Arcadia Invitational : Girl Sprinters Steal Show With a Split of Races

The battle between two of the top girl prep sprinters in the nation ended in a draw at the 22nd Arcadia Invitational track and field meet Saturday night, as Inger Miller of Pasadena Muir and Angela Burnham of Oxnard Rio Mesa shared sprint victories.

Miller, a junior and the daughter of former USC sprinter and Olympic medalist Dr. Lennox Miller, won their first race, defeating Burnham in the 100 meters, 11.59 seconds to 11.64.

It was Miller’s second consecutive victory over Burnham this season after constantly losing to the Rio Mesa senior last season.

Burnham held a slight lead coming out of the blocks before Miller pulled even at 50 meters. Miller then pulled away for a three-meter win.

Burnham, who was the national female prep track athlete of the year last season, took the defeat in stride.

“I ran the race I thought I would run,” said Burnham. “I have been working on the mental state of my running. I knew that this was going to be my most difficult season ever.”

It did not take long for Burnham to even the score when she and Miller squared off in the 200 an hour and a half later.

In a replay of their earlier race, Miller started out quickly and moved to an early lead off the turn. Burnham answered the challenge, catching Miller with 50 meters remaining. However, unlike the 100, Burnham proved to be the strongest, running 23.63 to Miller’s 23.91. It was the second fastest girls 200 in the nation this season.

“I definitely did not expect to run this fast this early in the season,” Burnham said. “I had been training for the 400 all year and did not even expect to break 24.”

Burnham said she expected Miller to be ahead early because of their previous races.

“It is a complete reversal from last season,” said Burnham. “Last year, I would catch her all of the time at the finish but she has gotten stronger. I anticipated this to be tough because it is not written down that I have to win every race.”

After the 200, Miller, who has a history of leg tightness, limped noticeably across the infield.

“My right leg is really tight,” she said. “I tightened up at the end.”

The Burnham-Miller battle was just one of the highlights of an evening of fine performances that saw five meet records broken and 17 national bests.

The Hawthorne boys’ relay teams ran away with two victories in the 400 and 1,600. Senior Curtis Conway, who is headed to USC on a football scholarship, anchored both teams. The times were 40.71 and 3:17.14, respectively.

Albert Ransom of Denver Montebello set a meet record with a time of 46.57, the fastest in the nation this season. Steve Lewis, the 1988 Olympic 400-meter gold medalist, previously held the record of 46.70 set while running for American Fremont in 1987.

Ransom, running in lane five, started quickly, making up the staggered start off of the first turn, then drawing out to a five-meter lead. With 100 meters left, he stretched his lead to 15 meters before tightening, finishing seven meters ahead of Beno Bryant of L.A. Dorsey, who ran 47.35.

“I started out fast like I usually do,” Ransom said. “I knew I had a big lead when I came off the last turn, but I started to tighten up as I heard the crowd cheering. I thought that someone was catching me.”

Ransom, who also finished second in the 100 with a time of 10.66, said that he expected more competition in his specialty race.

“I wanted to win the 100, but things did not work out,” said Ransom, who is being recruited by USC, Texas A&M; and Tennessee. “I used it as a warmup for the 400, because I thought that there would be a lot of competition in that race.”

Other meet highlights:

--Jeff Laynes of Oakland ran the fastest 100 meters in the nation this season, winning in a time of 10.56.

--Barry Smith of San Francisco Mission ran the nation’s quickest 200 meters, defeating Erik Mitchell of Mayfair Lakewood and Laynes with a time of 21.34.

--Jayson Lavender of Wichita Falls, Tex., set a meet record in the pole vault with 17 feet 3 1/4 inches, the best in the nation.

--Dion Bently of Pittsburgh Penn Hills, the national indoor long jump record-holder, set a meet record with a leap of 25-3.