Eagles plain filthy at last week's Big School Track Championships
West Valley looks to take two MVP honors at tomorrow's section finals

Thursday May 24, 2007
By John Ryan/Record Searchlight

With about 100 meters to go in the mile on Friday, race leader Eric Malain started to drift wide. Red Bluff High School's Nick Rebol was almost on top of him as they came through the last turn of the Northern Section Division I 1,600-meter championship. Rebol made his move, broke into lane two and put on a burst. At the same time Malain floated into the second lane and slammed the door. Red Bluff's coaches protested the Enterprise High School senior's win but were denied, partially because the only official that got a good look at it -- running guru Bill Elliott -- coaches Rebol on the side.

Besides, why kill a healthy rivalry before Friday's section Masters meet at West Valley High School? Field events begin at 4 p.m., races start at 6 p.m. "It was just a racing move, that's sort of, part of racing," Rebol said. "I don't know if I would have caught him or not." Malain held on to win in 4 minutes, 26.98 seconds, a new personal best by two seconds. Rebol also set a personal record (4:27.47). "He did it on purpose," Rebol said. "I would never do something like that, but it wasn't completely malicious, I don't think. We're pretty good friends." Malain echoed the comment and chased off any stigma of dirty pool with a "that's the breaks" shrug.

"It's just part of distance racing," Malain said. "My freshman year I was coming on in the section meet and, a good runner that came through here a few years ago, Austin Fritzke, did the same thing to me only there was a little contact." Meet official, and former Shasta coach Bruce Makinson said the rules only penalize a move similar to Malain's if it impedes the stride of the runner behind him. "I really didn't lose that much," Rebol said. "I didn't lose momentum."

Makinson was on the other side of the track when it happened, said he saw something, but was too far away to make a call. He spoke with Malain about the rule later that day and told him to be careful. Rebol evened things up by the end of the day, though. He won a thrilling 3,200 meters, beating Malain by five-tenths of a second (9:47.12 to 9:47.62).

Throw Fall River senior Brent Handa into the mix and the distance events could prove the best shows of the night, Friday. Handa ran 9:36.60 in the 3,200 at last year's Masters. He finished second behind Fritzke 9:28.09. Handa said he's running just the 3,200 on Friday.

Malain, bothered these past two weeks with a bad back, was second in the 1,600 at the Masters last year. He finished in 4:28.17, behind Corning's Cesar Silva (4:27.13). Enterprise coach Jim Deaver said Malain may run the 1,600-meter relay and the 3,200 but if his back is still bothering him he may just stick to the mile.

West Valley's Josh McOmber looks to add his first individual section title, too. He might add four of them. McOmber, who was a part of the Eagles section winning 400-meter relay team last year, is essentially a lock to win both hurdle races; the 110 and the 300. He tied Enterprise's Ty Houghton for the long jump title at the D-I last week and he's among the top-three sprinters in the 100.

West Valley coach Scott Fairley said McOmber may drop the long jump or the 100, or both, and run with the 1,600-meter relay team. If he ran the 110 and the 300 it would probably break him down enough to eliminate him as a competitor in the 100.

Las Plumas sprinter Shannon Shird ran into a similar problem at the 2005 Section finals. Shird dominated the 100, 200 and 400 his entire senior season. But after winning the section 400m title in record time, there was too little down time (i.e. one event) for him to recover and keep pace in the 100 (he finished a disappointing fifth). He did manage to easily win the 200 though.

Still, even if McOmber just ran the hurdles races he's probably the favorite to win the Bob Russell award for male athlete of the meet. West Valley's Jimmy LaFevers won it last year. McOmber's biggest competition may come from his own team. Eagles thrower Jake Fuller will likely win the discus and challenge in the shot put. Houghton could take a stab at it if he won the long jump. He anchors the section's leading 400-meter relay team and is among the top four in the 100 meters. Foothill's Thomas Pickering is a threat to win two events, too -- in the triple and the high jump. Durham's Cory Arnold could take both the 400 and 200.

Like her teammate, West Valley's Alyssa Christensen is the favorite to hurdle to a Bob Russell award. She nearly did it last year. As a junior, Christensen won the 100 and 300 hurdles and the the 400-meter and 1,600-meter relays. However too much wind and a strong performance by Enterprise's Lindsey Kirschman derailled her chances. Still she finished a close second in the MVP voting to Kirschman -- who won two individual titles (& set the section meet record in the 800m) that day and brought her career total to seven.

The only thing working against Christensen this time is her shin splints as she'll be running the same four races Friday as last year. "It's been really bad this year," Christensen said. "I had it for about two weeks last year but they went away really quickly." Again, like McOmber, Christensen has a teammate ready to take athlete of the meet if she falters. Sophomore Michelle Johnson is among the next most-likely candidates. She'll run the 1,600 and the 3,200 and is an alternate for the 1,600-meter relay team. Paradise's Lindsay Witteman (200 and 100) and Chico's Kiara Reed (400, 1,600 relay) could push Christensen and Johnson.