Jadyn Marshall is just rolling into track season.
You might question that -- he has been running meets since sports in California were started back up in March. But he was playing football most of the time for the St. Mary's College Prep Rams and working out once a week with his track coach. Now that football is done, he can devote his time to the hurdles.
On April 24, he won the 110- and 300-meter hurdles at the Eddie Hart Invitational at Pittsburg High School. First, he took the 110 hurdles in a wind-aided 14.23 seconds (+2.8 mps). Then, he cruised home in the 300 hurdles in 38.94.
"Smooth times," Marshall said. "Right now, I'm just working out getting ready for these bigger meets. The SoCal dudes in particular, I see the times they are running. I know I can run with them. Once we race up, you'll see the times go down tremendously." Marshall said he was still running pretty good times, considering he was splitting practice time between track and football.
"That was on wheels," said John Johnson, St. Mary's hurdles coach. Johnson had a fantastic career in track and field, running in the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He also understands balancing track and football, having played in NFL training camps. "We'll be working on some things the next two weeks," Johnson said. "I think we can get back to 37."
That's what Marshall ran as a freshman -- 37.59 in the prelims at the California Interscholastic Federation championships in 2019. The 2020 season was a loss thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and there will not be a CIF meet this year. But there will be an Arcadia Invitational. That is scheduled for May 7-8, hence, what Johnson is pointing towards.
Marshall's older brother Jamar set the California high school record in the 110 hurdles in 2019 when he ran 13.22 at the U20 U.S. National Championships. Johnson said Jadyn Marshall isn't at that level yet. But Jadyn, who is better in the longer race, is looking to put down a lightning-fast time of his own. He said he'd like to run in a "36-low."
MORE FROM EDDIE HART - RACE VIDEOS | RESULTS
It was a windy morning and afternoon in Pittsburg and more than a dozen teams came out for the meet. Pittsburg's boys teams swept the relays, winning the 400 (42.80), 800 (1:29.93) and 1,600 (3:34.50). The first team was Tramayne Shivers, Clarence Strong, Chaison Wesley and Christian Trapps. The second was Trapps, Strong, Kenyan Higgins and Wesley. The third was Shivers, Wesley, Lamont Fortenberry and Strong. Trapps also won the 100 in a wind-legal 10.75.
Maya Holman of Vacaville swept the girls long jump (18 feet, 1 inch), triple jump (36-8 1/2) and 100 hurdles (14.94). In the girls pole vault, Maria Carrillo's Lily Mulligan won at 12-0, just a foot lower than the boys winner, Leo Garcia-Czarkowski of Bellarmine.
"I'm glad I'm getting really consistent with that number," Mulligan said. "A little bit of wind. It was a tail wind though so it wasn't nothing too bad to deal with." Mulligan is also head to Arcadia. She said her goal for the year is to clear 13-0. Saturday was her first meet of the year and she is optimistic. "The little things and getting on my bigger poles is going to help a lot," she said. "But the little things are what are going to get me those extra inches. The plant, the consistency of the run, and the consistency of the form."
Vacaville's Makala Oliver won the girls 100 in 12.26 and came back to take the 200 in 25.21. Antioch's Jailen Weaver won the discus with a throw of 158-2 and took second in the shot put at 45-3 1/2. Pittsburg's Julian Lockett won the shot put at 49-5.
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