Four Get Revenge With Records at San Diego Prep Track Finals

Darcy Arreola of Grossmont High School, Tracy Crawford of Southwest, Yolanda Fitch of Morse and Michelle Collum of Point Loma went looking for some revenge Thursday at the San Diego Section track and field finals at San Diego State.

They not only got their revenge for past defeats, but the four set five meet records.

Crawford set records in the shotput and discus, Collum got her record in the hurdles, Arreola had an event best in the 1,600 and Fitch was the key person in a record performance by Morse High’s girls team.

The Morse girls, who were second by two points last year, defeated defending champion Southwest with a record 64 points.

Laura Chapel was third in the 800 meters last year behind Lesley Noll of Mount Carmel, who set a section record with a time of 2:08.0, and Arreola. Chapel beat Arreola Thursday in the 800 with a 2:08.46, the third fastest time in the nation this year. Arreola was second at 2:09.27.

That gave Chapel four victories in four tries over Arreola this season. But Arreola got back in the 1,600, their second confrontation of the day.

Chapel let Arreola set the pace in the 800 and then outkicked her in the final 100 meters. But in the 1,600, Arreola stayed behind Chapel for the first two laps. She took the lead on the third lap and widened her lead with 300 meters to go. Chapel is known for her kick but could not catch Arreola in the 1,600. Arreola’s time was 4:47.98, the best in the nation this year. Chapel was second at 4:53.40.

“I guess I got a taste of my own medicine,” Chapel said after the 1,600. “I’m sure that was her strategy to go out like that. I got psyched out. I learned what I’m going to have to do to beat her (at the state meet), but she learned what she can do to win, too.”

“I wasn’t that upset after the 800,” Arreola said. “I didn’t think I would win. But I really wanted the mile. That’s my favorite race. I get nervous running in front, so I let Laura set the pace in the mile.”

The 1,600 may be the only time the two will run against each other at the state meet next Friday and Saturday at Cerritos College in Norwalk. Both hinted they may drop out of the 800.

To win both, they each would have to run two qualifying races on Friday and two finals on Saturday. Both girls said they were extremely tired after only two Thursday.

Crawford beat Lori Parker of Ramona, the national leader, the first time they met this season but then lost the next three meetings. On Thursday, Crawford got even.

Crawford threw a personal best and meet record 155 feet, 1 inch to win the discus for the second year in a row. She said that the title meant more this year.

“I wanted to beat her bad,” said Crawford, who is second in the nation in the discus. “I told myself, ‘She’s been beating you all year long. This is your favorite event. You can’t let her beat you.’ The pressure is on her now.”

Crawford came back and set a record in the shotput with a throw of 45 feet, 3/4 inch, beating by a foot her own section record set last year.

Fitch accounted for 40 of Morse’s 64 points. Fitch won the 100 (12.09) and 400 (56.17) and then ran the anchor on the Morse 400- (47.91) and 1,600-meter (3:55.85) relay teams.

“(Top qualifier) Nichelle Strachan of Mount Miguel was talking a lot of wolf talk, you know, nonsense, before the race, telling us she was going to beat us,” Fitch said. “I wanted to beat her bad.

“I didn’t know what to do in the 400-meter relay (Morse was fifth before Fitch’s leg). But I knew I had to win. We’re the defending champions for eight years in a row. I had to win.”

Even though she hit three hurdles, Collum beat defending champion Michelle Outlaw of Lincoln (14.17) and Darla Vaughn of Mira Mesa (14.19) in the 100-meter low hurdles with a meet record 14.10. Collum said the motivating force behind her whole season has been the desire to avenge not qualifying for the finals in the 100 low hurdles last year.

