Venice Distance Runner Jordan Misses State Meet Because of Injury : Prep track: Senior could have a stress fracture in his right shin. He will be out of action for at least a month.

Last month, Venice High distance runner Danny Jordan appeared on the verge of a state championship. This week, he is pondering his immediate future in the sport while awaiting word on the extent of an injury in his right shin.

Jordan, who entering the City Section final in mid-May had one of the fastest times in the nation in the 1,600-meter run, has been hobbled in recent weeks with a sore right shin that forced him to miss last weekend’s state meet at Cerritos College. Initially, he thought it was tendinitis, but after X-rays last week his doctor believes Jordan might have a stress fracture.

“If it ends up being a stress fracture, I won’t be doing any running for at least a month,” said Jordan, a senior who recently signed a letter of intent with Southern Methodist University. “I may even have to get a cast. It’s terribly disappointing, but I’ve been running with pain for about the last month and it isn’t fun. I just want to get the problem rectified.”

The extent of the injury will be revealed today when Jordan undergoes a bone scan.

Jordan, 18, became one of the nation’s top milers after running the 1,600 in 4 minutes, 10.8 seconds at the Arcadia Invitational in April. The time was the third best in the state and fifth best in the country. He finished second in the 1,500 at the prestigious Mt. San Antonio College Relays several weeks later with a 3:52.2.

He was favored to defend his 1,600 title at the City meet, but that is when the leg started bothering him. He ran a 4:20.0 in the semifinals and lost to Brian Gastelum of Birmingham. Gastelum beat him again in the final, easily winning 4:11.78 to 4:20.38. Jordan, in fact, barely held off teammate Ben Mesfen (4:20.86) for second place.

“I’ve been getting in only one workout a week for the last month,” Jordan said. “It just hurt too bad to run.”

Jordan didn’t practice before the state meet. Although he had planned to participate, he scratched from Friday’s preliminaries after his doctor advised him not to run. Mesfen, who qualified for state, finished sixth in the 1,600 with a 4:14.7. His preliminary time of 4:13.04 bettered his personal best by seven seconds.

“I went to the state meet and watched,” Jordan said. “It was painful to watch the 1,600, but seeing Ben do so well eased the pain a little bit.”

The injury will force Jordan to miss the Golden West Invitational in Sacramento Saturday and next weekend’s Keebler Invitational in Chicago. He also will have to skip the TAC Jr. Nationals later this month in Fresno.

While Jordan was nursing his injury at home Monday night, Santa Monica High’s Felice Lipscomb was watching videotape of her victories at the state meet in the 100- and 300-meter low hurdles.

Lipscomb, a USC-bound senior, successfully defended her state title in the 100 hurdles in a personal-best 13.58, and then unseated defending champion Twila Sims of Lompoc in the 300 with a national-best time of 41.69. Sims finished second with a 41.76.

“I look pretty good on tape,” said a laughing Lipscomb. “I’m still very excited and happy with the way the state meet turned out. It was my goal to get two state titles this season, and I’m elated that I was able to achieve that goal.”

Lipscomb was undefeated in the 100 hurdles and didn’t expect to be challenged at state. Her main concern was the 300 hurdles, a race she didn’t begin running until this season. She lost in the event three times, all to Sims.

Sims’ latest victory was two weeks ago at the Masters Meet, when she came from behind to edge Lipscomb, 42.29 to 42.30.

Both won their heats in the state preliminaries, setting up the anticipated showdown. But this time Lipscomb was able to hold off a gaining Sims on the last hurdle.

“I was in tears after the finish because I thought I had lost again,” Lipscomb said. “But when the finish-line judge told me I had won I couldn’t believe it.”

Lipscomb plans to run the 100 hurdles at Golden West and Keebler, but will skip the longer hurdle race since it is increased from 300 to 400 meters.