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A late start doesn't slow Mitchell star

By BOB PUTNAM
Published March 10, 2005

J.J. Campbell was ready and set for the start of the 100-meter final on Friday.

But when the gun sounded, the Mitchell High senior did not exactly go.

Lowering himself in the blocks, Campbell stood frozen because he thought someone had jumped the gun. He spotted his competitors nearly 0.25 seconds.

But a good start did not matter.

While everyone else was up and moving, Campbell found a higher gear. By the halfway mark, he said goodbye to the competition.

Campbell tore down the straightaway, racing past the finish line and into the record books. He was clocked at 10.69 seconds, a mark that broke his own school record by .69 seconds.

"I was kind of shocked because I had to make up so much ground," Campbell said. "When one of the officials told me I ran 10.69, my eyes grew big."

The most shocking news came days later. According to flrunners.com, Campbell's time is the fastest in the state this year, regardless of classification.

"I didn't think that would be enough to be the fastest," Campbell said. "But I'll take it."

After a year marred by injury, Campbell blazed to the fore again with a stunning performance. Besides winning the 100, he also broke his school record in the 110 high hurdles (15.77) and ran a blistering anchor leg in the 4x100 relay to help the Mustangs go from last place to first.

"J.J. was was really moving that night," Mitchell coach Jacki Wachtel said.

Campbell was looking forward to this season after having his junior year cut short.

In his first meet last season, Campbell set the school record in the 110 hurdles (15.96). But he began to pull up in the final strides.

He reaggravated a torn meniscus in his left knee and spent three months working himself back into shape. Campbell returned for football, intent on having a breakout year. But he suffered the same injury to his left knee midway through the season and was out for three weeks.

"The second time was tough because it happened in warmups before a game," Campbell said. "I heard a pop and that was it."

Stronger, focused and injury-free, Campbell was ready to attack the school records he started breaking as a junior.

Now he has bigger goals.

"I hope to get this going by the time the state meet rolls around," Campbell said. "That's when this stuff will really matter."

DEFENDING THE TITLE: Jeff Masterson's quest to win his second straight 3,200-meters state title started last week.

The Mitchell senior won the 3,200 in 10:16.58 on Friday. He also won the 1,600 (4:42.42) and ran a leg on the wining 4x800 relay team (8:44.18). His performance, combined with Campbell's, helped the Mustangs finish second at the meet. The next day, Masterson won the open division at the Chasco Main Street Mile in 4:40.

Masterson has stronger competition this week. He is competing against Land O'Lakes' Steven Bell at the Chasco Invitational on Friday. Bell, a junior, beat Masterson by 22 seconds at the district meet in cross country.

"Steven Bell and (Bell's teammate) Steven Lang will push me, and that's what I want. You want to be pushed as a competitor," Masterson said last week.

THE NUMBERS GAME: Though Campbell and Masterson won their share of individual titles, it was not enough to win their meet.

With a multitude of returners, River Ridge has the depth to rival Wesley Chapel.

The Royal Knights put those numbers to good use, scoring 92 points to beat the Mustangs by six. Patrick Morris (shot put), Zach McDevitt (triple jump), Adam Bulgrin (discus), Alex Pasquine (high jump), Brett Lewandowski (300 intermediate hurdles) and Jason Coyle (800) all won individual titles for River Ridge.

MR. VERSATILITY: Bryan Thomas, one of the county's best athletes, was a scoring machine for Zephyrhills last week. The junior won the long jump (22 feet, 61/2 inches), shot put (40-5) and 440-yard dash (52.06). His three individual titles accounted for half of the Bulldogs' points at a meet hosted by Wesley Chapel on Friday.

[Last modified March 10, 2005, 01:15:14]