Prep Track and Field: Poway High’s Bush eyes 16’ in pole vault; athletes set for section finals

By Michael Bower

Charlie Bush has slammed his fist into the landing mat on several occasions after failing to clear 16 feet in the pole vault. Each time the frustration has mounted after his competition has bowed out and he has first place locked up.

But a shiny medal is not what will fulfill this Poway High senior. It’s him against the bar and he won’t be bouncing off the mat with a smile on his face until he goes up and over 16 feet.

“I want to hit that height so badly,” said Bush, who owns the school record in the pole vault with a section-best 15-9 this season at the Palomar League Championships. “I really want to get past it. I feel that 16-feet is a milestone in pole vaulting. I am confident I can get it.”

His next shot will be in the San Diego Section finals, which start at 10 a.m. Saturday at Mt. Carmel. The top three finishers in each event in the finals will advance to the state championships, slated for June 6-7 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis.

Bush, who will compete next year for the University of Montana, advanced to state with a third-place finish in the pole vault and a second-place finish in the high jump last season.

He will compete in both events and the long jump on Saturday. Bush had the third-best mark in the prelims in the long jump (21-11) and enters the finals of the high jump with the second-best mark in the county (6-7).

“I would really love to be able to go to state in all three events,” Bush said. “Then I want to get to state and actually be competitive.”

Rancho Bernardo’s Matt Logan, Scott Winters and David Rothweil will be in contention to reach the state meet in the pole vault. Logan has cleared 14-6 this season and Rothweil 14-2, both marks are in the top six of the section.

Poway’s Brandon Lucas, who broke Evan Gray’s 2012 school record in the 200-meter of 21.45-seconds by running a 21.18 at the league championships, is hoping to also match Gray as the only athlete in the history of the school to advance to state in four events.

The senior is the favorite in the 100 and 200 and he will be running a leg for Poway’s 4x100-and 4x400-relay teams. The 400x100-relay team easily ran the top time at the prelims (41.92) and the 4x400 squad qualified just behind Mt. Carmel.

Del Norte’s Tyler Nelson is hoping to get back to the state event in the 110-meter hurdles and the 300 hurdles. He ran the second-best time in the prelims in the 110 hurdles (14.66) and the top time in the 300 hurdles (38.91). Poway freshman Tyjon Lindsey will compete for a top three-spot in the 300, as he qualified in 39.69.

Rancho Bernardo’s Jackie Patterson will be in a battle for the final state-qualifying spot in the 100 and 200. She sprinted to the third-best prelim time in the 100 (12.25) and the 200 (25.04).

Other girls in the hunt to qualify for state in individual events include: Nia Akins (Rancho Bernardo, 800), Katie Sammer (Rancho Bernardo, 800), Bryanna Fuller (Rancho Bernardo, 1600), Michelle Altice (Del Norte, shot put and discus), Augusta Thomason (Rancho Bernardo, pole vault), Caitlin Cole (Del Norte, long jump and triple jump), Hayley Leonard (Poway, 400).