San Diego Section Track and Field : Boggess Sets Mark in Discus

No one has ever questioned Brian Boggess’ ability as a student. Boggess will graduate from El Capitan High School in three weeks with a 4.0 grade-point average. Because of that, he has been accepted at Stanford University.

But Boggess is as astute a student of the discus as he is of a textbook.

Though he is strong, he doesn’t rely solely on his brawn. His coaches say he is constantly analyzing his technique, looking to correct any minor hitch that is keeping him from throwing his best.

On Saturday, that tireless analysis may have made Boggess the favorite to win the State championship. He set a CIF San Diego Section meet record with a throw of 191 feet, 3 inches, beating the previous mark of 182-5 set in 1974 by Mark Malzone of El Cajon.

Boggess’ mark was the best of a meet that featured several good ones for a preliminary competition.

Boggess took three throws and each time bettered his previous personal best of 183-11. He threw 188-10 and then 191-3 twice.

Mount Carmel High School is considered a good place for discus throwers because of the strong cross breeze that usually blows and helps the discus sail farther. But Boggess said the wind was not a factor Saturday.

It was a correction he made during practice last week.

“It was a little something I put in my technique,” Boggess said. “I wasn’t accelerating when I needed to in my throw. I was accelerating at different places in my throw and that set me off balance.”

Boggess qualified for the State meet last year by winning the section discus title. He said he has improved greatly since. He weighs 230 pounds, 25 more than last year, and said he is much stronger, but he cited the greatest improvement in the mental aspects of his throwing.

“I’m more relaxed and more confident this year,” Boggess said. “If I did poorly in a meet (last year), I’d get down on myself. . . . I couldn’t shake it off. This year, every meet is a brand-new meet. I can shake it off and go on. If I think about the last meet at all, I think about bettering the mark I did at that meet if it was a personal best.”

Boggess’ throw Saturday was the second best in the state and the fifth best nationally. Only Jeff Hooper of Del Campo has thrown farther (192-3) in the state. But Boggess has beaten Hooper two of the three times they have met, and Hooper’s mark was set early in the season.

“He’s been in an awful slump,” Boggess said. “I look at him as my competition, but I can’t rely on that at State. I mostly have to compete against myself.”

Boggess said he is not yet what he wants to be--the state champion. To achieve that goal, Boggess will be back analyzing himself before Thursday’s section finals at San Diego State.

“I’ve been after the State title since last year,” Boggess said. “Yeah, there’s lots to improve on. I need to work on where I hold the disc. I need to improve on my rhythm.”

There were four other San Diego County records set Saturday. Nichelle Strachan of Mount Miguel and freshman LaFrania West of Grossmont each ran 25.24 in their heats of the 200 meters. Ron Young of Mount Miguel ran 21.72 in his heat of the 200 meters. Larry Todd of Helix jumped 23-9 1/2. Jerry Black of University City won his heat in the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 14.79.

Other top qualifiers included Laura Chapel of University City in both the 800 meters (2:11.95) and the 1,600 meters (4:58.16). Strachan was the top qualifier in the 100 (12.26) and the long jump (18-10) as well as the 200.

