Reyes and Noon Get Victories, but Both Know They Can Perform at Higher Level

Glen Reyes of Orange Glen High School lunged for the tape two strides before he reached it.

Brent Noon of Fallbrook fouled two times--”I’d never done that before”--and had trouble with a new technique.

Well, maybe they’re getting old. After all, Noon is 16 and Reyes 17.

Oh, by the way, each won two events at the talent-laden Sundevil Invitational Saturday at Poway High. And though neither bubbled about his effort, each had reason to dwell on his victory’s significance.

It was Reyes’ first victory in the 100 meters against top-notch competition since he pulled a hamstring a year ago. Noon, owner of the nation’s second-best shotput throw this year, uncorked a winner on his final try to beat the No. 1 guy--Kaleaph Carter of Huntington Beach Edison.

But guys, why aren’t you smiling more?

“I felt like I just died out there,” Reyes said. “At the end, I didn’t have anything. I leaned too early--those were two cheap final strides.

“I also hate the cold.”

Noon called his throws “technically bad” and his first five tries “ridiculous.” The throw that gave Carter his first loss of the year went 59-9--Noon’s best is 62-0 1/2.

But like Reyes, he took some heart.

“The thing that gives me confidence was the last throw. I could’ve gotten down on myself, I could’ve fallen apart. And now I know he’s beatable.”

Though he didn’t mention it until his father did, Noon’s concentration was tested. At 1 a.m. Saturday, he and his father, Jim, rushed Brent’s mother, Barbara, to Tri-City Hospital in Oceanside.

“Seriously, we thought she was going to die,” Jim said. “She never complains about anything; she was hurting bad. It turned out she has an ulcer, they think.”

Carter, whose best throw Saturday was 59-3 and who rated his best effort “putrid,” supplied perspective.

“I sure hope America doesn’t expect people to be perfect every single time,” he said. “It was great to win (last week at the) Arcadia Invitational. It’s humbling to lose to Brent Noon. But we have to remember, I’m focusing on the state meet.”

Noon, who’s trying a tighter, more difficult pivot, talked like Padre hitter Tony Gwynn. The ends don’t matter now, he said; what matters is attempting correct technique now so that come June, the throws will boom. He and Jim said a jump will occur, and that 67 feet is a goal.

Though sub-par, Noon’s victorious throw could “be a confidence booster for him,” Carter said. “You can’t count out (Arroyo El Monte’s) Rick Fuller, (but) when I get to state I want to have beaten Noon every meet up till then.”

Noon won the discus with a throw of 165-1, about 5 feet off his best.

In the long jump, Reyes went 23- 3/4, about 15 inches shy of his best--which was wind-aided--but good enough for first Saturday.

His early lean in the 100 seemingly cost him the race. Los Angeles Dorsey’s Benito Bryant leaned ahead of Reyes but was later disqualified for a lane violation. Reyes finished at 10.93, which was .01 ahead of Long Beach Poly’s Andre Green. Castle Park’s Kiyoshi Moody was third in 10.99.