Albuquerque, N.M., decathlete establishes national record with international implements; Rochelle rides Richardson solo act to second-straight track and field state title.
Curtis Beach, Albuquerque Academy (N.M.)
File photo by Gary Murray
Curtis Beach, who earlier this year set the national decathlon record, established a national record with international implements during the annual Great Southwest Classic in Albuquerque, N.M.
The recent graduate of Albuquerque Academy scored 7,466 points to erase the record of 7,359 set by Craig Brigham in 1972. He actually competed in 13 events (normally there are 10), so he could throw the heavier shot put and discus and run the higher hurdles.
His high school event point total was 7,719, second only to his national record of 7,909.
Competing in stiff winds, contestants turned in several other brilliant efforts: Tavaris Tate (Starkville, Miss.) won the 400-meter race in 45.48 seconds, just nipping New Jersey’s Clayton Parros (45.71).
Wayne Davis (Raleigh, N.C.) won the 110-meter hurdles in 13.35 seconds.
Shade Weygandt (Mansfield, Texas) pole vaulted 14 feet, then missed at a national-record 14-2 ¾.
Richardson repeats
For the second year in a row, Bonnie Richardson won the Texas girls Class A state track title by herself. She scored 38 points, two points better than runner-up Cayuga, to give Rochelle its second title in a row.
The valedictorian in a class of 14, Richardson won the long jump (17-04.50) and high jump (5-8), was second in the discus (126-09), third in the 200-meter dash (25.78) and fourth in the 100-meter dash (12.51).
Rochelle, a town of 600 140 miles northeast of Austin, has no track, so Richardson had to practice at nearby Brady.
In the boys 5A meet, senior Marquise Goodwin paced Rowlett to its second straight title with three firsts and a pair of seconds. His most prodigious event was the long jump where he soared 26 feet 4 ¾ inches – the best jump in the nation this year.
Matzek is dominant
Fireballer Tyler Matzek enhanced his draft status last week by leading Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley to a 1-0 victory over Huntington Beach Edison in California’s Southern Section Division I championship baseball game at Angel Stadium.
In the top of the sixth inning, Matzek slammed a two-out solo homer to break up a scoreless deadlock. In the bottom of that inning he took the mound in relief with the bases loaded and two outs and induced a popup to first to end the inning.
After a strikeout to open the seventh inning, he hit a batter and walked two on eight straight balls to load the bases. However, he then fanned the final two batters to end the game.
In the semifinals, Matzek blanked Riverside Poly, 1-0, on a two-hitter and singled in the lone run. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound lefty posted a perfect 4-0 record and did not allow a run in 18 1/3 innings of playoff action to complete his senior year with a 13-1 record.
Schmidt fans 32 of 33
Danielle Schmidt sparked Woodbury New Life Academy to Minnesota’s Class A state softball title, both with her bat and her arm. Along the way she set a state tourney record with 55 strikeouts in three games.
The talented senior blanked Maple Lake, 7-0, with a two-hitter and nine strikeouts in the title game.
One day earlier, however, she was really dominant. In the quarterfinals she struck out 32 of a possible 33 batters and singled in the winning run during a 3-2, 11-inning quarterfinal victory over Lake Crystal-Wellcome. Six hours later she fired a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts during a 5-0 semifinal victory over Silver Bay.
