Glendale’s Nelson Wins Steeplechase in Fresno Relays

Robert Nelson of Glendale College is several weeks away from being in top racing form, according to track Coach Eddie Lopez. If that’s true, Nelson could be a dominating force in the state junior college championships next month.

Nelson set a personal best of 9 minutes 4.50 seconds in winning the junior college 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Fresno Relays at Fresno City College on Saturday.

Oscar Perez finished second in a personal best of 9:13.96 to give Glendale a one-two finish in hot, windy conditions.

“I was hoping to run 9:20 or a little bit faster today,” Nelson said. “I’m surprised how fast I ran. It didn’t feel that hard. I know I can improve a lot before the season is out.”

Nelson and Perez shared the lead for the first four laps before Nelson set out on his own.

“I felt good, so I figured I’d just go for it,” Nelson said.

Nelson, who set his previous best of 9:22 while redshirting at Glendale last year, took two months off from running after finishing 10th in the state junior college cross-country championships last November.

The layoff does not appear to have hurt him. If anything, it has rejuvenated him as his time Saturday caused him to reassess his season’s goals.

“I was hoping to break nine minutes (in the steeplechase) before the season started,” Nelson said. “Now I think I can run much faster.”

Cal State Northridge had a productive, yet frustrating meet, especially in the 100 meters and 100-meter low hurdles in the women’s portion.

Charlotte Vines ran a wind-aided 11.62 in the first qualifying heat of the 100 meters earlier in the day, and teammate Dee Dee Small notched a personal best of 11.91 in the second heat. But in the final, five hours later at night, Small finished seventh in 11.94 and Vines was eighth in 12.08. Vines’ time of 11.62 exceeded the provisional qualifying time for the NCAA Division I (11.80) championships and the Olympic Trials (11.67).

Provisional qualifiers will be invited to the NCAA meet and the Olympic Trials if the number of automatic qualifiers is below the desired number of entries.

Northridge teammates Kim Young and Erin Morris turned in performances similar to Vines and Small in the 100-meter hurdles, running faster in the heats than in the final.

Young finished fourth in the final with a wind-aided time of 13.85, and Morris was fifth in 14.14. Young had tied her personal best of 13.77 in the first qualifying heat, and Morris had lowered her personal best to 13.88 in the second heat.