NORWALK-- There are 1,200 high schools in California and only one state track and field champion. Medals are doled out to just the top six place-finishers. Helix junior Reggie Bush toyed with the former but settled for the latter by claiming three bronze medals at last Saturday’s finals of the 84th state track and field championship meet at Cerritos College.

Bush had entered last Saturday’s finals — viewed by a crowd of 10,751 — among the favorites to win the gold medal in the boys 100-meter dash after posting the second-fastest prelim mark the day before. Bush clocked 10.42 seconds to win his heat, which in the process tied the second-fastest time ever posted in the event in San Diego Section history. Bush’s prelim mark, which stands second only to the state record 10.30 run by Southwest High graduate Riley Washington in 1992, was just .02 seconds off the top qualifying mark of 10.40 turned in by Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills senior Matt Bruno.

Bush also won his heat in the 200 meters (third overall) and helped lead the Highlanders’ defending state champion 4x100-meter relay team to the third-fastest prelim mark behind Compton Dominguez and Long Beach Poly.

However, the multi-sport Helix standout was unable to duplicate the previous days’ heroics in the finals. Bush placed third in the 100 meters with a time of 10.74 behind race-winner Bruno (10.55) and runner-up Rubin Williams (10.72), a senior from Dublin Valley Christian. In the 200 meters, Bush posted a finals time of 21.15 to finish third behind Bruno (20.82) and Williams (20.92).

Bush had entered the May 31 prelims seeded third in the 100 meters at 10.65 and third in the 200 meters at 21.21. He finished fifth in the 200 (21.52) and sixth in the 100 (10.70) at last year’s state finals. The Scotties’ speed merchant won this year’s Masters 100 title in 10.65 and the 200 title in 21.21.

Despite not repeating their title in the 400-meter relay, the Highlanders did better their prelim mark of 41.27 to notch the second-fastest time in section history at 41.00. Helix had entered the meet seeded fifth in the state at 41.37. Long Beach Poly won this year’s relay title in 40.63 while Compton Dominguez finished second in 40.96.

The Highlanders ran 41.17 to win last year’s state title.

Joining Bush on this year’s Helix relay unit were juniors Darrell Hutsona and Bryon Barmer and senior Marcus Carroll. Carroll finished ninth in the boys long jump with a jump of 21 feet, 9.75 inches after jumping 23-4 the previous day. Hutsona failed to qualify for the finals in the long jump after posting a prelim mark of 22-9.25.

Bolstered by Bush’s two individual bronze-medal efforts, the third-place finish by the 400-meter relay team and the 14th-place finish turned in by sophomore Babey Wagnew in the boys 3200-meter run, the Highlanders (18 points) finished fourth overall in the team standings behind state champion Bakersfield (32 points), runner-up Long Beach Poly (30 points) and third-place Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills (20 points). Wagnew, who finished first at the San Diego Masters championships the previous week in 9:25.27, timed 9:19.30 last Saturday.

Besides the three Helix bronze medals, the only other East County state medalist was Granite Hills senior Janea Russ, who finished fourth in the girls pole vault at 12-3 to equal the third-best mark posted in section history and tie her own school record. Russ had cleared 12-0 the day before to join eight other vaulters in the finals.

“I was happy. I hadn’t cleared 12-0 in a month,” said the UCLA-bound Russ, who finished second with a height of 11-7 at the Masters finals.

Senior Chelsea Johnson (13-3) and sophomore teammate Kacey Lundgren (12-9), both of Atascadero, and Lemoore junior Kira Costa (12-3) all posted finals vaults higher than Russ.

Mt. Miguel senior Brady Douglas (second at Masters) finished ninth in the boys 400-meter dash in 49.22 after running 48.44 to finish second in his prelim heat. He was seeded 10th in the state coming into last weekend’s Cerritos College meet.

Though gold medals were denied this year, a large contingent of East County athletes made their way north to Norwalk last weekend. Helix senior Taylor Williams competed in the boys 1600-meter run while Granite Hills senior Cameron Figueroa was among the contingent of seven section boys pole vaulters to clear the opening height of 14-4. Figueroa had finished third at Masters with a vault of 15-0. Other East County state prelim competitors included Mt. Miguel junior Danisha Bryant (girls 400 meters), Helix sophomore Frank Green (boys triple jump), Helix sophomore Taryn Jones (girls 200 meters) and Valhalla junior Kara Filopowski (girls pole vault).

Filopowski, who like Granite Hills’ Figueroa wears a crash helmet, set a new school record at 11-6 in advancing to the second round of prelim competition. Her previous best had been 11-4.