SOUTHERN SECTION TRACK PRELIMINARIES : Womack Uses Second Chance to Full Advantage

Jeremy Womack saw the opportunity and jumped on it.

The Ocean View junior capitalized on a timing system that malfunctioned in last Saturday’s Southern Section Division I preliminaries, getting another chance with a runoff for the final berth in Saturday’s 400-meter race.

The defending 400 champion in the Sunset League, running just outside Fontana’s Desmond Ketton in Lane 4, surged ahead in the one-on-one race in the final 100 meters to secure the victory in 50.3. Ketton was timed in 51.4.

“If I could have watched him, I would have had the advantage,” said Womack, pointing out the obvious disadvantage by drawing an outside lane.

“I just had to make sure that I stayed with him.”

The rematch was set up when a mechanical failure of the Accutrack Timing System was discovered Monday by The Times. Fifteen athletes were affected by the malfunction; Womack was the only among the group who originally didn’t qualify, but he earned a berth Thursday at Cerritos Gahr High.

Capistrano Valley’s Laurel Simpson and Dana Hills’ Roberta Burns faced off in the 100-meter low hurdles, but the event was contested at Trabuco Hills High School for convenience.

Simpson, the two-time defending South Coast League champion in the event, ran away from Burns to win in a hand-timed 15.4.

“I just want to say that all the coaches and athletes are to be commended,” meet manager Bob McGuire said. “I had all positive responses in regards to this.”

In a four-way race for two qualifying spots, Pasadena Muir’s Jamal Carr (10.3) and Quartz Hill’s Troy Searcy (10.7) advanced to the boys’ 100 final.

Mountain View’s Ignacio Barrios ran a hand-timed 14.3 to edge Levar Castillo of Lynwood to earn a berth in the 110 high hurdles. Virginia Williams of Compton Dominguez outran Gahr’s Miesha McKelvey in the girls’ 100. Williams equaled her personal best (11.9).

Bell Gardens sophomore Michael Granville did not show for the runoff for the final two places in the 200, leaving Tyson Murphy of Santa Monica and Akinyela Taylor of Dominguez to advance.