Poway Invitational : Big Day for San Diego Athletes as 14 Season Bests Recorded

The Poway Invitational high school track and field meet at San Diego State’s Choc Sportsman Field Saturday was highlighted with 14 season bests.

Lincoln hurdler Michelle Outlaw shattered the meet 300-meter hurdle record by running 45.29, breaking the 1986 mark of 47.74 by Vista’s Jenny Lawrence. Outlaw also anchored the Lincoln low hurdle relay team, which ran 1:03.71 to break the meet record of 1:07.89 set by Morse in 1984.

“I’m getting better, but that’s not good enough,” said Outlaw, who has recovered from arthroscopic knee surgery earlier this year.

“Hopefully I can get under 40 (seconds). I used to run a good pace and pick it up on the straightaways. To get better, I need more stamina and strength and I have to improve my leg alteration on the curves.”

San Diego’s Marc Davis, who returned this week after running in the World Junior Championships in Poland, ran the 1,500 meters in 3:53.76 to break the mark of 3:54.12 mark set by Valhalla’s Mark Dani last year.

“I just wanted to get out there and run,” Davis said. “I wasn’t sure what the guys here were doing.”

Morse’s 400-meter relay team also broke a meet record, running 48.72 to break the mark of 49.41 set by University City in 1984. Anchoring the relay was Kim Matthews, who also won the 100 in 12.31.

Season bests were set in almost every running event. Among those were Lincoln’s Chaundra Temple (59.42, 400), Morse’s Mark Stevenson (49.37, 400), El Capitan’s Jim Barton (40.26, 300 hurdles), Crawford’s Raymond Ethridge (10.80, 100) and Vista’s Kira Jorgenson (4:35.5, 1,500).

Monte Vista’s Matt Farmer also set a yearly best with a 6-feet 8-inch high jump as did Crawford’s Lou Coons with a 46-7 1/2 triple jump.

Mira Mesa’s Ray Rowe won the discus throw (153-0) and the shot put (54-11).

However, for Ramona High pole vaulter Pat Alduenda, who set a section record with a 16-feet -inch vault at last Saturday’s Mustang Relays, a two-hour delay in schedule and an over-crowded field eliminated his hopes of bettering his record.

For Alduenda, the day was filled with frustration.

He arrived at the track at 8:30 a.m. but because of a backlog of 29 vaulters he didn’t make his first vault at 14-0 until after 6 p.m. That was the only attempt he needed to win the event. After the remaining four vaulters missed at 14-0, in the dark he attempted one vault at 14-8, which would have broken the meet record, but he missed and retired.

Alduenda wasn’t the only vaulter to clear 14-0. La Jolla’s Aaron Baker and San Marcos’ Dan Karrer each cleared 14-0 in the first of the two heats. Alduenda was the winner, however, because he had less attempts.

Boys’ Winners 100--Ethridge (Crawford) 10.80; 400--Stevenson (Morse) 49.37; 1,500--M.Davis (San Diego) 3:53.76 (Meet record. Marc Dani, Valhalla, 1986, 3:54.12); 300 Hurdles--Barton (El Capitan) 40.26; 400 Relay--Crawford 42.47; 1,600 Relay--Crawford 3:22.54.

High Jump--Farmer (Monte Vista) 6-8; Discus Throw--Rowe (Mira Mesa) 153-0; Shot Put--Rowe (Mira Mesa) 54-11; Long Jump--Ashworth (Poway) 21-9; Triple Jump--Coons (Crawford) 46-7 1/2; Pole Vault--Alduenda (Ramona) 14-0.

Girls’ Winners 100--Matthews (Morse) 12.31; 400--Temple (Lincoln) 59.42; 1,500--Jorgenson (Vista) 4:35.5; 300 Hurdles--Outlaw (Lincoln) 45.29 (Meet record. Jenny Lawrence, Vista, 1986, 47.74); Low Hurdle Relay--Lincoln 1:03.71 (Meet record. Morse, 1984, 1:07.89); 400 Relay--Morse 48.72 (Meet record. University City, 1984, 49.41); 1,600 Relay--Morse 4:01.74.

High Jump--McKinney (Mira Mesa), Carlson (Orange Glen), Ringhand (Torrey Pines) 5-2; Discus Throw--Standring (El Capitan) 123-0; Shot Put--Ahu (Vista) 39-3; Long Jump--West (Grossmont); Triple Jump--Poole (Patrick Henry) 38-1.