BOYS

100 meters--(heat 1) Glen Reyes (Orange Glen) 10.80w; (heat 2) Charles Hampton (Patrick Henry) 10.89w; (heat 3) Ron Young (Mount Miguel) 10.87; 200 meters--Damion Cormier (Crawford) 22.21; (heat 2) Ron Young (Mount Miguel) 21.71; (heat 3) Terry Rodgers (Sweetwater) 21.98; 400 meters--(heat 1) Russell Smith (Monte Vista) 50.07; (heat 2) Tim Pipes (Fallbrook) 49.87; (heat 3) Larry Williams (Morse) 49.99; 800 meters--(heat 1) Larry Williams (Morse) 1:57.41; (heat 2) Shan Forehand (MountCarmel) 1:56.7; (heat 3); Mark Senior (Morse) 1:56.4; 1,600 meters--(heat 1) Lawrence Threat (Morse) 4:24.77; (heat 2) Jorge Castro (Ramona) 4:20.79; 110-meter high hurdles--(heat 1) Jerry Black (University City) 14.74; (heat 2) Charles Patterson (Lincoln) 14.76; (heat 3) Ted Thomson Mount Carmel) 14.89; 300 intermediate hurdles--(heat 1) Bruce Stone (University City) 39.19; (heat 2) Kevin Jones (Mount Miguel) 39.29; (heat 3) Doug Eagle (Poway) 39.65; 400-meter relay--(heat 1) Helix 43.61; (heat 2) Crawford 42.85; (heat 3) Patrick Henry 43.06; 1,600-meter relay--(heat 1) Kearny 3:26.81; (heat 2) Fallbrook 3:28.32; (heat 3) Morse 3:24.36; Long jump--Larry Todd (Helix) 23-9 1/2; Glen Reyes (Orange Glen) 23-5; Matt Farmer (Monte Vista) 22-9; Discus--Brian Boggess (El Capitan) 191-3; Chip Delancy (St. Augustine) 161-6; Sean Helgesen (El Camino) 160-2; Shotput--Brian Boggess (El Capitan) 59-0 1/2; Steve Stephen (Fallbrook) 51-9; Jumbo Malsack (Escondido) 51-8; Triple jump--Paul Franklin (Crawford) 45-11; Larry Todd (Helix) 45-8; Fred Saria (Mira Mesa) 45-5; High jump--5 tied at 6-2; Pole vault--8 tied at 13-6.

GIRLS

100 meters--(heat 1) Nichelle Strachan (Mount Miguel) 12.25; (heat 2) Shawnette Sapp (Morse) 12.51; (heat 3) Yolanda Fitch (Morse) 12.26; 200 meters--(heat 1) Kim Matthews (Morse) 25.29; (heat 2) Nichelle Strachan (Mount Miguel) 25.24; (heat 3) LaFrania West (Grossmont) 25.24; 400 meters--Yolanda Fitch (Morse) 59.77; (heat 2)--Nicole Rothey (San Pasqual) 59.41; (heat 3) Denise Upsher (Torrey Pines) 58.27; 800 meters--Christy Bache (University) 2:19.75; (heat 2) Laura Chapel (University City) 2:11.95; (heat 3) Darcy Arreola 2:15.88; 1,600 meters--(heat 1) Darcy Arreola (Grossmont) 5:02.77; (heat 2) Laura Chapel (University City) 4:58.16; 100-meter low hurdles--(heat 1) Darla Vaughn (Mira Mesa) 14.60; (heat 2) Michelle Outlaw (Lincoln) 14.36; (heat 3) Michelle Collum (Point Loma) 14.34; 300-meter low hurdles--(heat 1) Darla Vaughn (Mira Meqa) 46.39; (heat 2) Andrea Miller (San Pasqual) 46.62; (heat 3) Michelle Outlaw (Lincoln) 45.96; 400-meter relay (heat 1)--Morse 48.95; (heat 2) Mira Mesa 49.34; (heat 3) Grossmont 49.52; 1,600-meter relay--(heat 1) Morse 4:05.75; (heat 2) Crawford 4:05.85; (heat 3) Grossmont 4:05.15; Long jump--Nichelle Strachan (Mount Miguel) 18-10; Michelle Outlaw (Lincoln) 17-10; Jackie Anderson (Mount Miguel) 17-9 3/4; Triple jump--Jackie Anderson (Mount Miguel) 39-7 3/4, LaFrania West (Grossmont) 38-4 3/4; Cherisce Poole (Patrick Henry) 37-9 1/2; Shotput--Tracy Crawford (Southwest) 42-7 3/4; Kartsi Leppaluoto (Madison) 41-3 1/2; Robin Longwell (Grossmont) 39-5; Discus--Lori Parker (Ramona) 150-11; Tracy Crawford (Southwest) 149-11; Terri Mann (Point Loma) 136-6; High jump--Lynn Patrick (Serra), Jennifer Clinger (El Capitan), Jackie Anderson (Mount Miguel), Shaundell Reddic (Crawford), 5-2.