HIGH SCHOOL TRACK AND FIELD : Long Beach Poly Girls See National Record in Reach

Depending on whom you talk to, the Long Beach Poly High girls’ 400-meter relay team is either (a) attempting to set a national high school record or (b) just trying to help the school win the state team title.

Both appear to be realistic goals after the Jackrabbits ran the third-fastest prep 400 relay ever (45.20) Saturday at the Southern Section Divisional championships at Cerritos College.

“Our first and foremost goal is to win the state team title,” said Coach Don Norford after the Jackrabbits finished first in four events to win the Division I team title with 84 points. Esperanza was second with 64. “Anything can happen in the Masters and State meets. Nothing is a sure thing.

“It’s possible to break a record in the 400, but we just want to win the race and collect the points for the team.”

Andrea Anderson, who ran a 10.5 anchor leg for Long Beach Poly, said the group, which includes Pam Simpson, Aminah Haddad and freshman Zahalea Showe, feels Hawthorne’s 1985 national record of 45.11 is within reach.

“We didn’t expect to run this fast today,” said Anderson, who finished a close second to Long Beach Wilson’s LaKeisha Backus in both the 100 and 200 meters.

“We all said after the race that we are going to go for the record and we’ve got two more chances to get it.”

Defending state boys’ champion Pasadena Muir, led by its only returning athlete, sophomore Obea Moore, won the boys’ Division I team title with 74 points. Long Beach Poly was second with 48.

Moore recorded the fastest prep time in the nation this year in the 400 (45.96) and also won the 200 in a wind-aided time of 21.00 and anchored Muir victories in both the 400 and 1,600 relays.

The Mustangs will rely heavily on Moore, a 10th grader, in their efforts to defend their state title.

“Obea is our diamond,” said Coach Clyde Turner. “We’ll go as far as he takes us.”

But Moore said he doesn’t put any extra pressure on himself.

“I try to improve every week and not dwell on my past performances,” he said.

Backus’ time of 11.47 in the girls’ 100 was the best mark in the nation this year. Joanna Hayes of Riverside North ran a wind-aided 13.49 in the girls’ 100 hurdles, also fastest in the nation this year.