Jones Sets National Record in Masters Meet 100 Meters

Rio Mesa High sophomore Marion Jones has ceased to amaze Spartan co-Coach Brian FitzGerald.

Even after Jones set a National High School Federation record Friday night in the 100 meters in the Southern Section Masters meet at Cerritos College in Norwalk, FitzGerald remained calm.

“It didn’t surprise me,” FitzGerald said of Jones’ performance. “I’m not easily surprised anymore. I know where she’s at.”

Jones got out of the blocks quickly and stormed to the finish in 11.28 seconds--a whopping 0.50 seconds ahead of runner-up Tamika Bradfield of Dominguez--in erasing the standing Federation mark of 11.29 set in 1982 by Barbara Bell of Fort Worth (Tex.) Trimble Tech.

But while Jones’ personal-best time broke a national record, it only tied the Rio Mesa school record. Former Spartan standout Angela Burnham also ran 11.28, in the 1988 Olympic Trials at Indianapolis. Both Jones and Burnham are fourth on the all-time high school list.

The times of Burnham and Jones--as well as the three marks by the runners ahead of the Rio Mesa pair--do not qualify for record consideration under Federation rules because they were set in meets that included non-high school competitors.

In addition, Jones gave Rio Mesa’s 400 relay team a boost Friday when she swooped past Hawthorne’s Konika Conwright en route to a season-best time of 47.85. That moved the Spartans from sixth to fifth place, earning them a berth in next week’s state meet.

Jones finished the day by cruising to a 23.29 win in the 200, an event in which she already has established the National Federation record of 22.87.

“I was hoping for 22s, but I have plenty of time,” Jones said of her 200 time Friday.

Fillmore junior Nikki Shaw also displayed a turn of speed to win the 800 and 1,600 meters in personal-best times.

In the 1,600, Shaw ran close to Shelley Taylor of Huntington Beach Edison, allowing Agoura’s Deena Drossin and Long Beach Wilson’s Erica Sumi to take out the pace fast.

Drossin and Sumi built a 30-meter lead on Shaw and Taylor after two laps, passed in 2:23. Shaw and Taylor, however, have superior closing speed to Drossin and Sumi, and they cut the deficit to 15 meters with a lap to go.

The pair then chased down Drossin and Sumi on the backstretch before Shaw broke away with 120 meters remaining to win in 4 minutes 49.77 seconds.

Sumi, who had paced Drossin for 3 1/2 laps, held off Taylor for second in 4:51.17. Taylor finished third in 4:52.38 and Drossin fourth in a personal-best 4:52.78.

“I knew they would go out hard and I didn’t want to do that,” Shaw said of Drossin and Sumi. “I paced off Shelley because I knew she would eventually close (the gap).”

Shaw, a state finalist in the 800 last year, ran toward the back of the pack in that race Friday, allowing other runners to set the pace.

She then surged down the final stretch to hold off Kemara Mayberry of St. Bernard and win in 2:11.75. Mayberry was second in 2:11.88.

Drossin, battling a sinus infection, reversed her strategy in the 3,200--running off the pace instead of setting it. She took over the lead from Sunny Hills’ Carrie Garritson with three laps to go to win in 10:40.88.

Fillmore’s Maribella Aparicio was second in 10:45.39 and Westlake’s Jeannie Rothman placed third in 10:46.16.

Garritson faded to fourth in 10:47.58.

For the state meet, Drossin, the defending state champion in the 3,200, will drop the 1,600 to concentrate on the 3,200.