Williams Refreshens Her Time

Angela Williams of Chino High is having a difficult time remembering what it’s like to be injury free.

The junior sprinter is, however, beginning to recall what it’s like to run fast.

Williams, frustrated by injuries since her freshman season--when she was the fastest prep sprinter in the nation--ran the fastest girls’ 100 meters in the nation this year (11.40 seconds) Saturday at the 39th running of the Mt. SAC Relays at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.

Williams, who was slowed with a pulled hamstring for much of her sophomore season, now has a new ailment to worry about.

“I’m having some pains in my lower back,” said Williams, who helped Chino win the 800-meter medley relay by running 23.2 in her 200 leg, and finished second in the long jump (18 feet, 10 1/4 inches).

“I’ve spent so much time off letting my hamstring heal that the rest of my body is a little soft. I’ll have to work twice as hard to get the rest of my muscles in shape.”

Williams, who thought her latest injury would hinder her performance, was pleasantly surprised.

“I thought I would run slow today because my back was tight,” Williams said. “But my legs felt pretty loose and I always get excited when I’m running in front of a big crowd.”

She hopes her body will remain sound long enough to eclipse her 1995 national-best time of 11.24.

“I never thought one injury would deteriorate me so much mentally and physically,” said Williams, who suffered a torn hamstring at the Olympic trials last June. “I just want to get back to where I was my freshman year when everything went great for me.

“Each time I go out there, I’ll try to run a little faster, until I hopefully build up to my best time ever.”

Long Beach Poly, taking advantage of the absence of the Pasadena Muir boys’ team and the girls’ teams from Long Beach Wilson and Playa Del Rey St. Bernard, recorded impressive victories in both individual and relay events.

Poly freshman Angelita Green recorded the nation’s sixth-fastest time this year in winning the 400 (55.27). Green was using the 400 as a tuneup for her specialty event, the 800.

“I wanted to work on getting my speed up for the 800,” said Green, who likely will compete against Lindsay Hyatt of Placer High in Auburn, Calif., for the 800 title at the State finals in June. “I’m trying to work on having a quicker first lap and then maintaining it for the second lap.”

Green also ran an impressive 800-meter anchor leg of 2:09.64, leading Poly to the fastest outdoor time this year (9:17.68) in the 3,200 relay. She ran the second leg (400 meters) of Poly’s victorious 1,600-meter relay in 55.0 seconds.

“I got beat last week [at the Arcadia Invitational 800] in the final 50 meters by Lindsay,” Green said. “I was happy to maintain my speed on the second lap today after running 1:01 on the first lap.”

The Poly boys’ 800 relay team, led by Marcus Anderson’s 21.0 anchor leg, recorded the fastest time in the nation this year (1:25.95), and the girls’ 800 relay team had the second-fastest outdoor time (1:37.32) this season.

“We wish we could have competed against the best teams,” Poly Coach Don Norford said. “There’s no substitute for competition. The more competition you have, the more experience you’re going to get. But we’re very happy with the performances today.”

Palmdale Highland distance runner Andrea Neipp’s only noticeable opponent was the clock.

Neipp pushed herself to the nation’s best time this year in the girls’ 3,000 (9:28.25), despite finishing 24 seconds faster than Martha Graces of Mexico.