Prep Boys Track and Field: Del Norte High’s Nelson, Poway’s Lucas and Bush shine at section finals
By Michael Bower
Doctors told Tyler Nelson in March that it was going to be six or seventh months before his torn right hamstring would be ready for a race. But the Del Norte High senior made it back to the track in seven weeks and now he is headed to the state championships.
Nelson captured the 300-meter hurdles title in a personal-best 38.40 seconds and qualified for the state meet in the 110 hurdles and the 4x400-relay Saturday at the CIF San Diego Section boys track and field championships at Mt. Carmel High.
“I have been aiming all year to get back to state,” said Nelson, who finished third in the 110 hurdles in a personal-best 14.59 and ran the anchor for the Nighthawks’ 4x400-relay team that came in second in a school-record 3:19.04. “Even though I tore my hamstring earlier in the year and only did about five races, I never thought state was out of reach.”
The top three finishers in each event at the section championships qualified for the state meet, which begins Friday with the prelims at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Fresno. Nelson, who reached the state championships in both hurdle events last year, was relieved to earn another trip.
“It feel so good,” he said. “Just to be able to get back in time and everyone had high expectations for me this season. I didn’t want my hamstring to keep me out of it. I am so glad that I made it back in time.”
Poway captured the Division I team title for the second year in a row. Del Norte captured the Division II boys team title.
Nelson’s performance was one of several outstanding individual efforts on the day. Poway sprinter Brandon Lucas captured the 100 and 200 titles. He was also part of the Titans’ 4x100-relay team (Will James, Lucas, Tyjon Lindsey, Lance Mudd), which took first place in a school-record time of 41.45.
Lucas nearly became just the second athlete in the history of the school to qualify for the state championships in four events, but the 4x400-relay team missed out after a fifth-place finish.
Still, the senior blew away the field in the 100 with a personal-best 10.63. He was not threatened in the 200, either, just missing his personal best of 21.18 by finishing in 21.21.
“Hard work pays off,” Lucas said. “Do the dos and you will get rewarded. Pain is temporary, but success and reaching a goal is permanent. I felt like I did that today by winning the 100, 200 and the relay.”
Lucas added that it was a good day, but felt he could have gone even lower in the 200.
“I know I can,” he said. “Getting first place is awesome and I don’t want to sound cocky or selfish but I want to (set a personal-record) every time I race. When I don’t PR I am disappointed ... We are humans and we should always try to get bigger, stronger and faster. Life is a game and you have to always try to level up.”
Poway’s Charlie Bush also qualified in three events. The senior won the pole vault title (15-feet, 2-inches), took second in the high jump (6-5) and third in the long jump with a personal-best leap of 22-3.5.
Bush was particularly happy with his effort in the high jump since he had struggled with it earlier this season.
“My coaches Tynan Murray and Steve Roberts and I were all working together to try to find a fix,” Bush said. “It was a real team effort. We found out what was wrong and got it fixed.”
Rancho Bernardo’s lone qualifier was Scott Winters, who finished second in the pole vault (14-8).
Lindsey, a freshman at Poway, advanced in the 300 hurdles with a second-place finish (39.26). Titans senior Lance Mudd snatched the third and final qualifying spot in the 200, blazing to a personal-best 21.98.