Bell Garden’s Granville Zips Past All Rivals : Track: During his high school career, the junior has proven himself a standout regardless of the level of competition.

Last week, Michael Granville broke the national high school indoor 800-meter record, winning the event for the second year in a row at the National Scholastic championships in Syracuse.

On Thursday, the Bell Gardens High junior found himself competing on an outdoor dirt track in a nonleague dual meet at California High. But the drop in the level of competition or facility did not detract from Granville’s efforts.

“It’s a big change going from a big meet to these little meets, but I use them as workouts to keep my momentum going,” said Granville.

Granville won the 200 in 22.1 and 400 in 48.0 to help Bell Gardens edge California, 67-66, to improve to 2-0. Teammate Jesse Orozco won the long jump (19-2) and triple jump (35-2) and joined Ada Duarte, Vincent Lugo and Charles King on the Lancers’ winning 400-meter relay team. His time in Syracuse of 1 minute 50.55 seconds broke the 1981 record of 1:50.7 set by John Marshall of New Jersey, a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, and also eclipsed Granville’s national indoor record for high school juniors of 1:50.80 set at the Simplot Games in Pocatello, Idaho, Feb. 18. The previous junior national record had stood for 31 years before the assault of the 6-foot, 165-pound Granville this season.

Granville now holds six national records. As a freshman, he set national class records for indoor 500 yards (1:00.01) and 800 meters (1:51.61) and a state record in the 400 meters (47.24). Last year, he set a national sophomore record in the 800 meters (1:48.98) and indoor 500 yards (57.7).

“There’s still room to go a little faster,” Granville said. “I’ve only run two races and I’m in pretty good shape. That’s a factor for improvement.”

In Thursday’s meet, Kristina Paulo of Bell Gardens won the 100 (13.7), 100 hurdles (19.3) and 300 low hurdles (53.8) and a leg on Bell Gardens’ victorious 400 relay to help the Lancer girls to a 92-30 victory against California.

Paulo led 1-2-3 finishes for Bell Gardens (1-1) in the 100 and 300 hurdles. Elsa Arrellano, Sandra Paulo and Jackie Medrano were winners in Bell Gardens’ sweeps in the 3,200 (13:56), discus (105-9) and 800 (2:51).