Rio Mesa’s Jones Breaks Records in Three Events

Sophomore Marion Jones reinforced her claim as the best high school female sprinter in the nation Friday with three record efforts in winning four events as Oxnard Rio Mesa won its second consecutive Southern Section 3-A track and field title at Cerritos College.

Jones, defending State 100- and 200-meter champion, won both sprints and the 400 meters and anchored the Spartans’ winning 400-meter relay team.

Jones set records of 11.30 seconds in the 100 meters (fifth fastest prep time of all-time); 52.91 in the 400 (a Southern Section record), and 23.06 in the 200, which is short of her national record personal-best of 22.87 but still broke the Southern Section divisional meet record.

Joining Jones in the record books was Juliana Yendork of Walnut, two-time defending State long and triple jump champion. Yendork set a national prep mark by winning the 2-A Division triple jump in 43 feet 6 inches, while also winning the long jump in 20-1 3/4 and finishing third in the 100.

Pasadena Muir won its fourth consecutive girls’ 4-A Division championship behind Akua Sutherland, who won the 100- and 300-meter low hurdles.

Ricky Carrington of Compton was the top performer in the boys’ competition, winning the 100 (10.48), 200 (21.30) and anchoring Compton’s 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams.