HIGH SCHOOL TRACK AND FIELD : This Time, Anderson Defeats Sprint Rival Backus

The top two girls’ high school sprinters in the nation had one more showdown Friday night in preparation for next weekend’s state meet, with Andrea Anderson of Long Beach Poly edging rival LaKeisha Backus of Long Beach Wilson in the 100 and 200 meters at the Southern Section Masters Meet at Cerritos College.

The meet was for qualifying purposes only and no team points were kept, but Anderson’s first victories over Backus this season were significant for the Poly senior who sat out the state finals last year with a thigh injury.

Backus, also a senior, defeated Anderson in the sprints at the Moore League finals and at the Southern Section championships last week. But Anderson seemed determined to reverse the trend Friday night.

In the 100, Anderson pulled ahead midway through the race and won in 11.68 seconds, with Backus following in 11.80. It was a similar story in the 200, as Anderson relied on a strong finish to edge her rival, 23.60 to 23.65.

The losses did not seem to deter Backus, who has the nation’s top time in the 100 (11.47) and second best in the 200 (23.54) this season.

“To be honest, I was just running to qualify tonight,” said Backus, who has accepted a scholarship to Texas. “These losses do not bother me. I win the big races.”

Anderson was not the only bright spot for Poly, which will be going for its third state title in the last four years. The Jackrabbits qualified eight individuals and two relay teams. The only disappointment was in the 100 as nationally ranked Aminah Haddad false-started and was disqualified.

In the boys’ competition, defending state champion Pasadena Muir performed as expected. The Mustangs were led by sophomore Obea Moore, who won the 200 (21.13) and 400 (46.18) and anchored the team’s victorious 400 and 1,600 relays.