Section track and field records are a lot like ice cream, some are soft and some are hard.
Of course, since records aren't broken every day – only four have been set in the past seven years – it is a matter of opinion what constitutes a soft or hard record.
“Certain records are better because of the makeup of the section,” said Mike Kennedy, an expert on high school girls track for Track & Field News. “With San Diego, you're more likely to have better distance talent than sprinters or hurdlers.
Union-Tribune File Photo
Former Morse High standout Monique Henderson set a national record with a time of 50.74 in the 400-meter run eight years ago.
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“A really good sprinter in San Diego will tend to dominate because of lack of competition. In other sections, when the coach of a really good sprinter realizes that sprinter may be in tough (competition), they might change to the hurdles, improving that event.”
Jack Shepard, Kennedy's counterpart at Track & Field News for high school boys track, couldn't agree more.
Both have strong opinions on which San Diego Section records are good and which should be vulnerable.
“It's really a perfect bell curve,” Kennedy said. “The good records are among the best in the nation, but at the other end – well, your section should be embarrassed.”
No sense mincing words.
Shepard and Kennedy ranked the San Diego Section's records from one to 16, with one being the most solid compared with national and state marks. All-time bests set in open events like the 3:59.4 mile by Chula Vista's Tim Danielson in 1966 or the 23.08 for 200 meters by Lincoln's Jackie Thompson in 1973 don't count.
Starting with the boys, which record would Shepard single out as being the most impressive?
“Thom Hunt and the 3,200,” Shepard said without hesitation. “Hunt was one of California's best.”
Hunt, now a coach at San Diego Mesa College and teacher at Patrick Henry High, ran 8:41.8 for 3,200 meters in 1976.
Only 13 section runners have broken 9 minutes in the metric 2-mile and even superlative runners like A.J. Acosta, Meb Keflezighi and Marc Davis could not catch Hunt.
No. 2 on the list? Terry Cotton in the 1,600.
“Actually, I would rate Danielson's 3:59.4 (one of only five sub-four minute miles in high school history) as 2A and Cotton's (converted) record of 4:04.04 as 2B.”
No. 3 is the longest-standing record on the books, the 25 feet, 5¼ inches in the long jump by San Diego High's Doyle Steel set in 1966.
“Nobody jumps 25 anymore,” Shepard said, “and Doyle's mark still barely misses the national all-time Top 30.”
That record, like the high jump, appears to be a target heading into Saturday's San Diego Section championships. Jumping at his favorite Mt. Carmel High pit, El Camino's Nelson Rosario hit 24-8½ last week, No. 1 in the state this season.
In the high jump, Poway's Tynan Murray might reset his goals after soaring 7-1 last week. His three tries at breaking the record of 7-2 by Madison's Frank Schiefer in 1979 showed lack of form but no shortage of height.
Controversy marks Shepard's pick at No. 4.
Although still second on the national all-time list, No. 4 is the 76-2 in the shot put by Fallbrook's Brent Noon. Shepard said the phenomenal season in which Noon surpassed 70 feet in every meet en route to the state title at 74-4¾ is somewhat colored by subsequent charges of drug use when Noon was in college.
On the soft side, No. 16 is really a tie at No. 15 between the 13.86 by Montgomery's Reggie DePass in the 110 high hurdles and the 20.97 by Morse's Ike Okenwa in the 200.
The picks are a reflection of the lack of depth in each event. San Diego has produced just two athletes who have dipped under 14 in the high hurdles and just two sprinters who have gone under 21 in the 200.
It didn't take Shepard long to make his list, and Kennedy had an even easier time with the girls.
“If you stop and think, it's pretty clear that the 400 and 200 are your strongest records,” Kennedy said of the marks held by Monique Henderson, the former Morse High standout who won a relay gold medal at the 2004 Olympics.
“Her time in the 400 (50.74) was a national record and is still No. 2 all-time.”
Henderson won four straight state 400-meter titles and captured a 200-meter crown in 2000. She set the 200 section record of 23.16 in 2001. That 200 time is No. 26 all-time for high school athletes.
Those two girls marks are the only ones in the top 30 nationally.
Right behind them is a Gail Devers record, but probably not the one most would expect.
In 1984, the Sweetwater High senior won the state 100 meters and 100 low hurdles but finished second in the long jump. She went on to be the best in the world at 100 meters, with or without hurdles.
But it's the long jump mark of 20 feet, 7 inches that Kennedy likes, mostly because the 100 hurdles in Devers' time were 30 inches high but raised to 33 inches after that.
Kennedy picked the girls 1,600 meters, where the section has produced five state champions, as No. 4, rounding out the top five with the 1977 Crawford 400-meter relay record of a converted 45.94.
At the low end of the scale is that 33-inch 100-meter high hurdle record of El Camino's Jessica Eggleston (14.28).
“Every record in the book but one (the 100 hurdles) is still among the top 100 marks nationally all-time,” Kennedy said.
The second most vulnerable has already been improved and could take a giant leap up the ladder the next few weeks.
The pole vault all-time best of 13-3 by Rancho Bernardo's Tracy O'Hara is good, but the section record of 12-10 by Emily Mattoon in this year's Palomar League finals should be much higher, Kennedy said.
Mattoon went 13 feet last year, but it was in a dual meet and not eligible for record consideration. She would heartily agree with Kennedy since she is aiming for 13-3 or higher.
The third soft mark Kennedy mentioned was the 1600-meter relay time of 3:49.12 by the 1996 Morse squad that included current Tigers coach Lana Garner.
“It doesn't even appear on the (top 100 national) list,” he said. “In fact, it's more than 10 seconds off.”
Overall grade?
“If you include marks run in open (or dual meet) events, it would more clearly reflect the strength of the section,” said Kennedy. “But using just the records, it truly is a bell curve.
“Girls like Henderson and Devers come along every 20 years or so. They were very special and it's reflected in their records.”
Steve Brand: (619) 293-1854; steve.brand@uniontrib.com
