Huff Triple-Jumps County Best, Wants More

They call Charles Huff “Chuckles” at La Jolla High School because he is usually about the happiest guy around.

But after he competed in the triple jump in the San Diego Section preliminaries at Balboa Stadium Saturday, Huff looked as if someone had stolen the turned-up bicycle cap he always wears.

When asked how he did, Huff said, without uncrossing his arms or looking up, “I qualified. Wow.”

Further interrogation revealed that Huff actually had jumped 49-feet 6-inches, 11 inches farther than his best this season. It also tied him for the state lead.

Chuckles’ last jump made him glum. It didn’t matter what the mark was. What was important was what it could have been.

“It felt too good to be true,” said Huff, who suddenly became very animated. “I had so much speed. I got too anxious to come down. I just put my feet down (too early). It would have been way over 50 feet.”

Huff, who had a best of 49-4 last year as a junior, also qualified second in the long jump at 23-3, six inches better than his best this year. Orange Glen’s Glen Reyes was No. 1 at 23-4 3/4.

Stacy Thompson of Morse tried to hide her enthusiasm after she won her heat of the 300-meter low hurdles. But it was tough.

Thompson, a sophomore, ran a county-best 44.87 seconds to beat Erica Prodonavich of Mission Bay (44.99). In doing so, she trimmed nearly two seconds off her previous best (46.7), despite chopping her steps on each of the last six hurdles.

“That’s the kind of talent she has,” said her coach, Gary MacDonald. “She’s made some definite improvement in her technique . . . (but) she is nowhere near where we would like her to be.”

Thompson also qualified in the 100 meters (12.59) and the triple jump (37-6). The latter was well behind LaFrania West of Grossmont, who jumped a state-best 39-8 3/4 at the Grossmont League finals last week; her best mark Saturday was 39-8 1/2.

The preliminaries also were a preview of showdowns that will take place at the section finals next Saturday at Balboa Stadium.

Matt Lehman of San Dieguito cleared a county-best 15-7 and just missed twice at 15-9 in the pole vault. San Pasqual’s Rick Lotterer cleared 15-0 and has gone 15-6.

University of San Diego High School’s Kristi Bache was the top qualifier in the 800 (2:15.45). But not by much. Kristina Hand of Fallbrook, the defending section champion who finished second in the state, ran 2:16.16.

In the boys’ 800, Mark Senior of Mt. Miguel was the top qualifier (1:54.39); he has run a county-best 1:53.09. But he suddenly has several challengers. Seven other runners ran under 1:58 Saturday, including Francis O’Neill of San Pasqual (1:55.29) and Ramsay McNeal of Point Loma (1:55.67).

Jimmy Kegler of San Diego ran a 21.31 in the 200 to shatter the previous county-best (21.99), but he will be challenged by Bobby Nelson of Mira Mesa (21.6) and Michael Stevenson of Morse (21.8).

Sorii Epps of Patrick Henry, however, looked to be in a class of her own. She dropped half a second off her previous best in the 200 to qualify at a county-best 24.81 and was the best in the 100 (12.37).