San Diego High, which would have had four entries plus its relay team, opted not to participate in the 26th state meet at Visalia High, a 300-mile jaunt from the Border city.

The Hilltoppers were nosed out of the Southern Section championship (below) but would have been one of the  teams vying for the championship and had won the title as recently as 1938.

Instead, many of the Hilltoppers, Hoover Cardinals  and some  Metro athletes competed in the Amateur Athletic Union meet of the Southern California region in Balboa Stadium.

Finances were cited as the reason for not going to the state meet as the city, state, and nation still were feeling effects of the Great Depression.

Money was tight.

3/3/40

San Diego High coach Ed Ruffa and the 138 candidates for positions on the Class A, B, and C teams anxiously awaited the annual Interclass Meet scheduled over the next two days.

Rain and the midget auto racing season forced a delay.  The midgets, usually occupying the stadium calendar until early February since 1937, would leave the dirt oval in need of a resurfacing to accommodate the thinclads.

3/5/40

Resurfacing and repair of the track did not take place, nor did the interclass meet.  A peevish coach Ed Ruffa told Charles Byrne of The San Diego Union that the Hillers may have to wait until competing in the Southern Counties’ Invitational at Huntington Beach March 16.

3/6/40

Hoover shot putter George Brown, whose son George III would be a third-place medalist in the 1967 state meet and with a career best of 64 feet, 3 ½ inches for Granite Hills, set a school record of 50-1¼ in the Cardinals’ interclass meet.

Brown bettered the mark of 49-8 by Phil Krutzsch in 1937.

3/8/40

Sebastian Arguello won the 120-yard low hurdles, was third in the 440, and first with a throw of 47-5 in the shot put as Sweetwater opened Metropolitan League competition and winning the 880-yard relay in 1:38 for a 56-48 win over Point Loma.

—Escondido won the 880 relay to come from behind and edge Oceanside, 53-51, and Grossmont topped Coronado, 64 1/3-39 2/3, in other Metro openers.

3/14/40

La Jolla’s Don Latham won the Class B 660-yard race in 1:28.9 in the Vikings’ dual meet with Coronado, breaking a Metro League record of 1:30.3 by a Sweetwater runner in 1936.

3/15/40

Hoover defeated Point Loma, 82-22, in a nonleague meet in which the Cardinals’ best performers were held out because they were scheduled to participate in the Southern Counties’ Invitational at Huntington Beach the next day.

—Sweetwater set a school record of 1:37 in an 880 relay that was the difference in a 53-51 win over Oceanside. Grossmont topped Escondido, 62-42.

3/16/40

Bill Rainey won the hop, step, and jump at 42 feet, 9 inches, and San Diego High won the 880-yard relay in 1:32.2 in the Southern Counties’ Invitational at Huntington Beach High. Ollie Fletcher was one of 12 high jumpers who cleared 6 feet.  Coronado’s Minoru Hatada won the minor division broad jump at 20-1 ½.

Compton won the major division team title with 28 points to 23 ½ for San Diego.  Hoover had 8 1/2.

3/29/40

David James etched his name in Grossmont lore when he scored 16 ¼ points, the maximum possible, in the Foothillers’ 64-40 win over Sweetwater.

James won the 120 low hurdles in :14.2, the broad jump at 21-1, the 70-yard highs in :09.8, and anchored coach Jack Mashin’s Foothillers, 3-0 in league competition, to a 1:36.2 victory in the 880 relay.

4/1/40

The San Diego Relays were delayed another week because of the soggy Balboa Stadium track.

4/5/40

Long Beach Poly won the team title in the third annual San Diego Relays in Balboa Stadium with 47 points, followed by Hoover with 39 and San Diego, 21.

Hoover, led by the school record, 51-foot, 11 ½-inch toss by George Brown, set a meet record of 139-4 7/8 in the three-man shot put aggregate.  Ted Jacobs and Forrest Brown (no relation) were George Brown’s wingmen.

Don Smalley replaced an ailing Lou Barrera and teamed with Ed Pohl, Bob Klicka and Bob Estavillo to win the 440 relay in 44.2 and 880 relay in 1:32.5.

—Chuck Beckwith of San Dieguito covered the 100 and 220 in :10.1 and :22.9 and the Mustangs defeated Fallbrook, 82-22.

—David James won three events, 70-yard high hurdles (09.7), 120-yard lows (:13.5), and broad jump (21-3 ¾) and Grossmont (4-0) moved closer to the Metro League dual-meet title with a 70-34 win over Point Loma.

4/9/41

The second annual City Schools relays in Balboa Stadium included one team of Hoover and La Jolla and another of San Diego and Point Loma.

The competitors engaged in a 22-event carnival with point totals in aggregate in each running and field event. Hoover-La Jolla won, 88-85.

Highlight was the final event, in which eight athletes put on football uniforms and carried the ball in a 440-yard relay.

Hoover’s Jim Morgan anchored his team to victory after San Diego anchorman Bob Estavillo juggled a handoff.

Best individual marks were the 12-5 pole vault by Hoover’s Rodney Cole and the 12-3 by the Cardinals’ Bob O’Keefe.

4/12/40

San Diego scored a surprisingly easy, 75 ½-46 ½ dual-meet showdown victory over Hoover, the Hillers winning 10 of the 14 events and tying for first in two others.

Bob Estavillo raced to :10.1 and :22.2 victories in the 100 and 220 and anchored a 1:31 win in the 880 relay.  Bill Rainey broad jumped 22-1 and hopped, stepped, and jumped 44-7.

Rainey set a school record in the second event and bettered the meet record of 43-2 1/2 in 1938 by Hoover’s Bob Beckus.

Rodney Cole of Hoover and Calvin Gibson of San Diego each cleared 12-5 in the pole vault to better the meet record of 11-10 1/3 by Elmer Siegel of Hoover in 1933.

Hoover’s other victories were George Brown’s 49-3/4 shot put and Frank Huennekens’ 2:02.2 880.   Jack Kaiser cleared 5-11 in the high jump to tie Doug Merrill of San Diego.

—Marcus Alonzo of Sweetwater won the 100-yard race in :10.4 but lost a 220 for the first time this season, to Fritz Sanderson of Coronado, in :23.2.  Alonzo caught and passed Sanderson on the anchor leg of the 880-yard relay, giving Sweetwater a 54-50 victory.

—George (Pard) Graves broad jumped 21-6 and won the 100 (:10.4) and 220 (:24) in Point Loma’s 81-23 defeat of La Jolla.

—Grossmont edged Oceanside, 55-49, when the Pirates forfeited the 880 relay after their leadoff man false started twice and was disqualified. Ray Whitcomb broad jumped 21-9 and David James ran :13.4 in the120-yard low hurdles, both Foothillers school records.

4/20/40

San Diego won all but two events and beat Long Beach Poly, 81 2/3-40 1/3, to clinch the Coast League championship.

Lou Barrera won the 100 in :10 and tied teammate Bob Estavillo in a :22.6 220 and ran the leadoff leg of the Hilltoppers’ 1:30.0 victory in the 880 relay.

Alex Krooskos of San Diego doubled, 48-3 in the shot put and 130-6 in the discus.  Al Salmon won the mile in 4:37.1 and Calvin Gibson pole vaulted 12-7.

4/26/40

San Diego won a telegraphic meet with Tucson High of Arizona, 64-49, after results were tabulated this week.  Grossmont (6-0) clinched the Metro League dual championship, 60-44, over La Jolla.

4/30/41

Coast League Class B and C finals will be May 3 at Hoover, while Varsity athletes in the three-school alignment of Hoover, San Diego, and Long Beach Poly, will meet May 4 at Poly.

—Instead of champions in each class, points would be combined in all classes, winner-take-all.

5/2/40

Three meet records were set in Class A as San Dieguito ran away with the team championship in the Southern League finals at Ramona.

Chuck Beckwith of San Dieguito reportedly set a record of :10.2 in the 100-yard dash, won the 220 in :24 and ran a leg for the Mustangs’ record-setting 880-yard relay (1:36.5).

The Mustangs scored 96 points to runner-up Vista’s 23, but the Panthers dominated Class B with 80 points to San Dieguito’s 33 ½ and Class C, 60 to the Mustangs’ 36.

—About 260 athletes from the seven city and suburban schools, a.k.a. Metropolitan League, would hear the starter’s pistol at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow with preliminary events at San Diego State that will lead to finals in running and Class A field events at 1:30 p.m.

Dual meet champion Grossmont led with 55 entries in the 3 classes.  Point Loma and Escondido were next with 47 each.

5/3/40

COAST LEAGUE FINALS, @LONG BEACH POLY

San Diego outscored Long Beach Poly, 85 1/6-46, but the Jackrabbits were declared Coast League champions by the combined A, B, and C score of 139 ½-132. Hoover trailed in Class A with 20 5/6 and had a combined 95 ½.

San Diego’s team of Lou Barrera, Bob Klicka, Ed Pohl, and Bob Estavillo won the 880-yard relay in 1:30.6 to give San Diego a 132-131 ½ lead, but the discus had not been completed and Poly throwers finished 1-2 for eight winning points.

