The Track Attic |
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The Southern Counties HS track meet, hosted at Huntington Beach High School, was not the first prep invitational but in its day was certainly one of the best. First meet was in 1922 at Santa Ana's Poly Field and was run each year through 1977. The meet moved to Huntington Beach High in 1923. Two times -- 1957 and 1975 -- it was rained out. We have not been able to find the 1943 meet results. In 1964 and 1965 while Huntington Beach was undergoing remodeling, the meet was held at Westminster High. In 1969 it was also held at Westminster but otherwise at Huntington Beach.
Among the national records set at the Southern Counties meet was El Centro's Leroy Kirkpatrick going 14.5 (42" inch) and 23.4 in the high hurdles and low hurdles, respectively in 1934. In the 37th annual meet in 1957, North Phoenix's Dallas Long set a national prep shot record with a 66-1½ mark (12-lb). In 1965, Warren's Paul Wilson set a prep pole record with a 16-6¾.
Starting in 1939 the meet was divided into large schools and small schools divisions. Compton and San Diego each won or shared the large schools title ten times. Morningside won the small schools title five times.
In 1954 62 schools and 1,262 athletes participated.
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