State qualifiers

BOYS

100 meters: Ron Young (Mount Miguel) 10.83; Patrick Rowe (Lincoln) 10.86; Ed Taylor (Clairemont) 10.97. 200: Ron Young (Mount Miguel) 21.88; Larry Todd (Helix) 22.02; Terry Rodgers (Sweetwater) 22.16. 400: Patrick Rowe (Lincoln) 48.82; Larry Williams (Morse) 49.03; Russell Smith (Monte Vista) 49.15. 800: Larry Williams (Morse) 1:54.54; George Puryear (Patrick Henry) 1:55.35; George Fraser (Monte Vista) 1:55.43. 1,600: Jorge Castro (Ramona) 4:16.83; Pat Higuera (Mount Miguel) 4:22.62; Chris Martin (Fallbrook) 4:23.15. 3,200: Mark Dani (Valhalla) 8:54.96; Marc Davis (San Diego) 9:18.33; Robbie Lopes (Monte Vista) 9:24.87. 110 high hurdles: Anthony Wolf (La Jolla) 14.75; Brian Lockwood (Vista) 14.76; Jerry Black (University City) 14.76. 300 low hurdles: Osmand Swanegan (Morse) 38.42; Bruce Stone (University City) 38.49; Jerry Black (University City) 38.64. 400 relay: Crawford 42.39; Patrick Henry 42.54; Madison 43.24. 1,600 relay: Morse 3:19.27; Patrick Henry 3:19.80; Kearny 3:21.85.

Long jump: Charles Huff (La Jolla) 23-4 3/4; Ron Young (Mount Miguel) 23-1 3/4; Marcus Hopkins (Lincoln) 23-1. Triple jump: Larry Todd (Helix) 45-9; Fred Saria (Mira Mesa) 44-9; Paul Franklin (Crawford) 44-2 1/2. Pole Vault: Pat Alduenda (Ramona) 14-0; Wayne Hickey (Granite Hills) 14-0; Hue Nguyen (Castle Park) 14-0; Alduenda awarded title on fewest misses. High jump: Erik Peterson (Monte Vista) 6-7; Greg Hilzer (Mira Mesa) 6-6; Matt Farmer (Monte Vista) 6-6. Discus: Brian Boggess (El Capitan) 179-6; Bing Manning (La Jolla) 152-11; Chip Delancy (St. Augustine) 151-9. Shot put: Brian Boggess (El Capitan) 60-3 (meet record and state leader); Robert Malsack (Escondido) 51-6; Steve Stephen (Fallbrook) 51-4 1/2. Team title: Monte Vista 44, Morse 43, La Jolla 43, Mount Miguel 40.

GIRLS 100 meters: Yolanda Fitch (Morse) 12.09; Laural Isles (Oceanside) 12.32; Kim Matthews (Morse) 12.35. 200: Kim Matthews (Morse) 25.10; LaFrania West (Grossmont) 25.45; Adrian Slater (Mira Mesa) 25.56. 400 meters: Yolanda Fitch 56.17; Denise Upsher (Torrey Pines) 57.35; Tina Williams (Mount Carmel) 57.75. 800: Laura Chapel (University City) 2:08.46; Darcy Arreola (Grossmont) 2:09.27; Denise Upsher (Torey Pines) 2:13.18. 1,600: Darcy Arreola (Grossmont) 4:47.98; Laura Chapel (University City) 4:53.40; Kira Jorgensen (Vista) 5:04.37. 3,200: Kira Jorgensen (Vista) 10:50.39; Nicole Nugent (Torrey Pines) 10:52.59; Karen Karcher (Ramona) 11:07.12. 100 low hurdles: Michelle Collum (Point Loma) 14.10; Michelle Outlaw (Lincoln) 14.17; Darla Vaughn (Mira Mesa) 14.19. 300 low hurdles: Michelle Outlaw (Lincoln) 43.96; Darla Vaughn (Mira Mesa) 44.98; Andrea Miller (San Pasqual) 45.62. 400 relay: Morse 47.91; Crawford 48.15; Mira Mesa 48.60. 1,600 relay: Morse 3:55.85; Crawford 3:58.00; El Capitan 3:58.81.

Long jump: Michelle Outlaw 18-5; Nichelle Strachan (Mount Miguel) 18-5; Jackie Anderson (Mount Miguel) 18-1 1/2. Triple jump: LaFrania West (Grossmont) 37-10; Sherice Poole (Patrick Henry) 37-5; Jackie Anderson (Mount Miguel) 37-0. High jump: Jennifer Clinger (El Capitan) 5-4; Lynn Patrick (Serra) 5-4; Jackie Anderson (Mount Miguel) 5-4. Discus: Tracy Crawford (Southwest) 155-1; Lori Parker (Ramona) 149-10; Terri Mann (Point Loma) 136-11. Shotput: Tracy Crawford 45-0 3/4; Kartsi Leppaluoto (Madison) 42-2 1/2; Starla Ahu (Vista) 39-3 1/2. Team title: Morse 64, Grossmont 43, Mount Miguel 29, Mira Mesa 29, Lincoln 27.