Mustafa Has Just a Super Day in Decathlon

Sporting a sleeveless shirt with the Superman emblem, Isaiah Mustafa of Moorpark College definitely dressed the part Friday in the state junior college championships at Cerritos College.

He’s playing the part, too.

Mustafa leads the decathlon after the first day of competition with 3,791 points, holding an 87-point lead over Jon Parry of Taft. Mike Wright of Hartnell is third with 3,576.

He also placed fourth in the long jump, sailing 23 feet 8 1/4 inches between decathlon events.

“I usually wear a Spiderman shirt,” Mustafa said. “But I decided to get a Superman shirt for this meet because it takes that kind of effort.”

An effort like Friday’s could put the 6-foot-4, 205-pound sophomore from Santa Clara High over his personal-best of 6,417 points. He is 121 points ahead of that pace.

The second day’s competition includes the 110-meter high hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500 meters, traditionally Mustafa’s weaker events.

On Friday, Mustafa timed 11.05 seconds in the first event with the second-best time of the 12-man field. He scored 866 points in the long jump with a jump of 23-8 1/4 with the best mark of the competition on his third and final attempt, taking a 62-point lead after two events.

He finished with the best-four mark in the shotput with a heave of 36-7 1/2 and cleared 6-6 in the high jump while intermittently taking his turn in the long jump.

Mustafa leaped 23-8 1/4 on his last two attempts, equaling his personal best for the third time of the day, to open his biggest lead of 125 points. Moments after taking his sixth jump, Mustafa had to race over to the start of the 400 meters. He managed to run 51.79 despite tying up in the final 150 meters.

Mustafa caught a break when Northern California champion Alphonzo Davis of Sacramento, who has scored 6,698 points, scratched from the competition after failing to clear a height in the high jump.

Kate Stoll of Canyons was second in the javelin with a toss of 139-10 and Mark Sinderson of Antelope Valley was third in the 10,000 meters, timing 31:34.02 in a race won by Wilhelm Gidabuday of Riverside in a state-meet record time of 29:39.31.

Auria Roberto of Glendale placed fifth in the 5,000 in 17:52.58, shaving nearly four seconds off her school-record 17:56.15. Teresa Santana of Antelope Valley was sixth in 17:59.10.

Riverside, the defending state women’s champion, was bolstered by wins by Astia Walker in the 100 hurdles (13.76) and 200 meters (23.41) and leads Long Beach, 42-24, after 10 of 31 events.

Former Birmingham High standouts Raymond Banner and Tony Serpas, now competing for Long Beach, placed fourth and sixth in the 110-meter high hurdles and 200 in 14.47 and 21.51, helping the Vikings take a 19-point lead with 41 points in the men’s competition.