TRACK AND FIELD ARCADIA INVITATIONAL : Blunt, Dring Win Titles; Washington Finishes Fifth

San Diego Section sprinters fell flat in their first real competition against Los Angeles-area athletes at Saturday’s Arcadia Invitational.

Riley Washington of Southwest High could manage only fifth in the 100 meters (10.84) and Teddy Lawrence of Morse was fifth in the 200 meters (22.19).

Ricky Carrigan of Compton won the both events, clocking a 10.63 in the 100 and a 21.09 in the 200.

Afterward, Carrigan, who finished fifth in the 100 meters in the state last year, said: “I don’t think that there is anyone in Southern California who can beat me.”

The San Diego Section came away with only three firsts.

Erin Blunt of San Pasqual won the 300 low hurdles (42.69). Allison Dring of Mount Carmel set the pace in the 400 (54.77). And Fallbrook’s girls’ distance medley relay team took that event in 12:11.09.

Blunt also placed second in the 100 lows at 14.40.

Escondido’s Keith Williams had the best finish for Section boys, finishing second in the 300 intermediate hurdles at 37.93. The winning time was 37.44. Williams also placed fifth in the 100 highs at 15.03.

But the night belonged to sophomore Marion Jones of Oxnard Rio Mesa, who made her claim as the best high school 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.

“The first five steps I could see (Feagin),” Jones said, who won the state 100 and 200 meters title last year as a freshman. “She was ahead of me coming off of the turn. I think that it was to my advantage being in the outside lane because I had to go all out.”

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.

With standout Juliana Yendork of Walnut sitting out with a hamstring injury, Danielle Brown of Fullerton Sunny Hills won the girls’ triple jump at 39 feet 5 1/2 inches.

Bryan Woodward of Long Beach Poly scored a dramatic victory over Louie Quintana of Arroyo Grande in the 800.

Quintana passed Woodward with 300 meters left, but Woodward won in 1:52.90 with a late burst.