Collects 9 Medals : Narbonne Sets Pace at Relays

Instead of trying to beat the heat on Saturday afternoon, the Narbonne High track team set a blistering pace of its own.

Rather than cooling off under a shade tree or on the beach, the Gauchos took on all comers in the sweltering temperatures at the 12th annual San Pedro Easter Relays.

By noon, the mercury already had reached the mid 90’s, nearly as hot as the Gauchos.

Seven teams competed in 19 varsity events, and Narbonne collected nine first-place medals, outdistancing second-place San Pedro, which checked in with four.

“We win just about every invitational meet that we enter,” said Narbonne Coach Scott McQueen without a hint of boastfulness. “We enter to win, and it helps gives the kids confidence to come home with some medals.”

The Gauchos started off the day with a sweep of the boys and girls 330 low hurdles and ended the afternoon with an impressive win in the boys mile relay.

Sheri MacLean (54.87) brought Narbonne its first medal in the 330 low hurdles, which was soon followed by Darrell Smith’s winning time of 40.83 in the same event for the boys. Smith had to hold off a late charge by Torrance’s Jim Bowers, who just missed with a time 40.84.

Narbonne won the boys distance medley (11:08.30), the boys and girls 880 relays as well as the boys 440 relay and the boys 2-mile relay. Then, for good measure, Jeff Judge leaped 41-9 in the triple jump and the Gauchos took their medals and went home.

However, one of the most impressive performances of the meet was turned in by Torrance’s Jennifer Tully, who tied the meet high-jump record of 5 feet and also took first place in the long jump with a leap of 16-6.

Tully, whose high-jump mark was matched Saturday by South’s Kim Skaife, was participating in the event for only the second time in her career. Torrance Coach Don Kalmar suggested she enter the event last week at the Rolling Hills Invitational.

Tully hinted that she was disappointed in her long-jump mark because she wanted to break the record of 17 feet, set in 1983.

“I’m usually in the 17’s, so I thought I could break the record,” she said. “But the pit is in bad condition and I couldn’t get a good jump in.”

Also lamenting the condition of the long-jump pit were San Pedro’s Andrew Nash and Anthony Scales, who finished first and second.

“I did 22-4 at Rolling Hills, so I definitely wanted to get the record today,” said Nash, whose best jump on Saturday, 21-3, was still good enough to win. “But I have to wait to get on a better track. This one has lumps and dirt in the medal, and you can’t get a good jump off the board.”

Two of Torrance’s best athletes, Deanne Call and Erica Lindh, were absent from the competition, which seriously limited the Tartars sprint relay teams, although Torrance did manage a first-place finish in the girls 2-mile relay with a time of 10:57.97

“I wish they were here so we could have run the relays,” Tully said. “But they’ll be back when we need them.”

San Pedro’s Gerri Martin was an easy winner in the girls mile run, covering the distance in 5:35.95, while South Gate’s Abel DeLuna won the boys mile in 4:40.38. South Gate Coach Tak Aoki said DeLuna could break the 4:20 barrier at some point during the season, but may have been affected by the smoggy weather on Saturday.

The host Pirates also fared well in the pole vault where Damien Jones leaped 11-3 and in the shot put where John Jackson reached 49-2. Dion Lewis helped the Pirates to another first-place finish in the high jump with a 6-0 leap.

North High won the girls 440 relay, while South’s Nancy Chi took first in the shot put with a toss of 32-6.

Only Garfield High was shut out of a first-place medal.