Bill Rainey was a double winner for the Hilltoppers with a 21-10 ¾ broad jump and 43-foot hop, step, and jump.  Al Salmon won the mile in 4:39.8, Bob Klicka the 440 in :51.9, and Lou Barrera the 220 in :22.2.

Hoover shotputter George Brown was first with a throw of 49-7 for Hoover’s only outright win.  Three San Diego (2) and Hoover (1) pole vaulters tied at 11 feet, 6 inches.

—Grossmont’s David James won a hurdles race, the broad jump, tied for second in the high jump, and anchored the Foothillers to victory in the 880-yard relay.

James scored 12 3/4 of the champion La Mesans’ 30 1/8 points that clinched the Metropolitan League team title at San Diego State. Oceanside was second with 28 ½.  Sweetwater was third with 28.

5/7/40

What was described as the Group V SCIF qualifying meet, better known as the CIF Divisional, will bring together athletes from the Metropolitan, Imperial Valley, and Southern leagues, plus San Diego and Hoover from the Coast, May 11 at San Diego State.

San Diego High was expected to compete for the Southern California Class A title and the B squad of Hoover, coached by Lawrence Carr, will have 13 entries in the Divisional.

One of the favored Cardinals, Frank Huennekens in the 660, was the 1939 Southern California champion in the Class C 660.

5/11/40

CIF DIVISIONAL, @SAN DIEGO STATE

San Diego High qualified eight entries in nine events at the Group V Divisional at San Diego State and Calvin Gibson finished an impressive day for the Hilltoppers by clearing 12 feet, 7 1/8 inches in the pole vault.

Gibson’s was at least one of the top three marks in Southern California, as was the 1:30.5 time in the 880 relay, completed by Hilltoppers Lou Barrera, Bob Klicka, Ed Pohl, and Bob Estavillo.

Barrera won the 100-yard dash in :10.1 and 220 in :22.2.  Bill Rainey was first in the broad jump at 22 feet, ½ inch, and hop, step, and jump at 44-5 ¼.

Hoover’s Jim Morgan surprised with a :51.9 victory in the 440 and George Brown led shot putters at 50 feet, 2 inches.  Most impressive was the Cardinals’ Frank Huenneken’s 1:24.6, one-tenth second off the CIF Class B 660 record.

CIF honcho Seth Van Patten was to compare the best marks from the five divisionals to determine which nine entries would be invited to next week’s finals.

5/18/40

SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS, @LOS ANGELES COLISEUM

San Diego scored in seven of 13 events and was leading in the race for the team championship until the final inch of the 880-yard relay.

Compton won with 21 ½ points to the Hillers’ 19 1/3.  Santa Monica was third with 18.

Bob Smyser of the Los Angeles Times captured the moment in the meet’s final race, which began under threatening skies after rain begin to fall minutes earlier in the Class C relay:

“The baton-passing event was a real thriller.  Compton and San Diego kept together until the anchor lap, when the Hillers’ Bob Estavillo spurted six yards away from Jim Jenkins.  Jenkins, however, slowly closed the gap.  He was a couple yards behind as they hit the stretch.

“Estavillo held on gamely and it appeared that he was going to stay in front.  But with 10 yards to go the Tarbabe ace bundled himself together and blasted across the line a scant inch ahead of his foe.”

Perhaps with some theater, Jenkins collapsed at the end of the race and was carried off the track, according to the Times’ report.

The Hillers’ foursome of Lou Barrera, Bob Klicka, Ed Pohl, and Estavillo were timed in a school record, 1:29.5, same clocking for winning Compton.

Had San Diego won the relay it would have finished with 21 1/3 points and Compton with 20 ½.

Barrera was fourth in the 100 and third in the 220, won by Huntington Beach’s Eddie Morris in :09.9 and :21.6.

Ed Pohl was third in the 220 low hurdles, won by Jack Shoup of Long Beach Jordan in :24.4.  Al Salmon was second in the mile, won by Gil Webb of Redlands in 4:31.  Calvin Gibson cleared 12 feet to tie for fifth in the pole vault behind the winning 13-0 by Paul Corwin of Burbank.

Bill Rainey was third at 21-11 ½ in the broad jump, won by Jack Shoup at 22-8 ¾, but Rainey was unplaced in the hop, and jump, won by Laughner of Long Beach Wilson at 45-11 ½.

Rainey’s best jump during the season was 44-7 ½, which would have been good for third place.

CARR’S CARDINALS

Coach Lawrence Carr’s Class B team ran away with the team title, scoring 27 ½ points to runner-up Glendale’s 18, and Long Beach Wilson’s 13.

Frank Huennekens, who won the Class C 660 in 1939, was first in 1:25.2. Ray Richards won the 1320 in 3:17.6.  Jack Kaiser was first in the high jump at 5 feet, 11 inches.

The Cardinals’ Chuck Blackburn was third to a winning :10.1 100 and third to a winning :22.6 220.  Rodney Cole tied for second in the pole vault at 11-9.  Ted Jacobs was third in the shot put at 50-5 1/8.

Hoover was third in the 660 relay, in which Long Beach Wilson set a record of 1:07.4, breaking the mark of 1:07.6 by Los Angeles Garfield in 1934.

San Diego Section entries totaled only a combined 10 points in the state meet, but they set one individual state meet record and provided some excellence not seen on the scoreboard.

Clairemont’s Dale Fleet set a state meet record of 8:53.8 in the two-mile run and broke Tim Danielson’s County record of 8:55.7.  Helix’ Ed Mendoza was fifth in the two-mile and third all-time in 9:00.8.

San Diego’s 440 relay team of Melvin Jones, Clark Neal, Charles Fenderson and Elijah Turner was fourth in :41.5 and tied Lincoln’s 1968 record.  The 4:12.3 for fourth in the mile by Claremont’s David Harper was the sixth fastest ever.

Greg Gorsuch of Castle Park equaled a career best of 6-8 in the high jump although finishing sixth and Vista’s Ken Parrot long jumped 23-5 for a personal topper.

Shot putter Greg Norfleet of Morse improved from a regular-season best of 56-4 by qualifying 12^th in the trials at 57-1/4 and improving to ninth in the finals at 58-8 ¾.

My favorite was Lincoln’s Donald Tyler, who couldn’t get a call in pre-meet dope sheets but came to compete in a loaded 440.  Tyler, who won the San Diego section championship in :48.7, then surprised by advancing in the trials with a career best :48 flat.

Tyler was eighth in the finals but he tied the San Diego Section record of :47.3 and he had the same time as the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh-place finishers. I wonder if the film review of close finishes included a good look at this sizzler.

Not many medals, but  outstanding marks.

4/30/71

Greg Gorsuch cleared 6 feet, 8 inches, Steve See 6-6, and Bob Simas, 6-5 ¼, in the high jump, in the same meet, as Castle Park whipped Hilltop, 78-40, in the Metro League.

“Greg just ticked the bar at 6-9,” said Trojans coach Gray Elliott, “and he must have cleared 6-8 by three inches.”

Gorsuch also won the 120-yard high hurdles in :14.8.

—Patrick Henry won the Eastern League dual meet, 68-50, but Lincoln’s Donald Tyler ran the 220 in :21.4 on the Henry straightaway for the day’s best mark.

5/3/71

Patrick Henry defeated Clairemont, 76-42, ending a streak of 15 consecutive dual meet victories for the Chieftains, who had not been beaten since losing to Helix in the opening dual of the 1970 season.

Scott Hurst’s 1:57.9 victory in the 880, marked the first time he had gotten under two minutes this season and beat the Chiefs’ favored Randy McFarlane and David Harper.

5/7/71

EASTERN LEAGUE TRIALS, @BALBOA STADIUM

The all-weather track at the stadium meant that running events would go but heavy rain made the jumping pits resemble swimming pools, so field events were postponed.

Lincoln led with 13 qualifiers with Donald Tyler’s :49.4 in the 440 pacing the Hornets.  Morse sophomore James Milton (:22) edged Tyler (:22.1) in the 220.

Dual meet champion San Diego had 4 qualifiers, “but we got all our key guys in,” said Cavers coach Martin Pedigo.

GROSSMONT LEAGUE TRIALS, @El Capitan

El Capitan, dual-meet titlist Mount Miguel, and Granite Hills each qualified 17.

Winds were such that a :19.4 by Mount Miguel’s Milton Johnson in the 180-yard low hurdles disallowed a meet record.

Discus throwers, led by the 172-4 of Monte Vista’s Les Frank, took advantage of the eight m.p.h. breeze.  El Capitan’s Jim Fulcher was second at 170-10.

5/11/71

WESTERN LEAGUE TRIALS, @MISSION BAY

Rory Trup, who won the San Diego Section 880-yard run in 1:55.3, with a best of 1:55.1, in 1970, ran the fastest 440 of the day, :50.2. Point Loma’s John Willson won the second heat in :50.3.

Kearny led with 14 qualifiers.  Clairemont had 12, Mission Bay and Madison nine each.

