ARCADIA INVITATIONAL TRACK MEET : Parlin, Taylor Top County’s Efforts

Esperanza High’s Mark Parlin didn’t let a case of nerves deter him Saturday at the 24th annual Arcadia Invitational.

Parlin threw the discus a career best 194 feet 2 inches, which was the eighth-best mark in the history of the prestigious meet.

Parlin’s throw placed him third behind Thomas Barber of Miami Carol City High in Florida, who won at 205-9, and Bakersfield High’s Jeff Buckey, second at 195-1. Barber’s mark is the second-best throw in the nation this year, while Parlin’s is third best. Buckey leads the nation at 210-1.

Parlin, his coach, Bill Pendleton, and Head Coach Al Britt decided to compete at Arcadia instead of the Orange County Championships because some Esperanza sprinters were injured and the coaches didn’t think the team had a shot at a team title.

“It’s a great thing to come here and if we needed him for the team, he would have been there,” Pendleton said.

Parlin, who said he has recovered from an ankle injury 10 days ago, also placed second in the shot put, throwing 62-3 1/4 behind Aaron Echternacht of New Jersey’s Hopewell Valley High, but said he was disappointed with his effort.

“I just wasn’t on,” said Parlin, who has a best of 65-6 this season. “I could have thrown better than that.”

The top girls’ performer from Orange County was Edison’s Shelley Taylor, had kicked past Filmore’s Nikki Shaw in the girls’ 1,600 meters, winning in a career best 4:53.00--the nation’s fastest time this season.

“I was going to pick it up on Shaw on the third lap, but she beat me to it,” Taylor said. “But then the pace still seemed comfortable. I was just staying up there running a strong race and not saving it for the kick.”

Danielle Brown of Sunny Hills was the county’s other winner, going 39-5 1/2 in the triple jump.

Top overall performer of the night was sophomore Marion Jones of Oxnard Rio Mesa, who made her claim as the best girls’ sprinter in the nation with two impressive victories, including a national record in the 200 meters.

In her long awaited showdown with Zundra Feagin of Cocoa, Fla., the national indoor record holder in the 60 and 200 meters, Jones set meet records, winning the 100 meters in 11.38 seconds and the 200 in 22.87.

In the 200 meters, Jones--named girls’ athlete of the meet--trailed early behind Feagin, but pulled away down the stretch to break the record of 23.19, set by Sherri Howard of Granada Hills Kennedy in 1980.

Jones, who also established national records for sophomores and 15-year olds in both events, blasted out to an early lead in the 100 and breezed to a three-stride victory over Feagin, who finished in 11.62.

El Modena’s Mike Terry ran the season’s fastest 800-meter time for Orange County runners, finishing third in a spectacular race with Arroyo Grande’s Louie Quintana, the nation’s No. 1 miler. Terry, a senior, took the lead on the second lap, but Quintana stayed close and passed Terry with about 100 meters left. Af the finish, Long Beach Poly’s Bryan Woodward came on the outside to win in 1 minute 52.90 seconds. Quintana, who sprawled on the track, was second in 1:52.99, and Terry was third in 1:53.38--his career best.

“I kind of tied up the last 10 yards,” Terry said. “But with 200 to go, I felt like I was pulling on him (Quintana) and then I just ran out of gas.”

Almost the same thing happened to San Clemente’s Tim Martin in the invitational 100 meters. Martin placed second in 10.72 behind Compton’s Ricky Carrigan, who won in 10.63. Martin said that after a fast start, he couldn’t stay with Carrigan at the 60-meter mark. Martin was third in the 200, finishing in 21.81.

Other national leading marks:

--Dave Hartman of Canyon Country Canyon won the 3,200 meters in 9:00.63. Angel Martinez of San Gabriel finished second in 9:03.92, the nation’s second-best mark.

--Kim Warner of West Bakersfield won the girls’ 100 meter low hurdles in 14.32.

--Becky Spies of Livermore won the girls’ 800 meters in 2:10.17.

--Erin Blunt of Escondido San Pasqual won the girls’ 300 hurdles in 42.69.

--Deena Drossin of Agoura won the girls’ 3,200 meters in 10.19.63.

Times Staff Writer Lonnie White contributed to this story.