Well, that didn’t take long.
Sterling Bryant, who became the second-fastest prep high hurdler in San Diego Section history at Ramona High a year ago, shattered the San Diego Mesa College school record in his very first meet.
Competing in the Ron Kamaka Invitational at Mt. San Antonio College, Bryant zipped to a time of 14.22 seconds, erasing the previous Mesa best of 14.30 by Maurice Strickland in 2011.
He had company.
“I out-leaned my teammate, Jayden Bailey (a freshman from Mission Bay),” said Bryant, 18, who at 6-foot-3, 200-pounds powers his way over the hurdles. “We both ran 14.2 and another teammate, sophomore Evan Munoz, has returned and ran 14.8. We’re 1-2-3 in the state right now.
“It’s great. I’m happy to have someone right next to me, if he isn’t working on the 400-hurdles.”
Sterling Bryant, a Ramona High grad who possesses one of the fastest starts in the state, is focusing on the 110 hurdles, 100-meter dash and the 4×100 relay at San Diego Mesa College. (Maximillan Pinto)
Bryant, who possesses one of the fastest starts in the state, is focusing on the 110 hurdles, 100-meter dash and the 4×100 relay.
Being at a community college, Bryant had to adjust to the international 42-inch height of the hurdles. That’s three inches higher than the 39-inch barriers he skimmed over a year ago in a Ramona High record of 14.72 seconds en route to placing third in the state.
Only current Mater Dei Catholic sophomore Jasir Fontenot has run faster, clocking a time of 13.31 in the state prelims before finishing first in a wind-aided 13.21.
“It took me some time to adjust, actually a little longer than I thought,” said Bryant of the switch to the higher hurdles. “I’d run the 42-inch hurdles in the Triton Invitational at UCSD last year and I ended up hitting five of the 10 hurdles. It just took me more training time and added some stress to my body.
“When I set the record, it was not my best race. I hit several hurdles, but I knew it wasn’t something I couldn’t handle with additional training. I was pleased with the time.”
Just when he was ready to crack the 14-second barrier on his way to what he hopes is a 13.6 or faster by the end of the season, a freak accident slowed his chase.
After warming up for his first home meet, clearing two hurdles perfectly, he went to the starting line where he adjusted his blocks and, as he usually did, practiced one sprint start, popping into the air.
“When I came down, I turned my ankle inward,” he said. “It hurt but I didn’t think anything about it, I just twisted my ankle and conditions were perfect. But halfway through the race, my trail leg was dragging and I really hit the last hurdle hard.
“I finished and just figured I’d be OK. But it swelled up, so now I’ll take it easy. We had a tailwind and I know I could have been under 14 seconds.”
Luckily, it’s just the start of the season and he has plenty of time to recover before big meets like the Mt. SAC Relays, the PCAC conference championships at Cuyamaca College, the SoCal championships at Bakersfield College and the state meet, which is also at Mt. SAC.
“I still haven’t run a totally clean race over the 42-inch hurdles, but I know it’s coming,” Bryant said. “I actually thought I’d get that first clean race before turning my ankle.”
It won’t come from a lack of thinking about it.
He commutes 45 minutes daily each way from Ramona and he says he thinks about his races and the things he needs to do to reach his goals.
“I think about the little things that make a difference and go over the entire race which in my mind is perfectly clean, not hitting a hurdle and flying over them like last year,” he said. “I try to imagine how it will feel so when it comes, I’ll be comfortable doing it each race.”
His time of 14.22 has already caught the eyes of colleges who showed little interest a year ago.
“Utah Tech (in St. George) has been in contact,” he said. “I’d like to go on to a four-year college after this year.”
But first he wants to settle in and have that perfect race, preferably at the end of the season.