University City’s Turner Continues Hot Streak in 100

Paul Turner says he’s a slow starter--but he’s proving to be a quick learner.

Turner, a University City junior, blew onto the track scene with a 10.5 time in the 100 meters at the Mt. SAC meet two weeks ago. Afterward he had to answer questions as to where he had been all season.

“I was around,” he reiterated Friday at the Orange Glen Invitational. “I just wasn’t the man. I was just average.”

He could talking about mediocrity in the past tense because on Friday he became one of the county’s elite.

Turner made the most of his first start against Southwest’s Riley Washington, edging the Section’s top returning sprinter with a time of 10.7. Washington crossed at 10.8.

“That’s all I’ve wanted to do all year,” Turner said of beating Washington, whose best time this year is 10.66.

But already Turner has learned not to incite his chief competitors.

Washington, a last-minute entry, is just getting over a spinal virus and still is suffering from strep throat. It was his first meet since he placed third at Arcadia (10.81).

And it’s probably a good thing Turner chose a modest approach in his comments about Washington. The Southwest sprinter plans to be back in time for Section preliminaries.

“I just came here to see how I could do,” Washington said. “I’ve been sick for so long.”

Washington said he is still on penicillin and is 10 pounds under weight. Turner said Washington’s poor health made his victory meaningless.

“Riley didn’t run his fastest race,” Turner said. “So I really didn’t win yet. You could tell he was sick. I was with him at the start, so I knew something was wrong.”

Turner also was looking forward to facing Lincoln senior Scott Hammond, the Section’s second-fastest sprinter with a best electronic time this season of 10.73. But Hammond scratched right before the race, citing the four events he competed in during a dual meet Thursday.

Hammond said Turner is nothing to worry about.

“It (Turner’s time) doesn’t impress me,” Hammond said. “I could have ran a 10.6 at least.”

Hammond later won the 200 meters at 21.9.

The Taylor twins of Morse showed up and took first and second in the triple jump, then complained about a similar injury.

Cary Taylor took first in the triple jump (47 feet 3 1/2 inches) while Gary’s second-place mark was 45-1 1/2.

Like other identical twins, Gary and Cary say they always suffer the same ailments--if one gets a headache, so does the other. And both complained of straining their left hamstring during the triple jump.

But several hours later, both seemed to have undergone a spectacular recovery. Not only did they compete in the long jump, but they placed first and second.

More impressive, Gary Taylor went 24-0, bettering his previous county best of 23-6, accomplished only the day before. Cary’s second-place mark was 22-10 1/2.

Another double was turned in by Castle Park’s Isaac Sanchez, who won both the 1,600 (4:27.2) and the 800 (1:57.2).

Sanchez, who soon will drop the 1,600 once he begins preparation for the CIF preliminaries, is the county’s top returning 800 runner, having finished fifth at the state meet after running a top time of 1:54.34.

But like Turner’s victory in the 100, Sanchez’s in the 800 was somewhat tainted. Mt. Carmel’s Greg Robeson wasn’t there. Robeson turned in the county’s top time at the Sundevil Invitational a month ago when he ran a 1:54.41. Sanchez was second at 1:57.

“My goal,” Sanchez said in all seriousness, “is to reach 1:50 or better. But to get that, I’m going to have to get pushed . . . I wish Greg was here.”

Sanchez will need more than a push from Robeson to reach his goal--only three runners in Section history have turned in an 800 time under 1:51.