old guy 72 wrote:
Walt Kowalski wrote:
Obea Moore
Seneca Lassiter
Yong-Sung Leal
Michael Granville
Casey Combest
Eric Mastalir
Roy Martin
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I think most of these are California High School stars.
I would add Ali Barrientos.
She was the California 1600 champion around 1999-2000. She beat Sara Bei (Hall) in that race. She was 20 meters down at 300 and won by 10 meters. She was rumored to have run the last 400 in 62 seconds!
She won the Penn Relays High School runner of the meet anchoring San Lorenzo Valley to a National DMR record.
I saw her matching Maggie Vessey (Soquel High School 200-400 star) stride for stride on the anchor leg of the CCS Championship 1600 relay.
She had the most beautiful running form I've ever seen. Maggie wasn't bad either.
Another: Amber Trotter (Ukiah)
Martin was from Dallas and I believe Combest was from KY but your point chiefly stands. Barrientos got UCLA'd. Lots of running talent went into the Bermuda Triangle of Westwood. Meb was the exception to the rule.
Plus: Kim Mortensen, another UCLA recruit who was derailed by complications from ED.
http://articles.latimes.com/1998/aug/08/sports/sp-11330