White Takes Career 3 Steps Further at State Track Meet

Two weeks ago, Russell White’s high school athletic career appeared over, but when the second--and final--day of the state track and field championships begins this afternoon at Cerritos College in Norwalk, the Crespi senior will be one of the favorites in the boys’ triple jump.

White earned that distinction Friday by bounding a personal best of 50 feet, 6 inches on his first attempt of the qualifying round, then passed on his last two attempts.

White, who jumped his previous best of 49-7 1/4 to place second in the 1987 state meet in Sacramento, was one of three athletes to crack the 50-foot barrier during qualifying.

DeAndre Roberson of West Bakersfield (50-9 1/4) and Lenny McGill of San Diego Orange Glen (51-2) joined White in that fraternity.

After winning four Southern Section 2-A Division titles two weeks ago, White originally planned to bypass last week’s Masters meet--the Southern Section qualifying meet for the state finals--because of a time conflict with Crespi’s graduation ceremonies. But he was able to go through the ceremonies and then compete in the Masters last Friday, in which he qualified for the state championships in the 200 meters, long jump and triple jump.

White will compete in the finals of those events today, having earned the ninth--and last--qualifying spot in the long jump (23-9 1/4) and the seventh spot in the 200, placing third in his heat (21.64 seconds).

Angela Burnham of Rio Mesa, the defending state champion in the 100 and 200, also will be busy today.

Burnham won heats in the 100 (wind-aided 11.41) and 200 (wind-aided 23.76) on Friday and anchored the Spartans’ 400 relay team (47.47) to victory in the third heat with a storming anchor leg. Taking the baton 10 meters behind Dorsey’s anchor, Burnham turned on the afterburners to win going away.

She concluded the day by anchoring Rio Mesa to a second-place finish in the third heat of the 1,600 relay (3:54.73).

Inger Miller of Pasadena Muir, who is expected to battle Burnham for the 100 and 200 titles, won her 100 heat in a wind-aided 11.38 and the 200 in a wind-aided 23.71.

Todd Lewis of Burbank and Morgan Bateman of Crescenta Valley posted the leading qualifying times in the boys’ 1,600 and 800 meters.

Lewis held off Luis Quintana of Arroyo Grande to win the second heat of the 1,600 in 4:12.77, and Bateman surged into the lead with 200 meters left in the third heat of the 800, then held off Francis O’Neil of Escondido San Pasqual to clock 1:53.57.

Charles Brown of Channel Islands won his heat of the 300 intermediate hurdles in 38.00, the fourth-fastest qualifying time.

Jeff Ingalls of Agoura and Tony Borquez of Alemany both qualified for the finals in the 400.

Borquez ran 48.60 to win the fourth heat and Ingalls placed second (48.58) behind Beno Bryant (48.40) of Dorsey in the second heat.

Crissy Mills of Campbell Hall, Melanie Clarke of El Camino Real and Lori Mertes of Chatsworth all qualified for the finals in the girls’ high jump, clearing 5 feet, 6 inches.

Shannon Wiebelhaus of Rio Mesa and Derril White of Monroe were surprise qualifiers in the girls’ 300 low hurdles and the boys’ long jump, respectively.

Wiebelhaus placed second in her heat of the low hurdles, running 44.68. White leaped a wind-aided 23-9 1/2 to qualify eighth in the long jump.

Today’s meet starts with the field events at 5 p.m. and the running events at 6.