North’s Howard a Triple Record Breaker at Pasadena Games

Chaunte Howard of Riverside North High began the week as the best girls’ high jumper in the state and one of the top triple jumpers.

She ended it Saturday in the Pasadena Games at Pasadena City College with one of the greatest jump triples turned in by a U.S. high school girl.

Howard, the defending state champion in the high jump, won that event at 6 feet, won the long jump at 19-73/4 and the triple jump at 41-3. All three marks were meet records.

The high jump and triple jump were the best outdoor performances in the state this year, and the triple jump topped Howard’s previous best by more than 18 inches.

In addition, Howard’s victories in the long jump and triple jump came against junior Michelle Sanford of Irvine Woodbridge, the top returning performer in the state in those events.

“I never focus on the competition, but I was excited to be jumping against her,” said Howard, who was competing in the long jump and triple jump for the first time this season. “I wanted to break 40 feet in the triple jump, but I never expected to jump 41-3.”

Howard, who has signed with Georgia Tech, had never long-jumped before last week. But she focused on the event in practice Wednesday, leaped a state-leading 19-8 against Riverside Poly on Thursday and then hit her 19-73/4 jump Saturday on the first of four attempts.

Howard was one of three girls who won two or more individual events.

Junior Allyson Felix of North Hills L.A. Baptist, defending state champion in the 100, won the event in a state-leading 11.56 while running into a wind of 2.8 meters-per-second. Felix took the 200 in a state-leading 23.62 while running with an aiding wind of 2.0, the maximum allowed for record purposes. Felix also ran a superb anchor leg in the 400 relay to help her team finish third in a school-record 47.93.

Junior Ashley Freeman of Long Beach Wilson won the 400 in 54.85 and the 800 in 2:13.94. She also ran on teams that won the 400 relay in 47.11 and the 1,600 relay in a state-leading 3:42.74.

Junior Noah Smith of Woodland Hills Taft had the best single performance in the boys’ meet. He won the 200 in a career-best and state-leading 21.38.

John Ortega

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In a baseball game:

Chatsworth 13, Las Vegas Palo Verde 8--Jared Halpert had three hits and drove in three runs and Brian Lee had three hits and scored four runs for Chatsworth (13-0) in the Las Vegas Bishop Gorman tournament Star division championship game.

In Irvine Woodbridge softball tournament first-round games:

Dana Hills 2, Anaheim Esperanza 1--Margo Pineda hit a game-winning single with two out in the bottom of the eighth in an upset of No. 19 Esperanza.

Lake Forest El Toro 2, Lakewood 1--Robyn Ford-Feite singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning for No. 12 El Toro (12-4). Lakewood, ranked No. 14, drops to 9-3.