-A track and field preliminaries Friday afternoon at Gahr in Cerritos.

Nelson, who recorded the state’s best long jump mark of the year (24-4 3/4) in April, enters the finals next Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College after managing just a third-place leap of 22-4 1/2. Marcus Hooks of Lakewood out-distanced Nelson with a 22-6 jump that was good for the second spot, and Cleo Bates of Pasadena went 22-8. (The top eight finishers qualify in each event.)

Later in the day, as a cool, brisk wind cut across the Hanford Rants Stadium, chilling the 5,000-plus crowd, Nelson lost out on a second-place bid in the third heat of the 1,600-meter relay in a photo finish.

And although he did pick up a victory in the second heat of the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, his time of 38.85 was only good enough for the third position.

“I did what I had to do,” he said of the long jump effort--his favorite event. “I qualified. It could have been better, but the runway was too short. I had to run from the grass, and the grass just throws my stride off.”

Simi Valley Coach Doni Green agreed, and said Nelson looks forward to returning to Mt. SAC, where he went 22-11 against the wind earlier this year.

“We hope to be over 24 (feet) again,” he said of next week’s finals meet. “I think it will take the high 23s to win.”

A few top performances were turned in by area athletes. In one of the final heats of a long afternoon, Westlake got a strong third leg from Jerry Wellman in the 1,600-meter relay to win in a time of 3:20.73. Wellman, who two hours earlier had qualified with a seventh in the 100-meter dash at 11.11, made up a five-yard deficit to put the Warriors ahead to stay.

Jim Zimmer of Simi Valley turned in the top time of the day in the individual 1,600-meter run. Running in the second heat, Zimmer finished in 4:19.46.

Jim Harvath of Thousand Oaks ran the fastest time in the 3,200-meter run. He also started in the second heat, turning in a time of 9:25.14.

Mark Robinson of Simi Valley jumped 6-6 in the high jump and qualified for further action. His leap, which was four inches above his previous best this year, was just an inch off the mark set by a trio of first-place qualifiers.

In the girls competition, Stacia Pollock of Westlake tied for best honors with three other performers in the high jump, leaping 5-6.

In the long jump, Sharon Manship of Thousand Oaks leaped 17-3. She shared the top qualifying mark with Chavenia Williams of Lynwood.

Thousand Oaks’ Christy Farrell turned in a double qualifying effort in the 3,200-meter and 1,600-meter runs. Farrell turned in a time of 11:05.94 in the first heat of the 3,200, then came back with a clocking of 5:07.31 in the 1,600. In all, five of the eight qualifiers in the 1,600 came from that heat.

There were a few disappointments as well. Pole vaulter Matt Haines of Simi Valley was nosed out on total jumps by teammate Ed Gagnon. The pair managed to jump only 13-0 in the face of the wind, but Gagnon got the nod on fewer tries at that height. Earlier in the year Haines had gone 13-6. Gagnon, who cleared the bar on his first attempt, was awarded the final qualifying spot. Rival Scott Erickson of Newbury Park, who got a season best of 13-6, also failed to qualify.

In the girls triple jump, Rene Hembree of Simi Valley failed to qualify for the finals. She had turned in the eighth-best mark, 35-3, in the 4-A Division this year but could only go 32-10 Friday.