ATHLETE OF THE WEEK : Graduating a Winner : White Takes Cap and Gown Over Masters Meet

Had track and field been Russell White’s primary athletic endeavor, his decision to forgo the Southern Section Masters meet at Cerritos College on Friday in favor of attending his graduation at Crespi High might have been difficult to make.

But as the state’s all-time career rushing (5,998 yards) and scoring leader, White knows that his future lies in football, the sport for which he signed a letter of intent with Cal.

“Football has always been my number-one love,” said White, who won the 100 and 200 meters, long jump and triple jump in the Southern Section 2-A Division finals at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday. “I enjoy track. I’ve always wanted to do as well as I can in it, but it’s never been as important to me as football.”

Having qualified for the Masters in the 200, long jump and triple jump, White’s high school athletic career will end Friday if he does not compete because the meet is the Southern Section qualifier for the state championships.

Although White will lose a chance to improve upon his eighth-place finish in the 200 as a junior and on his second-place effort in the triple jump as a sophomore, he appears content with his decision.

“It wasn’t really that hard to make,” he said. “Graduating from Crespi means a lot to me and I want to go through the ceremonies.”

Followers of Crespi track will not soon forget White’s performance: He accounted for 40 of the Celts’ 42 points to lead them to a second-place finish behind Arroyo Grande (70).

White ran personal bests of 10.78 in the 100 and 21.47 in the 200, leaped a wind-aided 23 feet, 3 1/2 inches in the long jump and bounded a season best of 48-11 in the triple jump.

His performances were even more impressive because he was not challenged in any event. He eased up in the final meters of the 100 and 200, yet still won by .08 and .34 seconds. And even though he took only three of his allotted six attempts, he had a victory margin of 3 3/4 inches in the long jump and 1 foot, 5 1/2 inches in the triple jump.

“I wanted to go out with my head held high,” White said.