Vujic Makes Amends in 1,500 Meters

After going out with a whimper in the 5,000 meters two days earlier, Sasha Vujic of Cal State Northridge returned with a bang in the men’s 1,500 meters in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays on Saturday.

The senior from Burroughs High placed second in his heat of the men’s university open 1,500 in a personal best of 3 minutes 46.20 seconds after dropping out of the 5,000 meters Thursday night.

“There was no way I was going to end this meet like that,” said Vujic, who decided Friday night to enter the 1,500. “I was going to get into this race no matter what. I was really upset about Thursday night. I wasn’t focused like I should have been. I wasn’t ready.”

Vujic ran near the back of the lead pack for the first 1,000 meters Saturday before moving into fifth with 400 meters remaining. Jaime Trento of the Calgary Thunderbolts led at 1,200 meters in 3:03.6, with Vujic fourth and charging.

“After (running 4:08.12 in the mile at the Fresno Relays) I knew I could come through in 3:03 and keep going,” Vujic said. “The race went perfectly for me.”

Vujic moved into second with 200 meters left, and challenged Trento in the homestretch before falling short.

Trento won in 3:45.77.

“I felt good,” Vujic said after moving to third on the all-time Northridge performer list. “I felt like I was walking.”

Garrett Noel and Tanya Lynch also had outstanding performances for Northridge, posting wins in the field events.

Noel and teammate Gil Carrillo placed first and second in the men’s university open javelin with throws of 227 feet, and 226-11, respectively. Lynch won the women’s university open triple jump with a personal best of 39-11 1/2.

Northridge’s Teresa Stricklin, Charlotte Vines and Michael Smith failed to win their events, but they did produce lifetime-best efforts.

Stricklin placed fourth in the university open discus with a throw of 157-3. The mark, which was also a CSUN freshman record, moved her to second on the all-time Matador list. Vines, meanwhile, timed 24.40 to place second in her heat of the university open 200, and Smith ran 1:51.13 to place fourth in his heat of the university open 800.

Moorpark College, coming off a pair of school-record performances in the 400- and 1,600-meter relays at Azusa Pacific last week, broke another school record by winning the men’s university open 800 relay in 1:24.68.

The Raiders were a late addition to the field, joining after Bryan Krill and Jeff Ingalls dropped the baton on the second exchange of the junior college race Thursday.

“We begged them to let us in this race, and luckily they did,” Moorpark assistant Manny Trevino said.

Darrick Gaines led off the relay for Moorpark, followed by Krill, Ingalls and Phil Antoine.

In high school events, Dave Harzmann of Glendale High and Jeff Wilson of Newbury Park turned in region-leading times. Harzmann finished third in the 100 meters in 10.83 and Wilson was fourth in the 1,500 in 3:55.29.

Angel Martinez of San Gabriel won the 1,500 in a nation-leading time of 3:50.47.

* JONES, SHAW POST WINS

Marion Jones of Thousand Oaks High won the girls’ 100 and Nikki Shaw of Fillmore the girls’ 1,500 in the prep portion of the Mt. SAC Relays. C16