Muir Sprinter Finds the Key to Her Success : Track: Stringent preseason workout routine helped sophomore Knowles become one of the state’s top competitors in 100- and 200-meter runs.

By most standards, it was a promising debut last year for Muir High sprinter Deanna Knowles.

As a freshman, Knowles established herself as one of the top sprinters in the CIF Southern Section, but was disappointed about the way the season finished.

She reached the CIF Masters Meet in both the 100- and 200-meter runs, but did not qualify for the state meet in either event.

That has provided added incentive for Knowles this season.

The 15-year-old sprinter is currently ranked second in the state behind defending champion Marion Jones of Rio Mesa in the 100 and 200 meters. She has electronic times of 12.07 seconds in the 100 and 24.65 seconds in the 200.

Muir Coach Jim Brownfield credits Knowles’ success to a stringent workout routine prior to the season.

“She did a real great job on our preseason workouts that we set for our kids,” he said. “She did a better job than anyone we’ve had here since 1985. She’s done a lot of hill work and a lot of interval training and it’s paid off.”

The 5-foot-9 Knowles agrees.

“This year I’ve been happy with everything because I’ve been working real hard to keep my weight down and I’ve just put a lot of work into it,” she said.

Knowles is beginning to approach the promise that was expected of her when she first arrived at Muir. She had already established herself as one of the top youth track performers in the nation. As an eighth-grader, she won national age-group titles and produced times of 12.2 seconds in the 100 and 25.2 in the 200.

Only Knowles spent most of her first high school season in the shadows of Muir sprinters Inger Miller and Taminika Terry.

“I was just happy to be on the team,” Knowles said. “I did pretty good my freshman year but I was anxious about this year because I thought I could do better.”

With Miller having graduated and attending USC this season and Terry suffering because of nagging injuries, Knowles was given another opportunity this season.

“Last year she knew there would be a lot of pressure on her coming off a national (age-group) championship,” said Mike Knowles, Deanna’s father and an assistant coach with the Mustangs. “This year, with Inger gone, the pressure’s been off and she’s running like herself again.”

Knowles will face her most challenging test of the young season when she competes in the 24th annual Arcadia Invitational track meet at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Arcadia High.

She is entered in the invitational 200 meters, where Knowles will be matched against national leaders Zundra Feagin of Cocoa, Fla., and Jones.

“It’s going to be hard competing against them,” Knowles said. “I’m just happy to have a chance to be in the race. It’s an honor to be competing against people like Marion Jones and Zundra Feagin.”

While she doesn’t have any illusions of defeating Jones or Feagin, Knowles says that the 200 has been her best distance.

“I really like the 200 more than the 100 just because of simple things like the start plus the fact that you can (build) up in the 200 more than in the 100,” she said. “In the 200 the start matters but it isn’t the main thing. But in the 100, if you don’t get a good start you can really be left behind.”

Knowles also competes in the 400 meters and has produced a top time of 57.4 seconds this season.

“I run the 400 mainly to get stronger for the 200,” she said. “The 400 is not my best distance but I think it makes me stronger for the 200.”

Brownfield said the only thing that has sidetracked her in the 100 has been her start.

“The college coaches describe her as a power sprinter and that’s just what she is,” he said. “She’s a big sprinter and she doesn’t get off the blocks well. But she’s perfectly suited for the 200.”

“If Deanna had a (good) start she’d be at 11.8 every time out. Her start in the 100 is what we’re going to work on next. But we’re just taking one thing at a time.”

In the meantime, Knowles says she is focusing more on the 200 this season and is making good progress.

“I’d like to run in the low 24s or the high 23s by the end of the season,” she said. “Those are times I think I can make.”

Overall, Knowles says she doesn’t have any major complaints about her development since she arrived at Muir.

The only thing missing is a berth in the state meet in June. But as long as she continues her hard work, she knows that isn’t far behind.