Rideaux in Emotional State After Victory

After pulling away from an elite field to win the boys’ 100-meter dash Saturday night at the 32nd Arcadia Invitational track meet, Darrell Rideaux of Long Beach Poly High couldn’t disguise his emotions.

First he kneeled in a brief prayer. Then he got up, raised his arms in triumph and exclaimed, “This is for California!”

For good measure, Rideaux ran a brief victory lap, leachers, flapping his arms in the process.

His winning time of 10.65 seconds wasn’t anything close to a meet or state record but it was accomplished against a strong head wind.

Rideaux finished ahead of his teammate, Sammie Parker, who was second in 10.83 seconds and easily outran highly regarded Casey Combest of Owensboro, Ky., who was a distant fifth in 11.0.

Rideaux said he had no doubt he would finish ahead of Combest, who set a national indoor record in the 60-meter dash in March.

“We feel we have the best sprinters here and I knew I could hold him off,” said Rideaux, defending state champion in the 100. “He was popping off in the papers before the meet, so there was a lot of pride in this.”

“I have a lot of respect for him but it’s like a guy going into your ice box. You just can’t let him get it.”

Rideaux wasn’t the only Long Beach Poly athlete who turned in a brilliant performance.

The Jackrabbits, two-time defending state champions, also had Kareem Kelly finish first in the 200 meters in 21.27 seconds and they won the 400 relay in a blistering time of 40.45 seconds.

The relay time was the fourth fastest ever in the state and second fastest in meet history.

All of which was no surprise to Kelly.

“There’s been a lot of talk about the Northern California teams and other areas and we wanted to come in really focused,” he said. “I think we did that much.”

But the celebratory mood was somewhat muted after the Jackrabbits finished fourth in the 1,600 relay.

The Long Beach Poly girls also had a big night, winning the 300-meter hurdles and the triple jump and finishing second to rival Long Beach Wilson in the 1,600 relay.

Blessing Ufodiama won the triple jump with a leap of 39 feet -7 1/4 inches and Detra King took the 300 hurdles in 43.32 seconds.

Wilson, which has performed well early in the season, also won the 400 relay, although the Bruins struggled in the individual events.

Perhaps the most impressive performer in the girls’ division was sophomore Erica Whipple of Riviera Suncoast, Fla.

Whipple, who already has been compared to Marion Jones, had little difficulty in winning the 100 in 11.57 seconds and the 200 in 23.46 seconds.

“I’m honored to be considered the next Marion Jones,” she said. “I’d love to be as good as her. But I’m just trying to be the best I can.”

Another top performer among the boys was Marcell Almond of Santa Fe Springs St. Paul, who won the 300 hurdles in 37.40 seconds and finished second to Ricardo Moody of Harrison (Colo.) in the 110 hurdles. But he had to settle for seventh in the high jump.

Other winners among the boys included San Bernardino Pacific’s Joe Weber in the shot put and Simi Valley’s Oliver Jackson in the long jump.

Among the girls, Lauren Fleshman of Canyon Country Canyon won the 3,200 meters in 10:21.36 and Nichole Denby the 100 hurdles in 13.87 seconds.