Jorgensen, O’Neill Both a Mile Ahead at State : Fallbrook’s Noon (Shotput), Orange Glen’s McGill (Triple Jump) Also Win

So much for long goodbys. Seniors Kira Jorgensen of Rancho Buena Vista and Francis O’Neill of San Pasqual bid farewell to high school track at Saturday’s state finals by running the fastest 1,600-meter races in California this year, taking first-place medals in doing so.

Jorgensen and O’Neill led a San Diego contingent that took home four firsts, two seconds and a third.

The other winners were Fallbrook’s Brent Noon, who went 66-1 in the shotput, and Orange Glen’s Lenny McGill, who flew 51-1 in the triple jump.

University City’s Jerome Price went 24-7 3/4 for second in the long jump behind the smashing state record of 26-4 3/4 by Tulare’s James Stallworth, and Escondido’s Wes Stephens scaled 15-2 in the pole vault for a surprise third-place finish.

But the highlight of the meet, at least as far as the San Diego Section is concerned, was the back-to-back victories in the 1,600 (about a mile) by first Jorgensen and then O’Neill. It was the first time San Diego county athletes had accomplished such a feat, and both Jorgensen and O’Neill come from the Avocado League.

It was Jorgensen’s third consecutive state title in the event. Not a bad way for the UCLA-bound senior to bow out.

“It’s hard to believe I did it,” Jorgensen said while fighting back tears. “I wanted it so bad.”

As has become her custom, Jorgensen claimed her version of the triple crown by running away from the pack early and leaving no chance for any of her competitors to kick at the end. Her personal best 4:49.55 was two seconds better than second-place finisher Beth Bartholomew of Fremont (4:51.59).

“I think I pretty much ran the race of my life,” Jorgensen said. “Not as far as time goes, but it was just a textbook race.”

Jorgensen tried doubling in the 3,200 but finished far behind in fifth in 10:42.34. Rayna Cervantes of Montebello won in 10:32.95.

Then Jorgensen said goodby.

“I realize my season’s over, and it’s kind of scary,” she said with more than just a little mist in her eyes. “It’s just kind of sad . . . I have to go on now.”

So too does O’Neill, who is awaiting word from Arizona on whether a scholarship has been reserved for him.

As if he had something to prove, O’Neill ran what for him could only be termed an atypical race in the 1,600. He took charge and led from the very beginning--albeit by only two steps--until half a lap remained, and Burbank’s Todd Lewis overtook him.

Overtook may be too strong of a word. Lewis could not get more than a three-stride advantage, and when O’Neill came out of the final turn, he clicked in his afterburners and cruised past Lewis, then crossed the line in a personal best 4:08.67.

Carpinteria’s Coley Candaele ended up in second (4:09.01) and Lewis in third (4:09.02).

“No one was going out, and to do what I wanted to do, someone was going to have to take it out, or I would have to,” O’Neill said of his decision to set the pace. “The strategy is to take the kick away from guys like (Lewis and Candaele). I find that I have a pretty good kick even if I’m tired, so I decided to burn it out of them.”

The strategy didn’t work as well when O’Neill came back in the 800.

Like the 1,600, O’Neill took the lead coming out of the first turn. But unlike the 1,600, when Piedmont’s Gordon Johnson shifted gears in the final 100 meters, O’Neill’s legs wouldn’t allow him to come back. He wound up second in 1:52.11 to Johnson’s 1:51.88.

“All I was thinking about was my legs starting to hurt,” O’Neill said. “They wanted to go faster, but they just couldn’t.”

Noon was saying pretty much the same thing about his shotput and discus efforts. He wanted to go farther but just couldn’t.

Noon holds the nation’s best shotput mark this season at 69-8 1/4. That came a month ago in the last dual meet of the season. Ever since, he has been going for 70 feet.

“I’m happy I won the (state title),” Noon said. “But I would’ve liked to get more . . . I just didn’t do it.”

Noon’s best in the discus, 178-5, was also under par and good for just fifth place. Derrick Stevens of Bakersfield High won at 188-2.

McGill, too, was somewhat disappointed in his mark--it was an inch off his 51-2 season national best set at Friday’s preliminaries. McGill’s 51-1 came on his first of six attempts.

“But I couldn’t get any of my other jumps because of my heel,” McGill said of a nagging injury that has been bothering him all year and was reinjured on his first jump.

While Noon and McGill expected better efforts, Stephens said he couldn’t have a 15-2 was within his capabilities.

“My best coming in was 14-6, and I hadn’t done that (since April 28 at the Orange Glen Invitational),” he said.

Stephens credited his sudden success to a new pole, one rated at 165 pounds (15 pounds more than Stephens weighs, the optimal ratio).

San Pasqual finished tied for fourth with Justin Siena in boys’ teams competition with 21 points behind winner Hawthorne (40). Orange Glen was sixth with 16. Rancho Buena Vista’s girls finished 10th with 13 points in the team competition won by Pasadena Muir.