San Diego Prep Review : One Thrower Threw It Far, Rival Threw It Farther for a U.S. Best

Lori Parker of Ramona High School usually spends time learning about the trajectory of spheres and their relation to records, but Saturday she got a lesson in longevity. To wit: Records are as fleeting as the flight of a discus.

Parker started Saturday with the country’s best discus throw--153-feet 6-inches, set March 27 in a dual meet. And in the Mustang Relays Saturday at San Dieguito High, she set an official CIF San Diego record with a 150-3 toss. (Dual meet marks do not count toward county records.)

But enter Tracy Crawford of Southwest, who threw her hat into the ring later Saturday, and she threw it farther than Parker. Crawford, who had been Parker’s dim shadow throughout their prep careers, broke Parker’s short-lived record by setting a national best at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational with a throw of 153-8.

So, for at least one day and two inches, Crawford will reign in the ring.

“I knew I was capable of it, but I wasn’t expecting it,” said Crawford, a senior.

She may have had modest expectations, but Fred Sills, Southwest’s retired coach who still works with the team’s seniors, didn’t.

“We felt that Tracy was due,” he said. “She’s been throwing 150 in practices.”

Practice, however, is not where Crawford excels. She thrives on big-meet pressure, and Arcadia is as big as it gets in the state.

“I like (the competition) because it pushes me harder,” said Crawford, who also holds the CIF shotput record of 44-1 1/2. “Usually I get my best results when I go to L.A. and compete.”

Crawford won’t have to travel north next weekend to find national-caliber competition when she throws at the Sun Devil Invitational at Mt. Carmel High School. She’ll come face to face with her adversary, Lori Parker.

Crawford says she isn’t intimidated, though. “It just makes me do that much better,” she said.

Let’s back track--A year ago, Laura Chapel of University City was losing races in the final yards. This year, she’s winning the close ones, and setting national bests in the process.

Chapel edged Darcy Arreola of Grossmont in the last 100 meters of the Arcadia 1,600 to win in a national best of 4:50.74. She also won the 800 meters in a state best of 2:11.91 (second best nationally).

Chapel said her improvement is the result of improved conditioning with the help of Steve Levon, an assistant coach who runs for the San Diego Track Club.

“Last year, I was losing by just a (small) margin and I wasn’t kicking until the final 100 yards,” Chapel said. “We’ve been trying to work on starting my kick at 300. But (Saturday) I got kind of boxed in, so I wasn’t able to kick until 100 yards anyway. I’m a lot faster in my kick than I was last year.”

Big Bat Attack--Jeff Gay of Santana High School went 6 for 6 last week with a double and two home runs. Gay, a senior catcher, also broke the school record for career hits with 110.

Gay is the county’s No. 2 all-time hitter behind Gary Millay, a 1983 graduate who had 128 hits for University.

“I didn’t even realize I was close (to the record),” Gay said. “Hitting’s just something that’s come real easy to me.”

Gay, who is batting .556, has not missed a game since he made the Sultans’ varsity as a freshman. He is a top major league and college prospect; Gay has been offered scholarships to San Diego State, Cal State Fullerton and the University of Arizona.

Gay moved from second base to catcher this season on the advice of Reggie Waller, a Houston Astro scout.

“He (Waller) said since I don’t run very well I should move to third base, first base or catcher,” Gay said. “I’ve also heard that catching is the fastest way into the big leagues.

“Plus, I hit left-handed, and there’s really a high demand for left-handed hitting catchers.”