TRACK AND FIELD

* Josh Spiker of Ventura High, the defending state champion in the boys’ 3,200 meters, has committed to Wisconsin.

Spiker, defending Southern Section Division I cross-country champion, took trips to Wisconsin and Arizona before choosing the Big Ten Conference school.

“I really liked [Wisconsin Coach Jerry Schumacher],” Spiker said. “He was great. He’s a young guy, 29, and a lot of fun to be around. The people in Wisconsin are great and the school is nice.”

Spiker earned third-team All-American honors after a 14th-place finish in the national cross-country championships last year and was selected to Track & Field News’ 1999 All-American track and field team with a No. 5 ranking in the 3,200.

He has bests of 4:12.19 in the 1,600 and 8:56.66 in the 3,200. He has won six of seven cross-country races this season, but didn’t run in the Channel League finals last Thursday because of a sore right knee.

* Oliver Jackson of Royal High, runner-up in the boys’ long jump in the state championships in June, has committed to UCLA.

Jackson leaped a school-record and yearly state-leading 24-4 3/4 to win the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational in April. The mark moved him to sixth on the all-time region performer list and makes Jackson the No. 5 returning long jumper in the nation.

Don Reyes, the Royal boys’ coach, said USC, Arizona State and Nebraska were among the schools recruiting Jackson, who took his only recruiting trip to UCLA.

“He had thought about going there for a long time,” Reyes said.