Anderson Sets Triple Jump Record : Valhalla’s Dani, Grossmont’s Arreola Are Also Impressive

With the outdoor track season just around the corner, three San Diego County prep athletes turned in marks indoors at Sunday’s Michelob Invitational that bettered their outdoor bests.

Mount Miguel High School’s Jackie Anderson set a national high school indoor record with a triple jump of 41-feet 1/2-inch. Valhalla’s Mark Dani became the third prep runner to break the 8-minute 50-second barrier in the two-mile, when he ran away from a superb field and finished at 8:49.1. Darcy Arreola of Grossmont passed rival Tracey Williams with two laps to go and won the girls’ invitational mile with a time of 4:53.9.

It didn’t appear as if Anderson, who was second in the state meet last season with a wind-aided 41-5, would do anything halfway through her event. The junior ran through the pit on her first two attempts.

But on her third try, Anderson leaped 39-11 1/2, more than two feet better than the former indoor mark of 37-7. Then on her final try, Anderson nearly jumped out of the pit for the record.

“I was a foot and a half behind the board,” said Anderson, who said she has gone 42 feet in practice. “I wanted to go 42 today. I would have gone to the 39-foot board (the men’s board) if I had another try.”

The big question before the meet was whether Dani, who was third in the Kinney National Cross-Country meet at San Diego’s Morley Field in December, could break nine minutes indoors. He had run 9:01 outdoors in the rain two weeks ago, but had never gone under 9:20 indoors.

It was apparent after the first 880 yards that the senior would do that. Dani and Eric Mastalir of San Jose separated themselves from the field early in the race and ran a 2:08.9 half-mile. So the new target for Dani became Gerry Lindgren’s 22-year-old indoor record of 8:40.0.

He was on a record pace after a mile (4:19.4), but as Dani said, he got “pooped out” as he began the second mile.

“I had a bowel problem,” said Dani, whose time was the fourth-fastest in national high school history. “It happens to the best of them. I wasn’t that tired. I was just praying that it wouldn’t slip.”

Even with the problem, Dani looked strong during the second mile. He ran away from Mastalir with eight laps to go, and lapped San Diego High rival Marc Davis with two left.

As Dani passed Davis, the junior waved his hand as if telling Dani to “hurry up,” and that brought the crowd to its feet.

“I was trying to help him pace,” Davis said. “I heard the loudspeaker saying that this was one of the best times ever. I thought, even if I was a lap behind, if he could chase me it would help him.”

After losing to Williams at the state meet last season, Arreola beat Williams for the second time this year.

Williams led most of the race, with Arreola was right on her shoulder. Then with two laps to go, Arreola made her move and separated herself from the field, which included last year’s state 1,600-meter champ Shannon Clark, and Laura Chapel of University City, who finished third at state.

“I wanted to set my pace off (Williams),” said Arreola, whose time was six seconds faster than her winning time at the Sunkist Invitational. “I like running against her. She used to beat me at the end, but I have more confidence against her (now).”

Ron Young of Mount Miguel won both the boys’ long jump and 60-yard dash. Young leaped 21-11 3/4, and then a few minutes later edged Terry Rodgers of Sweetwater by one one-hundreth of a second. Young’s time was 6.59.

Morse beat defending state champion Hawthorne in the boys’ invitational mile relay. Morse ran a 3:30.2 to Hawthorne’s 3:31.3.