State High School Track and Field Championships : Watts Wins Tuneup for Sprint Showdown

SACRAMENTO —  They didn’t have to wait until today for the Friendship Games of high school track, also known as Quincy Watts vs. Corey Ealy.

The 100-meter showdown between the two best sprinters in California came to pass Friday afternoon, even if it was only in the preliminaries at the State championships. Either way, such opportunities are not to be taken for granted.

Watts, the Woodland Hills Taft junior, beat his good friend Ealy, the Pasadena Muir senior, in the first heat of qualifying at Hughes Stadium, just as most people expected. The times were rather pedestrian compared to recent efforts--10.55 for Watts, 10.67 for Ealy to finish second--but that was more of a teaser than the actual prime-time production.

That much should come today, when Taft, Muir and Hawthorne pursue the team title. As far as individual chases go, it’s Watts against the field in the 100.

Ealy, who, like Watts, has a legal best of 10.36 this season for the No. 1 time in the country, will be in it, as will his Muir teammate, Ricky Ervins. Add Calvin Holmes of Carson, running very well after hamstring problems, Tony Miller of San Francisco Riordan, Patrick Rowe of San Diego Lincoln, Darren Stringer of Vacaville and Raymond Ethridge of San Diego Crawford and you have a very solid field.

The 200 also is solid, led by Watts (a best of 20.69 this year) and Ealy (20.80). Both won their heats, and Ealy also had a great anchor in a 400 relay heat, moving Muir from fourth to first while overtaking another fine sprinter, Robert Carroll of Hawthorne.

The girls’ 100 had a confrontation of its own--Janeene Vickers of Pomona, with the No. 1 time in the State, against No. 2 Maddette Smith of Quartz Hill. The favorite won there, too, as Vickers took the heat in a hand-timed 11.6.

Beyond The Showdowns, there was The Mowdown: Vickers vs. the clock in the 300 low hurdles.

Vickers won a gold medal at the World Junior meet last summer in Greece, an indoor national title earlier this year in New Haven, Conn., and four Southern Section championships two weeks ago at Cerritos College. What is left for Sacramento, beyond the obvious State wins, is the record book, and Vickers came close to clearing that hurdle, too, in the preliminaries.

She won her heat in 40.26, a mark that is topped only by the 40.18 of Leslie Maxie of Millbrae, Calif., in 1984.

There were a couple of big disappointments. Mike Bain of Newport Beach Corona del Mar, who has the second-best mark in the State this year in the discus, qualifying 10th and failed to advance, and Shelton Boykin of San Fernando, tied for No. 1 in the 110-meter high hurdles, crashed into the final hurdle and failed to qualify.

Prep Notes Pole vaulter Brent Burns of Lafayette Acalanes had a leisurly day, especially for someone defending their State title. The competition opened at 13-4, easy pickings for someone who has done 17-5 1/2, so he passed the first five heights before clearing 15-0 on the first attempt. Jeff Lamonica of Sun Valley Poly, Lynn Ford of Sylmar, Tom Richards of Santa Barbara San Marcos, Steve Slocum of Santa Ana Foothill, Tom Parker of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Jeff McKee of Downey were among the 11 qualifiers at 15-0 for the final. Burns is attempting to become the first back-to-back winner in the event since Anthony Curran of Encino Crespi in 1977 and ’78. . . . Dana Hall of Pomona Ganesha won his heat of the 110-meter high hurdles in 13.90, just off his State-leading mark of 13.84. . . . Two of the finalists in the boys 100 are heading to USC on football scholarships, Calvin Holmes of Carson and Ricky Ervins of Muir. . . . Dave Bultman of Simi Valley Royal increased his State lead in the discus to 196-10.