HIGH SCHOOL TRACK NORTHWEST VALLEY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS : Reseda’s Powell Wins Hurdles Duel

Concentrate on your own race.

Don’t worry about what the other guy is doing.

Reseda High junior Drue Powell has heard those words of instruction from Coach Steve Caminiti repeatedly this season, and he put them to good use in the Northwest Valley Conference track and field championships at Birmingham High on Wednesday.

Powell trailed leader Michael Johnson of Chatsworth by about three yards midway down the homestretch of the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, but he remained calm.

He cleared the seventh barrier cleanly, and then flew past Johnson, going over the eighth and final hurdle to win in a personal best of 40.11 seconds. Johnson, who appeared to have the race won until he stutter-stepped at the final barrier, placed second in a personal best of 40.35.

“Coach has always told me that the hurdles is an event where you can’t think too much about what the other guy is doing or you’ll hurt yourself,” Powell said. “You’ll mess up because you’re thinking too much about him and not enough about what you’re doing.”

Caminiti’s advice stems from experience. He timed 13.7 in the 120-yard highs as a Crespi High senior in 1964.

“You’ve got to really concentrate in the hurdles,” Powell said. “It’s such a technical event.”

Powell’s victory in the intermediates capped a daily double for him. He won the 110-meter highs--his favorite event--in 14.68 to start the meet, and he also ran the third legs for the 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams, which finished first (43.33) and second (3:29.92), respectively.

Patrice Lattimore of Granada Hills fell just short of three victories. The senior won the 100 in a season-best of 12.38 and the 400 in 58.8 before finishing second in the 200 in 26.52.

Reseda junior Charon Walker won the 200 (25.90) after finishing second in the 100 (12.48). She also anchored the Regents to victories in the 400 (50.8) and 1,600 (4:17.6) relays. Taft sophomore Nicole Shepherd won the girls’ triple jump with a personal best and region-leading mark of 35 feet 8 inches to turn back Kennedy junior Yeko Ladzepko, who leaped a season best of 35-0.

The top five finishers in each event advanced to next Thursday’s City Section semifinals at Birmingham.