A ‘Shaky’ Brent Noon Throws Shot 67-8 1/2 to Break 15-Year-Old Mark

Brent Noon, his legs “still a little shaky” from a recent bout with the flu, was feeling a little buzz at the Sundevil Invitational at Poway High School Saturday afternoon.

Noon, competing for the first time in three weeks, set a new section record with a put of 67-8 1/2, beating the record 65-11 1/4 set by El Cajon Valley’s Curt Hampton in 1974.

The throw also was a national best this year.

For Noon, it was just a matter of time. The Fallbrook High junior already had put the shot 66-4 1/2 at an indoor meet in Idaho and says he has been clearing 70 feet consistently in practice.

Yet Noon said he felt little pressure to set the mark. In fact, the pressure of competing at Poway High, with a shot put ring that historically has given Noon fits, played in Noon’s mind more than the record.

“For me, that I threw well here, that’s the main pressure off me,” Noon said.

Last year, Noon sprained an ankle at the same ring from which he set his record Saturday. Apparently, the footboard was not at regulation height a year ago. Instead of breaking his inertia against it, Noon tripped over it and injured his ankle in the process.

Despite the fact that the footboard has been raised to regulation height, Noon did have his troubles. He fouled on his first two throws of the day, the second of which looked a bit longer than the record put.

“I think it was maybe 68 (feet),” Noon said. “But I can’t say I didn’t foul.”

With the section record behind him, Brent Noon might be expected to take a couple days to rest on his laurels. Nothing doing. Noon still has his goals of a 73-foot shot put and a discus throw over 200 feet.

“It’s business as usual,” Noon said. “I’m still going to go home today and practice and lift.”

Before Noon went home to “practice and lift,” he stayed long enough to set a new personal best in the discus and took first place with a toss of 174-10.

For his efforts, Noon was named the field athlete of the meet.

Noon, however, was not the only San Diego athlete to shine during the day.

San Pasqual distance runner Francis O’Neil neared his personal best time in the 1,600 meters of 1:53 by turning in a 1:54.1.

Poway’s Jeff Haines, running against a head wind of 2 1/2 meters per second, ran a 15.1 in the 110 high hurdles, just barely edging Carson’s Curtis Hawkins. Both Hawkins and Haines had clocked 14.9s earlier in the year.

Orange Glen’s Lenny McGill eclipsed his personal best in the triple jump by going 48-11 1/2. McGill, however, finished second place behind the 50-foot jump of DeAndre Roberson of West Bakersfield.

In the girls’ meet, triple jumper Rachelle Johnson from Patrick Henry jumped 39-4 to win and eclipse her previous best by an inch.

In the 1,600 meters, Rancho Buena Vista High’s Kira Jorgensen was expecting a rematch with Palos Verdes’ Ashley Black, who beat Jorgensen just two weeks ago in the Pasadena Games. This time, however, Black did not show and Jorgensen won in 5:00.9.

Poway hurdler Kim Dill pulled off a double, first taking the 100 low hurdles in 15.1 and then outclassing the field in the 300 low hurdles to win at 45.3

There was some added interest in the boys’ sprint events where the No. 1 Australian sprinter, Paul Henderson, was entered. Henderson, however, was nudged by Long Beach Poly’s Andre Green, 10.8 to 10.9.

“I slipped at the start,” Henderson said, “but I felt I had the kick to win if it wasn’t for that bad start.”

Henderson came back to win the top heat in the 200 meters in 21.7. Green placed second with the same time.

The Australian said he expected to place well against his American competition. And why not, his top 200 time of 21.13 is better than that of Australia’s representative in the Olympics (Darren Clirk has a 21.25, according to Henderson).

“That makes you feel really confident and good inside,” Henderson said.