CIF State Track and Field Preliminaries: Rojas continues to amaze

Steve Virgen

NORWALK - Estancia High junior Humberto Rojas continued his story

of redemption, once again overcoming great odds Friday at the CIF State

Track and Field Preliminaries at Cerritos College.

Rojas broke his own school record in the 1,600 meters (4:14.70) and

finished third in his heat and sixth overall to advance to his first

state finals. He is the first Estancia boy to advance to the state finals

since 20-25 years ago, Estancia distance coach Charlie Appell said.

Costa Mesa junior Sharon Day easily qualified for her third state

final in the high jump after clearing 5 feet, 5 inches. Corona del Mar

senior Krisserin Canary injured her neck on her first attempt of 12 feet

in the pole vault, finished 10th and did not advance.

CdM senior Julie Allen will compete in the 3,200 meters final today at

6:25 p.m. Rojas is scheduled to run at 4:28 p.m., and Day will focus on

6-0 in the high jump at 3 p.m.

Rojas, who suffered minor whiplash from an automobile accident May 25,

ran a smart race in the 1,600 meters and broke his former record by

one-hundredth of a second, set last week at the Masters Meet. Just as he

displayed at the Masters Meet, he turned on his race-ending kick and

passed four runners over the last 300 meters.

“My neck was hurting a lot,” Rojas said of being in the car that was

rear-ended last week. “I had to go to the hospital. But, they said I was

OK. Mikey (Casillas) and Abel (Flores) are still hurting and sore.”

Appell was concerned when he first learned of the injury and Rojas did

not work out on Monday. There were thoughts to hold him out of the race

early in the week. But, Rojas, a former Masters Meet alternate, did not

want to miss his chance to advance. And, now that he’s in, he’s focused

on just having fun.

“It’s my first time there, so I just want to enjoy it,” said Rojas,

who finished second at the Masters Meet. “Every one from my school wants

to me to go all out, all the way for (the 1,600). We’ll see what

happens.”

Day did not have to go all out in the high jump Friday. She cleared

5-3 on her first attempt and then 5-5, also on her first attempt. Today,

she will have to complete her Scholastic Assessment Test, which ends at

noon, before competing in the state finals.

“I’m used to it from playing soccer, (and then going to invitational

meets),” said Day, who is taking advantage of her third year in state

competition. “I do feel more comfortable because I know what to expect.

It’s a little bit of a relief.”

Canary lost her comfort zone when she sprained her neck on her first

attempt of 12-0 in the pole vault. She cleared 11-0 on her second

attempt, then she completed an 11-6 clearance on her third attempt, to

tie her school record.

“I came down and my body hit the mat and my head kept going,” Canary

said of the injury. “It was like whiplash, and my neck hit my chest. It

was really bad.”

Canary continued, and on her third attempt she injured her neck,

again. She immediately went to Hoag Hospital for X-rays. The pain hardly

took away from Canary’s first state meet experience.

“It was awesome to be in state; it was amazing,” said Canary, who will

attempt to make the UCLA track and field team as a walk-on next year. “I

never thought I would make it this far.”