Hurdler Tolson Not Retiring on Track : Southern Section: La Quinta freshman may appear shy, but she could well find herself at the front of the pack in the 100 hurdles this weekend.

Elinor Tolson fidgeted, squirmed and tried her best to look poised and unaffected as she concentrated on the next flight of hurdles.

But it was obvious that the attention focused on her--from a photographer, a reporter and the small crowd gathered to watch her practice Tuesday afternoon--was more than enough to make the La Quinta High School freshman nervous.

“You’re going to have to get used to it, Elinor,” an onlooker suggested. “This is how it’s going to be in the big time.”

Tolson hasn’t reached the big time yet, but she certainly seems to be on her way.

Despite the fact that this shy, soft-spoken 15-year-old had only two years of track experience before high school, she ran the fastest time of the day in the 100-meter hurdles Friday at the Southern Section 2-A preliminaries.

Friday night, she will be among those favored to win the event in the 2-A final at 5:25 p.m. She also will compete in the 300 hurdles at 7:35.

Tolson, whose best time this season in the 100 hurdles (14.79 seconds) ranks No. 1 in the county and among the best in the Southern Section, has been impressing--and surprising--track followers all year.

She won the 100 hurdles at the Orange County Championships April 22, and was outrun only by Mission Viejo’s Andrea Dean in the 100.

In Garden Grove League competition, Tolson set league records in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles at the league championships two weeks ago.

Asked how about her sudden success, Tolson shrugged, then said: “I don’t know. I mean, when people come up and say ‘Good race’ I just say, ‘Oh, thank you.’ . . . I mean, there are other freshmen (who are competing at her level), they just live in L.A.”

Among those would be Morningside’s Sonoma Nickson, a friend of Tolson’s and the second-fastest qualifier in last week’s preliminaries.

Tolson and Nickson developed their hurdling techniques through age-group competition. Tolson started hurdling at 13 with Time Machine USA, a Mission Viejo youth club affiliated with The Athletics Congress.

In her first year, Tolson won national age-group titles in the 100 and 200 hurdles. Last year, she won an age-group title in the 400 hurdles.

But although high school competition has been kind to Tolson, she has one small complaint--she could do without the spotlight.

“It embarrasses me when the announcers say my name and then say, ‘And she’s only a freshman! ‘ “ Tolson said. “I hate being a freshman. I mean, people don’t call me a scrub or anything, and I act pretty mature, but I don’t like being treated like a freshman.”

Tolson said she became interested in the hurdles after watching Olympian Edwin Moses, the world-record holder in the 400 intermediate hurdles, compete on television. Like Moses, Tolson has a slight space between her two front teeth.

“Yeah,” Tolson said. “I hate that, too. That’s the reason I don’t like smiling. I don’t want people to see it. I just try to keep my mouth closed.”

Fortunately for La Quinta, Tolson’s shyness stops when the race starts.

Tolson’s hurdle technique--smooth, gliding, yet quick--is impressive, be it her freshman year or not. And her speed, evidenced in a 12.68 second 100, gives her the foundation for future success.

“I want to run in the high 13s or, if possible, the low 13s,” Tolson said. “I want to win and try to get to the state meet. . . . even if I am a freshman.”

Southern Section Notes

The meet, in its 78th year, starts at 3 p.m. with the field events. The first running event is the girls’ 400-meter relay at 4 p.m. . . . Among the county’s top athletes scheduled to compete are Edison’s Shelley Taylor, who will return to defend her titles in both the 4-A 800 and 1,600 meters; Corona del Mar’s Jill Young, whose time of 45.57 led all qualifiers in the 3-A 300 hurdles; Mission Viejo’s Lisa Fager, the county triple jump record-holder at 39-11 1/2; Orange Lutheran’s Renee Wright, who has the fastest times in the 1-A 100 and 300 hurdles; Katella’s Martha Pinto, the 3-A’s top 3,200 runner; and Santa Ana Valley’s Joanna Alo, who had the top preliminary shotput mark (40-4 1/2) in the 3-A. Mater Dei’s Melissa McDonald will compete in the 3-A’s 400, high jump, long jump and 1,600 relay. The event most dominated by Orange County athletes is the 3-A 1,600. It includes El Modena’s Kristina Dahlberg, University’s Tanja Brix, Villa Park’s Susannah Thrasher, Corona del Mar’s Kristen McFarland, Mater Dei’s Kelly Flathers and Los Alamitos’ Tracy Fatone. . . . Woodbridge is the two-time defending champion in the 2-A Division. The Warriors are led by Kaci Keffer, Cathi Peck and Amy Robles.