ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Blaine Bussey

SCHOOL: Taft

YEAR: Senior

SPORT: Track and field

SEASON AT A GLANCE: Bussey has run 21.6 in the 200 meters and a state-leading 46.3 in the 400 during the outdoor season after clocking a nation-leading 57.3 in the 500-yard run indoors.

WEEK AT A GLANCE: Bussey won the 200 in 21.8, the 400 in 46.3 and ran on teams that won the 400 relay in 41.8 and the 1,600 relay in 3:19.2 in the Northwest Valley Conference finals. His hand-held time in the 400 broke the region record of 46.67 set by Quincy Watts of Taft in 1988. Watts was the 1992 Olympic champion in the 400. “I’m trying to [break 46] this year,” Bussey said. “That’s been my goal since the start of the season.”

GIRLS

Amy Jones

SCHOOL: Cleveland

YEAR: Sophomore

SPORT: Swimming

SEASON AT A GLANCE: Jones, who set City Section records in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events last year, keeps busy in the spring by competing concurrently in swimming and track. She placed third in the 800 meters in the Northwest Valley Conference finals. “I feel that it helped me a lot,” she said. “I could feel the strength in my legs.”

WEEK AT A GLANCE: Jones shattered her City records in winning the 50 and 100 freestyle events at the City prelims. She clocked 23.54 in the 50 and 50.93 in the 100. Her 100 time was more than three seconds faster than that of second-place Nicole Shifflett of Granada Hills. Jones’ times qualified her for high school All-American honors.