PREP TRACK ROUNDUP : Garritson’s Time in 3,200 Is Nation’s Best Outdoors

Carrie Garritson of Buena Park posted the best outdoors time reported in the nation this year, winning the 3,200 meters in 10:39.33 at the Arcadia/Foot Locker Invitational Saturday at Arcadia High.

Competing in her first meet since the Sunkist Invitational in February, when she ran her worst race in three years, Garritson broke from the pack with 1,200 meters remaining and never looked back.

“I thought we were going too slow,” Garritson said. “I felt like I could have run another mile.”

With one lap remaining, Garritson led by 20 yards, but at the end of the race her lead over the second-place runner was only 1.63 seconds.

“I had no idea anyone was behind me,” Garritson said. “I was just running my own race.”

In the girls’ 800, Tiffany Boykin of Laguna Hills, recovering from a head cold, finished second with a county season-best of 2:16.30.

“That’s a really good time for me, but I wanted to run faster,” Boykin said. “At the Pasadena races I was so excited to get that time so I could be here.”

In the girls’ high jump, Misty May of Newport Harbor finished second with a height of 5-6. Teammate Tina Bowman, jumping with a sore heel, tied for third at 5-4.

In the girls’ discus, Angela Burgess of Woodbridge threw a county season-best 137-7, finishing seventh. Gina Heads of Newport Harbor threw a personal best of 135-1. The event was won by Downey Medesto’s Suzy Powell, who broke the high school federation record with a throw of 178-8.

Heads finished first and improved the county season-best in the shotput with a distance of 45-7. Delores Tuimoloau of Simi Valley Channel Islands, the nation’s leader in the shotput, was second in 45-3 1/4.

In the boys’ shotput, Newport Harbor’s Wade Tift (59-6) finished first, with his effort from the preliminary round.

Foothill’s Tara Oettinger improved on the county’s season-best in the girls’ long jump, with a distance of 18-11 3/4, giving her a fourth-place finish.

In open events, Chris Clark of El Modena finished first in the 800, with a county-best time of 1:52.57.

In the girls’ open 800, Edison’s Julie Kaudelka posted an impressive 2:16.95 in her victory.

In other top performances from athletes outside the county:

* Jermaine Stafford of Rochester (N.Y) Franklin came from behind with 15 meters remaining to nip Bryan Howard of Moreno Valley Canyon Springs and Pat Johnson of Redlands in the 100 meters. His time of 10.46 seconds was the nation’s second fastest this spring.

* Ken Haslip of Pasadena Muir swept the 110-high hurdles and 300 hurdles in times of 13.98 and 36.94, respectively. Haslip also ran legs on Muir’s winning 400 and 1,600 relays.

* Sophomore Michael Granville of Bell Gardens recorded the nation’s fastest time in the 800 with a 1:51.90.

* Andrea Anderson of Long Beach Poly, a junior, posted easy victories in the 100 and 200. Her times of 11.57 and 23.48 are the nation’s fastest this season.

* Suzy Powell of Modesto Downey set a national record with a throw of 178 feet 8 inches, breaking the mark of 176-10 set by Melisa Weis of Bakersfield in 1990.

In the Southland Invitational track meet:

Brea-Olinda’s boys finish third, girls seventh--Brett Saari finished second in the two mile, with a time of 10:16.7, and placed fourth in the mile in 4:47.2 to help Brea-Olinda’s boys take third place at the Southland Invitational at Hemet West Valley High.

Scott Gray finished second in the 440 in 53.14, and he ran a leg on the 440 relay team, which finished third in 45.9. He also was a member of the mile relay team, which took third (3:38.2).

On the girls’ side, Kelly Daucher won the mile (5:34.3) to record Brea-Olinda’s only victory as the team finished seventh.

The Wildcats’ chances were hindered by the absence of three key runners. Carl Daucher, the team’s top distance runner, missed the meet to attend the California Assn. of Student Leaders meeting. Roger Wirz, the team’s top pole vaulter and 300 hurdler, was out because of a slight concussion he suffered during Friday’s practice when his pole snapped, and Brian Mochon, an 800 runner, was out because of severe shin splints.