Magula Raises the Bar and Odden Wins

It was a one-shot deal for Marina’s Logan Odden.

The high school boys’ pole vault had carried past its allotted time at the 40th Los Angeles Invitational indoor track and field meet Saturday, and meet officials were ready to clear the Sports Arena runway for the women’s open competition, even though Odden and two other vaulters were still alive after clearing 15 feet.

Marina pole vault coach Kevin Magula protested the decision to meet co-chairman Al Franken, who eventually agreed to allow one attempt each at 16-0.

“We’ve got Lawrence Johnson, one of the top vaulters in the world, competing after the ladies,” Franken said. “And you don’t want him out there after everybody has gone home.”

Odden, who had never cleared that height, even in practice, made it with room to spare, becoming the third high school vaulter in the nation to clear 16 feet indoors this season. Kevin Opalka of Edmond (Okla.) Memorial cleared 16-4 during the Midwest’s current indoor season and Chris Chappell of Douglas Track Club in Mindin, Nev., went 16-1 Saturday.

“I’ve come close to 16 feet in practice,” said Odden, whose best outdoor mark is 15-7. “This is only the third or fourth try I’ve had at this height at a meet. I wish I had one more jump at a higher mark, though, like 16-6.”

Magula, a 10-year pole vault coach at Marina who held the school record (14-6 1/2) for nine years until it was broken by Odden, was just happy he got a shot at 16-0.

“I didn’t think I was going to talk [Franken] into it,” Magula said. “But once everyone started crowding around him and pushing him more, that’s what helped.”

Corona del Mar’s Liz Morse, who skipped the high school competition to run in the women’s open 800 meters, recorded the fastest high school indoor time in the nation this year (2 minutes 10.96 seconds) and finished fourth among seven runners.

Morse, who finished ahead of UCLA’s trio of Birdie Hatch, Jessica Marr and Tiffany Burgess, was elated that she improved her time over her third-place performance in the same event at the San Diego Indoor Games last month.

Notes

Tustin’s Alonso Smith won the second of two high school heats in the 880 yards, gamely holding off Vista Rancho Buena Vista’s Nick Thornton and posting the second-fastest time (2:01.9) in the event. Esperanza’s Travis Pendleton finished second in the discus (170-5).

Edison’s 8x160 relay team had the top time (2:14.82), a county record in the meet.

The Chargers’ 4x160 relay team nearly upset three-time defending champion Long Beach Poly. The Chargers held the lead for the first three legs, but Benny Robinson sped by Brian Kelley on the final straightaway, giving the Jackrabbits the victory by one-tenth of second (1:07.1).