Bowen-Fontenot and Fontenot Lead Cavers on the Track


Bowen-Fontenot led a trio of section athletes to gold medals Saturday night at the Arcadia Invitational, breaking her own 100-meter hurdles record with a 13.16-second finish — the second-fastest time in meet history. The performance crushed her previous best of 13.54 from the Clyde Littlefield Invitational in Texas and set her up to chase an even bigger milestone.

“I want to break 13 seconds — I want to run 12.80-something,” said the San Diego High senior, who had a legal wind reading of 1.8 meters per second. “I know I was behind early, but I never panic. All of those girls were ready to show out, but so was I. The first four hurdles felt weird, but then I pushed it like I always do. I wanted a 13.1 here and I got it. I’ll clean up some things before state.”

She edged Georgia’s Jasmine Robinson at the line. Robinson bounced back by giving Carlsbad’s Morgan Herbst her first loss in 16 races, winning the 300 hurdles in 39.81. Herbst still posted a personal best of 40.26.

Bowen-Fontenot finished third in that event with a personal-best 41.26.

Meanwhile, little brother San Diego High freshman Jasir Fontenot had already run faster than the CIF San Diego Section record in the 110-meter hurdles, but each of those times came with wind readings above the legal 2.0 meters per second.

At the University City Classic, his sister Anisa Bowen-Fontenot won the girls’ 100-meter hurdles in 13.50 seconds with a 2.8 mps wind. Moments later, the breeze dipped to 1.9 — and Jasir capitalized, clocking 13.76.

That mark broke the section record of 13.84 set last year by Helix’s Shon Martin. Before that, the 13.86 mark held by Montgomery’s Reggie DePass stood for 27 years.

Then again, few were shocked — Fontenot ran 13.65 last June to win the National Junior Olympic title.