METROPOLITAN LEAGUE TRIALS, @CHULA VISTA

Greg Gorsuch of Castle Park won hurdles heats in :15.3 and :20.4 and took a rest from the high jump, in which all competitors were advanced to the finals.

5/14/71

EASTERN LEAGUE, @BALBOA STADIUM

San Diego scorched a :41.8 in the opening event 440 relay and went on to win the team championship with 57 points to Lincoln’s 49, Patrick Henry’s 39, and Crawford’s 38.

San Diego’s Melvin Jones won the 100-yard dash in 09.8 and teammate Elijah Turner the 220 in :21.8.  Morse’s Greg Norfleet had a season-best 56-4 in the shot put. Donald Tyler of Lincoln ran :48.7 in the 440.

METROPOLITAN LEAGUE, @CHULA VISTA

The winning high jump height was 6-4 ¾.  But the winner was not the favored Greg Gorsuch as unheralded Dave Stigen of Chula Vista out jumped Castle Park’s Steve See and Gorsuch, who was third, and their teammate Bob Simas.

Gorsuch interrupted his jumping to take part in the 440 relay.  The bar was at 6-6 when Gorsuch returned to the high jump.

According to Logan Gray Elliott, Gorsuch’s coach, his ace cleared 6-9…after the competition.

Gorsuch affected the high jump flop but Stigen used the now-vintage Western roll.

Castle Park won the team title with 52 points.  Hilltop was second with 31.

WESTERN LEAGUE, @MISSION BAY

Kearny’s Mike (Barney) Person cleared the 120 high hurdles in what was described as a wind-legal :14.4, bettering the :14.7 of Clairemont’s Steve Spiewak in 1970.

John Willson of Point Loma tied he 440 record of :49.7 by Clairemont’s Larry Godfrey in 1962.

Kim Downs of Kearny surprised the field, including defending champion Rory Trup of Mission Bay, with Downs’ 1:54.5 880, 13^th fastest in County history, but short of Bob Hose’s league-record 1:52.1 in 1964.

Kearny also surprised Clairemont, 44 points to 43, and won the team championship.

GROSSMONT LEAGUE, @EL CAPITAN

Mount Miguel (47 points) won a battle with Helix (45 1/2), El Capitan (45 ½), and Monte Vista (45) for the team championship.

Rick Schultz of Helix set a pole vault record of 14 feet, 8 ½ inches. Jim Cochran of El Cajon Valley and Schultz each had cleared 14-7 ¼, Cochran in 1968, Schultz in 1970.

AVOCADO LEAGUE, @ESCONDIDO

Vista’s Stan Leonard ran 1:56.4 in the 880 to break the 1965 record of 1:56.8 by Oceanside’s Brett Rowlett.

The 440 time of :49.5 by John Davenport of Escondido erased the :50 by Coronado’s Scott Knox in 1961 and was the fastest-ever  by a runner from a North County school.

5/21/71

SAN DIEGO SECTION TRIALS, @BALBOA STADIUM

Wesley Babcock of Lincoln tied the meet record of :14.2 in the 120-yard high hurdles, won his heat in the 180 lows :19.5, and anchored Lincoln’s mile relay, which ran 3:24.3 and qualified.

The inspired Babcock cited divine providence after the Hornets entered the race not one, but two men short.  “It was a miracle,” he intoned.

Lincoln was third in its heat as Winston Sharp substituted for ill Willard Nickleberry and Donald Tyler could not run the long relay because he was in the 440 relay, plus the 220 and 440 and a CIF rule prohibited substitutions of relay personnel unless of injury or illness.

Babcock was timed in :49.5 for his leg, although one observer had him in :48.9.

San Diego was dominant in each relay, winning its heats in :41.9 and 3:19.5, respectively. Melvin Jones won a 100 heat in :09.7.

Three top pole vaulters did not qualify.

Helix’ Rick Schultz’ pole snapped and he was slowed by a pulled muscle. Glen Gunderson of Poway (13-11 ¼) was out with a back injury, and Monte Vista’s Max Gabaldon (14-4) could not find his step and was slowed by back problems.

Lincoln and Vista each qualified nine for the finals.  San Diego, Patrick Henry, Escondido, Oceanside, and Clairemont had eight each.

5/27/71

SAN DIEGO SECTION FINALS, @BALBOA STADIUM

A see-saw battle for the team championship went to San Diego, with 31 ½ points to Lincoln’s 30.  Clairemont followed with 28 in the closest team race since Granite Hills edged Lincoln, 26-23 in 1965.

The team race came down to the mile relay, last event.  Without Willard Nickleberry and Donald Tyler, Lincoln was fifth in 3:24.3.  San Diego won in 3:19.4 and also edged Lincoln in the short relay in :42.2, same time as for the Hornets.

David Harper and Dale Fleet kept Clairemont in the running.

Harper ran the mile in a season-best 4:12.4, beating teammate Rick Lord, who ran 4:18.8. and Fleet outran Helix’ Ed Mendoza in the two mile, 9:02 to 9:10.4.

Castle Park’s Greg Gorsuch flopped 6 feet, 6 inches, in the high jump and Chula Vista’s Dave Stigen, using the Western roll technique, also cleared 6-6, but Gorsuch won on fewer misses.

Stan Leonard of Vista won a competitive 880-yard run in 1:54.2, ahead of Mission Bay’s Kim Downs (1:54.3) and Rory Trup (1:54.4), Helix’ Bob Bishop (1:54.5), and Patrick Henry’s Scott Hurst (1:55.3).

6/5/71

53^RD STATE TRACK TRIALS, @UCLA

FIRST 3 IN EACH HEAT, TOP 12 IN FIELD EVENTS QUALIFIED

EVENT	NAME	SCHOOL	RESULTS	PLACE
100	James Milton	Morse	:09.8	3rd
	Melvin Jones	San Diego	:09.9	9th
220	Milton		:21.5	4th
	Elijah Turner	San Diego	:21.8	5th
440	Donald Tyler	Lincoln	:48.0	3rd
	John  Davenport	Escondido	—-	9th
880	Kim Downs	Mission Bay	1:55.3	4th
	Stan Leonard	Vista	1:55.7	6th
Mile	David Harper	Clairemont	4:14.0	2nd
	Mark Novak	Clairemont	4:19.8	6th
120HH	Barney Person	Kearny	—-	6th
	Wesley Babcock	Lincoln	—-	Scratched
180LH	David Watson	Crawford	:19.5	6th
	Bill Haynie		:19.6	7th
440 Relay		San Diego	:42.1	3rd
		Lincoln	:42.3	4th
Mile Relay		Patrick Henry	3:18.9	3rd
		San Diego	—-	Scratched
High Jump	Greg Gorsuch	Castle Park	6-6	3rd
	Dave Stigen	Chula Vista	6-4	—-
Long Jump	Ken Parrot	Vista	23-0	T-6th
	David Crouch	Crawford	22-11	10th
Shot Put	Greg Norfleet	Morse	57-1/4	12th
	Kurt Nelson	Madison	50-6	—-
Pole Vault	Steve Field	Escondido	No Height
	Francisco Zepeda	San Diego	Scratched
Discus	Jim Fulcher	El Capitan	155-11	—-
	Les Frank	Monte Vista	148-1	—-

6/6/71

53^RD STATE TRACK FINALS, @UCLA

EVENT	NAME	SCHOOL	RESULTS	PLACE
100	Milton		—-	7th
440	Tyler		:47.3	8th
Mile	Harper		4:12.3	4th
Two-Mile	Dale Fleet	Clairemont	8:53.8	1st
	Ed Mendoza	Helix	9:00.8	5th
440 Relay		San Diego	:41.5	4th
Mile Relay		Patrick Henry	—-	8th
High Jump	Gorsuch		6-8	6th
Long Jump	Parrot		23-5	7th
	Crouch		22-11 ¾	8th
Shot Put	Norfleet		58-8 3/4	9th

 

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San Diego High’s defending state championship team had the splendid miler, Al Heredia, but it was a quiet season overall in the militarily vital Coastal zone. The young men of the area undoubtedly were aware of the war clouds in Europe that would lead to World War II.

3/16/39

Oceanside won the 880-yard relay in 1:36.2 and the five points secured a 55-49, Metropolitan League victory at Escondido.

Jerry Williams of the losing Cougars set school records of 6 feet in the high jump and 21-1½ in the broad jump.

3/18/39

Defending champion San Diego was sixth with 9 1/2 points in team scoring in the Southern Counties’ Invitational at Huntington Beach High.

Al Heredia was a winner in 4:49.1 in the mile. Chuck Hertzog was fourth in the broad jump at 21 feet, 1 inch.  Jim Brewer was fourth in the 880 and the Hilltoppers were third in the 880-yard relay, won by Com[ton in 1:32.5.

Compton won the large school championship with 33 points. Garden Grove won the small schools title with 20 points. Coronado was third with 17, Grossmont fourth with 16, and Vista tied for ninth with 3.

