FAST CROWD TACKLES CIF; LITTLEROCK TRACK TEAM SET FOR PRELIMS AT LONG BEACH.Byline: Gerry Gittelson Daily News Staff Writer They're the fast crowd at Littlerock High. Any of them - and perhaps all of them - have a great shot to make an impression at Saturday's Division I track and field prelims at Long Beach City College. Will it be returning section finalist Jameka Taylor again? What about Rodney Woods? He waited a year for another shot at the triple jump after placing second at this event last year. And sophomores Marcus Raines and Kristen Robinson are both undefeated in the boys' and girls' hurdles this season. ``We have a lot of good athletes here this year,'' Littlerock coach Delorse Woods said. Taylor, who last year advanced past the prelims to the section finals, last week won the Golden League 200-meter race and long jump, and finished second by one inch in the triple jump. She probably would have won the 100 - the winning time of 12.1 was within reach - but was disqualified dis·qual·i·fy tr.v. dis·qual·i·fied, dis·qual·i·fy·ing, dis·qual·i·fies 1. a. To render unqualified or unfit. b. To declare unqualified or ineligible. 2. due to a false start in the league prelim. Woods' wind-aided triple jump of 47 feet, 7 inches at the Golden League final was the best in the region this season, and his league best of 46-6 ranks him among the top five in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . He was the No. 2 triple-jumper in the prelims last year but could not advance due to a hip injury. Raines, undefeated in the Golden League 110 and 300 hurdles both this year and as a freshman, is only 15. Eventually, he could emerge as the best hurdler in Golden League history. As with Raines, Robinson also has never lost a league hurdles race. She easily won the 100 and 300 hurdles in the finals. A closer look: JAMEKA TAYLOR ``I feel better and stronger than ever,'' Taylor said. ``I had some personal problems last year, so my head wasn't always in it. Some things knocked me off-balance.'' Taylor said the biggest reason she is more evenly balanced is she has been reunited "Reunited" was a #1 hit in the United States in 1979 by the Washington, D.C.-based group Peaches & Herb. Preceded by "Heart of Glass" by Blondie Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 5 1979 Succeeded by "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer with her mother, Sherrie Sexton sex·ton n. An employee or officer of a church who is responsible for the care and upkeep of church property and sometimes for ringing bells and digging graves. , whom Taylor said has been absent from her daughter's life and spent some time in jail before being released about one year ago. Her mother was there to support Taylor when she made All-Daily News as a basketball player last winter. Taylor credits her 59-year-old grandmother, Bobbie Naulls, for raising Taylor and her two brothers, aged 9 and 10, and 12-year-old sister. ``I grew up fast, but you have to do what you have to do,'' Taylor said. ``There has to be a reason for everything and I could not have made it without God.'' Coach Woods agreed that Taylor ``has grown up fast.'' Woods calls Taylor ``kind, lovable lov·a·ble also love·a·ble adj. Having characteristics that attract love or affection. lov and blessed.'' No female athlete in the Golden League compares to Taylor. Her only problem has been inconsistency, particularly in the triple jump, in which the difference between a good day and bad day for her can be as much as seven feet. But in the right circumstances with the right motivation, Taylor can really shine. If adrenaline adrenaline (ədrĕn`əlĭn, –lēn): see epinephrine. works in her favor, she has a shot to advance in the 200, long jump and triple jump. RODNEY WOODS Woods, who made All-Daily News as a football defensive back, said he considers himself equal in both track and football. This season, he has approached track with a football player's mentality: ``Practice, practice, practice.'' He won the triple jump at the Arcadia Invitational in·vi·ta·tion·al adj. Restricted to invited participants: an invitational golf tournament. n. An event, especially a sports tournament, restricted to invited participants. Adj. 1. this season, and on Saturday he is considered a threat in the long jump as well. He ran a wind-aided 10.6 100 meters (second place) in the Golden League final, but considering the wind was approximately 30 mph, there is no way he should expect a similar result in normal conditions
``But I should be at the top in the triple jump,'' Woods said. ``I know I'll qualify.'' MARCUS RAINES Raines said he is yet to run ``the perfect race'' and is hoping a cram session of practices over the last two weeks will make the difference. His pure speed makes him slightly better in the 100 high hurdles compared to the 300 intermediate hurdles. Raines has dominated relatively weak Golden League competition, even as a ninth-grader last year. But he vows not to be intimidated in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. when he goes against the best in Division I on Saturday. ``There isn't that much difference, no matter who you run against,'' Raines said. ``For me, I have always been running for time, just doing my own race. I am focused on getting my times down. I want to go pretty far and I think I have the ability to go to state.'' KRISTEN ROBINSON Coach Woods called Robinson ``a good athlete who works really hard and is very committed to the team.'' Robinson said with more competition, her times will go down. She has done well in big races this season, finishing third at the CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge Invitational and fourth at the Kern Kern, river, 155 mi (249 km) long, rising in the S Sierra Nevada Mts., E Calif., and flowing south, then southwest to a reservoir in the extreme southern part of the San Joaquin valley. The river has Isabella Dam as its chief facility. Relays in Bakersfield. Add Littlerock: Dan Dibene, Richard Newton Richard Newton (1777 – 1798) was an English caricaturist. Short lived but brilliant British Caricaturist. He published his first caricature at 13. Pioneer of the strip form of cartoon. and Jamaal Willis are three other Littlerock athletes to watch. At the league final, Dibene placed second in the pole vault pole vault Track-and-field event consisting of a vault for height over a crossbar with the aid of a long pole. It became a competitive sport in the mid-19th century and was included in the first modern Olympic Games. , Newton finished No. 2 in the long jump and Willis won the boys shot put. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO The Littlerock track team has a good chance to advance at Friday's CIF (1) (Common Intermediate Format) A standard video format used in videoconferencing. CIF formats are defined by their resolution, and standards both above and below the original resolution have been established. The original CIF is also known as Full CIF (FCIF). preliminaries in Long Beach. Jeff Goldwater/Daily News |
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