Cleveland’s Paden Grades on Curve; McIntosh Passes

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

So Coach Bill Paden of Cleveland High told senior Andre McIntosh he’d “better run the curve, or we’re going to get in a fight right here in front of everyone,” Saturday before the boys’ 200 meters in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays.

McIntosh smiled at Paden’s comments before running the fastest time of his life, a wind-aided 21.71, to finish second to Michael Mitchell of Paramount.

“I don’t think he was actually worried about being physically harmed if he didn’t run well,” Paden said.

“But I do think he realized how serious I was about him getting [off to a good start.]”

Paden was exasperated because McIntosh ran a disappointing 11.23 to finish seventh in a 100-meter heat earlier in the meet.

That came less than 24 hours after McIntosh ran hand times of 10.6 in the 100 and 22.2 in the 200 in a meet against Kennedy and a week after he clocked 11.34 in the 100 and 22.52 in the 200 in his heats of the open portion of the Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High.

“He seemed to be back to his old self [against Kennedy],” Paden said.

“But then he ran poorly in the 100 [at Mt. SAC.]”

Paden was so upset with McIntosh he didn’t say a word to the runner after the race, choosing instead to wait until the 200.

“That was the first time he’s run a complete 200 since his freshman year,” Paden said. “He did that a lot as a freshman.”

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Paden expects a lot from McIntosh for two reasons.

First, McIntosh finished fifth in the 100 in the City championships last year.

Second, McIntosh is half-brother of Charles Lee, the school record-holder in the 100 at 10.4 and in the 200 at 21.44, and 1995 City champion in the 200.

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With career bests of 11.70 in the 100 meters and 24.53 in the 200, sophomore Porchea Carroll of Rio Mesa would hold the school records in those events at most schools.

But Rio Mesa is not most schools.

That’s why Carroll ranks third on the all-time school lists behind Marion Jones and Angela Burnham.

Jones, Track & Field News’ 1997 and 1998 women’s athlete of the year, won the 100 and 200 in the 1990 and 1991 state championships for Rio Mesa before transferring to Thousand Oaks.

Jones set school records of 11.17 in the 100 and 22.76 in the 200 in 1991.

Burnham won five state sprint titles at Rio Mesa from 1986-89 and had bests of 11.28 in the 100 and 23.45 in the 200.

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Some sprinters might feel pressure to live up to the standards set by Jones and Burnham, but Carroll says she’s not among them.

“That was them and this is me,” Carroll said after winning the 100 and long jump, and finishing second in the 200 in the Mt. SAC Relays. “I just want to do the best I can.”

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Amanda Shanklin of Santa Margarita and Becky Rauth of Harvard-Westlake recorded career bests while dueling each other in the 300 low hurdles the last two weeks.

Shanklin ran 43.41 to Rauth’s 43.49 at Mt. SAC after clocking 43.70 to Rauth’s 43.75 in the seeded race at Arcadia on April 10. Rauth’s 43.49 moved her to eighth on the all-time region list.

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With bests of 10.8 in the 100, 22.3 in the 200 and 23-4 1/4 in the long jump, Brandon Stewart is the most talented athlete on the Harvard-Westlake boys’ team.

But he has missed three of the Wolverines’ dual meets this season because he’s a member of the school’s baseball team.

Stewart didn’t compete in Harvard-Westlake’s 66-61 loss to Crespi last month or in a 91-36 defeat to Notre Dame on Thursday to attend baseball practice and he missed a 75-52 loss to St. Francis on Tuesday because he was playing in a game.

“It’s incredibly frustrating,” Coach Jonas Koolsbergen said. “Because not only is he a very good long jumper, but he’s a talented sprinter as well.”

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Palmdale is hosting cross-town rival Highland in a meet at 3 p.m. on Thursday that will determine the Golden League boys’ and girls’ titles.

Palmdale is the No. 7-ranked boys’ team in the region and Highland is ranked 10th.