HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP : Hayes Hurdles to Top at State Meet

In just over a year, Joanna Hayes has gone from an unknown in track and field to the top high school hurdler in the nation.

The Riverside North senior continued her impressive climb to the top by easily winning her preliminary heats in the 100 high hurdles and 300 low hurdles at the state meet Friday at Cerritos College.

Before 6,000, Hayes led both races from start to finish. Her time of 13.41 seconds in the high hurdles is one of the fastest run in high school, but it will not make the record books because it was wind-aided. Her time of 41.74 in the low hurdles was more than a second ahead of the next fastest qualifier.

When the finals begin today at 4 p.m., Hayes said she will be praying for good weather and no wind.

“I really don’t like this track because the wind swirls around so much,” said Hayes, who recently accepted a scholarship offer to UCLA. “I want to have a fair chance to get a record.”

Hayes, who transferred from Riverside Arlington last year, did not begin running the hurdles until last April. She specialized in the sprints and jumps but tried the high hurdles on a whim and ran a 15.5 in her first meet.

Hayes entered the state meet with personal bests of 13.72 in the high hurdles and 41.55 in the low hurdles, tops in the nation.

Although Hayes should win two events today, North does not expect to contend for a team title. Long Beach Poly is the favorite,

Senior Andrea Anderson led Poly by winning her preliminary heats in the 100 and 200. She also anchored her team’s victorious 400 relay.

In the boys’ competition, Pasadena Muir sophomore Obea Moore qualified in the 200 and 400 and the 400 and 1,600 relays.