For San Diego’s Henderson, It’s Good Times at Mt. SAC

Monique Henderson of San Diego Morse High says she rarely sets her goals based on times.

She figures if she runs to win against high-quality competition, times will take care of themselves.

That’s what happened in the girls’ 200-meter dash in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in Walnut on Saturday as Henderson ran a career best of 23.16 seconds to defeat the 23.31 effort by runner-up Allyson Felix of North Hills L.A. Baptist.

Felix, a sophomore, ran a yearly nation-leading time if 23.48 to win the Arcadia Invitational on April 14, but Henderson had a great start Saturday and led by four meters as she entered the home straightaway.

Felix cut her deficit in half down the stretch, but there was no catching Henderson, whose nation-leading time capped a 100-200 double, cut .03 seconds off her previous best and moved her into a tie for 13th on the all-time national performer list.

“I want to try and win,” she said of the 200 after winning the 100. “If I win that race, I’ll have a good time because that Felix girl runs a really good 200.”

Henderson, the national high school record-holder in the 400 at 50.74, came out of the blocks quickly in the 100 and finished in 11.68, the fastest time in the state this year.

Junior Angel Perkins of Cerritos Gahr was second in 11.78, followed by Felix in 11.87.

“I was one of the first ones out of the blocks,” Henderson said of the 100. “That kind of surprised me because I don’t work on my start that much. But my attitude was, ‘I’m up here so I should try to stay up here.’ So I just tried to maintain my form, look straight ahead and work with it.”

Henderson was one of three athletes to win two individual events in the high school portion of the meet.

Senior Phillip Francis of Fairfax and Sean Shields of Arroyo Grande were the others.

Francis won the boys’ 100 in a career-best 10.52 and the 200 in a wind-aided 21.04.

Shields placed first in the shotput at 59-5 1/2 and in the discus at 197-5.

Francis won the 100 in 10.82 and the 200 in 21.59 in the Arcadia Invitational, but he crushed those times while destroying good fields.

His time in the 100 was the fastest in the state this year and moved him into a tie for fourth on the yearly national list. His 200 effort was the fastest fully automatic time in the nation this year under any conditions.

He also ran a 47.8 anchor leg on a 1,600 relay team that finished third in its heat in 3:26.34.

“I’m very happy,” Francis said after the 100. “because now I’m finally showing some power and speed on the track.”

There were several other noteworthy efforts on a cool and sometimes breezy day.

Chuka Emih-Snell, a 17-year-old member of the Welsh national junior team, won the boys’ high jump with a career-best 7-1 3/4.

Senior Amber Steen of Newport Beach Newport Harbor won the girls’ 1,500 in a career-best 4:28.00, , the second-fastest time in the nation this year.

Senior Lashinda Demus of Long Beach Wilson, two-time defending state champion in the 300 low hurdles, won the 100 highs in 13.61 to move to third on the yearly national list.

Palos Verdes Estates Peninsula won the girls’ 6,400 relay in 20:47.32, the fastest time in the nation this year and the 13th-fastest ever.

Canyon Country Canyon won the boys’ 6,400 relay in 17:44.06, the second-fastest time in the nation this year.

Los Gatos won the boys’ distance medley relay in 10:12.09 to move to third on the yearly national list.

Woodland Hills Taft won the boys’ 800 relay in 1:26.44 to move to fourth on the yearly national list.