Eddie Morris of Huntington Beach, on  his home track, ran :09.7 in the 100-yard dash and :21.0 in the 220.

3/31/39

Chuck Hartzog broad jumped 22 feet, 2 ½ inches for the best mark in San Diego’s 90-32 Coast League dual meet rout of the host Alhambra Moors.

Robert Estavillo was a triple winner in :10.2 and :23.6 in the 100 and 220-yard dashes and anchored the 880-yard relay team to a 1:33 victory. Al Heredia won the mile in 4:49 for the Hilltoppers.

—Don Hayden won three events, 70-yard high hurdles (:10.1), high jump (5-feet-6), and pole vault (10-feet-8) at Vista swept a triangular meet with San Jacinto’ and Wildomar Elsinore.

The Panthers got the best of the two teams called Tigers, 67 points to 37 for San Jacinto and 27 for Elsinore and also swept classes B and C.

—Ramona scored 29 points, Fallbrook 25, and Mountain Empire 23 in a Southern Prep League triangular at Ramona.

Marr, Wise, and Elliott, the only Mountain Empire entries, won 4 events.  Marr won the 100 (:10.8) and 220 (:24.8), Wise the 440 (:55.6), and Elliott the high jump (5-3).

4/10/39

Don Harden won three events and Vista defeated Ramona, 81-26, in a Southern Prep League meet.

4/12/39

Hoover defeated Alhambra, 86 1/6-35 5/6, in a quickly organized Coast League meet.  Alhambra balked at the under-the-lights Friday, April 15, date at Hoover.

The Moors would have had to travel three hours and 125 miles on the often foggy Coast Highway  as evening was setting in.

4/13/39

Tom Herrin, his Point Loma baseball team’s game rained put, switched uniforms  and helped the Pointers beat Grossmont, 73-31, in a Metropolitan League dual.

Herrin was second to teammate Bill Fitzgerald in the 100 and 220 and won the broad jump at 20-5 7/8 and shot put at 43-1 ½. Fitzgerald’s winning times were :10.6 and :24.1.

—Long Beach Poly won the Coast League’s big meet, 69½-52 ½, over visiting San Diego. Poly’s Tommy Davies won sprint duels from San Diego’s Robert Estavillo in :09.9 and :23 and anchored the Jackrabbits’ 1:32.2 win in the 880 relay.

The Hilltoppers’ Al Heredia won the mile in 4:43. Chuck Hartzog took the broad jump at 21-1 /3/4 and John Macevicz beat teammate Jim Brewer in a 2:01.3 880.

—Vista stayed unbeaten in the Southern Prep League by sweeping classes A, B, and C from Brown Military.  The Panthers outscored the Cadets, 72-36, in Class A.

4/18/39

Escondido outscored visiting Hoover, 52 2/3-51 1/3, in a nonleague dual meet.  Bob Gain set a school record with a :10.2 victory in the 100-yard dash and teammate Jerry Williams set another with a 6-1 high jump.

4/20/39

Coronado won at Sweetwater, 66 2/3-37 1/3, clearing the decks for a showdown between the Islanders (4-0) and Escondido (3-0) four days later.

Point Loma (4-1) was lying in the weeds, the Pointers’ only loss to Escondido and still to meet Coronado.

4/21/39

The first annual All-City Relays at Hoover matched the Cardinals and Point Loma against San Diego and La Jolla.

Twenty events with combined squads in varsity, Class B and C, from the opening, four-man shuttle hurdles, to the final, Football Lettermen’s 400-yard relay (in full uniform and a football to serve as the passing baton), drew about 1,400 persons.

Hoover-Point Loma outscored San Diego-La Jolla, 88-72, with scoring at 5 points for first and 3 for second.  The Cardinals and Pointers combined for 14 first places.  San Diego was forced to enter four men in some events as La Jolla did not have personnel.

Best performance probably was by the four Hilltoppers runners in the four-man, two-mile relay.

Bill Chapman, Jim Brewer, John Macevicz, and Al Heredia covered the distance in 8:22.  Macevicz was timed in 2:03 and Heredia anchored in 2:01.5, crossing the finish line 150 yards in front of the Hoover-Point Loma entry.

4/24/39

Coronado’s Tommy Miller overtook Escondido’s Jerry Williams in the 880 relay and the Islanders came from behind to win the important Metropolitan League dual, 52 ½-51 ½, with a school-record time of 1:35.1.

Bob Gain, who won the 100 (:10.3) and 220 (:23.7), gave the Cougars a lead on the opening leg of the relay and that held up until Miller caught Jerry Williams about 15 yards from the tape.

Williams had won the high jump (5-8) and broad jump (20-9 1/8) and was second in the 120-yard low hurdles.  Howard Bob White of Escondido won the 880 in a Metro best of 2:09.3, narrowly beating Coronado’s Tom Rice.

4/28/39

The powder blue pants of San Diego High coach Joe Beerkle caught the attention of the crowd, which gathered under the lights at Hoover as the Hilltoppers surprisingly dominated, 74 2/3-47 1/3.

Al Heredia pulled away to beat Cardinal Art Nash by 20 yards in 4:38.2, stamping Heredia as a CIF contender.  Glendon Armstrong and Bob Klicka tied for first in the 440 in :51.8.

—Escondido would get an opportunity to tie for the Metropolitan League dual meet championship with a 76 1/3-27 2/3 win over Sweetwater.

—Point Loma defeated Coronado, 56-48, as the Islanders’ Tom Rice set a school record of 4:53.5 in the mile and the Pointers’ Parkinson set a school record of 5-8 7/8 in the high jump.

Escondido had only La Jolla remaining on the schedule.  An expected win by the Cougars would give the three contenders 5-1 records.

5/2/39

La Jolla, citing a lack of personnel, forfeited the final dual meet to Escondido, creating a three-way tie for the dual meet title between the Cougars, Point Loma, and Coronado.

5/5/39

Johnny Bauer, who set a CIF Class C record of 53 feet 5 inches with the eight-pound shot in 1938, won the Coast League Class B competition at Alhambra by pushing the 10-pound ball 52-4.

Rodney Cole of Hoover was second in the pole vault but set a school record of 12 feet, ½ inch.

Hoover won the Class B championship, edging Long Beach Poly, 61-60.

5/6/39

Grossmont, undefeated in Class B and C dual meet competition entered 52 athletes in a field of 265 in the sixth Metropolitan League trials and championships at San Diego State. Trials were to begin at 10 a.m., with finals getting underway at 1:30 p.m.

The 17^th Coast League finals were at Balboa Stadium and the third Southern Prep League championships were at San Dieguito.

Al Heredia continued his late-season push when he ran the mile in a 4:33.2 that smashed the meet-record of 4:38 by Evan Dowers of San Diego in 1930.

A month ago Heredia was running in the 4:40s and John Macevicz was one of the top half-milers in Southern California. Sinus problems forced an end to Macevicz’s season this week, but Jim Brewer stepped up to win the 880 in 2:01.

Long Beach Poly outscored San Diego, 75 ½-68, for the team championship. Hoover and Alhambra finished third and fourth with 38 ½ and 9.

Bill Hite of Poly logged :50.4 in the 440 to better the record of :50.5 by Maynard Shove of Pasadena in 1927 and Hite was part of the 880 relay squad which won in 1:30.7.

—Point Loma’s Richard Marques set a Metro mile mark of 4:44.9, which broke a record of 4:48.8 by Sweetwater’s Clair Berdel in 1935.

Marques’ teammate, Tom Herrin, and Oceanside’s Bruce McAllister were double winners, Herrin with a 21-6 7/8 broad jump and 45-8 shot put and McAllister with a :10.2 100 and :22.6 220.

Point Loma won the team title with 43 points, with Coronado (22), Oceanside (21-1 ½), Escondido (16 ½), Grossmont (10) and Sweetwater (8) trailing.

—Ten meet records were broken and Vista outscored San Dieguito, 67 to 62, for the team Southern Prep League championship.  Leo Swain of San Dieguito had the day’s best effort with his record 2:07.7 in the 880.

5/13/39

DIVISIONAL @SAN DIEGO STATE

San Diego and Hoover of the Coast League was joined by athletes from the Metropolitan, Southern Prep, and Imperial Valley loops.

The often afternoon cold wind was prevalent as San Diego’s Al Heredia won his mile race in 4:42.  Sophomore Lou Barrera led teammate Robert Estavillo and Escondido’s Bob Gain in a :22 flat 220.

5/20/39

SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS, @L.A. COLISEUM

San Diego’s Al Heredia set a school record and won the mile in 4:29.3.  Jim Brewer ran the 880 in 1:59, second to the 1:58.6 by Beverly Hills’ Paul Christianson, for another Hilltoppers record.

Lowell Donnelly tied for third in the high jump at 6-1 and Chuck Hartzog was fifth in the broad jump at 21-9.  The 880 relay team, of Lou Barrera, Bob Klicka, Glendon Armstrong, and Robert Estavillo, was third as Compton won in 1:28.9.

Tom Herrin of Point Loma reached 44 feet, 6 ½ inches and won the hop, step, and jump.

