Noon Puts Himself Out of Reach

Mark Parlin and Mark Kinney of Esperanza High School stood by the edge of the shotput ring Friday at Cerritos College and watched with reverence.

Brent Noon of Fallbrook, the nation’s best high school shotputter, scuffed his feet as he entered the ring, preparing for the first of his three qualifying throws.

A moment later, he launched his shotput into the twilight, higher and farther than any of the 27 previous competitors Friday. It hit the turf 73 feet 6 inches away, breaking the state track and field meet record by a startling 5 feet 2 inches.

The crowd in the southwest corner of the stadium, which had cheered Noon’s warm-up throws, burst into applause.

Brian Blutreich of Capistrano Valley had set the old record of 68-4 in the 1985 state meet. Since then, no one had come within a foot of that mark. Not even Noon, who won last year’s state meet with a throw of 66-1 1/2.

Noon threw 76-2 this season, coming as close as anyone has to Michael Carter’s national record of 77-0, set in 1979 when the San Francisco 49ers’ noseguard was at Jefferson High in Dallas.

Later, Parlin laughed and used a tired, but nevertheless appropriate word to describe Noon.

“Awesome,” said Parlin, the second-leading qualifier Friday with a throw of 60-7.

Buoyed by five weeks of training with world record holder Randy Barnes at his home in northern San Diego County, Noon seems unbeatable.

Unless he falters badly, he’ll win his second consecutive state championship.

Going into tonight’s final (7 at Cerritos College), Parlin finds himself stranded in an odd position. There seems no way he can beat Noon and yet it appears there is no one to challenge him for second.

Jon Frank of Bakersfield was third with a throw of 58-3. Matt Jordan of Dana Hills, who set a personal best with his 57-6, was fourth. Kinney (57-4) was fifth.

Parlin’s best is 62-6 1/2, set while winning the 3-A title two weeks ago.

“He’d throw better if there was someone around him; he’s always been that way,” Esperanza shotput coach Bill Pendleton said. “Hopefully, with the incentive of state finals (tonight), he’ll go a littler farther.”

Parlin, who is shooting for a 64-foot throw tonight, said he’s not concerned with an absence of immediate competition.

“He’s pushing me,” he said pointing at Pendleton.

Kinney said his main objective was qualifying for the final. Still, he was not altogether pleased with his throws.

“I know I can do better,” said Kinney, whose best is 58-3 1/4, set in the 3-A preliminaries three weeks ago. “But I needed to qualify.”

Jordan let out a yelp and slapped his hands together, then raised them over his head after his third throw sailed 57-6.

He had been thinking his high school career would be over if he didn’t pull off a big throw.

“It’s been since the preseason since I had a good throw,” he said.

But he smashed his personal best of 56-3, set in the third meet of the season.

Now, he’s trying for 58 feet.

Like the others, Jordan has no illusions about beating Noon.

“(He’s) kind of out of my league,” he said. “He has nothing to worry about. I can’t compete with him.”