Burt Makes Season Last a Bit Longer

Rodney Burt of Birmingham High failed to win a race at the City Section quarterfinals at Birmingham on Thursday. However, he was ecstatic with his performance.

Burt was unable to run in the Mid-Valley League finals last Thursday because he was stricken with the chicken pox.

In most cases, an athlete must place in the top four in an event at the league finals to advance to the City quarterfinals. But Burt, the first alternate in the 400-meter dash Thursday, got his chance to run when an athlete scratched from the second heat.

“I feel real lucky just to get in here,” Burt said after finishing second with a time of 49.1 seconds. “A week ago, it looked like my season was over. I thought I was going to have to wait until next season to make my mark.”

Instead, Burt has advanced to next week’s semifinals and has a good chance to make his mark at the City championships May 26.

“I think I’ll be back at full strength by then,” said the lean, 5-foot-11, 146-pound junior. “I think I’m ready for a 47-point there.”

That is not idle talk coming from someone who ranks second on the Valley-area list with a best of 48.28, and has bettered 50 seconds in eight meets this season.

“I just wanted to run in the low 50s at the start of the season,” Burt admitted. “But then I broke 50 and 49. Now, I want to make it to state.”

Burt’s teammate, Sabino Miranda, is looking for a return trip to the state championships. Miranda placed fourth in last year’s City championships and hopes to improve on that finish this season.

He won the 3,200 meters in 9:39.7. With temperatures approaching 100 degrees, Miranda ran strictly to win, surging past Robert Mata of Roosevelt with 400 meters left.

The top four finishers in each heat and the top eight finishers in the field events advanced to next week’s semifinals.

Other top boys’ marks were turned in by Zak Salter of Verdugo Hills, who led shotput qualifying with a personal best of 51 feet, 11 inches, and by James Green of Van Nuys, who led the triple jump qualifying with a personal best of 44-9 and was second in the long jump with a wind-aided 21-1.

Kennedy’s Darryl Delavega won the second heat of the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in 40.8.

Teammate Kim Crongeyer was the only double winner from the Valley, clocking 5:33.6 in the 1,600 and 12:15.7 in the 3,200.

San Fernando teammates Nikawa Prevost and LaShone Erwing also performed well.

Prevost placed second in the first heat of the 100 meters (a wind-aided 12.1) and won the first heat of the 200 with a personal best of 25.4. She also ran legs on the Tigers’ victorious relays. San Fernando clocked season-bests of 49.3 in the 400 relay and 4:08.8 in the 1,600 relay.

Erwing won the second heat of the 300 low hurdles in a personal-best 47.3, placed second in heat one of the 100 hurdles (wind-aided 15.3) and qualified third in the long jump (15-9 3/4).