Jones Takes Sentimental Leap Into Record Book in League Finals

Marion Jones of Thousand Oaks High is trying not to get too sentimental as she approaches the end of her high school career, but she admitted that Friday’s Marmonte League finals at Camarillo High had extra significance for her because she had competed on the Scorpions’ home track since the eighth grade.

“Knowing that this probably will be my last meet ever on this track did mean something extra,” Jones said. “I remember running here with my club team back in eighth grade so I wanted to go out with a good effort.”

Jones’ effort was more than good as she won the long jump, 100 and 200 meters and ran the second leg on the Lancers’ victorious 1,600 relay team.

Jones won the 100 and 200 with wind-aided times of 11.37 and 23.53 seconds, but it was her personal best of 21 feet 7 inches in the long jump that shone brightest on a day that Agoura won its second consecutive boys’ and girl’s team titles.

Jones’ mark in the long jump is the sixth-best performance ever by a U.S. high school girl, moved her to third on the all-time performer list, and broke the state record of 21-3 1/4 set by Juliana Yendork of Walnut in 1990.

“When I jumped 21 (feet in the third round), it pushed a big barrier out of my way,” Jones said. “And when I got to my last jump, I just told myself to go for it.”

Jones, the three-time defending state champion in the 100 and 200, had a superb series, spanning 20-0, 19-4 and 21-1 on her first three jumps, and hitting 19-4, 20-3 and 21-7 on her second trio.

“I’m starting to get kind of greedy,” Jones admitted. “After going 21-7, I just kept thinking how close I was to the high school record.”

Kathy McMillan of Hoke County (N.C.) High set the national high school record of 22-3 in the 1976 Amateur Athletic Union championships at UCLA.

Agoura, led by double winners Ryan Wilson, Scott Mitchell and Damon Blechen, totaled 152 1/2 points to win the boys’ title. Thousand Oaks (139 points), Camarillo (74), Simi Valley (51) and Royal (28 1/2) rounded out the top five.

Sophomore Amy Skieresz won three events to lead the Chargers to the girls’ title with 131 points. They were followed by Thousand Oaks (89), Channel Islands (85), Westlake (48) and Newbury Park (43).

Wilson won the boys’ 800 with a school record of 1:54.6, timed 4:18.06 to place first in the 1,600 and ran the third leg on the Chargers’ victorious 1,600 relay team (3:24.91). Mitchell won the 200 in a wind-aided 22.92 and the 400 in a personal best of 49.71. He also ran the anchor leg on Agoura’s 400 relay team that finished second (43.84) behind Thousand Oaks (43.81).

Blechen won the shotput and discus with personal bests of 51-3 1/2 and 148-3.

Skieresz won the girls’ 800 in 2:17.88, the 1,600 in 5:08.03 and the 3,200 in 11:11.68.

Cathy Prater also helped the Chargers’ cause with victories in the 100 hurdles (wind-aided 15.62) and the 300 lows (46.47).

Camarillo’s Jeremy Fischer successfully defended his titles in the boys’ high jump and long jump. Fischer spanned 22-0 1/2 in the long jump and scaled 7-0 in the high jump. It was the fifth time this season that Fischer has cleared at least 7-0.

Crystal Brownlee of Westlake and Dolores Tuimoloau of Channel Islands split their showdown in the the girls’ shotput and discus. Brownlee won the shotput at 42-9 1/4 and Tuimoloau won the discus at 141-10.