TRACK AND FIELD BEAT : DAREDEVIL HEIGHTS.Byline: Kirby Lee The sky is the limit for Granada Hills High pole vaulter Patrick Turner For the Canadian rower, see . Patrick Turner (born May 19, 1987 in Nashville, Tennessee) is a wide receiver for the University of Southern California Trojans. College career . The senior has raised his personal best by a foot this season, clearing 14 feet, 6 inches at the Pasadena Games at Occidental College History The Birth of Occidental College Occidental College (commonly referred to as Oxy) was founded on April 20, 1887, by a group of Presbyterian clergy and laymen. last weekend. But that achievement is no match for his exploits in his spare time. As a seventh- and eighth-grader, Turner bungee-jumped 27 stories into a swimming pool at Circus Circus Circus Circus is used as the name for two casinos:
The next conquest for the 5-foot-10, 145-pound Turner is skydiving skydiving Sport of jumping from an airplane at a moderate altitude (e.g., 6,000 ft [1,800 m]) and executing various body maneuvers before pulling the rip cord of a parachute. Competitive events include jumping for style, landing with accuracy, and performing in teams (e.g. . That endeavor, though, will have to wait until track season ends. ``I don't want to risk anything right now,'' Turner said. ``I'd hate for the parachute not to open and I haven't had a chance to clear some good heights.'' Turner, the son of Verdugo Hills High principal Gary Turner, is easy to spot during meets with his bald head (for ``aerodynamics'') and earrings. ``If you can 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. , you can do anything,'' Turner said. ``Pole vaulting pole vaulting: see track and field athletics. is a lot more fun. You don't get the same emotional rush, but it feels a lot better than jumping off a 27-story building.'' Turner has trained since the ninth grade with UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX pole vault coach Anthony Curran's No Limits Sports track club, which includes Bridget Pearson of Hoover, the defending girls' pole vault state champion, and Verdugo's Shane Hackett. Under Curran, the 1978 state champion at Crespi who holds the state-meet record, Turner vaulted 13-6 as a junior and finished second in last year's City Section finals. This season, Turner cleared 14 feet indoors in Reno in his first competition. ``My goal was 14 feet this season; now it's set for 15,'' Turner said. ``It's a combination of things. I'm stronger, but I think it's a little bit of everything since I've gotten serious.'' PENN-ED IN The Taft boys' and girls' 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams have received invitations to compete later this month in the Penn Relays The Penn Relays (also Penn Relays Carnival) is the oldest and largest track and field carnival in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. in Philadelphia, a prestigious meet that is the largest high school competition. Raising the necessary $7,000 already has turned into a memorable experience for Taft coach Mel Hein Melvin Jack Hein (August 22, 1909 - January 31, 1992) was a professional American football player for the New York Giants. Hein played fifteen seasons for the Giants (1931-45) and never missed a down due to injury. . The school's booster club A booster club is an organization that is formed to contribute money to an associated club, sports team, or organization. Booster clubs are popular in American schools at the high school and university level. has chipped in $5,100 to cover air fare, and Hein hopes to raise the remainder at a pancake breakfast at Taft on April 18. ``It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,'' Hein said. ``We'll worry about how to pay for it later.'' The Taft foursome of Lawrence and Larry Jones, Sedric Hurns and Blaine Bussey are competing in the 1,600-meter relay. Last season, the squad clocked a school-record 3 minutes, 15.22 seconds to place fourth in the state meet. The Joneses, Hurns and Marquis Brignac are running in the 400-meter relay, in which they have timed 42.37 this season. Frances Santin, Eboni Grayson, Tiffany Smith and Deneeka Torrey are running on the Toreadors girls' 400 and 1,600-meter relay teams. Santin also will compete in the 400-meter low hurdles. FOUR-YEAR PLAN Cleveland freshman phenoms Schquay Brignac and James Lovell figure to get their share of attention this season. Brignac cleared 5-10 in the high jump as an eighth-grader, a mark that would have won last year's state title. Lovell ran 49.38 to win the youth boys' 400 in the USATF USATF United States of America Track and Field (governing body for T&F, Race Walking & Distance Running) Junior Olympics last summer. Cleveland coach Bill Paden also figures to be in the spotlight. ``Ultimately, the pressure is on me for them to improve over the next four years,'' the fifth-year coach said. ``The biggest problem for me is to keep them well guarded to prevent them from to beginning to think too highly of themselves.'' Brignac and Lovell aren't the only freshmen turning heads. Sierra Hauser- Price of Notre Dame continues to surprise in the 200, lowering her best to 25.03 in the Pasadena Games. Natalie Stein of North Hollywood captured the City cross country title last fall, and Kelley Hess of Thousand Oaks and Jaclyn Pedersen of Royal finished 1- 2 in the Marmonte League finals. TEST OF TIME There's no question about the 800-meter fitness of Lauren Fleshman of Canyon and Tiffany Burgess of Birmingham. Fleshman, the Foot Locker Western Regional runner-up in cross country, posted an easy victory in the 3,200 meters at the Pasadena Games. Burgess, the two-time defending City 1,600-meter champion, ran 5:12 in her specialty despite strong winds in the Azusa Pacific Meet of Champions last Saturday. Fleshman and Burgess hope to break 2:20 in the 800 but likely won't have an opportunity Saturday in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. Invitational at Birmingham. Both are taking the ACT in the morning and don't figure to be finished in time for the 800. Fleshman and Burgess, though, will have their hands full in the 1,600 late Saturday afternoon against Nordhoff's Elaine Canchola, state cross-country champion in 1995 and 1997. Saturday's meets Birmingham, Canyon, Calabasas, Cleveland, Crespi, Glendale, Grant, Hoover, North Hollywood, Providence, Saugus, Taft at San Fernando Valley Invitational at Birmingham High. Antelope Valley, Paraclete and Harvard-Westlake at Trabuco Hills Invitational Palmdale at Norco Relays CAPTION(S): Photo, Box Photo: Freshman Schquay Brignac of Cleveland reached 5-10 in the high jump as an eighth-grader. Daily News file photo Box: SATURDAY'S MEETS (See Text) |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion