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Thursday, May 20, 2004

Injured Monarch Takes Third at State

By Harold Smith
Mountain View Telegraph
    Winning isn't everything.
    Manzano High javelin thrower Breck Vernon is disconsolate about his unsuccessful quest for a gold medal at last weekend's large-school state track-and-field championships.
    He doesn't seem to fathom, however, that his badge of honor is his perseverance through adversity.
    "I would've liked to have done a lot better, but things happen," said Vernon, who lives near Tijeras. "The La Cueva guy (Ryan Rettinger) had his best day ever. But I knew I'd have to do something special to get first or second. I guess I can't be too disappointed after five weeks of not throwing the javelin."
    After placing third for the second straight year in the Class 5A boys javelin throw on Saturday, Vernon, a 5-foot, 10-inch, 170-pound senior, quietly sat on the high-jump runway at the UNM track stadium. He then methodically gathered his gear as opposing coaches and athletes, like funeral attendees waiting in line to offer condolences, approached him.
    "That second throw (181-5 for third place) in the finals, that's when I did some damage (to his right elbow)," Vernon said. "I really don't know what's going on with it. I may be getting an MRI soon."
    A year ago, Vernon's final year of high school athletics looked promising. He had been the Manzano football team's starting quarterback in 2002 and was named to the all-district second team. Last May, he won the bronze medal in the javelin with a chuck of 173 feet, 1 inch.
    Vernon's goal was to be a champion.
    "I guess I was one of those guys that was just trying to beat dad," he said philosophically. "I have a dad that was all-state everything. He went to New Mexico State to play football, and he won the state (high school) championship in the javelin."
    Vernon's goals began to unravel when an injury put him on the sidelines in the midst of the 2003 football season.
    "I tore my medial collateral ligament in my knee in football," Vernon said.
    Still, he managed to reorient himself and began to look forward to track.
    Early in the season, Vernon already was throwing the javelin farther than he had the previous year. He quickly was No. 1 on the city's top-10 list with a heave of 184-4.
    Vernon said UNM's track coaches had given him positive feedback about trying out for the Lobos as a walk-on.
    Then Vernon got hurt again.
    "I got a ligament strain in my right elbow," he said.
    Vernon didn't give up. He bided his time. He knew he'd qualified for state with that early throw, so he patiently sat out the regular season, the city championships and then the district meet. His focus was on the state meet. He wanted to let his body repair itself.
    "But it was healing really slow," Vernon said.
    Yet there he was at 10 a.m. on Saturday. He had a plan.
    In his first throw of the initial round, Vernon led the field with a throw of 176-10. Highland's Anthony Fairbanks had a 172-3.
    Still in first, Vernon intentionally scratched his second throw. Fairbanks, the reigning champ, took advantage with a toss of 188-11.
    The nine other competitors didn't catch him, so Vernon, trying to save his arm, scratched his third throw. Fairbanks' best remained 188-11.
    The top-two standings stayed the same through the second attempts of the final round. But on Vernon's second attempt, his best of the day, he winced as he released the spear. His left hand immediately grasped his throwing elbow.
    Then, in his final try, Rettinger, accompanied by a groan, sailed his javelin 185-1 for the silver medal. Vernon could do no better than 173-5. Fairbanks won his second title with a concluding 198-6.
    "I think (Vernon) did great," first-year Manzano boys coach Harvey Carreathers said. "I talked to him after the meet. I told him I was extremely proud of the way he performed. If he'd been healthy, I think he could've competed with Fairbanks. As it was, he pushed other people to do well."
    Vernon is unsure that it ever was in the cards.
    "I haven't made up my mind yet if I'll try to compete at UNM," he said. "I don't know if it's worth it. I've thrown in excess of 180 (feet) a couple times, and that's OK. But it's not really good enough for college. I may have to concentrate on academics."
    Vernon is enrolled at UNM and plans to major in engineering.
    The Manzano boys track team went through a major rebuilding year in 2004. But there were some highlights.
    Besides Vernon, Jody Hesch also earned a bronze medal at the state meet. He cleared 13 feet in the pole vault. Hesch's brother, Adam, was sixth in the 3,200-meter run.
    The Monarchs, who placed second as a team in 2002, ended up with nine points for 12th place out of 19 scoring teams. La Cueva won its eighth straight crown with 88 points.
    "We had a really young team this year," Carreathers said. "Next year, we should be better."
    GIRLS: The Lady Monarchs scored 12 points for 14th place at the state meet. Eighteen teams got points on the board. La Cueva (61) was the victor.
    Manzano tied for first in 2001.
    On Saturday, Kaylie Brooks was second in the 100-meter dash and fourth in the 200. Tyanna Trammel was third in the triple jump.
    Senior Stasia Ploskonka of Cedar Crest, the Monarchs' girl athlete of the year and last season's 5A silver medalist in the 3,200 run, didn't participate because of a stress fracture in her leg.
    "I'm kind of disappointed with this year," said Ploskonka, who signed early to compete for UNM. "I wanted to do well my senior year."
    Now, she's focusing on her collegiate career.
    "I'll start cross-training in a couple weeks," she said. "But I won't start running hard until late June or July. I want to wait until it's completely healed. I want to be on the safe side."