Top Athletes Race Home, Rather Than Risk Injury

Historically, the Mt. San Antonio College Relays has been one of the top high school track and field meets in the country.

But the 1988 edition won’t be remembered as an exceptional event. It was not for lack of good athletes--there were plenty of them entered. But torrential rains combined with cold winds turned the high school portion of the meet into a disappointing washout.

Rather than risk injury, many of the top athletes from the Valley area, including sprinter Angela Burnham of Rio Mesa and pole vaulter Tom Parker of Notre Dame, decided to go home.

“Tom saw the rain and he said, ‘See ya,’ ” said Tim Werner, an assistant coach at Cal State Northridge. “It just wasn’t worth jumping in those conditions. It was far too dangerous.”

Todd Lehman of North High in Phoenix would agree with Werner. Lehman, who has a personal best of 16 feet, 6 inches, cleared his opening height of 14-6 and then called it a day.

With many of the top athletes withdrawing, most of the normally loaded ‘invitational’ events were depleted in quantity as well as quality.

The boys’ open 400 was the hardest hit. Only two of a scheduled eight runners started the race--and one was disqualified for running out of his lane.

In spite of the weather, however, several area athletes turned in solid, if not spectacular, efforts.

Damiean Jenkins of Saugus continued his consistent throwing in the discus, winning the event with a mark of 160 feet, 8 inches. It was the seventh meet this season that the 6-2 1/2, 230-pound Centurion has broken the 160-foot barrier.

Tony Borquez of Alemany may have been the most surprising winner of the meet. Borquez, who was hampered by injuries earlier this season, lowered his personal best by more than a second in the 400 meters, running 48.79 seconds during one of the downpours. The time moved him into a tie for third on this year’s Valley-area list.

In the girls’ shotput, Tracy Wilson of Taft, and Agoura teammates Jenny Whelchel and Annette Noel placed 1-2-3.

Wilson’s winning effort of 42-0 marked the fifth meet this season that the defending City Section champion has thrown more than 42 feet.

Whelchel, the defending state champion, had a best mark of 41-4 and Noel had a best of 38-8 3/4. Whelchel also placed third in the discus with a personal best 121-3, the Valley-area’s best mark this season.

Whelchel’s freshman teammate, Deena Drossin turned in another area-leading mark. Drossin, the state Division I cross-country champion, placed fourth in the 1,500 meters in 4:45.78.

In relay action, Taft, minus injured Quincy Watts, had the fastest times of the day in the boys’ 400- and 800-meter relays. The Taft quartet of David Feinstein, Jonathan Hart, Darran Matthews and David Flores ran 43.33 in the 400 relay and 1:30.82 in the 800 relay.

Senuhe Garrett of Reseda ran a superb 1:53.6 800-meter anchor leg to bring the Regents from sixth to second in the sprint-medley relay (3:30.77).