Camarillo’s Smith Hits New Height

SAN DIEGO —  Assistant Dennis Riedmiller of Camarillo has uncovered another good high jumper.

Riedmiller guided Jeremy Fischer to a region record of 7-4 in 1994 and three other of his jumpers posted bests of 6-6 or 6-8 1/4 between 1995 and 1998.

On Saturday, Chadd Smith cleared a career-best and meet record 6-9 to win the high school portion of the San Diego Indoor Games at the San Diego Sports Arena.

Smith, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound junior, was one of two individual winners from the region. Anita Siraki of Hoover placed first in the girls’ two-mile.

Smith gave up basketball, a sport he had been playing for “as long as I can remember,” in order to focus on track this season.

It paid off Saturday when he topped his previous best by three inches and defeated defending City Section champion Fernando Lopez of Taft by two inches.

“I thought I could clear 6-10,” Smith said. “I cleared 6-8 in practice so I thought I was ready for 6-10 in a meet.”

Smith, fifth in the Southern Section Division I final last year, cleared 6-1 on his first attempt and then made 6-3 on his first try, 6-5 on his second, 6-7 on his first and 6-9 on his second. He then missed three attempts at 6-11.

“I told him that he wasn’t real known right now,” Riedmiller said. “But if he jumped well here, the secret would be out.”

Siraki, fourth in the national cross-country final in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Dec. 11, took the lead less than a quarter-mile into the two-mile and pulled away from Julie Manson of San Diego Rancho Bernardo and Valerie Flores of San Pedro in the final 500 yards to win in 10:54.5.

Flores and Miller were teammates of Siraki on the West region squad that ran in the nationals.

“I just wanted to go out there and have fun with my buddies in the race,” Siraki said.

Chris Morgan and Deneeka Torrey of Taft and Porchea Carroll of Rio Mesa each turned in solid performances.

Morgan was the runner-up in the boys’ 55-meter high hurdles in 7.76 after placing third in the long jump in 21-9 1/4. Torrey placed second in the girls’ 55 hurdles in 8.38 after finishing fourth in the 55 sprint in 7.30. Carroll placed second in the 55 in 7.20 after finishing third in the long jump in 17-5 1/4.

In her high school debut, freshman Treani Swain of Oakwood was second in the 880-yard run in 2:23.3. Taft’s Fred Williams was second in the the boys’ 55 in 6.52 and Melissa Astete of Birmingham tied for second in the girls’ pole vault in 10-6.