Matador Sprinter Hendrix Enjoys Bright Homecoming With Fresno Track Effort

As homecomings go, it will be hard for Kevin Hendrix of Cal State Northridge to top his performance in the Fresno Relays at Fresno City College on Saturday.

A win in the intercollegiate-open division of the men’s 100 meters, a storming anchor leg to help Northridge place second in the 400 relay, and a third leg of 47.9 seconds on the Matadors’ seventh-place 1,600 relay teammade Hendrix’s return to his hometown a success.

“I enjoy running here,” said Hendrix, who placed third for Roosevelt High in the 100 and 400 at the 1986 state championships. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in school here, but I still get a lot of support when I come up here.”

Hendrix gave them plenty to cheer about.

First, he won his 100-meter qualifying heat in an eased-up 10.75 seconds, then he brought the Matadors from fourth to second on the final leg of the 400 relay. Finally, he came from behind to win the 100 final in 10.59.

The Northridge 400 relay quartet of Melvin Jones, Chris Pippins, Wade Smart and Hendrix clocked 40.71 to finish behind Fresno State’s 40.50. The time was a season best and qualified Northridge for the NCAA Division II championships.

“That was probably my best race of the meet,” Hendrix said. “I run best when someone is out in front of me and that’s what happened.”

In the 100, Hendrix led for the first 50 meters of the final, but relaxed in the next 25 meters before coming from behind to win in the final 10 meters.

“My plan was to get out in front and then relax,” Hendrix said. “But I overdid it and had to turn it on in the final meters.”

His final surge just nipped Azusa Pacific’s Doug Edwin (10.60) at the wire.

Hendrix wasn’t the only former Fresno-area standout to shine for Northridge, whose men’s team finished sixth in the intercollegiate-open division as Fresno State won both the men’s and women’s competitions.

Kim Young, a freshman from Madera High, finished third in the finals of the women’s intercollegiate-open 100-meter low hurdles.

Young, who clocked a personal best of 13.96 to win her qualifying heat earlier in the day, ran 14.19 in the evening final.

Pam Irby of the Bay Area Track Club won the final in 13.80, followed by Cal Poly Pomona’s Doris Williams, the defending NCAA Division II champion, in 13.85.

Freshman Erin Morris finished strong to place fourth (14.52) for Northridge, whose women’s team finished fifth overall.

The women’s 100 meters was another close finish, but Northridge came out on the short end when Charlotte Vines was beaten by Mina Hutchins of Cal, 11.95 to 11.96.

Vines, a freshman from San Marcos High in Santa Barbara, was no better than fourth coming out of the blocks, but finished strong to just miss catching Hutchins.

Vines and Laural Isles teamed up with Yvette McCullough and Lolita Pile to finish second in the intercollegiate-open 400 relay. The Lady Matador quartet clocked 46.76 behind Cal’s 46.02.

Northridge also placed second in the 1,600 relay as Isles, Michelle Barga, Cela Taylor and Young timed 3:48.01. UC Irvine won in 3:46.67.

For the second week in a row, Darcy Arreola of the Nike Coast Track Club was gunned down in the homestretch of the 1,500.

Last week in the Northridge Invitational at CSUN, Gladees Prieur outkicked Arreola in the final stretch, and on Saturday night, it was Nike Coast teammate Lesley Noll who did the honors.

Buffy Rabbitt of UC Irvine led the race for the first 1,100 meters (clocking 70.3 at the 400 mark and 2:22.7 at 800), but Arreola and Noll simultaneously took the lead at 1,200 (3:34.3) meters. After that, it was a 300-meter dash that Noll, an 800-meter specialist, eventually won.

Arreola held a small lead over Noll as they entered the homestretch, but the USC graduate was simply too strong for her rival, clocking 4:20.06 to Arreola’s 4:20.58.

Vaughn Kastor clocked a season-best 1:49.55 to finish behind Jack Armour (1:49.11).