Long Beach Poly led in team scoring with 24 points, with Compton second with 21, San Diego tied for third with Glendale Hoover with 15.

5/27/39

25^TH STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, @L.A. COLISEUM

Al Heredia was so close to winning that his second-place time of 4:26.8 was the same as the winner, John Hall of Torrance, second to Heredia in the Southern Section meet last week.  Heredia’s school record wouldn’t be broken for almost 30 years, by John Jacobsen, who ran 4:22 in 1967.

Jim Brewer was runner-up again to Beverly Hills’ Paul Christenson, who ran 2:01.3 in the 880.

Tom Herrin of Point Loma did not compete in the hop, step, and jump because it was an exhibition, non-scoring event.

San Diego was sixth in team scoring with 8 points.  Bakersfield won with 16.

Jerry Culp starred on a vanishing stage.

The Oceanside High senior  became the eighth prep high jumper to clear seven feet, scaling the height three times and winning the state championship with a leap of 7 feet, ¼ inch.

But since an Oregon State high jumper had perfected a new, drastically event-changing style and won an Olympic gold medal in 1968, jumpers were moving away from what had been tradition for about 15 years.

Culp used the “Western Roll” technique which had evolved from the “Standing” high jump of the early 1900’s to the scissors, which gradually became a straddle and which gave way to the form Culp and predecessors, such as 1956 gold medalist Charlie Dumas had perfected.

Castle Park’s Greg Gorsuch was one of the practitioners adopting the “Fosbury Flop” introduced by Dick Fosbury, who won the gold two years before with his revolutionary, “back first” approach.

Gorsuch cleared 6 feet, 6 1/2 inches and was an object of attention as he competed as a Class C jumper and low hurdler in league and CIF meets.

Almost all jumpers eventually flopped.

4/17/70

Oceanside’s Jerry Culp for the first time cleared 7 feet in the high jump, negotiating 7-1/4 on his first try as the Pirates won their 49^th consecutive dual meet, 86-32 over Vista.

Otis Hailey from Wasco in California’s San Joaquin Valley reportedly cleared 7-1 ¼ in 1968.

“It’s what we’ve been hoping for since he cleared 6-10 in his first meet last year,” Pirates coach Tom Shields told Jack Williams of the Evening Tribune.  “Now we’re just sort of all quivery and excited.”

Culp did not make another attempt.  “Anything else seemed like anti-climax,” said Shields.  “I asked Jerry if he wanted to continue jumping and he said, ‘Not unless you want me to, coach.’”

—San Diego was ready for its Eastern League showdown with Lincoln next week after the Cavers’ 69-49 win over Patrick Henry, which tied the Hornets earlier, 59-59.

The Cavers set the pace from the outset with a :43.4 victory in the opening, 440-yard relay.  Henry’s Jim Howe ran the 100 in :10.

—Helix turned back Monte Vista, 69-66, to win its third straight Grossmont League dual-meet championship, but the biggest splash was by Billy Joe Winchester, who set a County record of 180 feet, 2 inches, in the discus and won the shot put at 62-7 ½ in Mount Miguel’s 92 ½-43 ½ win over Santana.

—Jesse Davis, with the obligatory Castle Park wind behind his back, ran the 180-yard low hurdles in :19.4 and a leg on the winning, 440-yard relay team (:44.2) in Sweetwater’s 64-56 win over Castle Park.

Mike Ruiz was even more important in the Red Devils’ victory, winning the 220 in :21.8, long jump at 21-10, and anchoring the meet-clinching mile relay triumph (3:32.2).

Greg Gorsuch “Fosbury flopped” 6-5 for the Trojans to win the high jump and future NFL first-round draft choice Steve Riley hurled the shot 51-6 1/2.

4/18/70

Helix’ Ed Mendoza won the two-mile run in 9:14.5, nearly 40 seconds faster than the nearest runner, and was named outstanding athlete at the Compton Cup Invitational.

4/22/70

Bill Smith of Morse, running in front of the friendly breezes at home, sped to a :09.5 100-yard dash, took the 220 in :22.3 and anchored Morse to a :43.3 win in the 440-yard relay, but Crawford won the Eastern League dual, 60-58.

4/23/70

“It used to be that Lincoln was so strong the coaches in our league wondered if they could put together an all-star team good enough to beat them,” said San Diego’s Martin Pedigo.

But Pedigo’s squad defeated Lincoln, 61-57, for the Cavers’ first win over the Hornets since 1963.  The Hornets lost two dual meets, including their first in the Eastern League in seven years and were tied by Patrick Henry, 59-59.

—Coronado’s Robert Mansueto raced the 120-yard high hurdles in :14.8, tying the school record, set by Charlie Love in 1956, but Hilltop won the Metropolitan League dual, 63-55.

4/24/70

MT. SAN ANTONIO INVIATIONAL, @WALNUT

Jerry Culp cleared 6-4 in the high jump, missing three times at 6-6.

El Cajon Valley’s Dean Owens won the event at 6-8.  “I know I can beat these guys,” Culp said of the competition. “I don’t want to make any excuses but the takeoff area was sloped.  I didn’t like it.”

—Billy Joe Winchester lost his first shot put competition of the season, reaching 60-11 ¼ and finishing third behind Roger Friberg of San Marino (62-8 ¼) and Dave Schiller of Long Beach Millikan (61-9 ¼).

Winchester won the discus toss at 166-10 ¼, short of his County-record 180-2.

—Helix was second in the four man, four-mile relay to Manhattan Beach Mira Costa as a team of Robin Schulz (4:33), Rich Stump. Dennis Rodgers, and Ed Mendoza (4:16.4) bettered the County record with a time of 17:46.2.  Clairemont had run 17:46.8 a month earlier.

Helix was third with a team of Dave Raney, Steve Pitt, Don Moore, and Bob Bishop in the four-man, two-mile relay in 8:01.2

—Clairemont defeated Mission Bay, 77-41, to claim the Western League dual meet title as David Harper ran 4:18.5, the season’s fastest mile; George Chandler took the 100 in :09.9, and Steve Spiewak the 180 low hurdles in :19.6.

–Oceanside won the Avocado League team title in the Vista Relays for the seventh consecutive year with 81 points to 74 for second-place Escondido.  Orange Glen’s Jerry Matlock set a record with a time of :13.1 in the 120-yard high hurdles.

4/28/70

St. Augustine’s Jesse Ochoa clocked a wind-aided :09.6 for the 100-yard dash at Patrick Henry, which won the dual meet, 79-38.  El Cajon Valley’s Richard Norkunas cleared 14 feet, 3/4 inch, in the pole vault, and the Braves beat Monte Vista, 71-65.

4/30/70

Wesley Babcock’s :14.6 clocking in the 120-yard high hurdles was a milestone in Lincoln’s 16-year track history.  Babcock was the 15^th Hornet to run :14.8 or better.  Ted Scales, David Edwards, and Marion Franklin each shared the school record at :14.1.

—Vincent Breddell won the 100 in :09.8, 220 in :22,5, and anchored Kearny to a :42.3 victory in the 440 relay but Point Loma won the mile relay in 3:31.9 and the Western League dual, 61-57.

5/1/70

Billy Joe Winchester won the shot put at 60-2 and whirled the discus 194-6, fourth longest distance in California this season and more than 14 feet further than Winchester had accomplished when he set the County record of 180-2 on April 17.

Chris Adams of Los Altos (201), Bob Stoecker (Los Altos), 195-4, and Tom Birtwhistle (Palo Alto), 195-4, rank 1-2-3.

El Cajon Valley won the Grossmont League dual meet against the visiting Matadors, 74-62.

—Robert Mansueto of Coronado broke the school record he tied the previous week when Mansueto scaled the 120-yard high hurdles in :14.7 and won the 180 lows in :19.7.

—Mesa College coach Dick Coxe provided a wind gauge for the Eastern League meet between Morse and San Diego.

There was wind, 7 miles an hour, more than the allowable 4.473, when Morse’s Bill Smith won the 100-yard dash in :09.7, but the setting was not the gusty plane on which the Tigers and others ran their fast times.

The 5-foot, 6 ½-inch Smith ran his century in usually mild Balboa Stadium and he followed with a :22 victory in the 220, after anchoring Morse to a :42.5 win in the 440 relay.

San Diego stayed unbeaten in league meets, winning, 65-53, over the Tigers. Cavers high jumpers Hubert Everett and Albert Mills each cleared 6-4 ¼ and Everett won the long jump at 22-5 ½.

5/8/70

WESTERN LEAGUE TRIALS, @MADISON

Kearny led with 14 qualifiers, followed by Clairemont and Mission Bay, 11 each; Point Loma and Madison, 10 each, and La Jolla and University, 5 each.

Point Loma junior John Willson, whose late father, Jimmy Willson was the state sprint champion for San Diego High in 1929, ran the fastest 440 trial, :50.2.

