After Tonight, Spiker Makes Qualified Guess

Josh Spiker’s racing itinerary for the state track and field championships should be finalized tonight after he runs in the boys’ 1,600 and 3,200 meters in the Southern Section Masters Meet at Cerritos College in Norwalk.

Spiker, a senior at Ventura High and defending state champion in the 3,200, said last month he planned to run only the 1,600 in the state championships after a stress fracture in his right leg kept him out for more than five months.

He figured he lacked the endurance to excel in the longer race, but his racing and training has gone so well in the last few weeks that he’s thinking about running both races or perhaps just the 3,200 in the state meet if he qualifies.

“We’ll make a decision [Friday night],” assistant Bill Tokar of Ventura said. “We’ll see how he feels after both races and then decide.”

The meet starts with the boys’ discus at 4:30 p.m. Running events start at 6.

Spiker, who won the 1,600 in a school-record 4:11.55 and the 3,200 in a season-best 9:15.31 in the Division II races of the Southern Section divisional championships at Cerritos on Saturday, had a superb cross-country season cut short by the stress fracture late in October. But he has begun to resemble his old self in recent meets.

He will face junior Ryan Hall of Big Bear in the 1,600 and 3,200 today, with the top five in each event qualifying for the state championships at Cerritos on June 2-3.

Hall, who ran a state-leading 4:05.78 in the 1,600 two weeks ago, cruised to winning times of 4:09.71 in the 1,600 and 9:04.41 in the 3,200 in the Division IV races Saturday, but is expected to run only the 3,200 in the state meet.

Junior Porchea Carroll of Rio Mesa will compete in the girls’ 100, 200, long jump and 400 relay.

Carroll, the state leader in the 100 at 11.60, clocked 11.85 to finish third in the Division I final, but assistant Brian FitzGerald of Rio Mesa said she has looked good in training this week.

“She’s ready to run faster this week,” he said.

Oliver Jackson of Royal, state leader in the boys’ long jump at 24-5 3/4, will compete in that event and the 300 intermediate hurdles.

Junior Anita Siraki of Hoover, who won her second consecutive Division I titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 on Saturday, will run both races tonight, but probably only the 3,200 in the state meet.

Junior Jon Williams of Notre Dame will run in the boys’ 110 high hurdles and the 300 intermediates after winning Division III titles in those events.

Junior Sierra Hauser-Price of Notre Dame and freshman Allyson Felix of L.A. Baptist will run in the girls’ 100 and 200, with Hauser-Price also in the 400 relay.

Senior Shelaine Larson of Buena will compete in the girls’ shotput and discus.

Senior Jerrick Holmes of Palmdale, state leader in the high jump at 7 feet, will compete in that event and run in the 400 relay.

Holmes cleared his state-leading mark in the Northridge-Alemany Relays at Cal State Northridge on March 18, but finished third in 6-4 in the Division I final.

Junior teammate Jamil Smith will run on the 400 relay team and compete in the triple jump.