Collatz's personal best in discus tops Jelmini; Darr paces boys field
| Friday, Jun 05 2009 11:41 PM
Last Updated Saturday, Jun 06 2009 09:45 PM
How locals fared
Boys
Marty Affentranger, Liberty: Fouled out of the long jump to finish tied for 27th.
Nathan Alade, Stockdale: Finished 19th in the 100 meters in 10.82.
Johnny Carter, Ridgeview: Qualified for today's finals, seventh in the triple jump at 47-2.75.
Centennial's 1,600 relay team: Finished 11th in 3:21.35.
Matt Darr, Frontier: Qualified first in the discus at 187-6; qualified second in the shot put at 60-6.
Jerrid Lewis, Ridgeview: Finished 14th in the 800 meters in 1:55.06.
Phillip McCullum, Garces: Finished tied for 12th in the high jump at 6-6; did not qualify based on misses.
Isiah Purvis, Ridgeview: Finished 17th in the 400 meters in 49.17; finished 20th in the 200 meters in 22.30.
Ridgeview's 1,600 relay team: Finished 22nd in 3:25.19.
George Robbins, West: Qualified, tied for ninth in the high jump at 6-6; qualified based on misses.
Chris Schwartz, Foothill: Runs in today's 3,200 final; no preliminary.
Girls
Bakersfield's 400 relay team (Leia Belt, Felisa Torres, Asha Brown, Brushay Wandick): Finished 15th in 47.89.
Bakersfield's 1,600 relay team (Torres, Shinead McDonald, Wandick, Keaidra White): Finished 27th in 4:07.63.
Alex Collatz, Stockdale: Qualified first in discus at 177-0; qualified sixth in shot put at 42-4.5.
Shanesha Epps, Golden Valley: Finished 17th in long jump in 17-6.5.
Taylor Jackson, Frontier: Qualified eighth in 300 hurdles in 43.95.
Anna Jelmini, Shafter: Qualified first in shot put at meet-record 53-8; qualified second in discus at 175-4.
Amanda Klinchuch, Liberty: Tied for 13th in pole vault at 11-2.
Kayla Kovar, Burroughs: Qualified fourth in shot put at 42-10; qualified seventh in discus at 132-9.
Shinead McDonald, Bakersfield: False-started and was disqualified in 300 hurdles.
Lacy Rasley, Shafter: Finished 10th in shot put at 40-4.5.
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Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Stockdale High's Alex Collatz had a personal best in the prelims of the discus to lead the completion into the finals of the CIF 2009 State Championships. Ana Jelmini from Shafter High who is the state leader in the event also qualified.
CLOVIS -- All it took was a little old-fashioned anger for Alex Collatz to steal the show at Friday's girls discus preliminaries in the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Disappointed in her first two throws, Collatz ripped off a 177-footer in her final attempt, blowing away her previous personal record by 11 feet, 7 inches and -- surprise, surprise -- passing Shafter's Anna Jelmini, the national-record holder in the event heading into today's finals.
"I'm actually just totally shocked," Collatz said. "I was kind of mad at myself because I was throwing 152, and I know I'm better than that. I guess all that kind of unleashed on the last throw."
That last throw was historic -- it was the best in the world this year by any girl aged 17 or younger, and it's the best throw ever by a U.S. sophomore.
Those records joined Jelmini's new state-meet record in the shot put, a majestic 53-8, in what was an incredible throwing day for Kern County in Day 1 of the state track meet.
On the boys side, Frontier junior Matt Darr qualified first in the discus at 187-6 and second in the shot put at 60-6.
The top nine in each throwing event qualified for today's finals -- 4:30 p.m. for the girls shot put and boys discus, and 6 p.m. for the opposite event.
Jelmini's meet record came on her first shot put attempt. Her PR is 54-4.75, and the national high school record is 54-10.5 -- a mark Jelmini hopes to topple in today's finals.
"It was exciting," Jelmini said. "I know I have more in me, so we'll see what I can do (today)."
The record-breaking throw had a beautiful arc and landed towards the left side of the throwing area, right next to a miniature California state flag and a U.S. flag, signifying the meet and national records.
Jelmini did just fine for herself in the discus, too, tossing a 175-4 to finish second in the discus (her national record is 190-3). Today, though, was Collatz's day.
"It was good to see her PR," Jelmini said. "It's pretty nice, because I don't usually see any competition in high school (meets)."
Of course, even the world's best sophomore admits that she'll be an extreme underdog anyway today, especially considering none of Friday's marks count in the finals.
"Anna's amazing," Collatz said. "I don't really count her in this; she's going to get her first. Now I feel I've made it a little closer, and I'm proud of myself for that. But yeah, she's amazing."
The most throwing drama today might be on the boys side. Darr qualified in each event with just one throw, then passed his other two.
"We shut it down to concentrate on each event for the finals," Darr said. "It went real well."
Darr was passed by Arroyo Grande's Austin Field in the shot put. Field threw a 61-0.5 on his last throw, but he wasn't passed in the discus. Cecil Whiteside of Newport Harbor was second at 181-6. All marks will be wiped away before today's finals.
"I was a little shaky coming into the meet," Darr said, "but once I got that first throw in, everything zoned out for me. It was like I was by myself out there. Now the main goal is to win it."
That's the idea for Jelmini, who is a surprising second in the discus but still the center of attention.
"It doesn't matter what you did today," she said. "All that matters is tomorrow."
