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Wiley: Sonoma high jumper favorite in state meet

Saturday, June 4, 2005

By DEWEY FORGET
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

SACRAMENTO - It was a dress rehearsal, a warm-up, nothing more than a prelude to the
main event for Mindi Wiley. Getting to the high jump finals Friday at the State Track
and Field Championships at Sacramento City College was her objective.

For Wiley, who has cleared 5-feet, 11-inches, which ties the North Coast Section record
and is a state best, qualifying was achieved with a minimal effort. She cruised through
the preliminaries, clearing 5-6, a modest jump, but enough to get her to the finals.

"I wanted to conserve as much energy as possible for tomorrow," Wiley said. "There was
no use to continue jumping, trying for a personal best at 10:30 at night."

Now Wiley, the top seed, will go for the girls' state title, which has eluded her for
three years. Last year she was in a similar position, but had one of her worst days,
losing any chance of a medal when a hip injury restricted her approach and take off.
She doesn't envision that scenario repeating. This year, the Sonoma junior is healthy
and poised to go for the gold.

Five others qualified at 5-6, including Desirae Gonder (Stockdale) and Amber Kaufman
(Branham), whom Wiley considers her main competition.

Being seeded first has its advantages. Wiley didn't have to jump in the early rounds,
choosing to wait for the majority of competitors to drop out. She entered at 5-6.

Last weekend at the North Coast Section Meet of Champions in Berkeley, Wiley, who is
being recruited by Cal for volleyball, narrowly missed clearing six feet, despite playing
club volleyball in the morning. Wiley conceded the volleyball matches may have hurt her
chances.

Kaitlin Sather, headed to Santa Barbara on a volleyball scholarship, went out at 5-4,
just ticking the bar on her last attempt.

Healdsburg's 1,600 relay team of Will Crockenberg, Ryan Costa, Tim Quiroga and Tim Murphy
put together their best efforts of the year to finish seventh and qualify for today's
finals.

Crockenberg, the Empire's top 400 meter runner, finished 20th in 50.06, below his
personal best of 49.17 achieved at the MOC. David Gettis (Dorsey, LA) cruised in 47.13 to
qualify first. Gettis has the best under-18 mark in the nation (46.08). Michael Johnson
(Lincoln, Stockton) was second.

"Man, those guys are fast," said Crockenberg, who admitted to being nervous. "Setting in
my blocks, I was shaking. You see these guys on the Internet all year and then you're on
the field with them. "Still, I'm proud of myself. I wish I could've done better, but I
didn't start serious training until the Viking Invitational about four weeks ago. Before
that my head wasn't into it."

Crockenberg, who ran on the outside in lane eight, said he knew he was in trouble when
he heard a runner next to him on the first turn, even with the staggered start. "Those
guys were awesome," he said.

Jenna Lowder (Maria Carrillo) finished 18th in the girls 400 in 57.34, and 23rd in the
200. Sadie Williams, one of the top sprinters in the country, qualified first in both
events, running 54.08 in the 400 and 23.70 in the 200. Lowder said she wasn't disappointed
with her performance.

"How can I complain," she said. "Here I am running against the fastest girls in California.
Some may even be in the Olympics."

Casa Grande's Ashton Lesieur was 18th in the girls' 1,600 in 5:09.89. Annie St. Geme
(Corona Del Mar) was the fastest qualifier (4:55.31), but she will have to better that
time to win today. Saratoga's Alicia Follmar, who ran a pedestrian 4:56.54 to finish
fifth, is the race favorite with a personal best 4:52.66.

Follmar could become only the second female to win the 1,600 and 800 at state the same
year, and the first since Kathy Costello (Pleasant Hill) in 1975. A win in the 1,600
would also put Follmar in select company, joining Polly Plumer (University, Irvine) and
Kira Jorgensen (Vista, San Diego) as the only runners to win three state titles.

Mendocino's Tamma Carleton will compete in the finals in the 3,200. A race with no trials.
The No. 1 seed is Tori Tyler of Gunn (10:31.04).

Marshall Olin (Santa Rosa) was 17th in the very competitive boys' 300 hurdles. Olin
covered the distance in 39.83, a personal best for the senior.

"He was right there with three hurdles to go, then ran out of gas," said Santa Rosa coach
Doug Courtemarche. "He knew his only chance being in lane nine was to run as hard as
could. He struggled with the last few hurdles, but he's happy about his performance."

Montgomery and Maria Carrillo were 17th and 19th, respectively in the girls 1,600 relay.

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