Ganesha Clears Final Hurdle to Win 3-A Track Title

The time and location were different, but the results remained the same after the re-run of the Southern Section 110-meter hurdle races at Cerritos College Wednesday.

Starting from the right place at Cerritos, Terry Johnson of Katella High again won the 3-A race, one of four run on Wednesday, in 14.16 seconds. Kenny Hall of Ganesha, followed Johnson in 14.52. Hall’s second-place finish officially gave Ganesha the 3-A team title.

If Hall had failed to place in the top six, Ganesha would have tied Katella for the title.

The hurdle races were rescheduled for Wednesday after Ganesha coaches claimed last Saturday that the Southern Section divisional races at Mt. San Antonio College were a meter short. Officials said the races were started from the wrong spot, causing the mishap.

“It’s a joke,” La Habra’s Joe Leal said. “They should have had someone who knew what he was doing (at Mt. Sac).”

Southern Section administrator Dean Crowley explained that the race was too short because officials assumed the race should start at a white line. He said CIF rules state starting lines are to be white, but Mt. SAC’s starting lines are set up differently.

Mt. SAC track officials were not at Saturday’s meet because the Mt. SAC team was competing in the State Community College meet at Modesto.

Mike Cochran, Katella’s coach, was pleased with the results Wednesday but said the second race was an inconvenience for coaches.

“We’re not trying to place any blame, but it’s too bad they didn’t have someone from Mt. SAC there all the way through the meet,” Cochran said.

Cochran said the results were satisfying although Katella failed to win the team title.

“We figured the only way we could come out overall with a win is if the Ganesha kid false-started or didn’t show up.”

Not every one was as satisfied with the second race.

“It is really different. Usually when you finish a race, everybody’s cheering . . . this is almost like a practice,” Anthony Verret of Perris said.

Indeed, for eight of the hurdlers, the race was a practice. The top eight runners advanced to the Masters meet Saturday at Mt. SAC.

Damon Thomas of Pasadena won the 4-A race in 14.13. The 4-A schools qualified four runners for the race Saturday. Along with Thomas, Ed Tillman of Hawthorne, Darryl Gilliams of Dominguez and Tony Burnett of Lynwood made the top eight.

Johnson and Hall advanced in 3-A. George Porter of Cabrillo won the 1-A race in 14.29, the third fastest time of the day. In the 2-A division, San Dimas’ Tim James also qualified for the Masters meet, winning in 14.55.