Prep Wednesday : Hitting Their Marks : Ayers: Practice Makes for Perfect Boredom

Let you in on a little secret. Kirk Ayers of Western High School, one of the most versatile track and field athletes in Orange County, doesn’t like to run.

He thinks practices are boring. He runs the sprints because the events are short and end quickly.

“When I tell people that I hate to run, they look at me kind of funny and say, ‘What are you doing out there?’ ” Ayers said. “I realize track will get me through college.

“But the practices are boring. I wish they had meets every day. I love competing, and I realize you have to practice to do well in the meets, but practices are boring.”

Ayers, a 17-year-old senior, has run the 100-yard dash in 9.7, the 200-yard dash in 21.7, the 330-yard intermediate hurdles in 40.2 and has leaped 23-feet 3-inches in the long jump. He has also reached 42-0 in the triple jump and has run the 440 in 49.8. He’s a four-year member of the Pioneers’ varsity track team and owns four school records.

“I’d enter Kirk in six events (he’s allowed to compete in four) for each meet if I could,” said Ron Butterfield, Western track coach. “He’s a fine, all-around athlete who can do just about anything he wants on the track.”

Ayers has been ticketed for stardom and record-breaking performances since his freshman season at Western. He ran 10.0 in the 100-yard dash on the Pioneers’ freshman-sophomore team and made the varsity after only three meets.

But Ayers has been inconsistent. He ran a 9.7 in the 100 last year in a tri-meet at Buena Park, but has not broken 10.0 this season. He reached 23-3 in the long jump in the same meet, but his best mark this year is 21-9.

“I guess I peaked out early,” Ayers said. “I think my future is as a hurdler. I don’t like running the 100, so I don’t work on it too much. The 200 is the race I enjoy the most.

“It’s not too long, but there’s enough time to catch up if you get a poor start. In the 100, if you’re not out of the blocks quickly, chances are you’re going to lose.”

Last week, Ayers set his sights on breaking the school record in the intermediate hurdles. He had competed in the event only twice this season, but ran a 40.2 in a dual meet against Savanna to set the mark.

“The meet was my best of the season,” Ayers said. “I wanted a good showing and worked hard on the hurdles. I figure this is my senior year, so I might as well get serious.”

Ayers describes himself as an average starter and a strong finisher. He said he fell four yards behind Savanna’s Artis Williams at the outset of their 100-yard dash last week, but started closing on Williams at the 70-yard mark.

“I beat him by five yards,” Ayers said. “I’ve never had a good time in the 40 (4.6) and I’m rarely in the lead at the 50-yard mark. I guess I’m a closer.”

Ayers said he needs to work on his approach steps if he wants to become a top competitor in either the intermediate hurdles or the long jump.

“If I had a step (proper approach), I think I could be running in the low 38s in the intermediate hurdles,” he said. “I’ve been jumping about a foot behind the board in the long jump. I’ve still got a lot to learn.”

Glen Garson, Savanna track coach, said Ayers is just beginning to reach his potential. Garson watched Ayers win four events against his team last week and touted him as a potential qualifier in the long jump for the state meet in June.

“He is undoubtedly the best sprinter in our league, and one of the top three sprinters in the county,” Garson said. “He has the perfect sprinter’s build with his long legs and long strides.

“He’s a good sprinter, but he’ll be just one of the guys in the CIF meet. I think if he worked on his form, he would have a good shot of qualifying for the state meet in the long jump.”

Ayers hasn’t ruled out a future in football. He was a wide receiver on the Pioneers’ freshman and sophomore teams but gave up the sport because “the coaches want the players here to live football year-round.”

Ayers met one of Fullerton College’s assistant football coaches at an all-comer’s meet last winter and discussed the possibility of playing for the Hornets next season.

“I’d like to go to Fullerton, get some experience and see where football will take me,” Ayers said. “Of course, I still plan to run track.”

That is, as long as he doesn’t get too bored with practices.