Huge Field Event Performances Highlight Debut UC Classic



SAN DIEGO -- How about a girls 5-10.50 in the high jump, a 13-4 in the pole vault, and a windy 20-9 in the long jump (backed up by a legal 20-2) in a first-time invitational?

Long-running meets would be hard-pressed to come up with much better marks than the University City Track Classic on Saturday.

Two of those performances -- the high jump and long jump -- came from defending state long jump champion Alysah Hickey of Coronado, who added a victory in the 100 with a windy 12.11.

Rancho Bernardo sophomore Ashley Callahan soared 13-4 in the vault, barely missing her second attempt at 13-7.

For Hickey, the high jump was especially rewarding while the long jump wasn't far behind. 

"Now I can focus on 6 feet," said the Oregon-bound senior who had two narrow misses when the bar went to 5-11.25. "I wanted to get the school record so I made sure the bar went to 5-10.50."

 A year ago at Mt. SAC, Hickey rolled over 5-10 only to discover the school best was 5-10.25 by Jamie Klages in 2005. She's been pursuing that mark ever since. 

This time, Hickey easily scaled 5-4, 5-6 and 5-8.25 before asking the bar to be placed at 5-10.50, which she missed on her first try. 

"I changed my step by moving back a little to get a little more of a run," said Hickey, who then cleared the 5-10.50 without a wiggle in the bar. Following the anticipated celebration, the fourth place finisher at state last year had the bar moved up but could not clear another height.

As for the long jump, she hit a personal best of 20-feet-2 with one jump remaining. 

"I was so excited to get a PR (she went 20-0.50 last summer)," said Hickey. "I got the crowd clapping before my last jump and just decided to go all out. I knew it was a good jump and now I can look ahead to 21-feet."

Had the 20-9 been wind-legal, it would have erased the last San Diego Section record set by Gail Devers of Sweetwater High in 1984 when she won the State Meet in that event. Her best was 20-7.

Meanwhile, Callahan was just getting warmed up across the track. 

After going 13-feet on Thursday, she got a PR of 13-1 on her first attempt before asking the bar to be moved to a state-yearly best equaling 13-4, which she scaled on her second try. She brought the bar down on three attempts at 13-7.

"I'm moving to a bigger pole," said the sophomore, "resetting my goals for 13-10." 

That 13-4 is No. 2 in San Diego all-time, behind two-time state champion Kortney Ross's 13-6 for Westview High in 2010. 

"I was hoping for 13-4 and I got it," said Callahan, who was mentioned in the shadow of Poway's trio of vaulters before this week. "I had a tailwind and I was energized on that vault. We didn't even know we were coming to this meet until Monday."