Apr 15, 2007

Anthony inches closer to pole vaulting record

By Fred Baer / Daily News Correspondent

WALNUT - Tori Anthony is continuing her methodical assault on the high school record book.

The Castilleja senior from Woodside bid adieu to Southern California - temporarily - by establishing at all-time California outdoor pole vault record of 13 feet, 10 inches Saturday at the Mt. San Antonio Relays in Walnut.

She eclipsed the California - and former national - record of 13-8 1/2 set by Kira Costa of San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno) in 2003. It makes Anthony the No. 2 high school pole vaulter of all time.

Only Tiffany Maskulinski's outdoor high school record of 14-0 for Iroquois of Elma N.Y. in 2005 is better.

"It was great to get the record," Anthony said. "And it was nice to have everything along fine. My quads don't hurt when I compete." That was a reference to her recent ailments, which still limits her practice time somewhat.

Anthony had three solid tries at raising that national record to 14-1 on Saturday.

"I tried too hard," she said after those close misses. "That's what happens when the crowd gets going like it did. My run-ups were good until that point."

Casey Roche of St. Francis, the state leader in the boys' pole vault at 17-0 this season, gave the Peninsula a sweep of the Mt. SAC vault records with his winning 16-7 clearance. He then had two good attempts at 17-2. The Stanford-bound Roche currently ranks second nationally. Spencer McCorkel of Bryan, Ark., recently cleared 17-7 to move ahead of Roche, who won at Arcadia a week ago at 17-0.

The nation's top three high school girl vaulters all improved their marks in the elite competition.

Second ranked Allison Stokke of Newport Harbor finished second at 13-1 1/2 and Natasha Barthel of St. Francis placed third with a personal best 12-7 1/2.

A week earlier, at the Arcadia Invitational, Anthony had vaulted a national season-leading 13-7.

She cleared 14-2 1/2 indoors this winter - which is the best ever by an American teenager.

Anthony will complete her high school season in Northern California before going south in the fall to enroll at UCLA. Next up is Friday's Top Eight Meet at Los Gatos, where the national record could be in danger again.

"That's where I train," Anthony said. "I always vault well there."



ALL-TIME GIRLS' OUTDOOR POLE VAULT LIST

14-0 Tiffany Maskulinski, Iroquois, Elma, N.Y., 2005

13-10 Tory Anthony, Castilleja, Palo Alto, 2007

13-9 Mary Saxer, Lancaster, N.Y., 2005

13-9 Katie Veith, Homestead, Ft. Wayne, Ind., 2006

13-8 1/2 Kira Costa, Memorial, Fresno, 2003

13-8 Shayla Balentin, Morro Bay, 2001



Carlmont dominates distances

As soon as Anthony put down her pole, it was time for Carlmont's distance runners to take over.

Brad Surh completed his outstanding weekend in Walnut with a clutch 1,600-meter victory over national 800 leader Cory Primm of Westlake (of Westlake Village), helping Carlmont claim the Grand Distance Sweepstakes Award.

Primm, who has run two laps in 1:49.50 this season, led throughout the longer race - until the final few strides. Then the shadowing Surh surged to the tape in 4:11.84.

Surh patiently followed Primm through 400 meter splits of 65.1, 2:07.8, and 3:12.4 before unleashing a 59-second last lap to take the meet title.

Surh had a great weekend running metric miles at Mt. SAC. His 4:15.3 third leg split in Friday's 4x1,600 relay put the Scots in the lead for good en route to a national outdoor leading 17:39.31 clocking.

Nick Palladino led-off the race with a leading 4:27.0 split, followed by Omeed Moghadam (4:35.3), Brad Surh, and anchor Greg Surh (4:21.7).

Carlmont sophomore Justine Fedronic completed a great week of running in the southland with an impressive victory in the girls 1,600 meters in 4:51.40. A week earlier, at the Arcadia Invitational, Fedronic triumphed in the 800 meters in a national outdoor leading time of 2:08.08.

At Mt. SAC she was content to trail pacesetter Sarah Cummings for the first two laps, but took the lead off the backstretch of the third lap and hit the bell in 3:42.0 after a 73.4 lap. Fedronic ran away from everyone with her 68.6 final lap split. Cummings finished second in 4:56.79 and Mary Rhoades of Carlmont was seventh in 5:04.61.

Earlier, Tamara Abinader of Carlmont won a seeded section of the girls 800 meters in 2:15.54.

In boys' races, Palladino contended in the invitational 800 meters and finished fourth in 1:55.90. Moghadam ran 4:38.33 in a seeded 1,600 race.

The Carlmont boys completed their dominance of the distance events by running away with Saturday's night's distance medley relay in 10.27.93. Brad Suhr's 3:07.7 for the leadoff 1,200 meters took the lead. Greg Suhr ran the anchor mile in 4:28.3.



E-mail Fred Baer at sports@dailynewsgroup.com.