HIGH SCHOOLS / JIM LINDGREN : Santana Gymnast John Macready Has a Golden Goal

National City staged a parade this week to honor Sweetwater graduate Gail Devers and her 100-meter gold-medal winning performance at the Barcelona Olympics.

Could Santee be next?

Somehow a ticker tape rally down Mission Gorge Road doesn’t seem feasible, but city officials might want to start getting Macready.

John Macready, 17, a Santana High senior, is one of America’s top young gymnasts, and his goal is gold at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

“If I keep accelerating at the rate I have been, I think I have a very good shot at going to Atlanta,” said Macready, who is 5 feet 8, 135 pounds.

Two weeks ago at Stanford, Macready finished first in the 16-18 age division at the Western Regional Competition of the Olympic Development Program for the U.S. Gymnastics Federation. The national competition is Nov. 20-22 at Colorado Springs, Colo., and the top seven gymnasts out of an expected field of 15 will qualify for the USGF international traveling team.

Macready led from start to finish at the regional competition, where athletes were tested not only for skills, but routines, flexibility and strength as well.

Earlier in the year, Macready won the Festival Olympico de Mexico in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico.

Macready, who got into gymnastics when he was 5, moved to Santee three years ago to live and train with Coach Steve Butcher at the Southern California School of Gymnastics. Macready’s parents reside in Santa Monica.

“I’m really close to my family, but I’m also independent,” said Macready, who has orally committed to a scholarship offer from Ohio State. “I like changes.”

In addition to Macready, Butcher is training Victor Flores, a junior at West Hills. Flores, 16, is the No. 2-ranked junior gymnast in Mexico.

HUG A COACH

Today has been dubbed National Coaches Day by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

But while hugs are free, Saturday is National Fund Raising Day.

HAPPENING HARRIERS

Mission Bay is the top-ranked Division II boys’ cross-country team in the state. The Bucs are led by juniors Devin Elizondo, Mario Marquez, David Levy and Roger Romero.

St. Augustine (led by Dan O’Connor, Mark Hauser) is ranked second in Division III. Escondido (Jose Jiminez, Sylvester Guzman) is sixth and San Pasqual (Nazario Romero) seventh in Division II. Mt. Carmel (Greg Nett) is 10th in Division I.

In the girls’ state rankings, San Pasqual (Melissa Keim, Erin Farrell) is third in Division II. Mt. Carmel (Erika Boone, Courtney Kurth) is fourth and Fallbrook (Milena Glusac, Melanie Hand) ninth in Division I.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

St. Augustine’s O’Connor and his sister, Michelle O’Connor of Our Lady of Peace, are not related to Mayor Maureen O’Connor.

But another Saint runner, Christopher Borunda, and his sister, Katherine Borunda of OLP, are related to OLP co-coaches Ernie and Carol Borunda.

Ernie, a municipal court judge in Chula Vista, and Carol are believed to be the only husband-wife co-coach tandem in any sport in the county.

How did Katherine respond when she learned both her parents would be her coaches?

“It was cool,” she said.

GOT THE TIME?

The Section Board of Managers approved a recommendation this week to petition state and national boards to repeal a wristwatch ban on track athletes. The request came from Rich Cota, president of the San Diego Track Starters Assn.

In another item, the board voted to allow girls to compete in the pole vault.

HOLY BOWL PREVIEW

St. Augustine sustained its first defeat last Friday, losing to Patrick Henry, 7-0, when Ricky Williams scored on a one-yard run with 50 seconds left. Marian avoided a tie against Christian when Jeremy Wright kicked a 25-yard field goal with two seconds left to give the Crusaders a 10-7 victory.

The two Catholic schools, both 5-1, face each other Saturday night.

IRONCOMMISH

Section Commissioner Kendall Webb and his wife, Dixie Madsen, worked as volunteers at the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii earlier this month. Webb assisted triathletes as they made the transition from swimming to cycling.

RIVAL REVENGE

Football coaches rarely admit to playing for revenge, but Helix Coach Jim Arnaiz didn’t mince words in revealing that tactic helped ignite his team for last week’s Helix-Grossmont rivalry.

“We kind of made that the focus here this week,” Arnaiz said before Friday’s 14-11 Helix victory. “They stuck it to us pretty good last year. I think our kids feel that that was one of the most embarrassing losses we’ve had here in a while.”

Despite scoring 11 points, the Foothillers can take solace in learning they increased their recent scoring average against Helix, which had been 9.8 points per game since 1979.

THE FINAL COUNT

Rancho Bernardo does not have a football field on campus so it uses Poway and Mt. Carmel for its home games. The Broncos, who played last week at Poway, also play their next two games at Poway and their last two at Mt. Carmel, giving them seven games at those two sites this season . . .

Chula Vista is 32-0-2 in its last 34 Metro Conference games. The Spartans’ two ties in that streak came against Carl Parrick-coached Southwest, 7-7, in 1989, and 10-10, in ’88. Chula Vista’s latest victory--Saturday--came against Parrick-coached Bonita Vista, 16-0.

Long Pass

There had been only seven pass completions longer than 92 yards before this year. There have been five in the first six weeks this fall. Here are the season’s longest completions. All have gone for touchdowns.

99--Anthony Mamaril (Mt. Carmel) from Damian Dolin, vs. RBV, Oct. 9*

98--Jere Miller (Patrick Henry) from Loren Roseman, vs. Crawford, Sept. 18

98--Jason Hunter (Calipatria) from Juan Valencia, vs. Army-Navy, Oct. 16

94--Courtney Arrollado (Valhalla) from Derek Hable, vs. Las Vegas Cimarron, Sept. 12

93--Michael Bell (Crawford) from Dominic Mosler, vs. St. Augustine, Oct. 9

90--Demitrius Gibson (Clairemont) from Peter Soukthavong, vs. Hoover, Oct. 9

85--Speedo Brunetto (St. Augustine) from Aaron Buckner, vs. Ramona, Sept. 11

85--Miller (Patrick Henry) from Justin Gittleman, vs. Kearny, Sept. 25

84--Bell (Crawford) from Mosler, vs. St. Augustine, Oct. 9

83--Jonathon Santos (St. Augustine) from Buckner, vs. Crawford, Oct. 9

* Tied section record set by Dan Hammerschmidt from Jim Plum, Oct. 16, 1981