EASTERN LEAGUE TRIALS, @BALBOA STADIUM

Lincoln’s Milton Mitchell ran :47.7, the second fastest 440 in County history, and equaled the state’s fastest this season as Lincoln led all qualifiers with 17.

Jesse Greene of Lincoln (:49.6) was given the win in a dead heat with San Diego’s Melvin Jones (:49.6) in the other quarter mile trial.  Lincoln’s Bobby Odom was second to Mitchell at :49.8.

Crawford and Morse qualified 13 each, Patrick Henry 10, San Diego 8, St. Augustine 7, and Hoover, 3.

GROSSMONT LEAGUE, @SANTANA

Five-foot, 10-inch, 240-pound Billy Joe Winchester continued his late-season run of records in the discus, sending the platter 195-8, bettering his County record, set eight days before.

“I love throwing the discus at Santana,” Winchester said.  “The wind’s like a tornado there.  I threw 157 there as a freshman.”

Helix’ Gunnars Valkirs (168) and Dick Comber (159-9) also reached season highs, as did Granite Hills long Jumper Daryl Guthridge, 23-0.

Lloyd Kaster of El Cajon Valley and Art Evins each doubled in the hurdles, Kaster in :14.8 and :20.1, Evins in :15.1 and :20.  Dean Owens, Kaster’s teammate, led qualifiers with a 6-4 high jump.

Helix sent 22 to the finals, followed by El Cajon Valley, 18; Monte Vista, 14; Granite Hills, 13; Mount Miguel, 11; Grossmont and Santana, 10 each, and El Capitan 6.

High jumpers continued to excel.  Orange Glen’s Jerry Kiley went 6-6 ¼ in the Patriots’ 62-56 loss to Vista and Dave Stigen of Chula Vista cleared 6-4 in a 99-19 win over Bonita Vista.

5/12/70

METROPOLITAN LEAGUE @CASTLE PARK

Greg Gorsuch made history with his Fosbury Flop, clearing 6-6 ½ in the Class C field event finals, breaking the County C record of 6-3 1/4 by Eddy Hanks of Hoover in 1962 and the CIF Southern Section record of 6-3 ½ by Randy Fulkerson of Santa Fe Springs Santa Fe.

Also shattered by Gorsuch was the league record, 5-10.

The usual Castle Park breezes aided Mar Vista’s Valley Coleman, who ran :14.4 in the 120-yard high hurdles; Sweetwater’s Jesse Davis, :19.1 in the 180 lows, and Jim Eaves, who raced the 220 straight course in :21.6, fastest in the County this season.

5/15/70

EASTERN LEAGUE FINALS, @BALBOA STADIUM

San Diego won its first team championship since 1963, edging Lincoln, 57 ½-55, with Crawford third with 41 points. Morse had 30 1/2, St. Augustine 22, Patrick Henry 15, and Hoover 1.

Bill Smith of Morse won the 100 duel with Jesse Ochoa of St. Augustine in :09.8 and Ochoa evened the score in the 220 in :21.8.

San Diego won the 440 relay in :42.2, followed by Morse, :42.4, and Lincoln, :42.6.  The Cavers had four more individual winners, Hubert Everett, 6-3 high jump, 21-10 ¾ long jump, Robert Leyba, 9:54.8 two-mile, and Roy Manriquez, 4:37.6 mile.

Lincoln’s Milton Mitchell won the 440 in :47.7, followed by Clifton Smith of Crawford in :49.3, and Jesse Greene of Lincoln, :49.5.   Mitchell and Greene were on the winning mile relay team that ran 3:22.7.

WESTERN LEAGUE, @MADISON

Three meet records were set and two tied and Clairemont outscored Kearny, 52 ½-47, for the team championship. Following were Mission Bay (45), Madison (32), Point Loma (30½), University (8), and La Jolla (7).

Steve Spiewak of Clairemont set two hurdles records, :14.7 in the 120-yard highs, bettering the mark of :14.8 by Mission Bay’s Dee Hayes in 1965 and Kearny’s Dennis Downes in 1968, and :19.4 in the 180 lows, which erased :19.6’s by Point Loma’s Charles Streeter in ’63, Mission Bay’s Sam Fernandez in ’65, and Point Loma’s Steve Noall in ’68.

David Harper of Clairemont logged a 4:15.4 mile, making Harper the sixth fastest four-lap runner in County history and better than his 4:19.5 in 1969.

The only milers to have run faster than Harper were Tim Danielson (3:59.4), Armando Valencia (4:08.8), Tom Davidson (4:09), Thornton Bigley (4:10.8), Lloyd Apgar (4:11.8), Steve Becker (4:13), Otis Martin (4:14.3), and Dave Funderburk (4:14.4).

METROPOLITAN LEAGUE, @CASTLE PARK

Valley Coleman of Mar Vista beat Robert Mansueto of Coronado in :14.7 in the high hurdles, but Jesse Davis of Sweetwater defeated both in the low hurdles in :19.6 and anchored a :43.1 victory in the 440 relay.

Davis also won the 100 in a shockingly slow :11.6.

Not to worry, Red Devils.   Davis was forced to run 120 yards. Bosses forgot to move the finish line after the 120-yard high hurdles final.

Sweetwater outscored Mar Vista, 70-43, for the team title. Chula Vista (28), Castle Park (20), Coronado (20), Hilltop (7), Bonita Vista (6) and Mar Vista (0) also were on the card.

AVOCADO LEAGUE, @ESCONDIDO

Oceanside won five events in the non-scoring event, led by Leonard Willis’ :19.4 victory in the 180 low hurdles and a San Diego Section leading 23-4 ¼ in the long jump.

Jerry Culp high jumped 6-10 and had three misses at what would have been a national record of 7-1 ½.

GROSSMONT LEAGUE, @GRANITE HILLS

Billy Joe Winchester heaved a career best 62-11 in the shot put and a personal third best 193 feet to share double honors with Helix’ Art Evins, who won the high hurdles in :14.8 and set a meet record of :19.5 in the low hurdles.

Pole vaulter Rick Schultz of Helix cleared 14 feet, 7 ¼ inches, higher than all but El Cajon Valley’s Jim Cochran, 14-10 ¾, in 1968, and El Capitan’s Andy Steben, 14-9 in 1965.

El Cajon Valley’s Dean Owen upped his meet high jump record from 6-4 to 6-9.   Helix’ Ed Mendoza set a record, 9:10.2 in the two-mile.

Helix scored 69 points, followed by Granite Hills, 37; El Cajon Valley, 32; Santana, 28; Grossmont and El Capitan, 24; Mount Miguel, 22.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE

Mountain Empire won the team championship with 52 points.

5/21/70

SAN DIEGO SECTION TRIALS, @BALBOA STADIUM

Billy Joe Winchester led discus qualifiers in Balboa Stadium with a toss of 170-3.  Helix’ Gunnars Valkirs, 168-3 last week, was second at 154-6.

5/22/70

Jerry Culp of Oceanside cleared 7-1/4, but declined when asked if he would be aiming for a prep record of 7-1 ½ in the CIF finals the following Thursday.

“I just want to win,” Williams told Jack Williams of the Evening Tribune.  “I don’t care if I win at 6-6 or 7-5.  So long as I win.”

Helix had the best chance of winning, qualifying 11, followed by Oceanside, 10, and San Diego and Lincoln, 9 each.

Milton Mitchell’s :47.3 440 set a meet and County record, bettering the :48 by San Diego’s Michael Singletary in the 1965 Section finals and the :47.6 Singletary ran in the state meet that year.

Mitchell also anchored Lincoln’s mile relay to an easy win in 3:19.5, the Hornets’ best time of the season and stamping themselves as potential state meet medalists.

5/27/70

SAN DIEGO SECTION FINALS

Jerry Culp won his event at 6-10 and missed three times at 7-1 ¼.

Billy Joe Winchester was a double winner (59-5 shot put, 180-6 discus).  Kearny’s Vincent Breddell won the 100 in :09.7 and finished first in the 220 but was disqualified for running outside his lane.

Morse’s Bill Smith, ahead of Breddell after 40 yards, was second in the 100 in :9.8, same time given teammate James Milton and Escondido’s Richie Hunt.

Clairemont’s David Harper won the mile in a season-best 4:12.5. Mission Bay sophomore Rory Trup out dueled Helix’ Bob Bishop, 1:55.3 to 1:55.9, in the 880.

Sweetwater, thanks to Jim Eaves’ powerful second leg, was a surprise winner at :42 in the 440 relay. Milton Mitchell won the 440 in :48.2 and then left the Stadium to attend Lincoln’s prom. The favored Hornets then went unplaced in a controversial mile relay when they claimed that one of their runners was tripped during the race.

Helix outscored Oceanside, 30-23, for the team championship, followed by Orange Glen, 17; Mount Miguel, 14, El Cajon Valley and Kearny, 13 each, and Lincoln, 11, among others.

6/5/70

52^ND STATE TRIALS, @EDWARDS FIELD, BERKELEY
(First three in each of three heats and first 12 in field events qualified).

