Mount Miguel’s Young Has Busy but Fruitful Day

Ron Young said he had a rough day Thursday. But then again, it’s been a tough season for the senior from Mount Miguel.

But neither could prevent Young from winning the 100 meters (10.83 seconds), the 200 meters (21.88) and finishing second in the long jump (23-1 3/4) at the San Diego Section track and field finals at San Diego State.

“I’m dead,” Young said as he flopped down on the ground after the 200, his fourth event of the day. Young also ran on Mount Miguel’s eighth-place 400-meter relay team.

Young was the county leader in all three individual events early in the season but then slumped. He was the winner in the 200 last year (21.72) but didn’t go under 22.0 until the the section preliminaries last Saturday, when he ran 21.72 again.

But Young said his twin brother, Don, was cause for the midseason slump. Don gave Ron the chicken pox.

“I didn’t think I’d get them because they didn’t show up until a week after he was cured,” Ron said. “I was sick a week, and then it took me two more weeks to get back in shape. My times were starting to come down again when I got sick.”

After competing in the relay and the long jump, Young came back, took the early lead and then hung on to beat Patrick Rowe of Lincoln by three-hundredths of a second. So by the time he got to his favorite race, the 200, he was pooped, Young said.

“Everyone else looked fresh, but I was dead,” Young said. “And that’s the toughest race I have. I got a good start and ran the curve well . . . but that last 50 meters is a killer. I wish that race was 50 yards shorter.

“I was dead, but I had to run the 200. Otherwise I’d be a has-been. I was going to be in that race no matter what.”

Young said he probably will drop the 100 meters at the state meet to give himself a little more rest.