Rio Mesa’s Jones Sets Meet Record in Winning 100 at TAC Junior Finals

Marion Jones of Rio Mesa High is undefeated in prep competition this season, and Saturday, she beat a highly ranked collegian to win the 100 meters at The Athletics Congress Junior (19 and under) track and field championships in Blaine, Minn.

Running into a slight head wind, Jones set a meet record of 11.29 seconds to defeat Louisiana State freshman Cheryl Taplin (11.41).

Rio Mesa teammate Alycia Burnham was eliminated in the qualifying rounds of the 100-meter low hurdles and the long jump.

Burnham ran 14.80 to finish fifth in her heat of the hurdles and leaped 17 feet 0 3/4 inches in the long jump.

Taplin, who placed sixth in the 100 at the NCAA Division I championships, had the fastest qualifying time in the 100--running 11.49 in the heats compared to Jones’ 11.54--but Jones came out of the blocks quickly in the final and was never seriously challenged.

“She ran a very good race,” Rio Mesa co-coach Brian FitzGerald said. “Considering the wind, she might have run faster here than she did at the state meet.”

Jones, a 15-year-old sophomore, timed a personal best of 11.17 to win the state title at Cerritos College three weeks ago, but she was aided by a 1.93 meter-per-second wind in that race. She ran into a 0.06 m.p.s. wind at the National Sports Center on Saturday.

The top two finishers in each event at the TAC meet qualify for the U. S. team that will compete in the Pan American Junior championships in Kingston, Jamaica, next month. However, Jones will call it a season after running the 200 today.

“She’s had an incredible season, but it’s time to end it,” FitzGerald said. “I’d rather see her go out on top here, than back her off a little bit and try to get her to peak again at the Pan-Ams.”

Jones is the second Rio Mesa athlete to win a TAC junior title. Angela Burnham won the 200 in 1989.