HIGH SCHOOL TRACK ARCADIA INVITATIONAL : Anderson Looks Impressive, but Jones Is the Star

She has not set any national records or qualified for the Olympics, but sophomore Andrea Anderson of Long Beach Poly is showing that she will be the state’s next top sprinter.

Anderson, 15, anchored Poly’s winning 400-meter relay team and finished second in the 100-meter dash at the Arcadia Invitational Saturday night at Arcadia High.

Poly’s 400 relay team won in a time of 45.80 seconds, equaling a meet record set by Hawthorne in 1985. The time is the fastest in the nation this season.

Anderson came back 30 minutes later and stayed neck and neck with national leader Marion Jones of Thousand Oaks for 80 meters. Jones won in 11.48 and Anderson finished in 11.66.

“I enjoy running against Marion because she makes you set higher standards and try harder,” Anderson said. “When you go out and do your best, you can’t ask for any more.”

It will be another year, however, before Anderson will have an opportunity to have the spotlight to herself.

Jones continued to show why she is the nation’s top-rated sprinter, winning the 100 and 200. Her time in the 200 was 23.49, best in the nation this season.

She received the most attention from the standing-room-only crowd of 8,000, however, for winning in the long jump. Despite taking up the event only last month, Jones won against a crowded field with a mark of 20-9 1/4, a meet record.

Mike Powell, world record-holder in the long jump, watched Jones and offered her a few tips.

“He told me to relax and concentrate on my acceleration,” she said. “Those are things my coach tells me everyday, but when it comes from a world champion, it sinks in a little more. All I know is that it helped me do better.”

Despite her early success in the event, Jones said she will not pursue the long jump at the U.S. Track and Field championships in Eugene, Ore., this June. She said she plans to take it easy and get ready for college.

Paul Turner of San Diego University High continued to establish himself as the state’s top boys’ sprinter. Despite a slow start in the 100, he finished strong and won in 10.62, the second-fastest time in the nation.

Turner said everyone was slow getting out of the blocks after Charles Gates of Locke false-started.

“I was disappointed with the way I ran because I came out so sluggish,” Turner said.

The expected showdown in the boys’ 1600 never materialized as top contender Brian Wilkinson of Merced failed to show up. Wilkinson pulled out after suffering an ankle injury while playing basketball last week. He will be sidelined for a couple of weeks.

With Wilkinson missing, the favorite was Ryan Wilson of Agoura. Although Wilson led the race most of the way, he slowed down with 300 meters to go. Ari Rodriguez of Corona Del Sol in Tempe, Ariz., went on to win in 4:10.10, the second-fastest time in the nation this season. Wilson finished third in 4:13.14.

In the 3200, Robert Keino of Ridgewood, N.J., won in 9:02.73, second-best time in the nation this year. Keino’s father is Kip Keino, an Olympic gold medal-winning miler from Kenya.

The biggest surprise of the evening was in the boys’ 800. Freshman Michael Granville won in 1:51.61, a national record for freshman. Granville entered the meet with a season best of 1:55.5.