Dean Guzman of Moorpark has trained for years to surpass the barrier every high jumper dreams of breaking — 7 feet. It happened at the Mt. SAC Relays, where he set a school record and beat the defending state champion, his friend, JJ Harel, of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
His coaches started screaming. “Hands up in the air, yelling,” head track coach Christian Dearborn recalled. “It was special. He was grinning ear to ear.”
As an eighth grader, Guzman and Harel were teammates on the same track team. Now each will have motivation through the last month of the track season pushing each other to practice harder and soar higher. They will be facing off probably at the Southern Section Masters Meet and state championship.
Guzman has home-field advantage. The Southern Section finals and Masters Meet are at Moorpark. Harel is finally healthy and starting to pick up training. He used only a six-step run up at Mt. SAC but is now switching to his normal eight steps.
Prepare for some exciting moments in the competition ahead between Guzman and Harel.
“I don’t think he’s done yet,” Dearborn said of Guzman going higher.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected]
The post Prep talk: High jumper Dean Guzman of Moorpark clears 7-foot barrier appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
