The Music ends for Mr. Motown and Just Begins for the Young Guns!

The championships are brutal, make the top four and live for another day. Or your season ends. Matt Jones (senior) of Golden Valley via Detroit has been winning everything locally and was the top ranked local 110 hurdler. But he clipped a hurdler, stumbled and had to push over the next one and his season was done. Sadly the hurdle he clipped appears to have taken out his teammate too.

Despite all the chaos, Mastery ran a season best for the win. Ridgeview also got two into the valley meet, which is important for the team competition. The week before the two Ridgeview hurdles did not make it out of the SWYL league prelim meet.

110H--1. Mastery, South, 15.26; 2.McCurtis, Ridge, 15.67; 3. Singh, Ridge, 15.96; 4. King, Cent, 16.03.

In the 300s, freshman King stayed on his feet for the expected win and came oh so close to breaking 40 seconds, with his season best performance.

300H--1. King, Cent, 40.08; 2. Hurtado, High, 40.92; 3.Lopez, South, 41.11; 4. Singh, Ridge, 41.21.

Ms. Jackson Time

Taylor Jackson once again did her usual double in the hurdles.

100H--1.Jackson, Fron, 14.41; 2. McDonald, Bak, 15.33; 3. Scott, GV, 15.80; 4. Ka. Ellis, Fron, 16.10.

300H--1. Jackson, Fron, 45.12; 2.McDonald, Bak, 46.24; 3. Lee, Lib, 48.56; 4. Ka. Ellis, Fron, 49.54.


She took both firsts and McDonald took the seconds. Both meet up in the 4 x 400, where McDonald's squad took the win.

Taylor is the fastest in the valley in both hurdling events and should return to the state meet in both. McDonald has a shot at state in the 300 hurdles and the 4 x 400.

South Area Musings on the 400 Relays and the 1600

The meet started of the with the Drillers winning both 4oo relays. The girls was an expected occurrence but the boys was not. The Lady Drillers have one of the top three times in the valley and are looking to make state in both relays.

400 relay--1. Bakersfield (Harriston, Torres, Wandick, Brown), 48.37; 2. Golden Valley (Shaw, Epps, Hildalgo, Olison), 50.12; 3. Liberty (Affentranger, Wilcox, J. Fitch, M. Fitch), 50.79; 4. Centennial (Alexander, Chudy, Dayanghirang, Humecky), 51.83.

It took the boys the entire season to recover from the loss of two seniors from the squad way back in March but they looked good in winning the South Area title. Their winning time was their season best and moves them into the top four in the valley just behind Ridgeview.

400 relay--1. Bakersfield (Hunt, Norwood, Anderson, Gant), 42.99; 2. Ridgeview (Purvis, Robertson, Wiley,Hobbs), 43.36; 3. Centennial (Diller, Grimes, Moore, Turkington), 43.39

In the 1600, Sarah Baker (Bakersfield 10) defended her 2008 title, last year she ran away from future CSUBer Candace Carlson (North 12), but had a much closer race this year. Baker is not expected to run the 1600 at valley despite being ranked in the top ten in the event.

She will focus on the 800, where she has a better chance to make it to state. Of course, the team title competition at valley might make the double a consideration. But her chances of a top six scoring placement is unlikely in the 1600.

In the 800, Baker might have to compete with Jordan Hasay who ran 2:10 at her qualifying meet as well as winning the 3200. In the past Jordan has only contested the 3200 at valley and the 800/3200 double would seem unlikely at valley and/or state. The 800 at state has qualifying rounds on Friday and the two events are fairly close to each other in the event schedule which goes 800, 300h, 200 and 3200.

I believe the 800 was run in preparation for the 1500 at the adidas track classic on Saturday May 16th, especially since she cruised the 3200 in a time of 11:32. Jordan is a four-time California State Champion in cross country and three-time California State Champion in the 3200m.

The local season started with a photo finish between Baker and Tijerra Lynch at the EB Invite (4x800) and the same finish happen at the South Area meet. Sarah has won everyone of these photo finishes that I have seen so far. Also making it to the valley meet were Monica Guzman (Garces 11) and Gabby Lerma (Bakersfield 10) who ran a season best for the last ticket to valley.

1,600--1. Baker, Bak, 5:24.23; 2. Lynch, Ridge, 5:24.92; 3. Guzman, Gar, 5:33.33; 4. Lerma,Bak, 5:34.70.

The boys 1600 was won by none other than Chris Schwartz (Foothill 12) who has won three South Area crowns. He also has the fastests 1600 (4:14) in the valley. He didn't have to run near that time for the win and clocked just under 4:30. He was followed by Colin Lewis (Highland 11) and Robby Baker and Brian Solis of Ridgeview. All four will be at the valley meet on Saturday May 23rd at Buchanan.