State Prep Track and Field Meet : Hawthorne Breaks Relay Record Again

Hawthorne High School boys’ 400-meter relay team has a problem. It can’t find the competition in California it needs to set a national record.

For the third consecutive time in the last two weeks, the Cougars broke their State record. They won their heat in a time of 40.24 seconds during the preliminary portion of the State Track and Field Championships before 5,240 fans at Cerritos College Friday night.

The finals are tonight, with field events beginning at 5 and running events at 6.

With their time, Hawthorne’s sprint team moves into the fourth spot on the national all-time list. The national prep record is 40.18, set by Dallas South Oak this season.

Hawthorne’s Curtis Conway won his 100-meter (10.48) and 200-meter (21.30) heats, in addition to anchoring the Cougars’ two relay teams.

In the finals, however, Conway will face tough competition from two Northern Californians.

In winning his heats in the 100 and 200, Barry Smith of San Francisco Mission set a state mark in the 100 meters (10.41). The record came despite a recall on the start of his heat, caused when his blocks slipped from under him.

Smith won his 200 heat in 21.17.

Jeff Laynes of Oakland was also impressive with heat victories in 10.43 and 21.48.

In the long jump, James Stallworth of Tulare set a State record with a leap of 25-5 1/2 on his first attempt.

Angela Burnham of Oxnard Rio Mesa, the defending State champion in the 100 and 200 meters, who has the fastest sprint times in the nation this season, won her 100 (11.41) and 200 (23.76) heats. Inger Miller of Pasadena Muir (11.38 and 23.71) also won her sprint heats.

Juliana Yendork of Walnut, only a sophomore, won the triple jump with a 42-6 3/4, third best ever by a girl in a high school meet.