Muir’s Profit Wins Qualifying Heats

Senior Marquis Profit of Pasadena Muir passed his first two tests of the state track and field championships at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento on Friday by winning his qualifying heats in the boys’ 110-meter high hurdles and 300 intermediate hurdles.

Profit had been experiencing pain in his left foot that left him limping noticeably at the end of the Southern Section Masters Meet on May 28.

Now the question is whether he or any of his fellow competitors can keep pace with junior Kevin Craddock of Union City Logan in the finals of those events today.

Profit ran a career best of 13.98 seconds in the high hurdles and clocked 37.54 in the intermediates Friday. But those times paled in comparison to Craddock’s wind-aided 13.53 clocking in the highs and his 36.71 in the intermediates.

“It felt fine,” Profit said about his left foot after the high hurdles. “I spent a lot of time [working out] in the pool this week and that seemed to help. It felt much better.”

Profit had posted winning and career-best times of 14.02 in the high hurdles and 37.11 in the intermediates in the Masters Meet at Cerritos College, but he bested the former time with a smooth, technically-sound performance Friday.

“I’ll go ice [my foot] and then get ready” for the intermediate hurdles, he said. “I’ll be ready to go.”

Southland athletes were the leading qualifiers in 15 of the 30 events contested Friday. But one of the best performances by a local athlete came from senior Matt Gray of Anaheim Esperanza, who qualified second in the boys’ discus with a career-best 200 feet 9 inches.

Gray’s throw topped his previous best of 195-4, made him the ninth Southern Section athlete to break 200 feet in the event and moved him to eighth on the all-time section performer list.

The top performance of the meet came in the boys’ 100 when senior Kenny O’Neal of Oakland Skyline won his heat of the 100 in a career-best 10.34 to move to seventh on the all-time state list with the fastest time by a Californian since 1995.

Domenique Manning of Riverside North was a notable nonqualifier in the girls’ 100 high hurdles as the state leader pulled up after clearing the third hurdle while running with a heavily taped right thigh.

In the girls’ team competition, defending champion Long Beach Poly remained the heavy favorite by advancing athletes to the finals of eight events.

Senior Shalonda Solomon of Poly was the top qualifier in the 100 with a wind-aided 11.45 and in the 200 in 23.30. She anchored the 400 relay team that won its heat in 46.01, the No. 2 qualifying time.

Los Angeles Dorsey, which was expected to battle Logan and Long Beach Poly for the boys’ team title, suffered a big blow when junior Vannie Prudhomme failed to advance to the final of the high jump.

Today’s meet will start with field events at 3 p.m. and running events at 5.

Pole vaulter Brandon Estrada of Woodland Hills El Camino Real, who originally wasn’t going to be sent to the state meet after tying for second in the City Section finals,was allowed to compete. He failed to clear the opening height, though.