Rio Mesa’s Jones Finishes Last in 100 Final of TAC Championships

Marion Jones of Rio Mesa High has dominated the nation’s prep sprinting ranks this season, but it could be some time before she is one of the top women sprinters in the country.

That was evident at The Athletics Congress track and field championships at Randalls Island in New York City on Friday when the Spartan sophomore finished eighth--and last--in the final of the women’s 100 meters.

Jones, who has a personal best of 11.17 seconds in the 100, timed 11.46 as Carlette Guidry of the University of Texas won with a personal best of 10.94.

Gwen Torrance of Nike South finished second in 11.02, followed by 1984 Olympic Games champion Evelyn Ashford of the Mazda Track Club, who finished in 11.12.

The top three finishers qualified for the U.S. team that will compete in the World Championships in Tokyo, Aug. 24-Sept. 2.

Jones will run in a semifinal of the women’s 200 at 10:05 a.m. PDT today, and if she qualifies, in the final at 12:50 p.m.

Elsewhere, Darcy Arreola of Cal State Northridge, running for the Nike Coast Track Club, finished fourth (4 minutes 15.40 seconds) in the first semifinal of the women’s 1,500 meters to advance to today’s final.