Kinard, Medearis Reach New Level; Jones Leads in Three Events

For Marion Jones of Thousand Oaks High, it was business as usual in Friday’s qualifying rounds of the state track and field championships at Cerritos College.

The same could not be said of Jason Medearis of Hart and, especially, of Vanitta Kinard of El Camino Real. Those two athletes shocked their fellow competitors by raising their performances to another level.

Jones, the three-time defending state champion in the girls’ 100 and 200 meters, was the leading qualifier in the 100 (nation-leading 11.28 seconds), 200 (wind-aided 23.12) and long jump (wind-aided 20 feet 9 1/2 inches).

Medearis, a junior, entered the meet with the No. 8 qualifying time in the 110 high hurdles, but he ran a wind-aided 14.11--the fastest clocking of the meet--to win the second of three heats.

Kinard’s performance was stunning as she was the leading qualifier in the girls’ triple jump with a wind-aided mark of 40-2 3/4 after entering the meet with the No. 17 qualifying mark, a wind-aided 36-10 to win last week’s City Section title.

“I’m surprised I did it,” Kinard said. “When I got to the meet, I looked at the marks of the other girls and I said to myself, ‘If I want to qualify for the finals, I have to jump 38 feet.’ ”

Kinard reached that goal on her first attempt with a wind-aided 38-7 1/4, but that did not prepare her for her 40-foot explosion in the second round. She followed that with a wind-aided jump of 39-9 3/4 on her third--and final--jump.

“When I jumped 38, I was surprised,” Kinard said. “When I jumped 40, I couldn’t believe it. I was so happy I started to cry.”

Medearis got off to a good--but not great--start in the highs, but shifted into another gear at the third of 10 hurdles and was never seriously challenged.

“It felt great,” Medearis said. “I just really turned it on after the first two or three hurdles. I haven’t felt that fast and quick in a long time.”

Medearis admitted that fear was partly responsible for his performance as Upland junior Gerimi Burleigh was in the lane to his right. Burleigh had run 14.26 in winning last week’s Masters Meet while Medearis had placed fourth in 14.53.

Medearis also qualified for the finals of the 300 intermediate hurdles by placing second in his heat in 38.38, the No. 4 qualifying time.

“My favorite event used to be the (intermediates),” Medearis said. “But it’s back to even after today.”

Drue Powell of Reseda, who finished third in the highs in last year’s state meet, timed a wind-aided 14.19 to win Heat 1. Powell got out quickly, then held off Gerald Stamps of Muir (14.23).

Cheaza Figueroa of Quartz Hill qualified for today’s finals in three events, while Jeff Nadeau of Monroe, Jamal Chase of Quartz Hill and Andre DeSaussure of Taft were double qualifiers.

Figueroa was the second qualifier in the triple jump, the No. 4 qualifier in the 100 high hurdles and the seventh qualifier in the long jump with wind-aided marks of 39-11 1/2, 14.70 and 19-0 1/2.

Nadeau was one of seven athletes to clear 6-8 in the high jump--as was Jeremy Fischer of Camarillo--and he grabbed the ninth--and last--qualifying spot in the triple jump with a wind-aided jump of 48-4 3/4.

Chase qualified fourth in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump with personal bests of 48-9 and 23-7.

DeSaussure had the second-fastest qualifying time in the 400 (47.37) and was tied for seventh in the 200 with a wind-aided mark of 21.55.

Crystal Brownlee of Westlake was the biggest casualty among local athletes as she finished a non-qualifying 13th in the girls’ shotput at 38-9 3/4. Brownlee placed second and sixth in the previous two state meets, and set a Ventura County record of 45-11 1/2 in the Marmonte League prelims last month.

Today’s meet begins with the field events at 3 p.m., followed by the running events at 4.

Track Notes

The hottest rumor circulating Friday at the state track championships was that Marion Jones of Thousand Oaks High would compete in the heptathlon in next week’s Golden West Invitational in Sacramento.

Thousand Oaks Coach Art Green said it was only a rumor, however, adding that Jones would probably compete in two individual events, choosing from among the 100, 200 and long jump.

“We talked about the heptathlon several weeks ago, but that’s as far as it went,” Green said. “It wouldn’t make much sense to compete in a heptathlon and then try to come back at (the International Prep Invitational) the following week.”