DeGrammont Rolls to Win in the Hurdles

Tustin hurdler Dominique DeGrammont not only served notice to the rest of the state, but the entire nation Saturday night at the Arcadia Invitational.

DeGrammont, a senior, lowered his national leading mark in the 110-meter high hurdles to 13.72 and turned back Sharif Paxton of Crenshaw in the process.

“I didn’t know what was going to happen,” said DeGrammont, who has finished fourth in the state meet in each of the last two years. “I was just waiting for Paxton to catch me.”

It never happened.

Paxton finished third in 14.28, behind runner-up Anthony Branch of Ajax Pickering in Ontario, Canada.

DeGrammont also lowered his personal best and county-leading mark in the 300 intermediate hurdles by more than five-tenths of second, finishing in 36.91, good for second place.

Kenyon Rambo of Long Beach Poly, the defending state champion, avenged a loss to DeGrammont at last week’s Trabuco Hills Invitational, winning in 36.66.

The Santa Margarita girls’ team posted two county-best times, as senior Katie Nuanes and sophomore Amanda Shanklin had stellar evenings for the Eagles. Nuanes shaved nearly six seconds off her personal best in the 1,600, finishing sixth in 4:55.96. Last May, she won the Southern Section Division II title in the event.

Shanklin, who also finished seventh in the 100 low hurdles (15.17), ran 44.34 for second place in the seeded heat of the 300 intermediate hurdles.

Huntington Beach had three seniors better their county marks Saturday.

Dan Gaston was edged at the line by Mission Viejo junior Mark Gleason in the 3,200, as the two posted the county’s fastest times of the year (9:15.71 to 9:16.59) for ninth and 10th place.

Scott Moser, who won the discus with his throw of 205 feet seven inches, posted a county best in the shotput, taking fifth place with a toss of 58-9 3/4.

Summer Shaw, who placed fourth in the 800 two years ago, finished fifth in 2:13.45 Saturday night.

Arcadia Notes

Brea Olinda junior Maika Nelson finished ninth, posting the county’s second-best time in the 800 in 2:15.32. . . . Tustin senior Shane Vickers gives the Tillers a strong one-two punch in the intermediate hurdles, as he finished fifth in a personal best 38.09. His time is second in the county behind only teammate Dominique DeGrammont. . . . Edison senior Ray Bardone anchored the Edison 400 relay team (3:28.86) during the day portion of the meet, then came back to finish fifth in the long jump with a lead of 22 feet 2 1/2 inches. . . . Esperanza senior Corolar White ran 58.43 at the day meet to top the county 400 list. . . . Alicia McFall ran 11:03.19 for seventh place and a county best in the 3,200.