Fargas Can Stand at Starting Line Until State Meet

SHERMAN OAKS — Justin Fargas of Notre Dame High, defending state champion in the boys’ 100-meter dash, won’t be allowed to use the unconventional starting blocks he used in the Mission League track and field finals on Friday if he reaches the state championships at Cerritos College on June 5-6.

Hal Harkness, California Interscholastic Federation track and field rules interpreter, said Tuesday Fargas can use the Moye brand standing starting blocks through the Southern Section Masters Meet on May 29. He won’t be able to use them in the state championships because competitors in that meet must use conventional starting blocks supplied by meet officials.

The legality of the standing starting blocks, which allow a sprinter to start in a three-point stance similar to a football player, were called into question after Fargas ran a career-best 10.52 seconds to win his second consecutive 100 title in the Mission League finals at the University of La Verne on Friday.

Miguel Fletcher of Alemany, runner-up in the 100 in the 1997 state championships, was a distant second in 10.69.

Harkness said “someone from Alemany” called the Southern Section office and said “Fargas was getting an unfair advantage.”

Harkness disagreed after investigating the allegation.

“It’s not illegal and there’s no unfair advantage,” Harkness said.

Fargas used the standing blocks--designed by a high school track coach in Ohio several years ago--because they put less stress on a right hamstring he strained in a meet against Loyola on April 31.

“He’s going to use them as long as his leg is sore,” Notre Dame Coach Joe McNab said when asked if Fargas would use the blocks through the Masters Meet. “He has a good start anyway. It’s not a dependability thing. . . . The last thing I want to do is create a controversy. I’m just trying to give a kid a chance to keep running.”

McNab said Notre Dame’s girl sprinters used the blocks during the 1993 and ’94 seasons and Troy Garner used them in 1994, and nothing was said.

“Now suddenly it’s a big deal,” McNab said.

McNab said Fargas was unfazed by the controversy.

“He just started laughing,” McNab said of Fargas’ reaction. “He shook his head a little. He’s pretty level-headed. I don’t think it’s going to affect him.”