By Steve Ames Special to The Acorn

MICHAEL COONS/Simi Valley Acorn STRIDE FOR STRIDE-Royal's Dylan Jaedtke, right, won the 1600 meter invitational run with a time of 4:16.82. Bryan Rodie, also from Royal, took second with a 4:20.89 clocking.

Although he entered the Ventura County Track and Field boys’ Championships with the best time in the 3,200 meters, junior Dylan Jaedtke of Royal had to settle for second place in the event.

But he took first in the 1,600 meters with a personal best of 4:16.82 to beat senior teammate Bryan Rodie’s second place time and personal best of 4:20.89. Jaedtke lost in the 3,200 meters final with a 9:26.04:3 to Camarillo’s Ted Price, who ran a 9:21.67.

Jaedtke, who entered the meet last Friday at the Moorpark High School track with a 9:25.4 county-best in the 3,200, said he always seems to do better in the longer races. "That’s the way it’s been the past years that I have been running," Jaedtke said.

He attributes his success to his coaches.

"My coach—Ryan Luce—has been strong the whole year," Jaedtke said. "He thinks I can do better than that. He has confidence in his runners. He has no doubt whatever about what we can do. He never tells us ‘if,’ he just tells us ‘You will do this’ or ‘You can do this.’

"He wants me to PR (personal record) in the two-mile (3,200). Jaedtke said that he’s running almost 10 seconds faster than his best PR from last year.

Third title for Rodie

Royal’s Rodie, whose personal record in the 800 going into the county meet was 1:54.7, won his third consecutive title with a time of 1:55.56.

He was hoping that his 800 season mark would go down to 1:53 and by the end of the season he said he’d like to whittle it down to 1:51.

Rodie likes running the 800, but not because the race is easy.

"It’s really hard," he said. "It’s almost like you’re going a full 400 pace for two laps. It just really hurts—really bad. I think it’s the most painful race there is. That’s why I like it. I want the pain. I like pain. It’s fun. It’s a head game completely to push yourself through all that pain."

Rodie plans to attend Boise State University.

Lepisto sets personal record

Senior Branden Lepisto of Agoura won the 300-meter hurdles in 38.96, breaking his 39.0 best mark for this season.

Last year, he finished fourth in league finals and didn’t make it to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section meets. His personal record last year was 41.

Lubeck remains in first

Senior Joshua Lubeck of Royal was first in pole vault at the county meet with a jump of 14-6, off by a foot from his season best and school record of 15-6.

This season Lubeck has vaulted 16 feet in practice. "I want 16-6," he said. "I have improved every year by a foot and a half. If I do that this year, it’s 16-6, so that’s my goal."

Lindsay takes second

Senior Allen Lindsay of Moorpark took a pair of second places—10.84 in the 100 and 21.77 in the 200.

Lindsay said he trains constantly. "I used to take that for granted so much," he said. "You really have to do a lot of things when you start. A lot of leg strengthening, arm strengthening.

"Your body really gets tired when you come down to the end of races. Many races are won and lost in the last 20 meters in track."

Other boys’ results

•Junior David Berman, senior Todd Bettisworth, sophomore Brandon Schneider and senior Spencer Taylor of Oak Park recorded a stadium-record first place in the 1,600 meters relay with a 3:21.75.

•Sophomore Kyle Block, Junior Eric Meissner, junior Stephen Roesler and freshman Nolan Renner of Oaks Christian won the 800-meter relay in 8:23.11.

•Junior Chastin West of Moorpark took first place in the long jump, with a school-record mark of 22-6 1/4.

•Junior Josh Sanchez Sims of Moorpark, whose shot put mark of 54-feet 8 1/2 leads the county, finished second to senior Sean O’Brien of St. Bonaventure, who had a 51-0 to Sims’ 49-11 1/4. Sims also finished second in the discuss to junior Carlton Gillespie of St. Bonaventure. Sims threw 58-5, Gillespie 66-2.