Mustang Relays : Ramona’s Alduenda Sets San Diego Vault Record

Pole vaulter Pat Alduenda, of Ramona High School, vaulted higher than anyone in San Diego Section history Saturday at the 34th Mustang Relays at San Dieguito High, and he said he can go higher.

Alduenda, 18, cleared 16- to break easily the section record of 15-3 set by Fallbrook’s Sean Hickey in 1985. He wasn’t the only record-setter however, as five others established new standards at the county’s oldest relay meet.

After Alduenda finally missed at 16-4, he predicted he would vault higher.

“I can go 17 feet this year,” he said. “Today, I just wanted the county record. I wasn’t setting my sights past that.”

Alduenda vaulted 16-0 indoors at the nonsanctioned Michelob Invitational at the San Diego Sports Arena in February and knew then he would soon be the county record-holder.

“I knew I had it in me,” he said. “Still, I wasn’t in the groove like I was at Michelob. I had some sloppy vaults today and got away with it. Still, 16 feet isn’t such a soft record. I know I can go higher.”

Alduenda didn’t attempt to vault until the bar was at 14-0, and when he cleared 14-6 and Patrick Henry’s Sean Rapp and El Capitan’s Pete Brooks didn’t, he went straight for the record, moving the bar to 15-4. On his first attempt, he appeared nervous and tight and brushed the bar off with his hip. On his second try, he clearly looked faster and stronger and cleared the bar by more than six inches.

“I wasn’t nervous,” he said about his first attempt. “I was thinking how soft the pole felt.”

Alduenda borrowed the pole of Vista’s Jay Rafail, who wasn’t competing. With the longer and heavier pole, he cleared 15-8 on his next attempt, 16- on his next, but that would be it. He missed three times at 16-4 and said later that he was just too tired.

Alduenda said he normally only takes seven jumps in a competition, and his final attempt at 16-4 was his 11th of the day.

“If I wasn’t so tired, I could have gone higher today,” he said. “The only one to make me jump high is myself. The only one who can beat me is myself. It’s all attitude.”

Of the five meet records that fell, none was more impressive than that of Fallbrook junior Christina Hand, who ran 2 minutes 16.6 seconds in the 880 yards to break the mark of 2:18.9 set in 1985 by Leslie Noll of Mount Carmel.

Hand, who placed eighth in the state at 800 meters as sophomore, set a goal of breaking the meet record.

“I was working all week to get the record today,” Hand said. “My coach told me to talk to myself the second lap, because there wouldn’t be anyone to push me.”

Hand had the race won after she ran 1:05.0 on the first lap.

Mira Mesa hurdler Darla Vaughn ran a 14.8 in the 110 low hurdles to break her year-old mark of 15.2. San Diego State-bound football player Patrick Rowe of Lincoln ran 49.1 in the 440 to break the mark of 50.7 set by Fallbrook’s Tim Pipes in 1986.

Monte Vista had three athletes who fared well. Carter Yarborough ran 9:32.1 to break the meet’s two-mile record of 9:37.7 set by Clark Sandknop of San Dieguito in 1986. James Fraser won the 880 in 1:56.3, breaking the mark of 1:56.5 set by Patrick Henry’s George Puryear in 1986. He also placed second to Rowe in the 440 at 50.5. Matt Farmer was a double winner, taking the triple jump at 45-7 and high jump at 6-6.

Another double winner was Orange Glen sophomore Glen Reyes, who won the 100 in 10.1 and the long jump in 23-5.

Individual Winners (All events in yards)

BOYS

100--Reyes (Orange Glen) 10.1; 440--P. Rowe (Lincoln) 49.8 (Meet record. Tim Pipes, Fallbrook, 1986, 50.7); 880--Fraser (Monte Vista) 1:56.3 (Meet record. George Puryear, Patrick Henry, 1986, 1:56.5); Invitational Mile--Martin (Fallbrook) 4:23.7; Two Mile--Yarborough (Monte Vista) 9:32.1 (Meet record. Clark Sandknop, San Dieguito, 1986, 9:37.7); 120 HH--Patterson (Lincoln) 15.1; 440 Relay--Mira Mesa 44.0; 880 Relay--Patrick Henry 1:32.6; Mile Relay--Monte Vista 3:31.6.

Pole Vault--Alduenda (Ramona) 16- (San Diego Section record. Sean Hickey, Fallbrook, 1985, 15-3); Triple Jump--Farmer (Monte Vista) 45-7; Long Jump--Reyes (Orange Glen) 23-5; High Jump--Farmer (Monte Vista) 6-6; Shot Put--Noon (Fallbrook) 51-6; Discus--R. Rowe (Mira Mesa) 144-6.

GIRLS

100--Isles (El Camino) 11.6; 880--Hand (Fallbrook) 2:16.6 (Meet Record. Leslie Noll, Mount Carmel, 1985, 2:18.9); Mile--Halseth (El Camino) 5:21.3; Two Mile--Lubinski (Point Loma) 11:40.9; 110 LH--Vaughn (Mira Mesa) 14.8 (Meet Record. Darla Vaughn, Mira Mesa, 1986, 15.2); 440 Relay--Serra 51.4; Mile Relay--Mount Miguel 4:11.2.

Long Jump--Poole (Patrick Henry) 18- 1/2; High Jump--Stowe (Torrey Pines) 5-3; Shot Put--Holley (Patrick Henry) 35-3; Discus--Mann (Point Loma) 134-8.