Jones and Drossin Set Early Standards at Spartan Relays

Early season track and field invitationals do not usually offer much in terms of excitement. The idea is something like baseball’s spring training: regain the feel of competition while getting back into shape.

The Spartan Relays at Rio Mesa High on Saturday had that plus a lot more as three nation-leading times for this year were established.

Marion Jones, a Rio Mesa sophomore, sped to a 11.61-second clocking in the 100-meter dash and Agoura senior Deena Drossin ran the 3,200 in 10 minutes 40.2 seconds. Drossin also joined Melissa Fox, Tiffany York and Kristie Camp on the Chargers’ 4 x 800 relay team, which recorded a 9:40.42 mark.

Jones’ personal-best time amazed Rio Mesa co-Coach Brian FitzGerald.

“To do that in the first meet of the season could forecast something big at the end of the season,” he said. “Our goal (on Saturday) was around 11.90.”

Jones’ effort was even more impressive, considering that she ran into a slight head wind. No wind gauge was available, however.

Jones, who won state titles in the 100 and 200 as a freshman, came back to anchor the Spartans’ second-place 400-relay and victorious sprint-medley teams. She also ran the third leg on Rio Mesa’s 1,600-relay squad, which finished fifth in 4:17.54.

Although her last-stretch surges in the 400 relay have become commonplace--Saturday she brought the Spartans from third to second (49.57)--Jones exceeded her own expectations during her 400 leg in the sprint medley.

She took the baton in third, behind Hawthorne and St. Bernard, then scorched a 54.4 to help Rio Mesa notch a relay win in 1:48.74.

“I didn’t think I was ready for it,” Jones said of her 400 split. “I didn’t think I was going to catch (Hawthorne’s Konica Conwright). But on the backstretch I was gaining on the girl in second (St. Bernard’s Tamara Rucker) and then I knew I was going to catch the leader.”

Drossin led wire to wire in the 3,200 after clocking 2:20.2 on Agoura’s 4 x 800 relay team and a 65.0 400 mark for the distance-medley team. After the 3,200, Drossin ran a leg on the Chargers’ 8 x 200 team, which finished second to Hawthorne in 3:51.01.

“I was definitely impressed with that,” Drossin said of time in the 3,200. “I felt really good and really relaxed.”

Drossin’s freshness could be attributed to the rain-caused postponement Thursday of Agoura’s scheduled nonleague meet against Notre Dame. Charger Coach Bill Duley said Drossin is primed for the World Junior (ages 14-19) cross-country championships in Antwerp, Belgium, March 24.

“She’s real fired up for Antwerp,” Duley said. “I didn’t expect that kind of time.”

Agoura was the only team under 10 minutes (9:40.42) in the 4 x 800 relay. Fillmore was second in 10:04.94 and Buena (10:09.19) was third.

Fox led off in 2:32.0 followed by York in 2:23.9, which gave Drossin a 20-meter lead over Fillmore. Camp finished her anchor leg in 2:23.7.