EVENT	NAME	SCHOOL	RESULTS	PLACE
100	Vincent Breddell	Kearny	:09.7	First
	Bill Smith	Madison	:09.8	Third
220	Jesse Ochoa	St. Augustine	:22.8	Seventh
	Richie Hunt	Escondido	Scratched
440	Milton Mitchell	Lincoln	:48.2	First
	Clifton Smith	Crawford	Scratched
880	Rory Trup	Mission Bay	1:55.1	Fifth
	Bob Bishop	Helix	1:57.1	Seventh
Mile	David Harper	Clairemont	4:17.1	Second
	Ruben Heredia	Oceanside	4:17.5	Second
120 High Hurdles	Valley Coleman	Mar Vista	:14.8	Fifth
	Robert Mansueto	Coronado	:15.2	Eighth
180 Low Hurdles	Jerry Matlock	Orange Glen	:19.5	Third
	Leonard Willis	Oceanside	:20	Seventh
440 Relay		Sweetwater	:42.3	Fifth
		Orange Glen	:43	Seventh
Mile Relay		Escondido	3:22.1	Seventh
		Mar Vista	No Time	Ninth
High Jump	Jerry Culp	Oceanside	6-4	1T
	Dean Owens	El Cajon Valley	6-4	1T
Long Jump	Willis		22-11 ½	Ninth
	Daryl Guthridge	Granite Hill	22-1/2	19th
Shot Put	Billy Joe Winchester	Mount Miguel	60-7	Fifth
	Gunnar Valkirs	Helix	55-11	15th
Discus	Winchester		160-8	T11
	Valkirs		157
Pole Vault	Richard Norkunas	El Cajon Valley	13-6	1T
	Rick Schultz	Helix	13-6	1T

6/6/70

52^ND STATE FINALS, EDWARDS FIELD, BERKELEY

EVENT	NAME	SCHOOL	RESULTS	PLACE
100	Breddell		:10	Fourth
	Smith		:10.1	Eighth
440	Mitchell		:48.7	Sixth
Mile	Harper		4:15.8	Fourth
	Heredia		4:19.7	Eighth
Two Miles	Ed Mendoza	Helix	9:01	Third
	Steve Israel	El Capitan	9:55.6	24th
180 Low Hurdles	Matlock		:19.9	Ninth
High Jump	Culp		7-1/4	First
	Owens		6-6	Fifth
Long Jump	Willis		21-4 1/4	12th
Shot Put	Winchester		61-11 ½	Second
Discus	Winchester		185-9	Second
Pole Vault	Schultz		14-6	Fifth
	Norkunas		13-6	T12

Said Culp:  My legs were a little tired from jumping two days in a row.  The shin splints didn’t bother me.  I’ll probably jump once more this year (he did 6-10 ¼ at the Sacramento Golden West Invitational) then rest the leg the rest of the summer.”

Said Winchester: “The wind never was right after I threw 197-3 in the (discus) warmups.  In the shot, a lot of guys threw hard in the prelims…I’m glad I saved my best for the finals.”

Said Harper: “Running twice in two days was harder than I expected. I never had good position after the first lap.   I kept getting boxed and bumping into people.  Actually I asked somebody to move over and (then) squeezed through a couple guys.”

Said Breddell: “I didn’t have my usual pickup.  The track seemed real slow.  I couldn’t get any bite with my spikes.”

Said Mitchell: “I was ahead coming off the last turn, but the straightaway is longer here.  I couldn’t hold out.”

6/14/70

Billy Joe Winchester prepared for the upcoming Golden West meet by putting the 16-pound shot 49 feet, 9 inches,  and whirling the 4-pound, 6.4-ounce college and Olympic-sized discus 150-11 in an all-comers meet at San Diego State. Eddie Moeller of San Diego was unofficially reported to have reached 151-4 in 1926. Two others, Pete Shmock of San Dieguito (53-1/4 in 1968) and Grossmont’s Jim Wade (50-6 in 1957) had gone further in the shot put.

6/20/70

Winchester went just 176-6 in the Sacramento Golden West Invitational but tied Pete Shmock’s County record of 64-11 in the shot put.

 

San Diego Section boys and girls accounted for 19 Top 5 performances in California, according to Athletic.net; 34 Top 10, and 87  top 25 in the season which ended last weekend at the 103rd State Championships before a two-day total of 14,134 persons at Clovis Buchanan High.

The season belonged to the females.  They were responsible for 13 performances that ranked as top five, 22 of top 10, and 47 of  top 25.

Del Norte’s 4×800 relay team ran a state-leading 8:55.99, setting a meet record in the new event, and posted the fourth fastest time in the country this season.

Emily Russo (2:17.2), and Ella Echnsner (2:15.3) ran competitive first two legs for the Nighthawks.  Hannah Riggins blew the race open with a 2:07.3 carry that put the 4S school ahead by 30 yards. Paige Echnsner, not long after competing in the pole vault, closed with a 2:16.5 anchor.

The boys turned in 6 top 5 efforts, 12 top 10, and 40 top 25.

GIRLS BEST MARKS

EVENT	NAME, SCHOOL	MARK/STATE RANK	STATE
100	Amirah Shaheed, Madison	:11.58, 6th	Redmond, L.A. Carson, :11.45
200	Payton Smith, La Jolla	:23.78, 6th	:23.36w, Neal, Gardena Serra
	Shaheed	24:06w, 17th
400	Smith	:53.86, 4th	:52.71, Luckey, L.B. Wilson
	Nicoletta Burkhardt, Steele Canyon	:55.13, 12th
	Makenna Herbst, Carlsbad	:55.37, 14th
800	Hannah Riggins, Del Norte	2:06.69, 2nd	2:03.7, Browne, Riverside North
	Tessa Buswell, Poway	2:08.30, 4th
	Dominika Janik, Torrey Pines	2:10.74, 15th
	Kaitlyn Arciaga, Westview	2:10.89, 16th
	Makenna Herbst	2:11.37 18th
	Sophia Biesinger, La Costa Canyon	2:12.27, 22nd
	Paige Echsner, Del Norte	2:12.36, 23rd
1600	Riggins	4:41.42, 3rd	4:33.45, Engelhardt, Ventura
	Chiara Dailey, La Jolla	4:42.69, 5th
	Gioana Lopizzo, La Costa Canyon	4:45.94, 10th
	Jaelyn Williams, Eastlake	4:46.26, 11th
	Tessa Buswell, Poway	4:48.76, 17th
3200	Lopizzo	9:59.08, 4th	9:51.49, Engelhardt
	Williams	10:11.01,  6th
	Dailey	10:24.48, 10th
100 Hurdles	Anisa Bowen-Fontenot, San Diego	:13.89w, 5th	:13.53w, Harris, Stockton Lincoln
	Kapiolani Coleman, Cathedral	:14.27w, 12th
300 Hurdles	Bowen-Fontenot	:41.88, 2nd	:41.57, Edwards, L.B. Wilson
	Karina Janik, Torrey Pines	:42.19, 5th
	Coleman	:42.58, 7th
	Morgan Herbst, Carlsbad	:43.48, 17th
4 x 100 Relay	Steele Canyon	:47.48, 17th	:45.28, L.A. Carson
4 x 400 Relay	Carlsbad	3:53.00, 16th	3:41.08, Culver City
	Del Norte	3:55.37, 24th
4 x 800 Relay	Del Norte	8:55.99, 1st	8:59.12, Clovis Buchanan
	Sage Creek	9:19.56, 14th
	Cathedral	9:27.30, 22nd
High Jump	Lizzie Tarczy, Scripps Ranch	5-9, 4th	5-10 ½, Humphries, Castaic
	Breeze Czapinsky, Poway	5-7 ½, 8th
Long Jump	Taylore Hoagland, Rancho Bernardo	18-6 3/4, 22nd	20-8, McKenzie, Perris Orange Vista
Triple Jump	Jenna Fields, Santana	37-8 1/4 25th	40-8 ¾, Humphries
Shot Put	Gabriella Colon Gipson, Otay Ranch	39-11, unranked	46-10, Johnson Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
Discus	Elisabeth Driscoll, Canyon Crest	144-8, 9th	167-8, Fields, Caruthers
	Mairead Frankel, Sage Creek	142-4, 13th
	Brenna Williams, Cathedral	136-8, 19th
Pole Vault	Ilyana Downing, La Costa Canyon	14-0, 2nd	14-1 ¼,Muhammad, San Jose Track club
	Avery Hilliard, Poway	13-3, 5th
	Evangeline Thomson, Poway	13-1, 6th, tie
	Paige Echsner, Del Norte	12-9, 8th, tie
	Kelly Vander Pol, Maranatha	12-7, 13th, tie
	Lilia Montiel, Rancho Bernardo	12-6, 15th, tie
	Jessica Condliff, Canyon Crest	12-3, 17th, tie
	Cassandra Cinzori, San Dieguito	12-2, 25th

