O’Dowd sprinter eyes state titles, not a final band concert
Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland senior Tierra Robinson-Jones won’t rush back to Oakland after Saturday night’s state track and field championships to play the first clarinet for her school’s symphonic band at Sunday’s graduation.
Not like the past two years. “It was crazy driving back at 2 in the morning,” RobinsonJones said. “I enjoyed playing for 3½ years, but I had to give it up. My teacher was a little upset, but I told her I’m not going to school for band, I’m going for track.”
Instead of hitting all the right notes, the Texas A&M-bound sprinter hopes to make some history on the track at Buchanan-Clovis.
No Metro girl has won the 200- and 400-meter dashes in the same year, but RobinsonJones is the top qualifier in both (23.56 and 52.69 seconds, respectively).
Only three other local girls — Tania Woods (Skyline-Oakland, 1999), Khrystal Carter (Valley Christian, 2005) and Ashton Purvis (St. Elizabeth-Oakland, 2009 and 2010) — have won a 200-meter state title. And only two local girls — Latasha Gilliam (Pittsburg, 1994) and Christina Hardeman (Wilcox-Santa Clara, 2002) — have won the 400.
Robinson-Jones finished
second in the 400 last year to Norco’s Shae Anderson, 52.91 to 53.24. Robinson-Jones’ personal record at Saturday’s North Coast Section Meet of Champions would have beaten that time last season.
Robinson-Jones clearly isn’t looking backward. It’s full steam ahead.
“The reason she’s become so good is because she wants to be great,” O’Dowd coach Jamal Cooks said. “She really wants to become great.”
Cooks has coached Robinson-Jones since she was 7. She wasn’t one of the young phenoms, but she comes from a running family — all of her siblings compete — and she has continued to push herself to be one of the nation’s elite.
She is fourth in the nation in the 400, 13th in the 200.
A stern talk with Cooks in middle school following a so-so Junior Olympics trial really got her attention, she said.
“I told myself I can’t do this anymore,” Robinson-Jones said. “You want to be someone when you grow up. You want to be the next Sanya Richards, Allyson Felix, Natasha Hastings. They all inspire me. Look at Sydney McLaughlin. I love watching her. She has all those medals and she’s been to the Olympics. That’s what I want to do.”
Cooks promised RobinsonJones’ mother that Tierra, if she worked hard, would improve a second every season in the 400 throughout high school.
Robinson-Jones kept her end of the bargain and — as promised — improved: freshman season (55.26), sophomore (54.05), junior (53.24) and now 52.69.
Other top locals
No. 1 qualifiers: Max Glasser (Marin Catholic-Kentfield, 400, 47.41), Delaney Peranich (St. Ignatius, high jump, 5 feet, 9 inches), Rayna Stanziano (Concord, 800, 2:10.06).
No. 2 qualifiers: Jett Charvet (Heritage-Brentwood, 800, 1:51.69), Malcolm Clemons (St. Mary’s, long jump, 24-5½), Megan Ronan (St. Ignatius, long jump, 19-3), Alexis Surrell (Newark Memorial, 400, 53.95), Masaki Wada-Law (Los Gatos, 110 hurdles, 14.14)
No. 3 qualifiers: Liam Anderson (Redwood-Larkspur, 1,600, 4:11.43), Clayton ValleyConcord boys 1,600 relay (3:15.87), Maia Garcia (Santa Clara, high jump, 5-6), Kali Hatcher (St. Mary’s, triple jump, 41-0), Bobby Poynter (California-San Ramon, 800, 1:52.46).
Also of note: California senior Allyson Brewer is the two-time defending 800 champion but is fighting through a foot injury. She’s attempting to be the fourth girl to win at least three 800 titles. … State long-jump leader Alex Enos of St. Ignatius, who has gone 25 feet, qualified fourth while winning the CCS title at 23-11¼.