Senior Breaks Through Wall to Win 800; Jorgensen Runs to Second Title in 1,600

For most of Saturday’s boys’ 800-meter finals at the state track and field meet, Mark Senior of Mt. Miguel had to worry about hitting the wall.

Not the wall marathon runners face. A wall of humanity. A wall that almost made Senior wail.

Right from the start, there were guys in front of him, guys to the side, a couple more right on his heels. Claustrophobia set in with about 200 meters to go.

But with 100 meters left, the wall cracked.

Senior was in fifth place, but for some reason, Darius Frelix of Los Angeles Washington High moved to his right, leaving Senior enough room to get through.

He charged down the homestretch and won with a personal best time of 1 minute 51.37 seconds. The victory helped the Mt. Miguel boys’ team finish fifth with 20 points.

“I was freaked out with so many guys around me,” said Senior, a senior. “When I was behind by that much, I said, ‘Wow. This is the the state meet.’ ”

Kira Jorgensen of Rancho Buena Vista had a different problem in the 1,600. Loneliness.

Jorgensen took the lead with 600 meters to go and was never challenged. Her time of 4:49.54 was her best this year and more than two seconds better than second-place Robbyn Bryant of Hesperia.

Just like last year, Jorgensen missed out at being a double winner in the 3,200 meters, finishing fourth at 10:25.55; Karen Hecox of South Hills won in a nation-leading 10:16.14.

But Jorgensen, the only girl to run both the 1,600 and 3,200, had a faster 3,200 than she did last year when she finished second (10:30.08).

Senior and Jorgensen were the only San Diego Section winners, but Kevin Jones--who ran 36.44 seconds to break the section 300-meter intermediate hurdles record he set in the prelims--Michael Stevenson, La Frania West, Damon Carson and Lynn Patrick all finished second, and four more finished third.

But there few races as exciting as Senior’s. He is known as a front runner but found himself near the back with five or six guys in front of him.

The reason for his slow start was a sore right knee.

“It was stiff,” Senior said. “I didn’t want to put much pressure on it with a fast start.”

Instead, Senior had to deal with the pressure of running back in the pack with nowhere to go.

He had planned to run a 53-second first lap, but he was closer to 55. With about 250 meters to go, Senior looked around and even tried to slow up in an effort to get around. Didn’t work.

“I was getting really nervous,” Senior said.

Tension built as he found himself in fifth midway through the last turn. But it went away as soon as he saw Frelix drift.

“I still knew I had enough left to win,” said Senior, who has talked with Arizona State about a possible scholarship. “I wasn’t that tired. I had a genetic gift from God over these guys.”

Senior missed the Bob Hose’s section record (1:51.1 for 880 yards) set in 1964 but was not upset.

“That was the last thing on my mind,” he said. “I just wanted to go out and prove that I am one of the best.”

Jorgensen did not have to prove that. She has been among the best in the nation since she was a freshman two years ago.

But she had to prove wrong once and for all the people who thought she was washed up at 16.

Jorgensen lost several times during the middle of the season. Worst was a loss to Tracey Williams of Mountain View High at Sundevil Invitational in April. But after that, things changed.

“I changed my attitude,” she said. “I was feeling too competitive within myself. After I started losing, I asked myself, ‘Why are you making it so hard on yourself?’ I told myself that I have to remember I am in the state of California.”

Running in California means that there are always several of the best distance runners in the nation. But Jorgensen faced them all Saturday.

As she always does, Williams took off fast. She was five seconds ahead of Jorgensen after 400 meters. But Jorgensen was ahead by two seconds with a lap to go. Williams finished fourth.

Because all the girls in the 3,200 had not run a race all weekend--there was no preliminary--Jorgensen had to face a fresh field.

Hecox and Robin Cervantes of Montebello passed her with two laps to go, and she could not hang on. She was running by herself in third with 100 meters to go, but Katy McCandless of Castileja passed her in the last 10 meters.

John Montgomery of San Jose Independence beat Jones in the 300 hurdles in 36.43.

“I don’t know what happened,” Jones said. “I thought I got him on the lean. But he was a pretty cool guy. Finishing second in the nation to that guy isn’t that bad. But I would have been disappointed if the time had been slower.”

The time was was .55 seconds faster than the 36.99 he ran Friday night. The previous county record was 37.20 set by Jay Taylor of St. Augustine in 1985.

Stevenson’s time of 47.54 was slower than his best (47.22). but he figures it was an error in judgment--not a lack of ability--that cost him the race. He said he was pacing himself off state leader Travis Hannah of Hawthorne. Hannah was in sixth place coming off the final turn, but then he exploded to win in 47.20.

“I don’t think he ran his best race,” said Stevenson, who said he will accept a partial scholarship from UCLA on Tuesday. “He ran a smarter race.”

Patrick cleared 5-feet 10-inches on her third attempt. That was the same mark that won the state for her last year as a sophomore.

But she failed badly at three attempts at 6 feet. Crissy Mills of North Hollywood Campbell Hall won on misses.