BOYS BEST MARKS

EVENT	NAME, SCHOOL	MARK/STATE RANK	STATE
100	Jason Wells, La Costa Canyon	:10.49, 19th	:10.09w, Pleasant, Gardena Serra
	Brandon Arrington, Helix	:10.58w, 24th
200	Adren Parker, Helix	:21.26, 13th	:20.53, Pleasant
	Arrington	:21.29w, 15th
400	Parker	:46.48, 3rd	:45.77, Stanley, Granada Hills
	David Slaughter, Mt. Carmel	:48.14, 15th
800	Manuel Correia, Point Loma	1:51.44, 7th	1:49.07, Sahlman, Newbury Park
	Ryan Thomas, Torrey Pines	1:52.04, 12th
1600	Thomas	4:07.90, 4th	Sahlman, 3:58.96
	Correia	4:09.83, 11th
	Micah Sanchez, Liberty Charter	4:11.64, 25th
3200	Sanchez	8:58.26, 16th	Parra, Long Beach Millikan, 8:46.50
110 Hurdles	Shon Martin, Helix	:14.24w, 12th, tie	:13.83, Davis-Lyric, Upland
300 Hurdles	Vincent Atilano, Cathedral	:37.73, 5th	37.39, Mendoza, Rancho Santa Margarita
	Martin	:38.18, 14th
	Danny Tragarz, Del Norte	:38.28, 16th
4×100 Relay	University City	:42.03, unranked	:40.28, Granada Hills
4×1600 Relay	Mt. Carmel	3:18.64, 11th	3:13.86, L.B. Poly
	Cathedral	3:20.83, 18th
	Helix	3:21.17, 22nd
4×800 Relay	Del Norte	8:03.0, unranked	7:38.59, San Clemente
High Jump	Brandon Cheeks II, Mission Bay	6-6, 10th, tie	6-9, Gorski, Santa Ana Mater Dei
	John Chang, Rancho Bernardo	6-6
Long Jump	Cheeks II	23-8 ½, 7th	24-9, Dedmon, Lake Isabella Kern Valley
	Nicola Redon, San Diego	23-7, 8th
	AJ Cornthwaite, Valhalla	23-4 ¾, 11th
	Elton Hurd, El Camino	23-0, 23rd,  tie
	Marcus Harris, Vista	23-0
Triple Jump	Cheeks II	46-11¼, 10th	48-8 ¾, Carr, South Bakersfield
	Justin Reichenberg, Mission Bay	46-6, 13th
	Harris	46-4 ½, 14th
Shot Put	Tyler Knowles, Rancho Buena Vista	59-9, 6th	65-10, See, San Juan Capistrano JSerra
	Trey Vergenz, Mission Hills	56-3, 18th
Discus	Knowles	185-5, 5th	199-9, See
	Vergenz	166-7/25th
Pole Vault	Jacob Emerson, Sage Creek	16-1/4 4th	17-1, Green, Clovis Buchanan
	Joey Weisman, Torrey Pines	16-0, 5th, tie
	Kai Anderson, University City	15-6, 10th, tie
	Tristan Sotelo, Grossmont	15-0, 15th tie
	Christian Saia, Mt. Carmel	14-9, 21st, tie
	Kamren Boyles, San Marcos	14-9
	Jordan Kondo, Vista	14-9

Marks current as of May 27, 2023.

@CLOVIS BUCHANAN HIGH

San Diego Section athletes scored two first places in the waning hours of the two-day, 103rd state track meet at Clovis Buchanan High over the weekend. The Section had no gold medals in 2022 and the meet was canceled in 2020 and ’21.

The results, although not as impressive as the record seven gold medals in 2019, still was a strong conclusion to another good run by the boys and girls, especially the latter.

The Del Norte girls raced to the fourth fastest time in the country this season, 8:55.94 in the 4×800 relay, and Iliana Downing of La Costa Canyon won the pole vault at 13 feet, 5 inches.

The 4×800 is a new event and represented the first new competition since 1995, when the girls’ pole vault, which Section athletes have won six times, was introduced.

PARKER OUT

Helix’ Adren Parker, a strong contender for a 400-meter championship, scratched in the trials Friday after “feeling something”,  uncomfortable in  his leg as he ran a leg on the Highlanders’ 400-meter relay, according to the report given Steve Brand of The San Diego Union.

Parker’s withdrawal marked a sad end to his prep career for the brilliant runner, whose :46.48 in the 400 was third best in the state this season.

Winners and San Diego Section finishes:

BOYS

4×100 RELAY—L.A. Granada Hills, :40.39.

1600—Dybdahl (Santa Barbara), 4:08.64. 2—Thomas (Torrey Pines), 4:08.82.

110HH—(wind, 1.0) Davis-Lyric, Upland, :13.83.

400—Stanley (L.A. Granada Hills), :45.77.

100—(wind 2.0), Pleasant (Gardena Serra), :10.20.  Betters state meet record of :10.30, by Riley Washington (Montgomery), 1992; Kenon Christon (Madison), 2019.

800—Lighthall (Hughson), 1:52.05.

300IH—Stevens (L.B. Jordan), :37.44.  4—Atilano (Cathedral), :37.73. 5—Tragarz (Del Norte), :38.41. Martin (Helix), DQ, impeded another runner.

200—(Wind, 1.6) Pleasant (Gardena Serra), :20.67.

4×800 RELAY— San Clemente, 7:38.59.  15–Helix, 8:11.76. 17—Del Norte, 8:12.67.

3200—Donis (Highland), 8:51.37.  5—Sanchez (Liberty Charter), 8:58.26.  Section No. 8 all-time. 13—Bell (Mt. Carmel), 9:06.91.

4×400 RELAY— L.B. Poly, 3:12.98. 8—Mt. Carmel, 3:19.80.

HJ—Stafford  (San Juan Capistrano JSerra) 6-7.  10—Cheeks (Mission Bay), 6-4.

LJ—Udeh (Concord De La Salle), 23-9 ¾. (Wind, 2.4).  3—Cornthwaite (Valhalla), 23-4 ¾. (Wind, 0.1)

TJ—(Wind, 1.0) Bolanos (Redlands East Valley), 47-8 ½. 8—Goodson (Oceanside), 45-6.

SP—See (San Juan Capistrano JSerra), 62-9 ½. 5—Knowles (Rancho Buena Vista), 59-7 ¼.  12—Vergenz  (Mission Hills), 48-1/2.

DISCUS—See (San Juan Capistrano JSerra), 196-04.

PV—Green (Clovis Buchanan), 16-6.  4—Emerson (Sage Creek), 15-6. 5—Anderson (University City), 15-6.  6—Weisman (Torrey Pines), 15-6.

GIRLS

4×100 RELAY—L.A. Carson, :45.61.  9—Steele Canyon, :47.77

1600– Engelhardt (Ventura), 4:33.45. 3—Riggins (Del Norte), 4:41.42. Section No. 1 all-time.  Billmeyer (Torrey Pines), 4:41.71, 2011. 11–Dailey (La Jolla), 4:52.81.

100H—(wind 2.01), Fields (Stockton St. Mary’s), :13.79.  4—Bowen-Fontenot (San Diego), :13.89.  Section No. 4 all-time.

400— Luckey (L.B. Wilson), 53.26.  3—Smith (La Jolla), :53.86.  Section No. 3 all-time. 7—Burkhardt (Steele Canyon), 55.91.  9—Makenna Herbst (Carlsbad), :56.35

100—(Wind, 1.6) Clayton (Westlake Village Oaks Christian), :11.46. 5—Shaheed (Madison), :11.73.

800—Engelhardt (Ventura), 2:07.22. 3—Buswell (Poway), 2:08.30.  10—D. Janik (Torrey Pines), 2:12.18.

300H—Edwards (L.B. Wilson), :41.57. 2—Bowen-Fontenot (San Diego), :41.88.  Section No. 3 all-time.

200—(wind, 1.3) Trepagnier (Culver City), :23.62. 3—Smith (La Jolla), :23.78.  Section No. 6 all-time.

4×800 RELAY— Del Norte, 8:55.99, No. 4 in U.S., 2023. San Diego Section and state meet record in new event. 13—Sage Creek, 9:29.55.

3200—Blade (Corona Santiago), 10:02.19.  3—Lopizzo (La Costa Canyon), 10:08.31.  4—Williams (Eastlake), 10:11,01. Section No. 2 all-time.  19—Martin (Cathedral), 11:04.82.

4×400 RELAY—Culver City, 3:41.8. 8—Carlsbad, 3:53.45.

HJ—Ashanti (Rocklin Whitney), 5-10. 3—Tarczy (Scripps Ranch), 5-9.

LJ—Vanek (Clovis), 20-7 ¾. (Wind, 1.2).  11—Fields (Santana), 17-3/4.

TJ—Williams (Wildomar Elsinore), 20-7 1/4,  11—Fields (Santana), 17-3/4.

SP—Johnson (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame), 44-3/4.

DISCUS—Fields (Caruthers), 167-06.  6—Driscoll (Canyon Crest), 144-8.

PV—Downing (La Costa Canyon), 13-5.  3—Thomson (Poway), 13-1. 4—Hilliard (Poway), 12-9.  6–Echsner (Del Norte), 12-5.